Dimapur: A showroom filled with dazzling white gowns studded with stones, pearls, sequins and other embellishments cat collection in Dimapur, Nagaland. The shop – away from the bustling market area – has some of the most beautiful clothes that many Naga brides dream of wearing on their big day. Yet, from the outside, the place belies the treasures it stores.
The range of CATS bridal gowns starts from Rs.10,000 onwards. and the most expensive? “Well, the sky’s the limit,” said Vizuonuo Rio, co-owner of the store with her older brother Kenivore.
The sky is the limit when it comes to spending on every aspect of a wedding in Nagaland, not just the gown, like elsewhere in the world. However, in the last decade, there has been a tectonic change when it comes to conducting wedding ceremonies by the Nagas, especially in the capital city of Kohima and the business center of Dimapur. If Hollywood romcoms have so far shaped the Indian imagination of a white wedding, Nagaland is here to obliterate the picture and replace it with its jaw-dropping settings that complement the decor of its larger-than-life venue. surprises everyone with.
Take a look at the Instagram pages of some of the most popular event decorators in the state – adl wedding, CM Weddings Or Favor Shows the scale on which Nagaland wedding shows are run. His elegant creations have inspired people from other northeastern states to seek his services, even though hiring a Naga wedding decorator means incurring additional costs due to travel and transportation of all the decor items hundreds of kilometers away. has to be loaded.
Whether it is garden-theme or forest-theme décor, or hiring a pianist or having artists create live portraits during wedding ceremonies, Naga society is looking to the West for inspiration and not to the rest of India.
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A big, beautiful Naga wedding
Unlike a Hindu, Muslim or even some Christian weddings in other parts of India, which last for two-three days with rituals and events like sangeet and mehendi, a Naga wedding is a one-day affair.
The day begins with a meeting ceremony in the church. The ceremony – filled with bridal marches, hymns and songs – ends within an hour or so and the couple along with the guests move to a different location for the reception. However, there are weddings where both ceremonies (exchange of vows and welcome) are held at the bride’s home or at a different location.
“Many people like it (the latter option) because it’s one space and everyone can gather in one place. It’s more convenient,” Visituonuo said, adding that only close family and friends can attend due to lack of space. Reasons include church celebrations.
A Naga marriage may be solemnized in a day but that does not mean that the occasion is cheap. An entire industry hustles to count down to a big day. And all of this comes with its own hefty price tag. Decoration takes up the biggest chunk of the expenditure.
The brother-sister duo, which has been operating the Cat Collection since 2016 and also provides wedding decoration services, said Rs 10 lakh would cost a couple a venue for a reception hosting around 400 guests. There will be “minimal” setup and decorations to decorate. ,
“The starting point will be Rs 10 lakh. The most hardcore can even go up to Rs 5-10 crore,” said Keneever.
Another wedding decorator, Aboli Dina Yepthomi of ADL Weddings, has been in the business since 2008 and has seen how the wedding industry has changed in the state. He said that when the wedding takes place, it will include professional make-up artists, photographers and music bands.
The client will hire a professional musician or pianist for the bridal entry. In the food section… We usually serve Naga food and for vegetarian options, we will have Indian food. But now, people have started with very elaborate dessert tables, charai tables, continental tables and Indian starters. Even the food section has expanded,” she said.
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changing aesthetics
Weddings in the state have always been a grand community event involving the entire village. With the introduction of Christianity in Nagaland 150 years agoPeople adopted the practice of ‘white marriage’ keeping alive the tribal customs in their own unique style. And while the church program has remained the same, with the advent of the internet and social media, the reception has turned into a heady mix of creativity and extravagance for the ultimate display of wealth, and the Nagas are not shying away from the display.
Kenivore, owner of Cats Collection, explained why the Naga community likes to go big for that one day. Despite the migration of people to urban places, Nagaland has a strong connection with the village. He said that there is always a huge crowd in Naga weddings as all the relatives, friends and people of the village are invited. With money entering Naga life, marriages became a litmus test to judge one’s status and wealth.
“Marriage is also considered a symbol of status, prestige and pride. Big, lavish weddings are a symbol of prestige,” he explained.
What better way to show off the riches than by putting together the most amazing venue.
