Company Lets Tourists Attend Indian Weddings

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Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. open the door / ˈoʊpən ðə doɚ / (idiom) – to make a new experience possible
    Example:

    The workshop opened the door for environmentalists to share their knowledge with the community.


  2. nuptials / ˈnʌpʃəlz / (n) – a wedding ceremony
    Example:

    The attendance of many guests in the nuptials made the bride and the groom happy.


  3. typically / ˈtɪpɪkli / (adv) – normally
    Example:

    Weddings in my country typically start with the singing of a traditional song for the couple.


  4. worthwhile / ˈwɚθˌwajəl / (adj) – relating to something that is worth spending time, money, and resources on
    Example:

    I found our European tour worthwhile because we were able to visit wonderful places.


  5. immerse / ɪˈmɚs / (v) – to become involved in an activity
    Example:

    My sister immerses herself in creative writing.


Article

Read the text below.

Foreign tourists can now attend an Indian wedding through the services of an Australian-based startup.


Launched in 2016, JoinMyWedding opens the door for travelers to witness and experience traditional Indian weddings. Indian couples who are about to get married enlist the details of their wedding on the startup’s website. Meanwhile, tourists may choose the wedding that they wish to attend from the enlisted nuptials and purchase tickets to the event.


As Indian weddings typically last for several days, the ticket price depends on the number of days the guest would attend the ceremony. A guest will need to pay $150 to attend a wedding for a day and $250 for two days. Newly married couples will get most of the profit, while JoinMyWedding will receive a small portion.


According to JoinMyWedding CEO Marti Matecsa, she was inspired to give foreigners an opportunity to experience an Indian wedding after she experienced the event herself. Matecsa found the experience worthwhile as she immersed herself in genuine Indian culture through the ceremony’s meaningful traditions, beautiful attires and decorations, unique cuisine, and the people’s hospitality.


At present, tourists have attended more than 100 Indian weddings through the startup. Among these tourists are two travel bloggers from Australia who purchased two-day tickets for the wedding of Surabhi Chauhan, a fund manager based in Delhi. The bloggers enjoyed the event and found the experience unique and well-executed.


Meanwhile, Chauhan expressed her delight for having foreigners in her wedding because she wanted to meet new people. She was also pleased that the bloggers took the initiative to keep in touch with her even after the wedding.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• If given the chance, would you attend an Indian wedding? Why or why not?
• If you were the owner of JoinMyWedding, what country’s wedding would you feature? Why?

Discussion B

• If you were given a chance to know about a country’s culture, what country would you explore? Explain.
• What part of this country’s culture would you like to know about (e.g. food, traditions)? Discuss.