Earlier this month, Chrysle Pinto arrived at a wedding party in Dubai that felt like a scene from a Bollywood blockbuster. The venue sparkled with dazzling lights and guests wore ornate outfits adorned with intricate embroidery.
Pulsating beats of popular music set the mood, while a lavish feast offered diverse flavours to savour. Laughter and chatter filled the air, contributing to the festive atmosphere.
Yet, this celebration was unlike any other – it had no bride, no groom and no traditional rituals, just a memorable gathering centred on joy and togetherness.
A finance analyst, Pinto, 24, who wore a shimmering ethnic outfit, was attending a “fake wedding party” – Gen Z’s latest obsession.
Fake weddings have become all the rage across Indian cities, where people buy tickets to attend a party themed as a wedding organised at hotels, clubs and resorts purely for fun.
The attendees are mostly Gen Z, who experience a night of drama and delight of a big fat Indian wedding sans a bride, a groom, wedding rituals and tearful farewells. Tickets are typically priced between 1,000 rupees ($12) and 5,000 rupees ($58), depending on the venue and facilities.
“We still love the celebration, just not the wedding contract,” Pinto tells The National. “We’re rewriting traditions to fit our timelines. These events let us enjoy the sparkle and sentiment of a wedding minus the stress.
“Fake wedding parties are the chaotic joy we didn’t know we needed. We love moments that make a statement. Gen Z is all about vibes, virality and doing things differently, and these weddings are theatrical in the best way.”
Gen Z’s latest craze
Indian weddings are known worldwide for their extravagance. Last year, the wedding of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's son Anant to Radhika Merchant grabbed headlines around the world for its eye-popping opulence and celebrity appearances.
While not all Indian weddings are on a similar scale, a typical celebration could have up to 1,000 guests and several functions stretching over four days, each with elaborate meals and rituals.
The Indian wedding industry is estimated at $50 billion and remains a robust contributor to its economy. Most nuptials take place between November and March when the temperature is cooler and often aligned with auspicious dates, while the monsoon months from June to September are avoided.
But the experience of attending a wedding with extended family gathered under the same roof, heightened emotions, the pressure of looking picture-perfect, intense cultural traditions and non-stop socialising can be exhausting and daunting for many, especially for Gen Z, who enjoy their boundaries.
This is where the fake wedding steps in, says Nihira Sharma, 21, an event curator who organised the first fake wedding at a hotel in Ahmedabad city in India’s western state of Gujarat.
attendee
“In Indian weddings, half of the energy goes into managing relatives, dodging nosy questions and smiling throughout awkward family moments. I wanted to change that and keep all the fun parts of a wedding like dancing, food, the glam outfits,” Sharma tells The National.
“A fake wedding is a pure celebration with your chosen people and eradicating judgmental aunties, debates going on in the family without any family stress. I wanted to curate an experience where all the best parts of a wedding are inculcated,” she adds.
Sharma's first event drew more than 1,000 people. There was a baraat or wedding procession complete with a car show, colour bombs and crackers. Live dhol or drum performers entertained while guests indulged in photo booths, a mehendi corner and a lavish spread of spicy chaat – a regular feature at Indian weddings.
A dance battle also ensued between women and men who represented the fake bride and groom.
“Most of them were outgoing Gen Z and young millennials. Fake weddings are part nostalgia, part escapism. It has happened in Delhi, Pune and I can see this going to be a recurring party format across India,” says Sharma.
Dubai Bling
Fake weddings are also getting popular in Dubai where event organisers are hosting elaborate parties at clubs, cafes and hotels. Parties are being themed as sangeet, a pre-wedding dance and music night, or mehendi, the henna ceremony.
One such party titled Almost Sangeet was recently in Al Seef Heritage Hotel, with 300 tickets selling out immediately. The event featured DJ Bling spinning high-energy sets, live drum acts, henna artists, cocktails and a fusion Indian menu. Tickets ranged between Dh199 and Dh299 depending on the food and beverage package.
“The concept is playful and immersive, allowing guests to enjoy the glamour and excitement of a wedding, without the formalities,” says Mouna Kessous, the cluster marketing and communication manager of Hilton Hotels Dubai, who put together the event. “We see it as a creative way to bring people together while offering a refreshing alternative to traditional parties.”
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Given its success, we believe this concept could carve out an exciting new niche in the UAE’s social scene,” Kessous adds.
Tania Lodi, 31, who runs Tania’s Tea House in Dubai, has hosted two fake wedding parties for 300 people at her cafe.
“Weddings are the best places for South Asians to mingle and meet others, especially when it comes to dating,” she says. “A lot of single friends have complained that it is hard to meet people authentically these days for dating, and ‘fake weddings’ are just another creative avenue for wholesome fun and meeting people.”
But organising such an event is expensive and requires meticulous planning, but Lodi says the efforts pay off. “The response was so positive. Funnily enough, we had people show up the next night all decked out in wedding clothes,” she says.
Sentiment minus stress
Vidhi Jayani, 21, who attended the party in Ahmedabad said the celebrations are a fun way for Gen Z who may be delaying getting married but don't want to miss out on the wedding fun.
“Normal themed parties are fun, but a fake wedding has that extra layer of role-play,” she says. “Fake weddings are basically the fun part of weddings without any of the stress. It’s a perfect mix of celebration and chill and this gives you all of that in one night.”
For Dubai resident Raheleah Ansari, 25, such parties are a form of liberation. “These fake weddings end when the night does, and people get to go and live life on their terms, which is a luxury the generations before us didn't have as freely as we're lucky to have now,” she says.
“We don't want the pressures and responsibilities of getting married in this economy and before we've even fully figured out who we are.”
