The New Indian Wedding

The pandemic and lockdown delayed many couples’ wedding plans. But now, they’re all returning to the mandap moodboard with new ideas. RIAAN JACOB GEORGE speaks to hospitality insiders to get a sense of the new normal in desi weddings.

- RIAAN JACOB GEORGE

IT’S THE END OF 2020, and the wedding season is upon us. The burning question is: are people really getting married this year? The answer is a resounding yes! Is the big, fat Indian wedding, as we know it, really taking place? Certainly not. So, what does the new Indian wedding look like? We spoke to some of India’s biggest hospitality stakeholders to understand their toughest challenges, new policies and price points, and the demands they are getting for the post-lockdown wedding.

FEWER GUESTS AT THE SAME BUDGET

The first thing to take a hit is the guest list. The big-ticket Indian wedding, which saw an average of 800-1,000 people at the reception, is now making do with 50-100 guests. Narresh Kukreja of designer duo (and our A-List advisers) Shivan & Narresh says, “It’s largely an inner circle affair now, with only close friends and family. Hence, weddings can now be more experiential and luxurious, sans extravagant decor spends, as there are few people attending. The available budget can be spent on an expensive hotel, increased F&B, or an uber-luxe destination experience.”

Most hoteliers that we spoke to indicated little or no drop in wedding budgets—families are still willing to spend huge sums (often saved for this very purpose). In fact, there is an added expense for events now. “The spends per guest have gone up due to enhanced safety and care protocols that are implemented by hotels,” says Arif Patel, regional vice president, sales and marketing, Hyatt India (hyatt.com).