What’s The Deal With ‘Fake’ Weddings? Decoding The Trend
Gen Xers and millennials of a certain vintage may recall a memorable moment from a beloved show about four stylish single women navigating life, love and friendship in a certain cosmopolitan city. In one episode, the fashion-forward protagonist — a columnist known for her wry observations — reflects on how society celebrates so many milestones for the married: engagements, weddings, babies… while quietly overlooking those who walk the single path.
After losing an expensive pair of designer shoes at a married friend’s party, she realises she’s spent years — and thousands of dollars — showing up for other people’s life events, yet there are so few occasions where single people are celebrated. So, she does something radical: she opens a gift registry for a replacement pair of shoes — for herself.
Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same. These days, a new generation of 25+ adults has found its own way of reclaiming that narrative. Enter the ‘fake wedding’ — a stylised social event that mirrors the setting of a wedding, minus the actual nuptials. That is, if you’re ready to be the bride, the groom, the guest, and the planner — all at once.
These ‘nakli shaadis’ hosted by individuals parallel the vibe of the real event, punctuated by dhol performances, mehendi corners, mock garlanding ceremonies. The point is to curate an experience that’s as close to a real wedding as possible.
So What Exactly Is A Fake Wedding?
The fake shaadi has its origins in a widely circulated social media phenomenon which involved a party where guests and hosts showed up in wedding attire, all decked up for the ceremony — although the actual wedding never took place.
Now, the 25+ have made this themed gathering into a weekend phenomenon which includes all the elements of an actual wedding celebration like a wedding playlist, stage set-up, mock photographers and guests dressed in shararas, sherwanis, lehengas and sarees. This stylised event is immersed in the celebration ethos of an actual wedding, sometimes even featuring reboots of certain traditional elements — while leaving out any social drama.
Such a gathering is far from a wedding parody. In fact, it is meant to mark a rich cultural tradition invoking all cultural elements like a mehendi, the sangeet, and more. It is a way to reinvent a cultural experience on one’s own terms.
Why Is The Fake Wedding Becoming Popular?
For people who look forward to bringing their loved ones together at a gathering, a fake wedding is becoming a purposeful choice. The typical party space transforms itself into a sangeet dance floor or a mandap decked with flowers. Here, guests dressed in traditional outfits create photo op moments, hover around mehendi counters and play wedding-themed games — all the while creating shareable visuals.
But all this is far from a random ‘themed’ party. The 25+ are designing their fake weddings to create their own ‘milestone’ moment without necessarily waiting for it, to experience traditional celebrations without the attendant stress.
How To Host Your Own Fake Wedding
If you are considering exploring this trend, here are some tips on how to host your own fake shaadi:
Pick Your Persona
The first thing to do is to pick your wedding persona. While many hosts prefer going solo, there are enough creative possibilities to plan the faux wedding with your roommate, partner or close friend too.
The idea is to turn the wedding party into ‘cosplay,’ so whether you choose a couple concept or you plan this solo, the idea is to first determine this persona which makes it easier to plan visual cues like attire, photo ops and more.
Plan The Look
Next, figure out your look for the party. Dress up as a bridegroom if you are doing it the couple way with your roommate, or opt for attire that borrows from bridalwear, formalwear and festivewear if going solo.
Dig out old wedding albums to see what the fashion was a few years ago, to get styling ideas. Think offbeat: like a tuxedo teamed with trainers, a crop top and lehenga paired with a hat, a bright going-away dress coupled with bangles and so on.
Design The Menu
Among the things that most guests look forward to at any wedding is the food — and a faux wedding is much the same. Make the food and drink at this party one of the focal elements and include wedding-themed repasts such as veggie curries and rotis, grilled chicken and roasted potatoes. Plan desserts befitting the theme, like gulab jamuns with ice cream, moong dal halwa, and even chocolate brownies or a many-tiered cake!.
For drinks, consider inclusions like a vodka ginger-lime sparkler — apt as an accompaniment for a spread of sweet and spicy dishes. Mocktail alternatives could encompass, for instance, a chilli-pineapple cooler served with a pink salt garnish.
Also Read: The Exquisite Art Of Pairing Liquor With Wedding Cuisine
Content Corners
What is perhaps the most interesting element in a fake wedding is the photo moments it unlocks. Set-up a faux aisle, a ‘Just Married…Myself’ poster board, and some bouquet throw moments which can be captured as social media content. Bring in disposable cameras, instant print polaroids for harking back to wedding moments of the past.
Curate cutesy photo corners and booths where guests can pose with you, as they would at a wedding reception. Make a fake wedding video later with all this content — the vow, aisle walk, cake and more.
Set The Tone – And Boundaries
What’s a wedding without family? And what’s a fake wedding without a loved one raising an eyebrow at something that’s gone askew? Well, from describing the party as a beta test to telling the less social media savvy among your guests that you are currently “in character” — create a welcoming vibe for all your guests.
Explain the theme of the gathering to your attendees in advance; they must be made aware that this is a party with a playbook where romantic connotations are absent. And of course, encourage guests to dress up or stay comfy or thematise for the moment, according to their preferences.
A fake wedding is all about the joy of hosting, of curating a gathering which celebrates all kinds of bonds whether that bond is with yourself, a bestie, or family. It is visual theatre, a space to create memories.
Planning a fake wedding party, but stuck for ideas? Take our quiz to find a theme that suits your do.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
