Fake destination weddings are booming as immersive, ticketed events that recreate the spectacle of big fat Indian weddings—minus the actual marriage. From flower showers at entry to sangeet-style dance-offs, curated storylines and luxury venues, organisers offer diaspora and urban youth a chance to dress up, socialise and revel in elaborate rituals while carefully avoiding religious sensitivities.
You’ve found the dream lehenga that matches your Pinterest delusions. You know it’ll look gorgeous with a Phuket sunset in the background. Your playlist for sangeet night was ready months ago. The only thing missing? A destination wedding invite.
We all want to dress up, show up, and eat, pray, love our way through a wedding in an exotic location. Especially if it comes with welcome dinners, sundowners that turn into all-nighters and haldis by the infinity pool. Even so, the destination wedding’s former cult status has catapulted to a full-fledged high-budget production, with guaranteed social media coverage. And now, everyone wants to partake.
Luckily, for those who may not have friends or family getting married anytime soon, there’s always a fake destination wedding that can be attended. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like, no catches. “It is an event which is decorated like a wedding venue, but there is obviously nobody getting married,” shares Sahib Singh Gujral, co-founder of Jumma Ki Raat, a popular Gen Z experiential events company. “Everyone dresses up in wedding wear. It's different from a genuine wedding because there's nobody getting married. There are no ceremonies. It's a platform for everyone who wants to celebrate a really fun wedding, because every culture is different and not all of us are invited to weddings which are grand, and not everyone has access to that kind of society. So this becomes a platform where you can buy your own ticket and experience something that big, which has had hype over the years.”
Upon entry, guests are greeted with a customary shower of flowers as they walk in. “Then, they are given bands and shown the tickets for the shagun they have paid. The music starts, and people start dancing. They grab their drinks, and it's just how a normal wedding would work, except that everything is paid. The storytelling is the main game. The better the storytelling, the more integrated the theme is.” Sahib explains.
With fake destination weddings, a whole new level of logistics gets involved. Take MohMaya, for instance, which is a growing community brand and social group in Melbourne, Australia. Founded by Kapil and Karan, it connects the Indian diaspora through unique events like chai meetups, road trips, house parties, and large-scale fake Indian destination weddings. “The word ‘fake’ really only applies to the marriage,” Karan explains. “From an operational perspective, almost everything else is real. We are coordinating transport, venue operations, catering, entertainment, décor, security, guest management, performers, music and the different experiences that will happen throughout the event.”
Currently, MohMaya is busy preparing for an invite-only, exclusive fake destination wedding scheduled for mid-September in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria. While the exact property is strictly a secret and a surprise for guests, the duo reveals that it will be surrounded by greenery, gardens and natural scenery that offers much respite from urban landscapes. Nearly 250 guests are expected, who shall arrive at the location together, as planned by the team. “The journey gives people time to meet each other and creates anticipation before they even arrive. That is very similar to what happens when a group travels together for a real wedding,” Kapil explains. “We don't want people to arrive, watch a programme, eat and go home. The whole environment is designed to encourage people to participate and interact”.
From joota-chhupai to competitions and more, a lot of interactive activities are planned, though the details have intentionally not been revealed. There are also people taking on key roles within the wedding storyline, including the groom, while MohMaya’s team will help guide different parts of the experience. “We do not want the event to feel like a theatrical performance where hundreds of people are simply watching actors,” clarifies Karan. In terms of dances—an inevitably huge part of Indian weddings—there will be rehearsed performances and planned entertainment, but with room for spontaneity, too. "We never wanted someone to feel that they couldn't attend because they don't know a dance routine or don't already have a group of ten friends. Someone coming alone should still be able to become part of the celebration very quickly,” he explains.
In terms of a theme, couples often opt for a regal aesthetic, or a rustic Tuscan one, sometimes, a tropical beach concept. Here, the team aims to recreate the playfulness behind Indian weddings- “You have friendly rivalry, teasing, dancing, colours, traditions and people constantly interacting. We did not feel the need to manufacture an elaborate fictional theme on top of that,” Kapil explains. The visual direction will draw heavily from a vibrant, destination-style Indian wedding with a contemporary outlook, and the dress code gamut includes lehengas, sarees, sherwanis, kurtas, suits and Indo-Western clothing. “Especially for South Asians living overseas, there are often beautiful traditional outfits sitting in our wardrobes that we hardly get an opportunity to wear. A lot of people might attend far fewer weddings in Australia than they would have back home.” Relatable. The best part yet? “You can enjoy the celebration without worrying about what you are supposed to put in the wedding envelope.”
Back in India, Saddi Galli, co-founded by Alisha Chowri, has nailed the fun Sangeet aesthetic with ticketed events. “We do fake shaadis, fake sangeets, and we ensure that we don't lose the authenticity of staying in our desi element,” shares Alisha. They go all out, organising dance competitions and choreographed performances held at luxe villas, resorts and the like. It could be in New Delhi, Mumbai or even Lonavala for a more countryside feel. The traditional tussle between the bride and groom’s side is very much a part of the shenanigans, sans the bride and groom, of course.
