Band, Baaja, and Bezos: What Nepal Can Learn From a $55M Wedding

Let’s talk about the wedding that broke the internet this week:
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez said “I do” in Venice, casually spending $55 million on a yacht-filled, celeb-studded affair.

Before you faint, remember: that’s just 0.02% of his net worth.
If you have Rs. 10 lakhs to your name, that’s like spending Rs. 2,000 on your wedding.

And yet, the man got roasted.

Venetians protested. Greenpeace flew a massive banner saying:

“If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.”

But the Italian government? Oh, they’re uncorking prosecco.
Because in just three days, Bezos’s wedding is expected to bring in over $1.1 billion in business and tourism.

That’s B for Billion.

Meanwhile in Nepal...

Back home, we’re doing the same grand weddings, minus the billion-dollar upside.

We borrow. We sell land. We take loans from banks and cousins and uncles with conditions attached. All for one giant, socially mandated performance.

Not broke after your wedding? Are you even married?

Let’s Break Down the Nepali Wedding Economics:

Weddings have become our unofficial status Olympics. And we’re winning. Just in the worst way possible.

The Diaspora Effect

If you’re part of the global Nepali diaspora, you’ve seen this:
You earn in pounds or dollars, come home, and what feels affordable in conversion quickly turns into a flex.

Helicopters, imported roses, sangeet night with a Bollywood choreographer? 

The locals watch. And suddenly, someone’s selling land to “match the vibe.”
What was meant to be a joyful celebration turns into a ripple effect of competitive spending.

Wait, When Did We Start Copying Everything?

We used to celebrate with panche baaja. Loud, proud, and deeply Nepali.
Now it’s all band baaja and Bollywood choreography.

Somewhere along the way, we swapped our traditions for trendiness.

• Mehendi with 60+ people you don’t even recognize
  

• Sangeet choreographed like it’s the IIFA Awards
  

• Haldi function with turmeric fights

None of this was originally ours. We imported it, rebranded it, and now we feel pressured to perform it.  loudly and expensively.

We didn’t just upgrade.
We hit delete on half our own culture, just to match what we saw on Instagram.

Here’s a Thought 

What if we made weddings joyful again?
A celebration, not a financial death sentence.
A shared memory, not a down payment on anxiety.

Skip the redundant events. Cut the 900-person guest list to 60 people who actually matter.
Save lakhs. Avoid debt. Maybe even go on a proper honeymoon.

But Here’s an Even Bigger Idea

Back to Bezos.

Three days of wedding = $1.1 billion for Italy.
Now ask yourself: why not Nepal?

We have everything a dream wedding destination needs:

• Himalayan backdrops
  

• Gorgeous hilltop resorts
  

• World-class hospitality
  

• Diverse culture and rituals
  

• And frankly? It’s a steal compared to Tuscany or Udaipur.

Imagine saying “I do” with Machhapuchhre in the background. That’s not just a wedding, it’s a Netflix special waiting to happen.

No, seriously. Imagine getting married here:

And it’s already starting. Resorts like Mechi Crown are hosting lavish wedding weekends blending Vegas-level glam with Nepali soul.

Now imagine what could happen if:

• The Tourism Board gets on board
  

• Airlines, hotels, and event planners collaborate
  

• Nepali weddings become an export product, not just a personal expense

Instead of just spending crores on weddings, Nepal could be earning them.

TL;DR:

Jeff Bezos threw a wedding that made Italy richer.
We throw weddings that make us poorer.

Maybe it’s time to stop equating love with loans.
Maybe it’s time to stop copying ceremonies that aren’t ours.
Maybe it’s time to flip the script.

Turn Nepal into the place where people want to get married, not where people bankrupt themselves trying to keep up.

Let’s Talk

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