Big fat Indian weddings undergo millennial transformation

New Delhi: The last decade has witnessed a true transformation of Indian weddings, reinventing tradition with a mix of personal expression. From bold pops of colour, innovative mandap ideas, statement sangeet performances, a dizzying array of food and beverages to unique invitation ideas, the big fat Indian wedding has received a makeover.

What enabled this was millennials! The last decade saw a new generation taking the marital plunge, and millennials tend to plan weddings that are a unique fusion of both traditional and modern ideas.

The Wedding Brigade, a one-stop wedding content, e-commerce, and services platform, lists some millennial wedding trends that have switched things up for good:

Zero waste weddings

Indian weddings come with the glitziest of decorations and the fanciest food which, more often than not, leads to wastage and environmental damage. But fortunately, more and more millennial couples are opting for environmentally conscious alternatives by including more organic cutlery, packing, and party favours rather than using plastic and unsustainable traditional options.

Couples are also exploring partnering with multiple NGOs and nonprofits to distribute leftover food and beverages to the needy to reduce wastage of food and water. Eco-friendly party favours including planting kits, bamboo stationery, and other sustainable and cruelty-free items are increasingly becoming a badge of pride for the millennial wedding.

Hello e-invites!

Millennials are the first generation to be introduced to the internet at large, and they have grown up with technology around them evolving faster than ever. They obviously had to be the generation that favours an e-invite over a physical one. There are still many couples that choose the extravagance of physical invites, but the number of those invites are reducing to elderly invitees.

However, there are also some amazing alternatives for those who prefer the physical invite, such as ones made with recycled paper and infused with seeds that makes the entire card plantable.

Financial stability before vows

Traditionally, parents tend to foot the bill for their children's weddings, and they do so with a lot of pride and happiness too. Millennials, however, are generation driven by a strong sense of independence. They prioritize financial independence before getting married, and often contribute monetarily towards their big day. Not just the big day though, financial independence also entails planning for a life post marriage and accounting for expenses thereafter. Which is why you see more and more millennials choosing to marry a little later than previous generations.

Team it up!

Gone are the days when the bride and groom couldn't meet before their eshaadi'. Now the wedding parties are created based on relationships and involve both sides. This trend has grown in tandem with destination weddings, where both groom and bride's side of guests move to one location for the duration of the weddings. This results in a beautiful amalgamation and collaboration of two families' tradition and culture for common haldi, sangeet and mehendi functions instead of separate ones.

Customising is key

Decade ago all weddings looked the same. Today's weddings are the opposite. Millennial couples want their big day to be unique in every way possible. They do this by adding different themes, decor, fashion, and even hashtags that represent their personalities, passions and their love story. Millennial weddings are now a closed affair rather than the einvite the town' norm of the 70s and 80s.

At last, it's all about treasuring relationships before traditions.