THE wedding day is always u201c your dayu201d. What they donu2019t tell you is that personal choice and freedom donu2019t come in totality and tradition, expectations and feelings cannot be ignored. In its 2017 report, KPMG estimated that the Indian wedding industry was $ 50 billion in size, second only to the US at $ 70 billion. And thatu2019s where the designer, stylist, make- up guru, and jewellery makers come into the picture. u201c Itu2019s a bizarre industry, and there was only so much expenditure that I could justify,u201d says Priti Rao, Asia director- Dalberg Design, and Mumbai resident.

When Rao got engaged to her now husband Vijay Kumar in June 2019, a u201c simple weddingu201d was what she wanted. u201c But simplicity doesnu2019t come cheap.