“Decoration has evolved a lot and it has taken a decade to reach this magnitude. Earlier weddings used to be very simple…the size was always big, but the decoration has become like a competition now,” said Aboli.
In Dimapur, a narrow road – littered with potholes and open drains running parallel to it – leads people into the residential area of Metha Colony. No one nearby gives the impression that a lovely rustic-themed reception is being held in the area. A bride’s house was converted into an open-air wedding venue.
“The theme of the wedding is blush and white. It’s soft pastel colors and everything is very natural. You would hardly find any drapes. They haven’t cut down any trees, it’s rustic and minimal and it reflects the personality of the bride,” said pastry chef Pito Kiba, who was overseeing the food spread at the venue, a part of the decor by ADL Wedding .
To provide aesthetic variety to customers, the decorators are importing items such as artificial flowers and furniture from China and Thailand.
“Earlier, we used to have a morang (a traditional Naga structure for social events) for the stage. But wedding decorations have become more westernized in the last 10-15 years. With access to the internet, decorations have become more and more extravagant,” Aboli said.
In terms of stylistic additions, he commented that the design of the aisle and stage had expanded and there was a greater use of accessories, flowers and lights.
“We don’t remember using lights 10-15 years ago, but now lighting has become a part of the decor and people have started getting married in the evening too, to enhance the lighting more,” says Aboli, who started his venture said two friends Loye Taungo and Asangka Imchen.
CM Weddings, a player in the wedding market since 2013, began as a service that provided rental material for weddings. “Then she (mother Tokhuli) saw that this wedding thing was booming, so she started buying artificial flowers and learned about flower arrangements and decorations in general. It slowly grew,” said Likati Takku .
She said most of her clients are interested in pastel, all-white or green-and-white weddings.
“Naga weddings are mostly sober and refined. They’re not very loud,” she said.
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essential element
Flexibility is the hallmark of Naga weddings. Dina said, “There are no strict rules to follow, it all depends on our own convenience.”
Nonetheless, every wedding has certain essentials, such as the presence of a ‘chairman’ who hosts the ceremony at the church as well as the reception. This is followed by the mandatory cutting of the cake, which marks the beginning of the reception. There may be speeches by family members and friends. After that, the guests go to congratulate the newlyweds and then proceed to the food section. In Naga society, the first dance (by the newlyweds) is not an essential ritual.
There will be a small reception box room or counter for people to drop off their gifts or cash. There is also the concept of ‘wedding favors’ being given by the couple – similar to return gifts.
“In our tribe (Angami), we call it ‘twisted’Which is cooked meat tied up in banana leaves, or it could be a small gift,” Kenneever said.
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a burning red flag
From afar, a venue that glitters and shines the most can be a fancy wedding. But competing to outdo each other is a red flag for society at large.
Keylang Longkumer, who has been serving as a church minister for the past 20 years, noted a “tremendous change” in the way weddings are organized by people in the Naga society, which he called “not rich”.
“People have this attitude that they don’t mind spending more than they earn. That’s why many couples end up in debt after marriage. That’s the trend I’ve been seeing over the years. Of course, not all are the same. There are some people who are rich, they earn and spend accordingly. But there are many who spend beyond their means. Sometimes, they spend money kept by their parents. also use it,” said the pastor of the Nukmen Baptist Church in Dimapur.
They also observed that the average age of marriage has increased compared to a few years back.
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Nagaland is setting the trend
It is possible that the Nagas are getting married late, some are also in debt by spending extravagantly in big weddings. But this newfound joy has made wedding industry players a huge presence in the Northeast.
Cats Collection has four outlets in the region, two of which are outside the state in Shillong and Tura in Meghalaya. And it is looking at new markets in the Northeast.
“Arunachal is good for the time being, maybe. Manipur and Mizoram basically have rental (wedding gown) services, so it’s a bit difficult for us.
last year, they Organised ‘Cats Collection Top Model’ – Competition to choose a model for your bridal gown, showcasing your products.
“This is a first in the Northeast and I believe in India too,” he said.
Over the last 14 years, ADL Weddings has been called upon for its services from several states in the North East and even from South India including Bengaluru.
“People in Arunachal, Meghalaya and Assam look for Naga wedding decorators because they want a western look that their local decorators cannot do. The subject, the colour, the setting are different,” said Aboli.
(Editing by Anurag Choubey)