Have You Heard? Attending Fake Weddings is the New Night Out

Indian weddings, with their million and one rituals and celebrations, can be a lot of fun. There’s good food, an opportunity to wear beautiful occasionwear, and a chance to have fun with your loved ones. However, these celebrations also come with their fair share of drama, be it the elders in the family seeking the status of your love life like a particularly dogged investigative reporter or the obligations to play nice with everyone for the sake of peace in the family.

A slowly emerging nightlife trend across the country seeks to let people enjoy all the good parts about attending a wedding, minus the drama and obligations. Event companies and clubs across India are planning wedding-themed events, from sangeets to mehndi nights, that people can pay to attend. The decor, food, music and entertainment are quintessential Big Fat Indian elements, so all you need to do is put on your best wedding guest outfit and prepare to dance the night away.

Inside the 'Fake' Wedding Trend in India

“Fake weddings are gaining popularity because they tap into the emotional and cultural excitement people associate with real weddings. For many, it’s not about the rituals, but the experience: the chance to dress in traditional Indian wear, dance to desi music, indulge in lip smacking food like chaats, and soak in the festive shaadi vibe,” says WeddingSutra co-founder Parthip Thyagrajan, “There’s also an entire demographic of people who love the wedding atmosphere but aren’t receiving many invites, especially NRIs or young professionals who have recently relocated to metros. Or even foreigners who have heard so much about Indian weddings- and they rarely get invited to one. A well-curated fake wedding gives them the traditional extravaganza they so love.”

The trend has also made its way to Dubai, where the large population of South Asian millennials and Gen Z people shelled out money for a ‘farzi sangeet’ (fake sangeet). 

“At its core, it’s not about trying to replicate a real wedding, but a good party with a twist. The recent viral sangeet night in Dubai is proof that people are eager to participate in that energy. And for event spaces or lounges, especially during the off-season, it’s a clever way to repackage their venue and tap into a ready, enthusiastic (and sometimes potential wedding client) audience,” says Parthip.

Closer to home, event companies like Your Third Place promote “curated IRL experiences that spark real connections” and invite guests to events that have “flowers, food, mehndi, and some classic shaadi games.”

For social media-coded people, these ‘fake’ wedding-themed events are rife with content creation opportunities and make for a great photo-op. It’s also a fun way to utilise the outfits and jewellery that you’d normally wear once or twice in your life. But is the trend going to take off in the future?

“The concept definitely has legs, but only if it's positioned right,” says Parthip, “The real potential lies in attracting guests who are not just wedding enthusiasts, but also those who are planning their own weddings in the future. Luxury hotels and destination venues are already toying with this. Even the corporate MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) segment are discussing this. And for tourism promotion departments, if you package a ‘fake shaadi’ as part of a larger Indian cultural tourism experience say, in Goa or Jaipur, bundled with travel to heritage sites like Agra or Amritsar then it becomes a draw not just for Indians but for international tourists seeking immersive, Instagrammable, and premium cultural moments.”

The ‘fake’ wedding-themed events are great if you’re looking to try something new for your next night out. But, call us biased, nothing can replace the charm of an Indian wedding with all its drama and chaos!