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Just when fans were coming to terms with the gorgeous pictures of Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi’s garden wedding in Mumbai, Yami Gautam dropped pictures of her looking goddess-like as Aditya Dhar’s bride for her wedding that took place amidst the hills of Himachal Pradesh. Ali Abbas Zafar took to social media to introduce his bride to the world after their low-key wedding ceremony, and despite news of their nuptials leaking out in the press, Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa, too, had a toned-down ceremony in Chandigarh, away from the spotlight of Tinseltown. The move may have left the paparazzi blindsided but social media was all praise for these celebs’ humble decisions.
In contrast to the big, fat Bollywood weddings of yore that made headlines for just how extravagant the ceremonies were and how much was spent on them, some celebs are now consciously making a decision to have scaled-down affairs with emphasis on the couple’s bond over everything else. This has not only set these couples apart from the rest, but it has also painted them as morally responsible duos who prioritise the times over their own dreams. The bonus? They get to have completely private events away from the prying eyes of the media. But what is the thought behind these minimalist weddings and how does it go with the image of the people whose mere presence commands a frenzy? ETimes’ #BigStory finds out…
Learning from the past
Exotic flowers imported from far-off locations, a food menu that could double up as a gastronomic world tour, cross-city wedding planners coming together, security guards being hired by dozens–these are the elements of celeb weddings we have come to expect. But Yami, who had herself attended a few of these extravagant affairs, knew she didn’t want the same when the time came to walk down the aisle. Her June 2021 wedding to filmmaker Aditya Dhar was reminiscent of times past when picture-perfect candids weren’t the order of the day. Speaking to Bombay Times, the actress had said, “Going by my understanding and experience of attending weddings, I was sure about what I didn’t want. I am fortunate that both Aditya and I shared this thought. We both are averse to the wastage that happens in weddings — food, flower decorations and so many other things. Also, it’s so difficult to make everyone happy, so why not get married among those who actually care about you. The focus was solely on the ceremony and not us trying to please anyone. We were just two families enjoying the moment”.
Sustainability first
Weddings, especially in India, have never been about toning it down. The big, fat Indian wedding is such a cliché for a reason. More than celebrating the couple’s bond, three-day wedding rituals are more an excuse for the entire extended family to come together and celebrate. It is a festival of sorts and number-crunching in terms of money isn’t just avoided, it is frowned upon. But if wedding planner Priyanka Kalantri is to be believed the trend is changing, albeit slowly. “As we all can see, global warming and excess pollution are our biggest concerns and because of that we are facing consequences like floods, cyclones and erratic climate changes. It’s very important to consider sustainability while planning any event. For example, we can avoid wastage while doing a beach wedding or even avoid too much of fireworks. Small changes can also make a big difference,” she reasons.
And who better to lead the change than celebs who have an influence over the masses. For Dia Mirza, who has been championing sustainability for long now, her wedding was yet another opportunity to set an example. Not only were the plates at her nuptials all accounted for, such that there was no wastage, she also provided water to her guests in glass bottles instead of plastic, and for wedding favours, everyone on her guest list got a plant in handwoven baskets sourced from Meghalaya. Even their wedding outfits were designed with the same theme. As opposed to her last wedding dress, which the actress revealed she had auctioned off, she chose a reusable fabric this time around, as did her husband.
Wedding planner Ankita Chugh reiterates how a sustainable trousseau can certainly be a reality instead of burning a hole in the pocket buying a dress that would not see the light of the day after the main ceremony. “The designs are evolving so much that one doesn’t need to stick to the highly expensive designer elements anymore. Now it’s more about carrying something different with élan and grace! Whether it’s Rhea Kapoor wearing sneakers with traditional Indian attire or celebs carrying their mother’s heritage sarees, it’s a clear switch from a conventional approach to a more unique and bespoke way of looking at things,” she points out.
