When we talk about a big, fat Indian wedding, it’s not just the pageantry and the show of the elaborate ceremonies, but age-old customs are also taken to extremes. And when it comes to Bollywood celebrities, weddings only get bigger in every other way. From exotic locations and over-the-top bridal ensembles to flawless decorations and a close-knit affair, Bollywood weddings in general are a part of it.
However, over many years famous brides and grooms have adapted the customs to exceed the established norms of a traditional wedding. On social media, they share insights into their fairytale weddings and have motivated their fans to follow the trail.
From Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi choosing a priestess for their wedding to Rajkummar Rao kicking off social media with his Sindoor ritual, here are some moments that broke the internet and inspired us all.
A look at celebrities who have broken the norms of a traditional Indian wedding
Katrina Kaif’s sisters hold the Phoolon ki chadar
Image: Courtesy of katrinakaif / Instagram
Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal got married in December 2021 in the presence of their families and close friends in Rajasthan’s Fort Barwara. The couple shared dreamy pictures of their wedding ceremonies that made their fans swoon.
From donning gorgeous sabyasachi outfits to decorating the otherwise rustic venue with gorgeous floral arrangements, everything has been seamlessly combined to make it one of the most popular celebrity weddings. But one of the standout moments was Katrina’s wedding entry into the venue when her sisters wore the Phoolon Ki Chadar over their heads.
Phoolon ki chadar, which literally means “flower ceiling”, is a custom where a bride comes in with her brothers who hold something like a canopy of flowers over their heads. It means that the bride grew up loving and is protected by her brothers.
However, the pictures Kaif shared of her wedding ceremony showed her sisters wearing the Phoolon Ki Chadar. In the Instagram post she wrote: “When we were growing up, we sisters always protected one another. They are my pillars of strength and we keep each other grounded … May it stay that way! (sic). “
Patralekhaa puts Sindoor on Rajkummar Rao
Another prominent couple who got married in 2021 are Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa. After 11 years together, the Bollywood celebrities tied the knot in an intimate and fun ceremony (their wedding pictures are the proof) at The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort in Chandigarh.
However, a moment after their wedding ceremony touched the hearts of people across the country.
The Newton actor shared a wedding video on his Instagram account asking Patralekha to wear Sindoor – a cinnabar brand worn by married Hindu women in the Indian subcontinent – on him after doing the same during their wedding .
What seemed like a spontaneous moment was a huge step in breaking the established norms of a Hindu wedding ceremony to achieve gender equality.
Dia Mirza Rekhi’s sustainable wedding to a priestess
Image: Courtesy diamirzaofficial / Instagram
The rituals of a traditional Hindu wedding are usually performed by a male priest. However, this was not the case when Dia Mirza married Vaibhav Rekhi at her home. A priestess who performed the rituals touched the hearts of her fans around the world.
Mirza Rekhi is the torchbearer of many things, including sustainable living, charities, and raising awareness on various topics. She added another feather to her hat and broke the age-old patriarchal norms at her wedding by choosing a priestess. Mirza Rekhi wrote a heartfelt message in an Instagram post recounting how she became aware of the priestess at her friend Ananya’s wedding.
It read: “The highest point for us was the Vedic ceremony performed by a priestess! I had never seen a woman perform a wedding ceremony until I attended my childhood friend Ananya’s wedding a few years ago. Ananya’s wedding gift to Vaibhav and me was to bring Sheela Atta, her aunt and also a priestess, to perform the ceremony for us. She also meticulously completed several hours of training to absorb the essence of the scriptures so that she could help Sheela Atta and translate the Shlokas! It was a privilege and a pleasure to be married this way! (sic). “
For her “sustainable” and “no-waste” wedding anniversary, Mirza Rekhi chose a simple but beautiful red hand-woven saree that she can reuse. She wrote on Instagram: “The garden I have spent every morning in for the past 19 years has been an absolutely magical setting and the most intimate and perfect place for our simple and soulful ceremony! We are so proud to be able to organize a completely sustainable ceremony without plastic or any waste. The materials we used for the minimalist decor were completely biodegradable and natural. (sic) “
The actress’ wedding rituals did not include kanyadaan and bidaai. Kanya and daan mean “girl” and “donation” in Hindi. Kanyadaan literally means the giving of the daughter to the groom and is a ritual performed by the bride’s parents.
On the other hand, Bidaai is the bride’s solemn farewell after the wedding. It symbolizes the bride who leaves her maternal home to start a new life and take on the role of a wife and daughter-in-law.
Gul Panags Doli on a bike
Image: Courtesy of gulpanag / Instagram
All Gul Panag knew before marrying longtime boyfriend Rishi Attari in 2011 was that she wanted to have fun on her wedding day. And they had fun and made it a day that the people of Chandigarh remember to this day.
Panag married in her mother’s onion pink lehenga with a Gurudwara in Chandigarh. When the Doli left for their reception at a nearby hotel, it was an unforgettable sight.
Doli was previously used as a sedan chair or a closed chair on which the bride rode to her husband’s house after the wedding. Recently, the litter has been replaced by cars, or in Panag’s case, the sidecar of a bicycle.
Along with her husband, Panag and some members of their families drove to the venue in Royal Enfields. Fearing spoiling her mother’s clothes, the actress sat in the sidecar, which took her husband a whole night to attach to the bullet. For her anniversary two years ago, she shared the details of the day with her followers.
“8 years and counting. I knew I wanted a wedding that was super fun, small, and intimate. Had no idea how to do that. When we visited Shruti Seth and Danish Aslan’s wedding in Goa, we found our inspiration. Our ultimate goal was to enjoy the wedding with our loved ones. My mother was the “wedding planner” and she put our vision into practice perfectly by listing every single custom with a funny twist! “She wrote in an Instagram post.
She added, “I wore my mother’s lehenga for the wedding and my mother-in-law’s for the sangeet. I am often asked about the Doli or “getaway vehicle”. The original plan was to ride a bike. Since I was wearing my mother’s Lehnga, I was afraid that it would get stuck in the bike. So the husband found a manufacturer in Nangal who made sidecars and ordered one. It arrived the night before the wedding. Husband, his brother @rusty_clicks and @sherbirpanag were up all night attaching it to the bike (it’s quite a chore). We then got all of our friends and family to ride Royal Enfield bikes as part of the procession, in which not only the Doli but also female drivers (Simrit Kaur and my Bhoa, her mother, then 65 years old) took part. This trip was definitely the highlight! “
Dilip Joshi’s daughter Niyati shows off her natural gray hair on her wedding day
Image: Courtesy thegrapestudio / Instagram
Niyati, daughter of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actor Dilip Joshi, also broke stereotypes at her recent traditional wedding. The actor shared beautiful pictures of his daughter who looked like a dream in her bridal ensemble while making a bold statement. The stunner, who exceeds the standards of beauty expected of a bride on her wedding day, decided to flaunt her natural gray hair.
This move was celebrated all over social media.
Aside from these celebrities who pioneered the breaking of social norms and patriarchy, there were a few others who, in their own way, strayed from the traditions long associated with Indian weddings.
For example, traditional bridal clothes are mostly red and have long symbolized the color of the bride. Sultan actress Anushka Sharma, however, broke that norm in her light pink sabyasachi lehenga, which she decorated with floral embroidery.
Singer Neha Kakkar and actresses Ankita Lokhande and Anushka Ranjan also wore bridal ensembles in colors other than red.
Hero Image Credit: katrinakaif/ Instagram; Feature picture credits
