Are we heading towards Intimate Weddings, Personalized Memories, and Minimalist Bridal Look?

Simple and Intimate Weddings are Redefining Indian Celebrations in the Modern Era

The things you do you for love has changed a lot lately – from having an extravagant Wedding with opulent decorations and multi-day celebrations to escaping for your dream wedding with limited guest list and sustainable decor – is what a lot of couples are craving in this New Age.

Remember the wedding scene from the movie 2 States where Alia Bhatt got married at a temple with dazzling sunrise view – undoubtedly it captured a few essence of minimalist wedding like the red bordered bridal lehenga, no makeup makeup look, and delicate white flower mandap décor. Although, that’s not exactly an example of a minimalist wedding – more of a South Indian traditional wedding. Similarly, the viral wedding photo-shoots of Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth were confused with terms like minimal and simple; though it was serene and intimate but cannot be categorized as minimal wedding.

Why is that?

Because the maheshwari tissue lehenga worn by the actress and the embroidery white silk kurta worn by Siddharth were straight out of Sabyasachi Heritage Textile collection, moreover, the jewelleries that complemented the looks of Aditi was of gold and ruby – which cannot be categorized as minimalist wedding.

Minimalist wedding is about prioritizing the concept of less is more – it’s about mindful spending on materialist things – both in style and substance. Looking back At a few weddings where celebrities can be seen cherishing their simple and intimate big day. The Main Hoon Na actress, Amrita Rao, surprised her fans by sharing the overall cost of her wedding, including outfit, venue, and food, which was 1.5 Lakhs, and her wedding saree cost around 3k. Similarly, Yami Gautam wore a vintage saree on her wedding that belonged to her mother; the couple tied the knot in the presence of their immediate family members at her hometown.

Celebrities like Alia Bhatt, Diya Mairz, Yami Gautum, and Patralekhaa – changed the extravagant nature of Indian wedding with minimal bridal ensembles and no makeup makeup look. Rather than throwing a fancy party and planning a big-budget wedding – these brides opted old-school intimate wedding filled with fun and sophistication.

A celebration that creates value, embraces traditions, and fosters a warm and personal atmosphere is what attracting the new generation. But what caused the sudden change?

Well, financial prudence, awareness about sustainability and financial independence had a significant impact on couples. As per a market analyst from PI Magazine, urban couples prefer to invest in experience like traveling, building business, inner circle guests, shaping their future with strategic financial planning; rather than pouring all of their savings on lavish wedding.

GenZ and millenials are allocating their resource wisely for wedding that are elegant yet understated décor and focus on essentials. They are valuing sustainability and are increasingly choosing eco-friendly options such as digital invitations, local vendors, reusable décor, non-branded outfits, and intimated wedding. These choices reflect a modern, mindful, and authentic approach to wedding planning.

Our team recently attended a minimalist wedding at a farmhouse in Pune and witnessed the real meaning behind Less is More. This couple set an example of minimalist wedding by tying the knot in an eco-friendly mandap with sustainable alternatives for décor and catering to reduce food waste and single-use plastics. The wedding consists of 15 to 20 guest including family and close friends. The decorations were done using banana leaf, sugarcane, and seasonal flowers. The couple choose to wear less intricate garments and ditched over-the-top jewellery. The bride opted minimum makeup look, decent mehendi, a harmonious touch of gajra, artificial rented jewellery, and Red Bridal lehenga.

It’s not about how little you are spending on the wedding or how much you are saving, but how thoughtfully touching the ceremony is

Planning a wedding that reflects your true personality becomes a choice – a choice to eliminate the unnecessary elements including people, place, and attention. A choice to celebrate the day with people that brings the best out of you; a homage to your traditional attire, a ritual  that feels like laid-back and lighthearted rather than a hassle and nervousness.

Remember the scene from Veere Di Wedding movie where the awkwardness peaked when kareena Kapoor and her fiancé were asked to sit on the hanging moon prop. It tells that couples merely become an element to entertain the guest on their own wedding rather than enjoying it. But lately the new generation is trying to cut down the pretentious moments from their special day by not buying the stress to compromise their personal space.

How to Plan a Minimalist Wedding – A Budget Friendly Big Day

It’s the beauty of simple and intimate wedding that generates the value of authenticity and embodies a refined aesthetic of your vision as a couple. If you are looking to plan a simple wedding with small guest list than a hometown backyard, farmhouse or a temple wedding will do the work. Create a mood board and have a wedding planner that can turn your vision of chic wedding into reality using social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. Look for simple floral arrangements, fairy lights, and heart touching table settings as a part of décor.

For personal touch, one can add handwritten notes, custom playlists, funny or memorable photos, have freshly baked sweet treats, create personalized gifts, and plan couple games or karaoke night. Brides who find red color ensemble a bit overwhelming for wedding can opt soft, muted colors like pastel pink, blush, lavender, sage green, beige, gold, and ivory. These shades create a serene, elegant ambiance for a sophisticated look and amalgamate perfectly with the color palette of venue and décor

For makeup, brides can dodge the full-fat parlor bridal makeup and rather achieve a minimal look with dewy, natural makeup that highlights their features.