Indian marriages are known for their vibrant colours and extravagant ceremonies. Besides being ritualistic and elaborative in nature, Indian wedding ceremonies are much more than glamour and gloss. According to Indian culture, marriage is considered a religious and social ritual.
When it comes to Indian families, a wedding ceremony is treated like an occasion for celebration and to display the wealth and riches of the family. In fact, it is a perfect blend of values, traditions and celebrations. Marriage in India is regarded as a soulful affair that brings two souls together, rather than simply being an event.
The trend of ostentatious and grandiose wedding ceremonies in India is something that catches attention of the people from across the globe. Although, Indian marriages may differ based on different traditions and rituals, the beautiful display of commitment, emotion, love and concern is something that remains common.
Talking about big, lavish Indian weddings, the wedding of Indian businessman Laxmi Niwas Mittal's daughter was the most expensive of them all. Vanisha Mittal, daughter of the London-based steel tycoon, got married to a Delhi based investment banker, Amit Bhatia. With an estimated budget of INR 200 crores (£30m / $55million), the wedding became the talk of the town. While the celebrations continued for six days, the guest list included famous names from both British and Indian society. Movie stars like Preity Zinta, Hritik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are among a few celebrities who were present to witness the World's most expensive wedding, while some of them were even asked (read as 'paid') to perform at the venue.
Nate Rawlings, in his Time Magazine article dated April 26 2012, said, "Louis XIV would have been impressed with this wedding".
The wedding ceremony of Sahara Shree Family, Subroto Roy's sons Sushanto and Seemanto has been one of the most extravagant ceremonies within the country in recent times. The venue was Sahara City in Lucknow with approximately 11,000 guests attending the highly exotic wedding ceremony.
Apart from this, other celebrities having grand marriage ceremonies include Raveena Tandon, Hrithik Roshan, Karishma Kapoor, Sachin Tendulkar, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.
Last year the stars aligned in such a way that the traditional marriage season was shorter than usual which lead to more work for event managers who juggled multiple receptions simultaneously. This meant that many to-be brides and grooms locked horns over venues, organizers and caterers resulting in higher demands and price rises.
Saurabh Agrawal, director at Ahmedabad-based Red Events said,
"The weddings business is seasonal and with more number of families placing orders on the same day, marriage hall owners, caterers, florists, decorators, videographers, fashion designers and publishers of wedding cards will make the most of this rush by jacking up their prices."
