Search the “world’s most expensive weddings”, and you will see several Indian events included in the results. Around this time two years ago, Indian high society was preparing to attend the wedding of Isha Ambani – the daughter of India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani – to Anand Piramal, from one of the country’s most respected industrialist families. A weekend of lavish engagement celebrations had been held at northern Italy’s Lake Como in the summer, with invitations designed by Dolce & Gabbana. They set the tone for what was to come. In December 2018, pre-wedding celebrations were held in Udaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan, followed by the actual wedding in Mumbai. The guest list included US politician Hillary Clinton , Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan , and celebrity couple Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. There was even a performance by US singer Beyoncé. The wedding is reported to have cost US$100 million (more than three times the cost of Britain’s Kate Middleton and Prince William’s royal wedding). The real stars of this extravaganza were the bride’s outfits, including pieces made by India’s top designers such as Sabyasachi , Manish Malhotra and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, whose label was behind the ivory hand-embroidered, 16-panelled ghagra – a full-length skirt – worn for the ceremony. For the main reception, Ambani wore a gold and ivory lehenga – an ankle-length skirt – custom made by Valentino. While such excess is an exception to the norm, the idea of a “big fat Indian wedding” is very much part of the fabric of Indian culture. A 2017 report by accounting organisation KPMG estimated that the Indian bridal wear market was worth US$50 billion. Why fashion-forward brides buy their wedding dresses online Covid-19, however, has changed everything – and the typical Indian wedding has been forced to slim down. “For most prominent designers, a majority of their revenue comes from weddings. Maybe accounting about 70 per cent or more, this also includes the functions around the wedding as well as dressing those who attend the weddings,” says Sunil Sethi, president of the Fashion Design Council of India. The fashion industry in India is suffering. “No other country in the world was in complete lockdown for two quarters,” says Sandeep Khosla, of Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. “No production, no retail, no events, including weddings, were allowed to happen. So, of course, Indian couture was very badly hit.” Many of the artisans, known as karigars were displaced because of the lockdown. “We do not expect to sell … even 70 per cent of last year’s sales figures, because we physically don’t have the product,” says Tarun Tahiliani, a leading designer. In early October, Weddingsutra.com, India’s first online wedding portal, partnered with experiential marketing consultancy Magnanimous to release a report entitled “The Ultimate Guide to Weddings Post-Covid”. Their survey revealed that 75 per cent of high-net-worth brides who were meant to marry during lockdown months had rescheduled their weddings until after November this year. Of those, 80 per cent felt they would have to compromise. Interestingly, most brides are still planning to have at least three functions. Mumbai-based Parthip Thyagarajan, CEO and co-founder of Weddingsutra.com, says: “Things are slowly easing up. For weddings that only permitted 50 guests in the initial stages of lockdown, some states in India are now allowing up to 100 guests.” Before lockdown, weddings with as many as 500 plus guests were considered normal, with celebrations stretching over five days. In September, entrepreneur Sanjana Rishi created something of a stir on social media with her choice of bridal outfit. Known among the millennial style set in Delhi for her eclectic approach to dressing, Rishi wore a vintage Gianfranco Ferré powder blue pantsuit for her wedding with a bustier borrowed from a friend, and dupatta veil custom-made by upcoming Indian designer Karan Torani. The wedding was held at her parents’ house, with only 11 guests present, and her bridal outfit made headlines in and outside India. “Designers targeting the fashion-forward brides now have to be all the more innovative with their offerings, and have introduced collections that include more versatile pieces,” Thyagarajan says. “Such pieces are more reasonably priced and can be worn for [occasions] other than a wedding, with the additional benefit of being able to be used more than once. There is now a greater awareness and a shift towards conscious consumption .” E-commerce player Amazon India recently launched River, a multi-designer label offering ready-to-wear and special-occasion wear. Included is Indian fashion designer Suneet Varma, who has created a line of saris priced up to 9,999 rupees (around US$135). View this post on Instagram Permanently blue for you ... Archway (and all decor) by @designbydreamvoyagers—thanks for putting everything together in just under a week! A post shared by Sanjana Rishi (@sanjrishi) on Oct 17, 2020 at 3:52am PDT “These pieces could be dressed up enough for attending a wedding,” says the designer. “I have actually been surprised that many international clients have been asking for the pieces, as they’re only available in India.” He says the Indian shopper has become more budget savvy. “Recently I had a call from a regular client, one who would happily spend US$5,000 at a time, to tell me her daughter is getting married. She said she would be making a virtual appointment to start work on the wedding wardrobe but would be working around a budget.” The huge wedding market also holds appeal for international luxury brands. Christian Louboutin has a dedicated wedding suite at its flagship stores in Mumbai and Delhi, where brides can create one-of-a-kind shoes. “With only the wedding ceremony being the main event, brides are now focusing more on their one wedding outfit and are looking for pieces that won’t only stand out but can also be a great memory of their big day,” says Anjali Gaekwar, Christian Louboutin’s India’s rep. As nuptials become more intimate, brides want their attire to feel special, unique and something that speaks of them. So, while weddings may have become smaller, attention to detail is more important than ever. “Clothes, jewellery, gifting, make-up artists, hairstylists will always be top priority,” says wedding planner Vandana Mohan, founder of The Wedding Design Company and who worked on the Ambani wedding. “Design, planning and management, performing artists have all taken a hit, mainly because the numbers are smaller. Earlier … numbers were above 300; today, they are closer to 100.” Mohan is calling these celebrations “micro weddings”, occasions where there is hyper-personalisation and a clear move towards a focus on “Brand India”. “Since the pandemic hit the world, the ‘Vocal for Local’ mantra is something everyone is promoting heavily, including me,” she says. This means that, in fashion, there has been a greater emphasis on craftsmanship. Designer Tahiliani has taken to the digital runway three times since the beginning of the pandemic, with collections focused on bridal wear. Presented just a few weeks ago over Instagram and entitled “The Age of Innocence”, his latest collection was inspired by the art of meenakari, or enamelling. “No more are weddings about bright lights, big rooms and thousands of people,” an announcement about the collection read. “This is the year of special moments, of simpler times, of going back to roots to celebrate all that we were and more. It is a return to the age of innocence.” He adds that brides are looking for a new lightness, because they want to enjoy their own functions but still make for a pretty picture. “I think the resorts have been the real losers because, so far, few people have been visiting them or planning functions there,” Tahiliani says. “ The designers dealing with bridal wear are OK, up to a point. As weddings are small, people are actually buying beautiful clothes because they are saving a lot on other things they would otherwise have spent on. They are wearing much finer things, which actually benefits a brand like us.” Still, the Indian fashion community hasn’t given up hope for the “Big Fat Indian Wedding”. “Temporarily the weddings may have become smaller in size because of very real health and travel restrictions. As a people and a culture we, in India, have an unsurpassed appetite for luxury, fine living and celebration. It is in our DNA. That isn’t going to change and will come back stronger. And thank goodness for that,” says Khosla.