India is a very colorful and diverse country. When it comes to celebration it’s done very passionately and wholeheartedly. When it comes to something as scared as wedding then no stone is left unturned. What is so special about the so-called Indian wedding? With every coming year it’s getting larger, and luxurious. Lets have a closer look..          The Indian wedding industry, which is currently estimated at Rs 50,000, crore is all set to grow by 25 per cent annually. "The Great Indian Wedding" is no longer a traditional ritual but is fast turning into a mega buck moolah and donning a new corporate look. (By India Express Bureau)          “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” That’s how the famous English classic novel Pride and Prejudice begins. One finds this thought valid even today..

        Lakshmi Mittal is that single man in possession of astronomical wealth. A man rated as the richest man in the world. His daughter’s wedding was just a mirror reflection of his wealth. At 30 million pound (Rs 240 crore), it was perhaps one of the most expensive Indian weddings. But with time there will be many rich fathers’ who will follow soon

        "The much hyped marriage of business tycoon Lakshmi Mittal's daughter is testimony to the fact that wedding market in India is booming. It is not just the high society which is going in for it, but with spending power increasing, the trend is being seen in middle class families too," says Tarun Sarda, CEO, Vivaha Interactive.

         One cannot forget to mention Subrata Roy’s sons wedding in Lucknow. With 10,500-odd guests, it sure was a wedding, which was grand in all its way. Among the crowd was the renowned Bollywood director Raj Kumar Santoshi who was left spellbound and was heard saying, “I have never seen an event as grand as this.”

         Who can forget Laloo Prasad’s daughter Misa’s marriage to a computer engineer? One of India's most controversial politicians had thrown a lavish wedding for his daughter, which was attended by thousands of guests. Political leaders and film stars were among those who celebrated the marriage of Laloo Prasad Yadav's daughter in the state of Bihar. Laloo wanted the marriage to be fit for a queen. So it was a gift from a king to his little princess. Walking in Laloo Yadav footstep his political rival Ramvilas Paswan to wants a grand weeding for his daughter with a congress MLAs son.

         Someone rightly said, “ Its all about money honey.” If one has the money, Flamenco dancers, Spanish gig artistes, Russian ballet and Egyptian belly dancers, gurus of traditional music and even the hottest Indian pop and film stars could provide entertainment on D-Day.
The Indian wedding Industry is a safe heaven. "In a wedding everyone just spends and does not think of returns. In fact, every industry is looking at weddings to push business. As per Geetika Sharma, organizer of 'Bride and Groom’- a wedding trade fests, says, "This is the only recession-free industry in India." It’s a win-win situation. Everyone makes money. It goes right up to the grassroots level. The artisans make money; the services industry makes money and the wedding planners too.

         The grand Indian weddings and the emerging Marriage industry are bound to prosper. As per the latest survey conducted to ascertain the increase in the Indian household income yields positive results. It is projected that by the year 2005, 53000 families will earn annual incomes more than one crore. The figure will increase to 1,40,000 families by the year 2010. With these projections one can sense that everybody will want to celebrate ones marriages Mittal’s way. If not grand but definitely the best.

         So next time when you think about India its not just Indian curry or Bollywood that you have will rule your thought but it’s the grand Indian wedding that will leave your mouth agape. With every passing year Indian wedding too are going global and grand. Ask Liz Hurley if need any more answers.

         Till then wait for your invitation to one of the weddings. You cannot deprive yourself of the experience of a lifetime. Can you?