A Hush-hush affair

[1]

Actor Imran Khan and his girlfriend Avantika are all set to have a private court marriage in January next year. Interestingly, many are opting for small weddings as big fat Indian weddings are passé. Small ceremonies are the biggest trend of the season, but no one’s compromising on standard and style.

A recent example of this is Hollywood actor Russell Brand and singer Katy Perry, who had an intimate wedding at Taj Rambagh Palace in Rajasthan. Anoushka Shankar and Joe Wright and actress Konkona Sen Sharma’s wedding to Ranvir Shorey were also low key. Both couples chose traditional, private affairs instead of going in for an elaborate show. Reportedly, even Robert Pattinson and girlfriend Kristen Stewart are planning a secret voodoo wedding in New Orleans next August.
In an age where couples are planning weddings that are unique to their beliefs and lifestyles and are more vocal about their choices, small private affairs are believed to be more momentous than a big wedding.
Agrees actress Shruti Seth who had a court marriage with director Danish Aslam of Break Ke Baad fame. “As we had an inter-religious wedding, it had to be under the Special Wedding Act. So, we decided to go in for a court marriage. I didn’t want to burden my parents by asking them to spend a bomb on my wedding. Youth today have become socially responsible and prefer to avoid useless spending. And practically, if people can save this wasteful expenditure, it can be spent on something else later,” says Shruti.
Many new-age couples are in favour of chic low-key weddings. Barsha Sharma, a Christian married a Hindu guy Shomendra, and they organised a nice private beach wedding in Goa. “We wanted our wedding to be like one grand vacation with close pals, where I can spend quality time with everyone. And as we financed our wedding, we planned everything keeping our budget in mind. I’m happy that we managed a fabulous celebration. We had a beach Christian wedding followed by theme parties and disco nights,” she says.
Agrees media professional Priyanka Kutariyar, who is planning to marry next year and wants to keep it limited to only family members. She shares, “Rather than lavishly spending on ceremonies, I would rather splurge on buying designer outfits for myself and plan an exciting honeymoon.” Although couples choose to keep their weddings personal, they still spend a lot on food, decor and ensembles.
Says Sumathy Bachchan, a wedding planner, “Many want to explore different themes and try out interesting sets. When it comes to outfits and jewellery, they make sure they get the best. With a filtered guest list, the wedding remains private and not a social extravaganza with 1,000-plus guests.”
“Earlier parents used to organise festivities, now couples are doing it themselves, as they know how much they want to spend,” she adds.