Hindustan Times (Patna) - Hindustan Times (Patna) - Live
Weddings are celebrations not marathons, show couples
Dance, drama and celebrations at least a fortnight-long — this is how grand Indian weddings are getting. When actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh recently tied the knot, festivities went on for 17 days across locations. Actor Priyanka Chopra, who married American singer Nick Jonas in the first week of December, began the celebrations with bachelorette parties in November. For comedian-actor Kapil Sharma, who will marry Ginni Chatrath on December 12, the celebrations started with this month and will continue till December 24.
Taking the cue from stars, many brides and grooms are spacing out wedding festivities over days, even a month, instead of back-to-back ceremonies. Entrepreneur Rajat Chaudhary, 30, recently got married and planned the functions over 12 days. He says, “It was done to ease everything. Back-to-back functions don’t give that much time to family members to enjoy and participate. And we didn’t want dates of our functions to clash with those of my fianceé’s, so that her family could also attend.” The only drawback was flower décor at home, which he had to get done thrice during celebrations.
Delhi resident Promila Soota, whose US-resident son is getting married in India, says, “We could have wound up ceremonies fast as it was a weekend. But we’re giving a break between each for the comfort of senior citizens.”
The trend is picking up, but gets a mixed response from the wedding industry.
Shweta Acharya, a wedding planner, says a spaced-out wedding makes sense only if you have diverse guest lists. “If not, hosting a 17-day long extravaganza means your guests will have to choose between events. Gaps could also mean hosting more events to keep your outstation guests engaged. It’s not a good idea from a budget and convenience perspective.”
Wedding blogger Shinjini Amitabh Chawla shares the view: “From a wedding guest’s perspective, it’s not the most pleasant experience to attend functions over too many days. Most want to get back to their normal lives after two to three days.”
However, Tina Tharwani, who planned Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s wedding, says, “We’ve a handful of such requests from clients. It’s a refreshing trend, a win-win for the couple, the planners and collaborators.”
Another planner, Kaveri Vij, agrees, “Couples understand it’s a celebration of life, not a marathon. They want to enjoy their wedding functions too, so they prefer a break between events which gives ample time to rest and not look worn out.”