An Australia-based startup is swiftly garnering attention on the internet after a tweet regarding it was shared by a user named Sukhada. The venture, called JoinMyWedding, allows foreigners to pay and experience the grandeur of a big fat Indian wedding.
According to CNN, the startup was founded by Hungarian-Australian Orsi Parkanyi in 2016 and promises “the ultimate cultural immersion”. The website of JoinMyWedding called an Indian wedding a “place where all the elements of a culture collide in one, huge, unstaged celebration”.
The company has a format of connecting with soon-to-be-married couples who are willing to share their love story and wedding itinerary with complete strangers. Following that, tourists who are interested can pay $150 (Rs 12,489 approximately) for a day and $250 (Rs 20,816 approximately) for two days, will be invited to respective wedding.
"You get to experience all the different cultural elements in one go: meet with local people, taste the local cuisine, dress in Indian attire, music, ambiance, entertainment, learn about the local customs, even architecture, depending on wedding venue," Parkanyi told CNN.
Parkanyi, the co-founder of JoinMyWedding has lived and worked in Australia, Hungary, India and Norway, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Meanwhile, the business was lauded by social media users on X. “Brilliant idea. I would be more than happy to be a part of this,” a user wrote.
Another user commented, “Sensational. I only hope that no puritan gatekeeps this.”
“I love this! Indian weddings are quite the spectacle with its many rituals and festivities and I think it’s great that more people get to experience it. After years of attending weddings in Kerala, even I enjoyed the experience of attending weddings with different traditions,” a third user remarked.
The website has a ton of different weddings happening in India for the foreigners to choose from. “Dress in traditional Indian garb, taste the exotic flavours, dance to the enchanting music, take part in beautiful wedding customs and soak up the incomparable atmosphere as you learn first-hand what it really means to be Indian from the people who know better than anyone - the locals,” read a small excerpt on the website.
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