A WEDDING TICKET

Would you invite strangers

to your wedding?

T

hese

strangers, rest assured, are not gate-crashers; they are well-meaning foreigners who would like to be a part of our Indian wedding ceremony. And they are willing to pay for the privilege.

W

elcome to the concept of wedding

tourism where couples tying the knot

may invite strangers to their wedding! First things first. Why has the Indian wedding ceremony blown up to such proportion as to merit a whole new chapter in tourism? Well, today’s weddings are no longer only about the pheras around the fire, accompanied by Vedic chants and the rituals that the bride, groom and the family members partake in. What was once a simple ceremony, is now a three to five-day entertainment event for guests and the families, as well as for the couple. This means, there is a need to be extravagant and lavish, and, of course, all this comes at a price.

T

emplate

for such ‘ideal’ weddings

have been set in recent times by the media, bombarding everyone with wedding photos of celebrities. Pictures around these weddings are no less than a setting for a blockbuster Bollywood movie.

I

ndeed, how does a wedding become

a touristy affair? To say that a wedding ceremony is now open to consumers who have enough money to pay for food and drinks would be taking it a bit too far, according to some couples.

I

nterestingly, the website joinmywedding.com is helping those tourists who would like to be a part of an Indian wedding. Those who want to invite strangers to their weddings get in touch with each other.

So, in my opinion blending in with the local colour and making new friends is what seems to attract those who genuinely want to immerse themselves into this experience of understanding a new culture.

A WEDDING TICKET

Would you invite strangers

to your wedding?

T