India's urban youth are partying at ‘fake weddings,’ no dulha, no drama, just dhol, reels
In a twist that only Gen Z could pull off with flair, Indian cities are witnessing the rise of a rather unorthodox trend known as the fake wedding. From Delhi to Bengaluru and even reaching university campuses in the United States, these events are becoming the next big (and bizarre) thing in urban party culture.
A fake wedding all the pomp of a traditional Indian wedding, sangeet, varmala, baraat, dhol and lehengas, minus the marriage itself. There’s no real bride or groom committing to anything except maybe some viral choreography. Instead, attendees gather to revel in a curated, commitment-free version of “shaadi season.”
Some of these events are now being ticketed, organised by professional party planners, with entry fees ranging from ₹500 to ₹3,000 depending on how lavish the setup is. One viral Instagram post even mentioned a two-day fake wedding organised at Cornell University, complete with food, rituals and costumes, just without the rishtedars, pressure or pheras.
For many young people, fake weddings are about joy, freedom and expression. There are no aunties asking personal questions, no family drama and no early morning rituals. It’s a glittering fantasy of a wedding which is tailor-made for Instagram, Snapchat and the dopamine of online validation.
Critics have called the trend frivolous and disrespectful, arguing that it reduces the sanctity of marriage to a theme party. “Have we lost the plot?” one user asked on X lamenting that a sacred union is now reduced to a content opportunity. Another remarked, “Long live capitalism,” referring to how even weddings, real or fake have become commodified.
Few others see in it a budding business model as fake weddings might just be the next frontier in event planning, which might fall somewhere between a flash mob and immersive theatre.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