Interestingly, contrary to assumptions, their events are frequented by youngsters and parents, both “We are not only restricted to the Gen Z crowd,” Alisha points out, sharing how events at clubs often come with restrictions and sometimes, parents or older generations tend to feel awkward attending such functions. However, wedding-related events are typically more inclusive, and she has consciously designed hers to remain open to a wide demographic. Guests can expect a truly immersive experience, from free hair and make-up sessions with Lakmé, to nail art, games by Redbull, and more. “We also support a lot of small brands that make sweets or candles which look like sweets,” she shares. For an uncompromised setting and authentic feel, the dress code for these events is strictly traditional or else, guests are not permitted entry. Crowds are usually adult-only, with bouncers and security to ensure no foul play occurs.
Organising these events can take over a month, as Sahib reveals, though with time, it gets much quicker. They too faced initial hiccups: “Logistical challenges are setting up venues, the production, managing the weather, because we usually do this at the non-wedding season, as that's when people are craving weddings mainly, which is usually monsoons, too. Setting up a tent can get very complicated if it's really windy. Once we had a disaster where, an hour before the wedding, the entire thing fell, and then we had to redo everything!”
For destination weddings, the challenges are tenfold. “We joke internally that it is a fake wedding with very real invoices,” reveals Karan. First, there’s the heady task of explaining the concept of a fake wedding to guests. “If you tell somebody you're organising a concert, they already have a picture in their head of what they are buying a ticket for. When you say ‘Fake Destination Wedding’, the first response is usually, ‘Wait, what actually happens?’” explains Kapil. Then comes the actual planning- “The buses are real, the caterers are real, the venue is real, security is real, entertainment is real and every guest still needs to be safely transported, checked in, fed and looked after.” Dealing with wedding vendors from venue partners to caterers and beyond is another challenge, as Tash, manager at MohMaya, explains: “When we speak to venues, we explain that it’s a professionally organised, ticketed cultural event inspired by an Indian destination wedding. We also have to show that we’ve thought through things like guest numbers, transport, catering, security, music and how the venue will actually be used,”.
In terms of the setting, scenic beauty alone doesn’t cut it. “One thing we realised quite early is that a beautiful property isn’t automatically the right property. It still has to work practically. We have to think about buses, accessibility, sound restrictions, capacity, catering setup, guest movement and timings. For us, the location was a big part of the experience as well. We didn’t want to call it a destination wedding and then hold it in a normal function room in Melbourne. The Dandenong Ranges gave us that feeling of actually getting away from the city, with the greenery, gardens and the overall setting.”
Be it in India or abroad, organisers go big and small when it comes to instilling a desi wedding feel. Fun little elements make it special, too- “If the ticket starts at ₹1100, we would call that an “early shagun” instead of an early bird; then a ₹2100 ticket would be shagun, and a ₹3100 ticket would be a late shagun,” Sahib explains. For the media, they send a PR package that looks like a wedding card with a dabba and some kaju and kishmish inside.
Care is also taken to maintain the sanctity of these events, which are first and foremost rooted in tradition. “We keep ourselves far away from any ritual which could hurt any religious sentiments. We make sure that none of that is being tapped here because this is all for fun and entertainment, not to actually disrespect a ceremony or mock one,” Sahib clarifies. Cultural appreciation is the focus, never appropriation. “You have to be very careful about not crossing a sensitive boundary. We have to be very careful about the rituals and customs and our words that we use because that could really hurt somebody's sentiments, and we don't want that. That's where it is complicated because it can be looked at as mockery, while we're just trying to have fun, not hurt anyone.”
While a few agencies, like Moh Maya, hire actors to pose as the groom or bride, other agencies choose not to. “We had this one event only for senior people. There, the coolest auntie and uncle—who were best friends—dressed up like a bride and groom, which was really good!” reveals Alisha. “But we don't choose anyone to play relatives or give them characters to perform.”
Though, the intention here is quite different, varying from cultural exposure to healthy socialising. “I don't think the main attraction is watching two people pretend to get married. In many ways, the actual marriage is the least important part of the experience. What people seem to connect with is the feeling of being included in everything around it,” explains Karan. For Kapil, Indians living abroad will particularly resonate- “When people move overseas, they don't only leave people behind. They also leave behind experiences. Weddings are one of those experiences. For many South Asians, weddings traditionally mean several days surrounded by relatives, childhood friends, cousins, food, music, dancing and shared traditions. Someone can build a completely new life in Australia and still miss that feeling of being surrounded by their community. That idea also reflects the broader purpose behind Moh Maya.”
This is not just recreating a wedding, or a destination wedding. It’s a fake, Indian destination wedding, and that’s where all the difference lies. Learning the culture, experiencing new customs and traditions, and enjoying every bit of it all–without any judgmental relatives around. After all, as Sahib sums it all up, “Everyone loves a big fat Indian wedding”.