A Faux Indian Wedding Blends Trend with Tradition

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On a Saturday in mid-November, seven-time bridesmaid Merlyn Romit geared up for another wedding, but one without a happy couple.

It was the first event hosted by the 29-year-old Indian Australian’s wedding planning company — and, to her knowledge, the first of its kind in Australia.

“I came up with this idea three months ago, when one of my friends actually showed a similar event that’s been done overseas,” Romit told SBS Spice.

“The concept of immersive weddings and actually enjoying them for what they are, without the fuss of it, was actually done in India first, and then Ireland and London. I wanted to be one of the first to bring it to Australia.”

After months of meticulous preparation, Merlyn Romit finally saw her vision come to life as more than a hundred attendees gathered at a stunning waterfront venue on Sydney’s North Shore. Each guest had paid between $90 and $109 for this unique experience.

A smiling woman in a heavily embroidered Indian traditional outfit stands on a white dance floor, holding a microphone and a phone, beneath a floral arch supported by two large carved elephant statues at an indoor wedding reception.

Merlyn Romit, the visionary behind Desi Wed Australia, made a striking entrance in a blush pink lehenga, warmly welcoming guests to the extravagantly themed Big Fat ‘Fake’ Indian Wedding.

The event drew a diverse crowd, from engaged couples preparing for their own wedding day to community members eager to immerse themselves in the vibrant and colorful atmosphere synonymous with South Asian nuptials.

“After being a bridesmaid seven times, I found out how difficult it was to plan a South Asian wedding in Australia. And so, I just wanted to create a space that really brings the top vendors in our industry together,” Romit said.

Attendee Nadisha, 36, said: “I’m in the wedding industry, so I wanted to come along and see what all the vendors were up to … see them showcasing all their beautiful efforts.”

From marigold flower garlands adorning the entrance, to a vibrant mehendi (henna) station and an abundant biryani bar, the fake wedding invited guests to participate in both familiar and new customs.

Although marriage rates have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, many vendors in the event industry are eager to recover the time and opportunities lost during the pandemic. This was a significant consideration for Romit when orchestrating her event.

One chef uses a blowtorch to caramelise a large dessert and another chef sprinkles powder over it.

One of the offerings exhibited by a vendor was a giant pavlova that newlyweds can help decorate for their wedding guests. Source: Supplied / Sidd Rishi

“I obviously don’t come from [a South Asian] background so, for me culturally, it’s so exciting to see something that’s a little bit different that I kind of haven’t been immersed in before,” Whitlock told SBS Spice.

Matrimony and money

Aside from the elephant archway framing the event’s DJ booth, the buzz of the event was sobered by another elephant in the room — the rampant costs associated with South Asian weddings.

In Australia, the average wedding has been estimated to cost over $36,000.

However, a South Asian wedding can be anything but average, often spanning over five days with various ceremonies depending on the cultural roots of the betrothed couple.

Four women in Indian wedding attire are posing together inside a large glass photo frame designed to look like a Vogue magazine cover.

Attendees also had the chance to briefly become Vogue cover models. Source: Supplied / Sidd Rishi

Earlier this year, SBS Spice spoke to Sydney-based wedding planner Poonam Gururajan about how much her clients regularly shelled out.

“The smallest wedding I’ve ever worked on, I think it was around $45,000 to $50,000. That was just for the one day,” Gururajan said.

“When you’re looking at multi-day celebrations, it’s anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000. When you talk about destination weddings, anywhere up to $800,000.”

The extravagance of South Asian weddings is no secret — perhaps most clearly demonstrated by the lavish , extensive 2024 nuptial festivities of Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani’s son, Anant Ambani, with Radhika Merchant, which included performances by Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

Several women in colourful Indian attire are dance around empty chairs on a white tiled floor beneath a floral archway.

The evening’s celebrations included a classic game of musical chairs. Source: Supplied / Sidd Rishi

Even before the Ambani wedding, the opulence of matrimonial ceremonies in the diaspora has progressively escalated in line with the rising cost of living, social media trends, and the improved accommodation of South Asian weddings by vendors outside the community.

However, the core of any South Asian wedding is always community, as shown by the warmth among attendees at Sydney’s recent fake wedding, even if they’d come together for different reasons.

Another attendee, 28-year-old Rahul, said: “It’s so rare to meet such a diverse group of people within our own community. And so, for me, that’s what’s important about it.”

“We’re bold, we’re different, we’re challenging the norm,” Romit said.

This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Spice.