A wedding-themed party at a star hotel on Vittal Mallya Road drew 1,300 guests and featured three DJs.
Photo credit: 8CLUB
The growing trend of ‘fake shaadi’ parties has reached Bengaluru. These ticketed events recreate the aesthetics and energy of a big fat Indian wedding — minus the bride, groom, and rituals. Think ethnic dress codes, mehendi and bangle counters, grand arches, ornate stages, floral decor, diyas, rangolis, dhols, DJs playing Bollywood music, and a spread of food and drinks. These are largely attended by Gen Z.
Last month, the city hosted two such events where the cover charge (redeemable) ranged from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000.
‘10s Only Szn: Big Fat Fake Wedding’, held on June 1 at a star hotel on Vittal Mallya Road, drew 1,300 guests. The poolside party was decked with flowers and featured photo booths, bangle and henna tattoo counters, food stalls, and a bar. Three DJs and several dhol players were a major attraction. An unoccupied seating area for the ‘bride and groom’ became the focal point for guests striking mock ‘Just Married’ poses. Most attendees, aged 23-28, had turned up in saris, lehengas, and kurta-pyjamas. “One guest came in a sherwani, likely imitating a groom,” said Madhur Rao, cofounder and CTO of 8Club, the Bengaluru-based offline social events company that organised the party.
Rao called the ‘fake shaadi’ phenomenon a “cultural reimagining of how people are meeting each other beyond cafes, clubs, and dating apps”. Most attendees, he noted, were new-to-the-city migrants looking to connect.
That same day, another wedding-themed party, ‘One Love: Shaadi Mubaarak Edition’, was held at a restaurant and bar in Koramangala and attracted a crowd of about 250. It was curated for the queer community and their allies to mark the start of Pride Month. The guests were welcomed with a tilak (vermillion mark) on their foreheads. The evening featured a baraat-style dance floor, shaadi-themed games, henna counters, and drag performances inspired by sangeet nights, with performers entering under a ‘phoolon ki chaadar’ (floral canopy).
Vaibhav Kumar Modi, one of the night’s three curators, said that in a country where queer marriage is still a contested space, the party was a “humble attempt to give queer persons a taste of the shaadi experience”, minus the judgement often found at real weddings.
Modi, founder of the Hyderabad-based Dark Vibe Society, which curates inclusive experiences, went on to add, “In India, queerness is still seen by many as a foreign concept. But us attending such a party is a showcase of how desi we can get.”
Rao said 10-15 people in Bengaluru have expressed interest in hosting these ‘fake shaadi’ parties. Even Modi is getting similar requests.