Indian weddings cost a lot, and sometimes guarantee no return. The Covid-19 crisis has taken care of that problem.
Even though the coronavirus has infected over 30,000 people in India and claimed several lives, Indians believe in two things: the show must go on and jugaad. If funerals can take place over Zoom, so can weddings. The muharat waits for no one, not even a pandemic.
The lockdown hasn’t been a hurdle for many wishing to tie the knot — such as Karnataka former CM Kumaraswamy’s son and his ‘small wedding’, and Bigg Boss 2 winner Ashutosh Kaushik, who went on to say: “Lockdown mai finally lockdown hua.”
Many others have simply opted to marry in the Clouds — Zoom weddings are the new destination weddings in India. They are cheap, simple and don’t need too many logistics.
These Cloud weddings involve just the couple, some ‘essential’ family members and someone officiating the ceremony. And of course. a photographer. Because what is the point of getting married if you can’t document it.
The Big, Fat Indian Wedding is done.
Also read: Social distancing for guests, none at mandap — Kumaraswamy son wedding fails Covid-19 test
Zoom weddings
With weddings planned months in advance, and no one reading the headlines pouring in from China in December, many were keen to go ahead with their nuptials in the middle of a pandemic. Though some did postpone it and some others cancelled it altogether.According to a survey done by wedding-planning website WedMeGood.com, about two-thirds of the respondents in India’s smaller cities said that they want to go ahead with their marriage plans.
Pandemics may come and pandemics may go, but Indians will keep getting married. A groom who was in Mumbai married his fiancé who was sitting in Bareilly, on Zoom, while the priest was in Raipur.
Not just in India, but even in the US, people are getting married on Zoom, and relatives meet each other on the video-conferencing app.
The best part about a Zoom wedding? You don’t have to feed anyone or wear pants. It’s the ultimate cost-cutting plan, it’s the mega discount every Indian family looks for. And you don’t even have to be apologetic about how much you spent. It’s the pandemic, stupid!
According to KPMG, the wedding industry in India is valued at roughly $40-50 billion, however, in the Covid world, it’s easy to wrap up a wedding in a few thousand rupees.
Many are calling this pandemic an equaliser, which it clearly is not. Because as I write this article from the comfort of my home where there is enough to eat and drink, there are many families and migrant workers across the country who are struggling to find their next meal and reach home. However, the one sphere where this pandemic could be an equaliser is when it comes to weddings. A wedding in a smaller city and a metro would now look the same and take place at more or less the same price.
Also read: Zoom Shaadi Mubarak! Even Covid can’t stop these Indian couples from tying the knot – online
Post corona world
Once the lockdown ends and people are allowed to move around freely, it’s important to understand the world will not be the same. You will not go to the movie to catch the latest movie or your favourite restaurant or the parlour for your eyebrow. And people will definitely not be flying across the world to attend a wedding in Jaipur.
This is the new normal, and Cloud weddings or Zoom weddings are here to stay. To the extent that Shaadi.com has already started extending their services to conduct digital weddings. And even plans to build a separate resource for digital nuptials.
Perhaps, these digital weddings will restore the sanity of the event, which had become about gaudy opulence, business deals and social statements. And help people remember what is important.
It’s time to say ‘I Do’ to internet weddings.
Views are personal.