The grand bridal ensembles, the elaborate sangeet sequences, the larger-than-life decor... over the years, Bollywood weddings have given us many aspects to cherish. However, it’s the emotions binding these standalone elements together that’ll have you revisiting the scenes long after the end credits have rolled, whether it’s the gleeful bridesmaids conspiring to trick the groom, or the mother of the bride wiping away a tear amidst festivities. For your next night in, look to these movies to deliver all of the feels. Heads up: you might want to stash some tissues within hand’s reach.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
Tell us your childhood wedding mood board wasn’t dominated by visuals of bridesmaids dancing in formation to ‘Saajanji Ghar Aaye’, and we’ll show you a liar. Sure, Anjali Sharma left with a different groom than the one who led the baarat in, but there’s nothing quite like realising your one true love under a dreamy blanket of shooting stars to reaffirm your faith in Cupid.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
There are college reunions, and then there are reunions that change your life. While the envy-worthy pre-wedding ceremonies can be credited for reviving interest in the destination wedding industry, it is the coming-of-age realisations under Udaipur’s finest arches that will steal your heart—from the once-awkward Naina standing her ground in the face of Kabir’s charms, to Aditi finally calling it quits on her unrequited passion for Avi and finding happiness with her adorkable to-be husband. Remember the scene where Aditi walks towards her mandap with BFF Naina by her side in that red lehenga?
Veere Di Wedding (2018)
Storming the ground occupied by conventional frat boy flicks, Veere Di Wedding makes for an easy candidate for late night sleepovers with your real-life veeres. After many shenanigans and home truths, the titular wedding plays out with the quartet serenading the lady of the hour, Kalindi, down the aisle under an all-white phoolon ki chaadar that you’ll want to bookmark for your own wedding. Bonus points: Kalindi's boho wedding was attended by the bride in an unconventional yellow lehenga, embellished with cascading pearls. Take notes if you want to stand out at your own big day.
Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
The peppy beats and visual glory of ‘Maahi Ve’ may have gone on to claim the music charts, but it is the chorus of ‘G-U-J-J-U’ that has been lovingly immortalised in sangeet rehearsals. It's impossible not to let your hair down along with the formerly uptight Naina as she lets go and dives into her wedding festivities in that memorable nude lehenga—and not even the knowledge of Aman’s impending hospitalisation can take away from the replay value of the sequence. The true heartbreaker scene, however, was the one where Aman gives Naina away to Rohit, her future husband.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
This Zoya Akhtar-directed road trip movie is best remembered for its take on the YOLO movement, but it is Arjun and Laila’s cheery nuptials in the closing credits that drive the message home. The lakeside affair not only sermonises the virtues of an intimate wedding with your closest ones, but also sees Kabir and Natasha find their peace after a broken engagement, proving that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. Oh, and floral swings make for an excellent photo-op for the wedding album, hence proved.
2 States (2014)
The emotional core of this movie is an ode to India’s nuanced diversity, and the rustic backdrop of the temple where Krish and Ananya eventually tie the knot is symbolic of the mutual respect they share for their cultural heritage. Having overcome their personal differences, the glowing bride sets out on her happily-ever-after in a classic red sari that inspires a jaw drop from her to-be, heretofore considered as the benchmark of every bridal outfit’s success.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)
Regal bridal lehengas, coordinated jhoomars for the bridal team, classic jadau jewellery—Alizeh’s wedding came loaded with Pinterest-approved imagery. But Karan Johar’s brand of storytelling means that the pain of Ayan’s unrequited love was finely threaded through the opulent festivity unfolding around him—set beautifully to the poignant lyrics of ‘Channa Mereya’.
3 Idiots (2009)
It isn’t every day that your long lost friends from college show up to jeopardise your nuptials, but you couldn’t ever blame the merry troika of Farhan, Raju and Rancho of being dull. Leaving a trail of food-splattered sherwanis and scandalised relatives in their wake, Pia takes Raju up on his offer to reunite her with her missing beau, and serves as a gleeful addition to Bollywood’s decades-long reel of runaway brides.
Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (2011)
When Bella Swan walked down the aisle in a minimalist Carolina Herrera gown, she wasn’t alone—a generation of girls who’d grown up with the Twilight franchise were right there alongside, hoping they’d one day find their own Edward Cullen waiting for them at the end of the aisle too. The soft romanticism of the moment was further underscored by the ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ theme that transformed the Cullens’ backyard into a dreamy masterpiece with cascading wisteria and floral arches.
27 Dresses (2018)
With over two dozen weddings promised in the title, this rom-com indeed had something for everyone. But apart from giving us a closet brimming with as many as 27 different bridesmaid dresses, the movie also delivered something else: the ritual of turning around to catch the groom’s face once the bride enters. Indeed, cynical journalist Kevin Doyle drops his guard long enough to admit, “When the bride comes in and she makes her giant grand entrance, I like to glance back at the poor bastard getting married. Because even though I think he’s an idiot for willingly entering into the last legal form of slavery, he always looks really, really happy.” There is, of course, no forgetting the film's final scene, where Jane, the bride, got all her friends to stand by her side in a rainbow of bridesmaid dresses.
Bride Wars (2009)
For a movie that glories in pre-wedding sabotage, there are plenty of binge-worthy moments that you’ll want to keep returning to, from Smurf-inspired hair dyes to bachelorette dance-offs. However, it is the stolen glance that Liz and Emma share, as they stand perched at the ballroom entrance of their respective Plaza weddings, that serves as the pulsing emotional heartbeat of this BFF flick.
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
It has been over two decades since Julianne watched the love of her life dance with his new wife, Kimmy, to the rhythm of ‘The Way You Look Tonight’. Breaking the sacred rule of happy endings, Julianne lives up to her duties as his ‘best woman’ and closest friend by handing over the ‘couple song’ she’d previously shared with Michael to the newlyweds in a beautiful, yet poignant, moment. Time to reach for the tissues.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
When Crazy Rich Asians hit theatres, it didn’t just top trending charts for its all-Asian cast, but also for its high-gloss aesthetic, feel-good playlist and endearing core story, that of a couple who just wants to make things work. Though we didn’t get to see Nick and Rachel’s crazy rich wedding (here’s hoping for a part two), one of the most breathtaking scenes from the movie had to be Colin and Araminta's high profile wedding. Watch as the bride delicately walks barefoot along an aisle filled with water to look like a pond as singer Kina Grannis serenades guests with an acoustic version of Elvis' romantic ballad ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’. You’ll be left teary-eyed at the end of this one, guaranteed.
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