Indian weddings have evolved in so many ways. From having their own baraat to opting for white wedding lehengas and having intimate ceremonies, brides have been breaking the stereotypes and we’re all for it. But this story has taken ‘getting married on your terms’ to another level. Meet Pakhi Kshitij, the boss woman who ditched the kanyadaan ritual at her wedding because to her, ‘it makes no sense’.
Pakhi told us that she is a strongly opinionated woman and never wanted to get married in the first place. She and her husband belong to different cities and the magic happened when they met each other while working in a Bangalore-based firm. Once the wedding planning started, she came up with a few unconventional ideas and luckily, everyone supported her. Not practising kanyadaan was, of course, one of them.
Here’s all that Pakhi did differently and more couples should take note of:
No Kanyadaan
For the uninitiated, kanyadaan is a ritual performed at weddings which literally means ‘giving away of the bride’. While kanyadaan is an age-old tradition, Pakhi strongly feels that no one needs to sacrifice a child and decided to do away with it. Talking about it, she said, “ours was a marriage of two equals who will share the responsibilities of their families together”.
Every Day Is Auspicious
Pakhi Kshitij
Pakhi didn’t go to any pandit for an auspicious date for her wedding. She said they didn’t care about the dates as long as it was a weekend and their friends and families could fly in without worrying about taking leaves from their work.
No Wedding Cards
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of chachajis and mamajis who would expect you to come to their place with a fancy mithai ka dabba and an expensive-looking wedding card to invite them to your shaadi. In order to save paper, Pakhi and her family only sent out e-invites and it’s a step that all soon-to-be-married couples should take.
Wedding Expenses Were Equally Shared
Pakhi made sure that all the wedding expenses were equally shared between the families of the bride and the groom. After all, it’s a celebration involving both the families, why should only one pay?! Kudos to both the set of parents for being this supportive and open-minded.
The Minimal Guest List
One their special day, Pakhi and her husband wanted to be surrounded by just their close friends and families who had actually ‘invested in their lives’. Therefore, there were only 50 guests at their wedding. Yep, you read that right! “Our parents held traditional receptions for us in their respective cities… So much for log kya kahenge”, she added.
Also read: This Badass Bride Ditched The Teary-Eyed Vidaai And Drove Her In-laws Back Home
We hope that more brides can plan their D-day the way they want to without worrying about what their relatives will think. Kudos to Pakhi, her husband and both the families for taking a step towards a progressive society.
Featured Image: Pakhi Kshitij
