Indian weddings boom in Canada exposed in new documentary

Jul 23 2016, 5:31 am

A new documentary is exposing the boom in big, fat Indian weddings in Metro Vancouver – and how lucrative these celebrations are for wedding vendors.

Little India Big Business reveals an Indo-western wedding industry spinning out of control in Surrey, BC, where week-long celebrations can cost an average of $100,000.

Meanwhile, hair and make-up artists charge thousands of dollars and are booked years in advance – and venue owners are hosting Las Vegas-style parties, complete with neon robots.

“I wanted to explore my own reluctance to getting married,” said journalist and documentary producer Bal Brach in a release.

“I was stunned to hear the average cost of an Indian wedding is $100,000 – and most of the time, it’s hard working, immigrant parents footing the bill for week long celebrations.”

The new doc highlights the lengths to which wedding vendors will go to meet their clients’ ever more extravagant needs – and the impact of this commercialization on marriage itself.

Little India Big Business airs Saturday, July 23 on CBC TV in BC and Alberta at 8 pm MST. It will be available online across Canada from Sunday, July 24 at cbc.ca/absolutelyvancouver/watch.

 

Jenni SheppardJenni Sheppard

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