Gen Z’s latest party trends in India

What do you think of when you think of a big fat Indian wedding?

Bright lights, sparkling costumes, Bollywood hits, rich food dispersions and a soaked atmosphere in the celebrations. Everything feels extravagant, emotional and greater than life.

Now imagine all this without a bride and groom. There were no Pheras (the couple performed seven rounds of Indian marriage rituals around the sacred fire), no relatives, no tearful farewell. Just a party.

Welcome to the world of fake weddings – In Indian cities, people gather together to enjoy the trend of weddings, minus actual marriages.

These ticketing events organized by hotels, clubs and companies are purely for entertainment and are expected to provide a full wedding experience without any pressure, ceremony or responsibility. In short, it’s a wedding-themed party night.

Fake weddings have been radiating in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore over the past few weeks. Participants are usually young people who want to spend a night with friends, indulge in the drama and fun of traditional Indian weddings without the stress that comes with them.

Last week we attended a well-planned event in Delhi – a fake sangeet (Sangeet is a night of music and dance, usually held a few days before the wedding).

At the event, at the plush club, the atmosphere is electric: women swirl in serry and lehengas (long skirts and tops), while men wear tailor-made kurtas and ethnic jackets. Traditional DHOL drummers bring the crowd to the dance floor, and Tequila is filled with tequila (Gol Gappas), a popular Indian street snack, toured.

Shivangi Sareen attended an event like this for the first time and found it to be “amazing”.

“At a family wedding, it’s stressful – around the rules of dressing up, judgement (from relatives). But here, it’s fun,” she said. “Especially because we have to do everything with friends. We decide on the costumes of the previous day and then prepare together.”

Tickets usually start at around Rs 1,500 ($17; £13), up to Rs 15,000 or more depending on the venue and facilities. Shivangi and her friends paid Rs 10,000 per couple to attend.

“I don’t mind spending once a month. The whole experience is totally worth it.”

Sharad Madan, owner of a restaurant that hosted the event, said the trend stressed that novelty is key to the hospitality industry.

“We have to keep doing something new for our customers,” he said.

Madan said the cost of planning and organizing the event was about Rs one million, and the team expected to double it through ticket sales. But it’s not just profit, he said.

“It’s about engagement. Even if it doesn’t pay me the same reward, I still do it because our customers want something different.”

Kaushal Chanani, co-founder of 8club Events, held a fake wedding in Bangalore last month, where a person attended the fake wedding inspired by young Indians living abroad.

“The people of the diaspora gather and dance Bollywood music, wear racial (traditional) clothes and enjoy the night,” he said. “That’s the idea we follow.”

He said the response to the Bangalore event held at the five-star hotel was “overwhelming”. It encouraged them to plan similar events in Delhi (sold out) and they began to get questions from event organizers in other cities such as Jaipur, Kolkata and Lucknow.

“We are now offering our Standard Operating Programs (SOPs) to those interested,” he said. “This is a guide on how to create an experience, market and make it profitable.”

However, not all fake weddings follow the same script.

Third place is an experience-based startup that recently hosted a sober sangeet In Bangalore – No alcohol, just thematic celebration.

“We divided the attendees into teams of the groom and bride and organized an organized game like Charades and speculated that relatives came from stereotypes,” said CEO Anurag Pandey.

There are DHOL drums, which are popular for all guests and even astrology-themed games. Alcohol was deliberately excluded.

“Sometimes the wine is eliminated from the experience,” Mr Pandy said. “We want to not only do a bar night or a regular acquisition. We want to showcase the spirit of Indian weddings.”

Commentators say the popularity of these events reflects the youth’s constant desire to find reasons to celebrate.

“People need some kind of hook…is an opportunity to celebrate. There is nothing better environment than a wedding, which brings together all the elements of fun.”

“It’s the pinnacle of enjoyment – especially when it gets rid of the real wedding stress.”

He also noted that these activities give people a reason to re-wear expensive wedding outfits.

So, will the incidents here be kept?

Vijay Arora, founder of Delhi-based Touchwood Events, believes fake weddings are currently a fashion — but have potential.

“The Z world definitely wants to be such a celebration,” he said.

“If it’s a new market category, it could change the size of the game because the scale will increase – ultimately expanding business opportunities across the industry.”

Wedding industry in India Estimated value is about $130 billionAccording to investment consulting firm Wright Research.

When the industry thrives, there are restrictions. Most weddings are held in cooler months (usually between November and March) and are usually in auspicious times, while the monsoon season (June to August) is considered as the off-season.

With free venues, vendors available, people keep chasing experiences, and if trends go, fake weddings may step in to fill the gaps.

Mr. Arora said he was surprised by the rise of fake weddings.

“However, it also helps to understand that these events are something we want to celebrate or get involved in. Even if we can’t attend real events with our friends or family hosts, we still want to experience them by joining these fake fake events.”

However, not every guest is excited.

Srishti Sharma, a 23-year-old Bengaluru marketing expert, said she was overwhelmed by the only fake wedding she attended.

“I’ve been away from home for a few years and I really miss going to the wedding,” she said.

“The biggest benefit is that no relatives tell you ‘you’re the next marriage’.”

Ms. Sharma and her friends spent hours choosing clothing, but there was little activity.

“They started with EDM and switched to Bollywood only two hours later,” she said.

“We expected wedding food but had pizza and fries – no dessert, just drinking. The decoration was basic and felt lazy.”

Some criticized the incidents, saying they may encounter trivial Indian traditional events and values.

But Vidhi Kapoor, who participated in the fake Sangeet in Delhi, disagreed.

“It may be offensive if people are asked to dress up like a bride or groom, but it’s just a party and we should be happy,” she said.

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