Instead of being lavish and burlesque, more people prefer their weddings to be private affairs, without the accompanying ritualism and ostentation

Weddings no longer mean endless shopping sprees, extravaganza and lavishness, as young couples now prefer their marriages to be quiet, private affairs, involving just their close relatives. And it is not a fallout of recession, but a conscious and practical decision of minimal spending on this special occasion. Two such couples – Sadanand Bhalerao and Anita Dharane from Pune and Vrushali Lad and Sandeep Ashar from Mumbai recently had a court marriage sans reception or wedding party. “It is how we always wanted to get married,” they say unanimously.

Journalist couple Sandeep and Vrushali, who got married on December 2, 2008 say it never occurred to them to go for a grand wedding because ‘rituals bore them to death’. “Instead, we spent the money on settling a new house for ourselves,” they say. Ditto for Anita, art head with Thought Isle and Sadanand, who works as creative head at Crux Design Studio who got married on March 4 this year. “We had to shift to a new place after wedding and found it practical to spend on decorating the house than on an elaborate wedding ceremony,” Anita said.

Sandeep says it is common to find guests commenting on the bridal couple. “I did not want people who barely know us to comment and judge the person I had chosen to be my life partner,” says Sandeep. Anita and Sadanand too voice similar opinions.“The happiness of starting a new life together gets dissolved in the ritualism. The couple’s first day together is spent in replenishing low energy levels. We definitely did not want to end up like that,” he adds.

... contd.