Before ever after

A few months ago, 26-year-old Ridham Gambhir was given the task to organise her best friend’s bachelorette party. She first booked a fancy room in a hotel in Mussoorie, and then made a list of adventure activities that the bride-to-be wanted to do before tying the knot. This way, her last few days before getting married would be unforgettable.

“She (the best friend) is a person who likes adventure, so we decided to ditch the conventional way of celebrating bachelorette parties and we booked a road trip to Mussoorie and Rishikesh. She wanted to do river rafting, so we booked that as well. However, our bride-to-be got injured because of the rapids, but we still loved it all,” Ridham recalls.  

Although the concept of bachelor and bachelorette parties is not very new to India, there has been a significant shift in the way people are jazzing up their final days of bachelorhood. Some are going for a wild experience (not Las Vegas; we mean a forest), while others are getting together with their chuddy-buddies to indulge in their own shenanigans.

A still from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Pankaj Kumar, a 34-year-old, opted for a bachelor’s trip to a resort in Jim Corbett, to spend quality time with his friends. “We didn’t want that lavish party with crowns, sashes and photo props. I remember the night we all were sharing memories of our college days; we all were drunk, got emotional and had a great time,” he adds.

“People are getting more experimental these days. Movies like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara have changed the dynamics of pre-wedding bashes. I have been involved in organising bachelorette parties that were as big as a wedding,” shares Yogesh Sharma, an event organiser.

He continues, “Activities that are dominating hen and stag getaways are: 48-hour party zones; having adventurous trips; spending quality time with cousins and friends during a vacation; and also attending concerts and carnivals.”

Malvika Sharma opted to host a cocktail gathering at her home. She reveals, “We had a cocktail gathering named ‘Shaamiyana’. Friends and close cousins joined in on the occasion, with a compulsory vodka shot given to everyone who walked into the venue! The whole house was decorated with Diwali leftover lights and an abundance of photographs of everyone present. As a DJ, I had assembled a few 80s-90s classic Govinda songs. It was a fun night that lasted until four the morning. A night to remember and an important one, as a reminder of extreme fun before the calmer phase in life begins.”

For Love Sharma, it was a little different. He chose to go for a trip to Goa where he could spend some time with his cousins and a few friends. “We booked a lavish hotel, where we almost everyday were in the pool and indulged in booze. I remember we used to sit in shacks and reminisce. Also, we decided to explore every beach and club in Goa and especially Goan dishes,” he shares.