Aman and Jyoti are all set to get married this November. The engagement will take place in Delhi, while the wedding is set in Ghaziabad. On the guest list are friends, family and four foreigners from California, whom the couple have never met before. These American guests, complete strangers to the bridegroom, have bought tickets to attend Aman and Jyoti’s wedding in quest of cultural immersion. It’s all possible because platforms like JoinMyWedding are offering foreigners a unique chance to attend an Indian wedding, but at a price and with full consent from all parties.
Aman and Jyoti are one such couple who have opened their sacred ceremony to foreigners. Tickets are currently being sold online at $250 USD per person, not inclusive of accommodation. The dress code is traditional. Let’s be clear: this is not a staged event, but an actual Indian wedding, in all its glory. Guests will get to participate in the baraat, where Aman will make his grand entrance on a traditional chariot. Then, there’s the much-awaited Jaimala ceremony, followed by an authentic Indian dinner and the wedding ceremony, including Kanyadaan, Hast Milap, Mangal Pheras around the sacred fire, Sindoor Daan, and Mangalsutra. Lastly, there’s a DJ night with an open dance floor.
Tales of the grand Indian wedding have reached foreign shores too, be it via films, music or social media, and now, foreigners want to participate in this cultural celebration. Call it commercial, or athithi devo bhava 2.0, but this immersive experience comes at a price, and the experts behind it all tell us how it’s done.
JoinMyWedding, one of the pioneering platforms which offers foreigners a chance to “buy” a spot as a guest at an Indian wedding, keeps things crystal clear on their website. It all started in 2016, when Orsi Parkanyi founded the platform while living abroad in Australia: “I missed many of my friends' weddings back in Hungary. This prompted me to wonder: why shouldn't travellers be able to receive invitations to authentic weddings in cultures they otherwise wouldn't have access to?”
Today, JoinMyWedding has over 2000 weddings listed on the website, open to foreigners to attend. A thorough screening process is conducted on both ends. “Foreign guests browse available weddings on JoinMyWedding, choose one, and pay a contribution that covers their participation and meals. After booking, they receive the exact venue details and details of the couple or a designated family contact who helps with questions about clothing, customs, and logistics. They create a group chat and typically introduce themselves as well, so people get to know each other before attending the wedding. Guests arrange their own travel and accommodation, then arrive at the wedding as invited participants rather than spectators.”
Jaideep Singh, co-founder at Beyond Taj, a platform which builds personalised India travel experiences for foreign travellers, also offers wedding tickets. “We match them with a family that's open to hosting outside guests, share cultural context and etiquette beforehand, help with logistics like outfits and travel, and have a local point of contact for them during the event itself.”
The cost is event-specific, though Orsi breaks it down for us: “For 1-day attendance it's 150 USD, and for 2 or 3 days, it's 250 USD per traveller. It includes entry, food and drinks, but not transport or accommodation.” In terms of destinations, Rajasthan, Mumbai, New Delhi and Goa are the most popular ones. “The palaces and forts as wedding backdrops are a huge draw for foreign guests.”
The obvious question is: does this impact the sanctity of Indian weddings, potentially turning it into a commercial event?
Orsi’s shares her perspective: “Indian families invite foreign guests to share their culture and traditions, meet people from around the world, and make the wedding even more memorable and interesting. The guests’ financial contribution can also help offset some wedding costs, but only a little, so this is not the main motivation.” In fact, sometimes, guests might be turned away, too, as Jaideep recalls one such rare occasion: “It’s when someone seemed more interested in content for their own social media than in the event itself.”
Additionally, steps are taken to ensure that all rituals take place respectfully. “This includes the dress code and alcohol in the registration; it's typically no alcohol at indian weddings. With respect to photography and social media, the couple and traveller navigate and discuss together”. Meanwhile, Jaideep explains how clear communication beforehand is key- “Some rituals are reserved for family members only — that's set by the family, not by us, and we brief guests clearly beforehand so there's no awkwardness in the moment.”
Other guidelines include: to dress modestly and appropriately for each event, always ask for permission before photographing people or participating in rituals, follow the family's lead on alcohol, and treat religious ceremonies with the same respect you'd want shown at one of your own. “Guests go through an interview and background check; families are onboarded through referrals or direct verification, and we're upfront with both sides about expectations before any match is made.”
In fact, sometimes, guests go above and beyond with their participation as Jaideep recalls- “Someone once asked if they could learn a full dance routine in three days to perform at the sangeet — they did, and it went over great.”
The smaller gestures like gifting are also taken care of, under the guidance of the platforms, and guests are strictly not pressurised into gifting of any kind.
Commercialisation aside, Orsi shares how they receive other kinds of strange requests too: “Sometimes parents email us to find a partner to marry for their sons or daughters, and I have to reply we don't offer such a service”. In India, we know that matchmaking does occur at weddings, but is not up for sale—just yet.
Does the experience actually offer cultural immersion or is it still at a superficial level? And are host families left exhausted, amused, or content? “Guests consistently say it reframed how they see India — less monument-checklist, more human connection. Families often say it's fun to see their traditions through fresh eyes,” shares Jaideep.
Orsi shares the feedback they receive just at the prospect of being able to attend an Indian wedding: “We often get emails from foreign guests saying that attending an Indian wedding has been on the bucket list forever and now is a possibility!”.
Since traditions are diverse and in stark contrast to ceremonies in the West, guests often return with distinct memories. Chaat, Jaideep shares, is always a success amidst foreigners.
Orsi, meanwhile, explains how the scale of Indian weddings itself stands out as a drastic difference: “Western weddings are 50-100 people; Indian weddings are 500+, often 1000+ so just the scale of it is very different. When I attended my first, I felt like I was in a music festival, not a wedding!” In terms of ceremonies, the sangeet and baraat (especially when the groom enters on a horse or elephant) tend to leave the biggest impression and are typically most enjoyable, with the actual wedding event attracting most curiosity. Next, comes the duration of the wedding: “Indian weddings often run multiple days with distinct events, larger guest lists, and layered rituals, compared to a single-day Western ceremony and reception,” Jaideep points out.
Planning these events come with their own unique set of challenges too. The concept is a conversation and often a debate starter in itself. Orsi reveals how sometimes, relatives of the bridegroom object to paid foreign guests at the wedding. “So the couple typically checks with them before they register. Sometimes, the travellers are introduced as friends.” Jaideep’s predicament is similar: “Occasionally, yes — usually an older relative may be uncertain about outsiders at a family function. Time, and a normal, respectful first interaction, usually settle it faster than any explanation would.”
The curiosity, of course, swings both ways; host families enjoy sharing their traditions with curious guests, who, in turn, get to experience a unique cultural event. It comes at a price, but leaves you with priceless memories.