Keeping up with the times
With the pandemic refusing to die down, and the Omicron variant of coronavirus emerging as a new threat, the way the world revolves is changing by the minute. Turbulent times have hit every business and the film world is no exception. For the better part of the last two years, film industry folks, just like most of us, had to sit at home, twiddling fingers, waiting for work to resume. But as the days turned to weeks and weeks to months, it seems like celebs came to terms with their new way of life. This time of isolation also forced them to introspect about things that really matter, and now, this new line of thinking is reflected in their actions, too.
Celebrity wedding photographer Joshua Karthik shares how the pandemic has worked towards sharpening the focus on low-key weddings. “Indian weddings look larger-than-life because of how emotional they get–there’s real laughter, joy, merriment, and more on display. A setting at the grandest of venues pales in comparison to the one that’s designed perfectly for your backyard if everyone’s enjoying themselves at the wedding. Sustainability has been an important consideration for brides for some time now, and we have seen this trend towards more conscious choices take root well before the pandemic. The pandemic did not bring about this change, however, it has certainly sharpened focus around this idea,” he admits.
Wedding and event planner Simrann Singh, too, acknowledges the changes brought about by the pandemic, saying, “Covid-19 has given an opportunity to people to restrict lavish weddings and actually do things that they really want to do. That applies to celebrities and regular clients too. The couple is able to spend more on things that really matter, invite people that really matter. Gifting has definitely gone up, as everyone who would have been invited in the normal scenario is not being invited now, but gifts are being sent to people nevertheless”.
Besides the obvious moral ramifications, the lockdown, even when it was lifted, put a cap on the number of guests that could attend. This meant cutting down on the guest list, and by extension, the scale of the wedding itself. Kajal Aggarwal who got married at the Taj Mahal Palace in November last year, insisted that the Covid restrictions didn’t take away from their joy or excitement about getting married. However, they had to get every attending guest tested for coronavirus and then quarantined before they could attend the ceremony.
Privacy comes at a cost
When Varun Dhawan charted the waters of the Arabian sea to get married to his childhood sweetheart Natasha Dalal in the quaint town of Alibaug, it was also an effort to keep things private as the guest list had to be kept to a minimum due to Covid restrictions. While the paparazzi also made it to the venue, they were stationed outside trying to catch a glimpse but none of the attendees or even the ones employed for the wedding prep were allowed to talk to the media in order to keep things hush-hush. It was only when the couple got married and walked out hand-in-hand did the flashbulbs finally go off. Ask entertainment photojournalist Manav Manglani if he detests low-key private weddings since they don’t make for good photo opportunities for them and he shrugs, “To each their own. The pandemic changed a lot of things. We still try our best to get shots. Of course, bigger the wedding, the better it is for us photographers”.
Ankita returns to add, “Celebs like to keep their weddings very close-knit, usually with only their families, and then throw receptions to give room to entire paparazzi and invite their A-listers. Unlike the uber luxury big weddings, celeb weddings are often more focused on making it intimate, classy, minimalistic and there is a clear focus on keeping it smart yet frugal. For example, for celebs, a lot of things–from decor to food to venue–comes at a much more reasonable cost because of the merit of their brand. For them, the biggest part of their expenses is the venue and they are always looking for unique options. They tend to choose conventional templatised options in their choices of food decor and entertainment as against the gala affairs of Super HNIs”.
Money matters
What also can’t be overlooked is that low-key weddings are cost-effective. And these celebrities, with their completely Instagram-able weddings, are now inspiring real-life couples to follow their leads. “We do not make any compromise on the quality or the arrangements but yes looking at the current scenario, there are times when certain things are not available or take longer to be customised. But everything is possible if it’s well planned in advance,” says Priyanka, adding that several real-life couples who wanted to go for elaborate wedding ceremonies are now opting for a more economical approach and instead spending the rest of the money on travel. “Keep the guest list limited, keep a check on their health and safety, choose an eco-friendly venue, have less fireworks, use local flowers and decor, masks for guests can be customised, encouraging them to use it and we can even use digitalisation to enhance the wedding experience,” suggests Priyanka for a low-cost yet absolutely stunning wedding ceremony.
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