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The fake Indian wedding that ties the knot between trend and tradition
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The fake Indian wedding that ties the knot between trend and tradition

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On a Saturday in mid-November, seven-time bridesmaid Merlyn Romit was getting ready for another wedding, but without a happy couple.
It was the first event organized by the Indian Australian’s 29-year-old 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 showed a similar event abroad,” Romit told SBS Spice.
“The concept of immersive weddings and really enjoying them for what they are, without the fuss, was actually done first in India, and then in Ireland and London. I wanted to be one of the first to bring it to Australia.”

After months of planning, Romit saw her efforts come to life as more than a hundred guests arrived at the waterfront venue on Sydney’s North Shore. They each paid between $90 and $109 to attend.

Merlyn Romit, the founder of wedding planning company Desi Wed Australia, dazzled in a pink lehenga as she greeted guests at the Big Fat ‘Fake’ Indian Wedding. Source: Delivered / Sidd Rishi

They ranged from engaged couples with an upcoming wedding to community members eager to experience the color and vibrancy that South Asian weddings are known for.

Contestant Abhijit, 33, said: “I think for a long time they were very traditional and family-oriented. Now people are letting loose and really having a good time.”
Shoraye Khatter, co-director of events partner Brown Munde Events, said: “We are now at an age where people are missing out [on attending weddings]”.
“Those people who don’t go to weddings, they really want to experience it,” he told SBS Spice.

Although wedding rates have now returned to approximately pre-pandemic levels, event vendors are eager to make up for lost time – something Romit also took into account when planning her event.

“After being a bridesmaid seven times, I discovered how difficult it was to plan a South Asian wedding in Australia. And so I just wanted to create a space that really brings together the best suppliers in our industry,” said Romit.
Participant Nadisha, 36, said: “I’m in the wedding industry so I wanted to come along and see what all the vendors were up to… to see them demonstrate all their beautiful efforts.”
From marigold flower garlands adorning the entrance, to a vibrant mehendi (henna) station and a lavish biryani bar, the faux wedding invited guests to partake in both familiar and new customs.

Maree Whitlock from venue partner Zest Waterfront Venues said it is a good opportunity for people to get to know South Asian culture and have some fun.

One chef uses a blowtorch to caramelize a large dessert and another chef sprinkles powder on it.

One of the offerings a vendor displayed was a giant pavlova that newlyweds could help decorate for their wedding guests. Source: Delivered / Sidd Rishi

‘Of course I won’t come out [a South Asian] background, so for me it’s so exciting culturally to see something that’s a little bit different, that I haven’t been immersed in before,” Whitlock told SBS Spice.

Marriage and money

Aside from the elephant arch that framed the event’s DJ booth, the buzz from the event was sobering by another elephant in the room – the skyrocketing costs associated with South Asian weddings.
In Australia it is estimated that the average wedding costs more than $36,000.

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

Four women in Indian wedding attire pose together in a large glass photo frame that resembles the cover of a Vogue magazine.

Visitors also had the chance to briefly become a Vogue cover model. Source: Delivered / Sidd Rishi

Earlier this year, SBS spoke to Spice Sydney-based wedding planner Poonam Gururajan about how much its customers regularly paid.

“I think the smallest wedding I ever worked on cost about $45,000 to $50,000. That was just for that one day,” Gururajan said.
“If you’re looking at multi-day celebrations, it costs anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000. If you’re talking about destination weddings, anywhere up to $800,000.”
The extravagance of South Asian weddings is no secret – perhaps most clearly demonstrated by the generousextensive wedding celebrations in 2024 from the son of Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani, Anant Ambani, with Radhika Merchant, including performances by Rihanna and Justin Bieber.
Several women in colorful Indian attire dance around empty chairs on a white tiled floor under a floral arch.

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

Even before the Ambani wedding, the opulence of wedding ceremonies in the diaspora has gradually 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, at the heart of any South Asian wedding is always community, as evidenced by the warmth among attendees at the recent mock wedding in Sydney, even if they came together for different reasons.
Another participant, 28-year-old Rahul, said: “It’s so rare to meet such a diverse group of people within our own community. And that’s the most important thing about it for me.”
“We are bold, we are different, we challenge the norm,” Romit said.
This story was created in collaboration with SBS Herbs.

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