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Swathi Raman is a confident young woman who has always made her own decisions in life, whether it is do with education or career. But when it comes to her life partner, she trusts her family to make the right choice.
Indians are still conservative in their attitude towards finding the right match, says a recent survey by the Taj Group of Hotels.
According to the survey, 3/4th of respondents were keen on arranged marriages. Of these, 82 per cent are women. At 68 per cent, men are turning even more independent with every passing generation, says The Taj Wedding Barometer.
Arranged marriages, especially rule in the North with 82 per cent compared to the national average of 74 per cent.
The survey, by research agency IPSOS, was done across 1,000 people from Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Kanpur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Ludhiana, Chennai and Surat. The respondents were between the ages 18 and 35, belonging to SEC A1 and A2 segments. The survey was conducted in malls and markets frequented by people for wedding shopping.
According to the survey, both men and women prefer proposals in private. Interestingly, 21 per cent respondents in the South (both men and women) believe women should initiate the proposal, opposed to the national average of 10 per cent who feel men should be the first initiators.
One-third Indians from the West prefer a straight-forward proposal. “I liked the fact that my fiancé proposed straight from the heart, without shenanigans or brouhaha. No hidden ring in wine or food for me please,” shrieks media professional Shakti Sharma who got engaged recently.
When it comes to pre-wedding rituals, the ‘ring ceremony’ is the master of ceremonies, with 97 per cent respondents rooting for it. The ‘Sangeet’ ceremony is a close second at 81 per cent followed by religious functions at 71 per cent. In fact, though the Sangeet is primarily a North Indian wedding ritual, it is now a regular feature in South Indian weddings too.
Big fat wedding
Western habits such as bachelor and cocktail parties at resorts and star hotels are also increasingly featuring in Indian weddings. Spa and beauty treatments have become an integral part of both the bride and groom’s pre-nuptial preparations, though it is still skewed towards the women, says the survey.
500 is the magic number, says the Taj wedding barometer. The ideal wedding guest list is between 251-500 people. Respondents from the North and West prefer a small wedding with 101-250 people; respondents from the South prefer larger weddings with over 1,000 guests.
Thankfully, amidst all the wedding frenzy, romance is not dead. 80 per cent respondents prefer honeymoons at conventional romantic destinations. Goa remains the classic honeymoon destination closely followed by Ooty and Srinagar.
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