The ‘BIG FAT ‘Indian Wedding
Marriages specifically if we talk in India are not just bond between two individuals; but uniting two families as one. However, time has now changed this sacred bond into charmingly gauche with trending fashion into a big fat wedding to flaunt financial and societal status , a dazzling display of one’s family bank balance .
The extravagant display of excessive outfits, humongous buffet, loud music, and a clinging focus on rituals and its importance.
The cherry on the top is the trend of booking historical places or exotic locations for creating memories that fade faster than their significance.
The electrifying music draws everyone to step forward with a glass of vodka or whiskey in hand , making atmosphere alive and fun during the wedding festivities , with everyone eagerly joining in the celebration.
Indian weddings today blend ancient traditions, modern trends, and extravagant expenses, creating a unique cultural phenomenon. From elaborate rituals to star-studded events, these weddings have become larger-than-life affairs, where emotional depth is often buried under layers of glam and glitter.
Indian weddings are deeply rooted in cultural traditions, with ceremonies like Haldi, Mehendi, Sangeet, and Bidaai holding significant emotional and spiritual value. These rituals symbolize purity, happiness, togetherness, and familial bonding, designed to bless the couple and mark the beginning of their new life journey. However, as weddings have transformed into grand social events, these ceremonies have expanded into week-long celebrations , sometimes exaggerated for the sake of spectacle. What used to be an intimate gathering of close friends and family has now turned into meticulously choreographed events where the focus often shifts from the sanctity of the rituals to the grandeur of the presentation.
Families go to great lengths to amplify these traditions, sometimes sidelining their original meaning in favor of visual splendor.
In today’s society, weddings are a spectacle created for social media, not merely a celebration of two people joining together. These gatherings are now visually curated experiences where the pressure to get the “perfect shot” overshadows the spirit of the event due to the popularity of Instagram and other platforms. These days, weddings are frequently designed with the digital audience in mind, from drone photography and cinematic cinematography to floral arches and carefully chosen picture booths. Instead enjoying the moment, guests—and even the couple—seem more concerned in recording every little detail. Online trends and hashtags such as #SidkiaraWedding#SimGetsHerRish#VirushkaKiShaadi#DeepVeer and #WedlockedForever turns private festivities into public events where the quantity of likes frequently eclipses the significance of the wedding vows.
This obsession with spectacle and perfection is amplified by Bollywood’s influence, as celebrity weddings set the gold standard for extravagance. The weddings of Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, and Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas have all been lavish affairs covered extensively in the media.
The luxury and lavish Bollywood weddings trickles down to regular celebrations, where families aim is to replicate the same scale of luxury, often at the cost of financial strain. Each designer lehenga, handcrafted mandap, and star-studded guest lists raise the bar, especially pressuring middle-class families of delivering “the perfect big fat Indian wedding.”
One of the most talked-about weddings was the #Sidkiara wedding of Bollywood stars Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani. Held at the majestic and beautiful Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer, their wedding was nothing short of a fairytale. From the bride’s custom-designed Manish Malhotra lehenga to the entry she made was all over the social media, the event exuded luxury while dominating social media trends. The couple carefully curated every detail, from the dreamy pre-wedding festivities to exclusive guest lists and cinematic wedding videos, making it a template for aspirational weddings.
However, the grandest example of Indian wedding extravagance in recent history remains the wedding of Anant Ambani, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant. Estimated to cost around $600 million, this wedding redefined luxury with a staggering display of wealth. The pre-wedding celebrations alone included international stars like Rihanna and Justin Bieber performing, while the decor featured 20 million flowers and a strict 18-page dress code for guests. Gourmet meals with 37,500 options and return gifts rumored to be worth lakhs made headlines worldwide. Such events highlight how weddings have become less about the couple and more about creating a spectacle to outshine previous celebrations.
The financial frenzy surrounding Indian weddings has gotten to the point that personal milestones are sometimes competitive displays of wealth. Designer apparel, multi-course dinners, exotic locations, and celebrity visits have all become the new normal. Wedding planners that specialize in luxury events, from Italy’s Lake Como to Udaipur’s royal palaces, are usually hired to ensure that every detail exudes luxury.
For many middle-class families the pressure to meet cultural and societal expectations can be overwhelming and stressful , making them frequently stretching their budgets by taking loans over their assets , dipping into their savings or sometimes by selling off their precious belongings so they can arrange a grand event that meets expected standards. Financial burden often conceals their happiness and intimacy of the moment.
Despite the spectacle, Indian weddings still hold immense emotional value. Beneath the glittering chandeliers, viral dance performances, and extravagant lehengas lies a heartwarming reality—families coming together, old friends reuniting, and cherished memories being made. The nostalgia of seeing generations participate in rituals, the bittersweet tears during the Bidaai ceremony and the emotional exchanges between the bride, her parents and her siblings remain timeless elements that no amount of glamour or luxury can replace.
It is ironic that while the grandeur keeps escalating, the essence of a wedding—the celebration of love, unity, and family—often gets lost. Yet, behind the hashtags and designer outfits, Indian weddings continue to reflect a beautiful chaos, a blend of tradition and modernity uniquely our own. So, the next time you attend a wedding that feels straight out of a Bollywood film, remember that while the spectacle is dazzling, the true magic lies in the moments of genuine connection and cultural heritage.
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