AT ANANT AMBANI and Radhika Merchant's grand pre-wedding celebrations in Jamnagar, the groom walked down the aisle for his hastakshar accompanied not by his parents, but by his sister Isha Ambani and sister-in-law Shloka Mehta. Another wedding that made news earlier this year, that of mental health advocate Ira Khan (daughter of superstar Aamir Khan) to fitness expert Nupur Shikhare, saw the multicultural couple opt out of traditional rites and exchange vows in a ceremony that seemed deeply personalised to them.
This isn't the realm of internet-breaking weddings alone. Many modern couples are no longer content with simply focusing on their wedding wardrobe and decor. Instead, they're delving deep into the symbolism of the ceremonial aspects they are expected to partake in retaining the ones that speak to their values and even borrowing from cultures around the world that strike a chord with them. In the process, they're saying 'I do' to only that which is truly meaningful.
DEBUNKING GENDER NORMS
When neuro-radiologist and nuclear medicine physician Bhavana Chowdary married multi-organ abdominal transplant surgeon Rithin Punjala in Sri Lanka, she wanted to celebrate her gender-proofed, progressive upbringing. So, the celebrations consisted of two ceremonies: a civil wedding honouring the bride's secular beliefs followed by a Hindu wedding in line with the groom's religious convictions. The ceremony performed by Tamilian priests from Jaffna saw the couple partake only in rituals that placed them as equals. Chowdary forwent symbolic markers of a married woman such as mehendi, kanyadaan, mangalsutra and sindoor. "I am not really a rule breaker, but I wanted the wedding day to reflect what I practise in my everyday life as a woman. I did not want it to be any different just for that one day simply because 'that's how it's done'," says the bride.
INTIMATE INTERLUDE
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Denne historien er fra May - June 2024-utgaven av VOGUE India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
