Weddings in India are considered to be a spiritual and religious practice wherein the bride and groom take vows to love each other forever. It is considered as a marriage between two families rather than just the bride and groom. These lavish and beautiful weddings are never one-day affairs. Most weddings in the country last anywhere from a few days to a week to ten days, depending on the type of wedding and all the associated functions. This is unquestionably one of the most distinguishing features of Indian weddings: they are long, joyous occasions full of festivities.
Indian weddings are famous throughout the world. The dreamy outfits, expensive jewelry, and huge ballrooms and resorts are booked for the occasion. It is an unforgettable experience. The festivities are full of religious practices and the guest list is huge ranging from 500 to 1000 people per wedding!
Weddings in India are planned by parents even before their kid is an adult. People spend their hard-earned money just to make this day memorable and jolly. Anything from the bridal gowns and jewels to the meals and the princely care that family members and wedding guests enjoy is subject to proper planning of the wedding and its tradition.
Indian weddings are made up of a vivid combination of colors and music, glitz, cultural traditions, and emotions. No wonder it is the most celebrated occasion in the world.
How Expensive is an Indian Wedding?
Of course, there is no limit on how much someone wants to spend on a wedding but an average Indian wedding can cost between 20 lakhs to 5 crores. It includes wedding outfits, food, presents, wedding cards, décor, venue, and ceremonies.
Venue: Choosing the venue is the most important and crucial step while planning the wedding. It has to be spacious enough to accommodate the long list of guests and it has to be on a budget as well. Either you choose to host a destination wedding or in your hometown, the cost of the venue will account for the maximum percentage of your expenses. An average hotel ballroom can cost around 1 lakh per day whereas resorts and destinations can cost several lakhs of rupees.
Food: Food is an essential part of the wedding and is a factor which can make or break the wedding. Indian weddings are known for the variety of cuisines from savory to sweet that is served with love to the guests. They have to be lip-smacking and memorable. A reputed caterer can charge anywhere from Rs. 1500-2500 per plate and even more.
Décor: A beautiful décor is what attracts the guests the most. From huge chandeliers to bouquets of flowers along with sculptures and proper lighting for photography, all make the venue of the wedding dreamy and magnificent. A wedding planner can cost around Rs. 30,000 to 2 lakh rupees for the décor alone.
Outfit: Every bride dreams to wear the most dazzling and graceful lehenga at her wedding. It is something she has planned when she was just a kid and who doesn’t want to look mind-blowing on their special day whether it be the bride or groom. A wedding saree or lehenga can cost around Rs. 50,000 while a sherwani for the groom can cost around Rs. 30,000. Of course, a designer lehenga or sherwani can even cost around 5 lakhs.
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Festivities
With over 500 languages and 6,000 dialects, India's varied cultures and religions define today's wedding ceremonies, which differ depending on the place of birth. The numerous ceremonies that make up an Indian wedding ceremony take place over many days. Generally, an Indian wedding lasts for around 3-days. It includes festivities like ring ceremony, Sangeet, Mehendi, Haldi and of course the wedding day. Let's learn in detail about these festivities.
At the sangeet ceremony, family and friends from both sides bond and get to know each other while dancing and enjoying the music, and eating delicious food. For the Mehendi ceremony, the bride and her female friends gather together for henna. Using a paste of dried ground henna leaves, the henna artists draw complex and tangled patterns on the hands and feet of the bride and her friends and relatives. Henna is considered to protect the soon-to-be-married couple from evil, encourage fertility, and draw positive energy.
At the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom wear red outfits as red is the color of happiness and good luck. Firstly, they exchange flower garlands as a symbol of acceptance to each other. Then, they circle around the holy fire called the ‘age which is placed under a canopy called ‘mandap’ which is made up of four pillars portraying the parents of the bride and groom. They take seven circles together as they vow to love one another and live happily ever after.
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The Bottom Line
The culturally and ethnically rich Indian weddings are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Over time, the amount of money spent on weddings has increased and the wedding industry is always booming. Even in covid-19, many weddings took place with proper precautions and safety and fewer guests.
Wedding planners have also started to come up with new and trendy ideas to make the weddings even more fun and interesting for the guests and well as the soon-to-be couple. The tradition and craze for weddings keep on growing and growing.
Learn more about the Indian Wedding.
Written By - Aarushi Jain
Edited By - Khaled
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