The definition of the big fat Indian wedding may soon undergo a change. A new bill to be introduced in the Lok Sabha, proposed by Bihar MP Ranjeet Ranjan, seeks to put a cap on the expenditure at weddings, to avoid a “show of wealth”. According to the proposed bill, if a wedding costs more than Rs 5 lakh, 10 per cent of the amount should be contributed to the wedding of poor girls.
Explaining the move, MP Ranjeet Rajan says, “In most marriages, 90 percent of the pressure is on the girl’s parents. Coming from Punjab and having married into a family from Bihar, I have seen lavish weddings. If this comes under a law, then a cap can be put on the spending — just like the Child Marriage Act has put fear in people.” She elaborates, “I have proposed that the spending should be limited to Rs 5 lakh each from the bride and groom’s family. If they want to spend more, they have to pay 10 per cent to a special fund for poor girls.”
MP Ranjeet Ranjan is the one who is proposing this bill.
“There should also be a limit on the number of dishes on the menu. Nobody really eats that much, and the food goes waste. This is only to show off. Wedding planners charge Rs 2-5 crore, which is a sheer waste. And all the pressure is on the girl’s parents,” adds the minister.
So, is this an end to big fat weddings? While wasteful expenditure should be curbed, for the rich, their child’s wedding is a moment to celebrate lavishly.
Wedding planner Mallika Agrawal of Panodrama Events says, “The bill is not realistic and I don’t think it will pass. Even if it does, it will not affect the wedding business. If demonetisation could not affect the wedding industry, I don’t think anything can. People will still go ahead and spend. A decent decor starts from around Rs 1.5 lakh and goes up to Rs 2 crore. Even if you invite just 100 guests, the cost of food will be beyond Rs 1.5 lakh. So the cap of Rs 5 lakh does not sound realistic. Instead of this, the government can focus on having a specific team in every part of the country that will pick up food that is being wasted and donate it to the needy.”
Designer Nachiket Barve says that the amount spent on weddings is a personal choice. “While I understand the sentiment behind the proposed bill, and agree that at some level the privileged should contribute to the less fortunate, how you spend on your wedding is a very personal choice. Someone who is willing to pay will still go ahead and buy what they want to, and later pay the tax that is applicable. The bill may not stop people from splurging,” he says.
Art collector and socialite Anju Poddar adds, “I am in favour of this bill. If I can spend within that limit then I will definitely do so. But if I feel that I need to spend more on a wedding I will go ahead with that and gladly pay 10 per cent of what I spend on the wedding. After all, the money is going to be put to good use and someone will benefit from it. There is no harm in this.”
Extravagant Expenditure
In most high profile, over-the-top weddings, money is splurged on decor, food, flowers, gifts and performances by actors
Decor: Sky is the limit, with people involved in wedding decor charging mind boggling sums. Like film sets, they can create just about anything the client asks for. Costs run into crores of rupees, and the whole thing is dismantled barely a few hours after the wedding is over.
Hotels: Out-station guests are put up in star hotels, and each room will have a gift hamper. From silver photo frames, silver bowls and gold coins, to cashmere shawls and high end chocolates and perfumes, each hamper will be worth anything between Rs 25k to Rs 50K.
Venues: Most wedding venues charge a rent of Rs 3 lakh upward . And everything else is extra — lights, valet parking, chairs etc. And this doesn’t include the food.
Food: If catering is done by a five star hotel, then it costs Rs 3,000 and more per plate. Even the lesser known, not so fancy caterers charge Rs 1,200 and more per plate. Most big weddings have a guest list of at least 1,000 people and have more that three cuisines on the menu
