With the first virtual reality metaverse wedding taking place in India, people learnt to adapt their rituals, ceremonies, and family traditions during the pandemic. But which trends will stick in India’s lucrative wedding market as couples looking to tie the knot face a ‘new normal’?
Dr. Padma Rani is an associate professor at the Manipal Institute of Communication in Manipal, a city in the state of Karnataka in southwest India. Her research areas of interest include gender, media effects, and alternative media.
Santosh Desai is a prominent columnist for the Times of India, as well as a brand consultant and author based in the Indian capital, Delhi.
Mohammed Ali-Khan is the managing director of Payal Events, a luxury event agency, and has over 25 years of experience in wedding planning.
Gouri Sharma is an internationally renowned independent journalist from London living in Berlin writing for international media sites including Al Jazeera English and Deutsche Welle. Amid a career spanning nearly two decades, including five years on the production desk for Al Jazeera's flagship media critique show The Listening Post, Gouri now writes on issues such as race, culture, migration, history, and sexual health and wellness. With each report, she aims to draw out the individual story amid the wider political or historical context; centring the human story is a priority, in particular amplifying the voices of those from marginalised communities whose stories are not as visible.
