Netflix continues its foray into the wedding world and has just launched a new show delving into India’s extravagant multi-billion dollar wedding industry.

The Big Day follows six engaged couples as they plan their perfect day, showing readers what it takes to pull off a truly lavish Indian wedding with no expenses spared. Of course, readers will also learn more about Indian culture and tradition, and fall in love with the couples.

“A dash of crazy and an overdose of love, that’s what all shaadis are meant to be, right? The Big Day takes a deep dive into the multibillion-dollar Indian wedding industry, through six extravagant Indian weddings, across the globe. It takes us on an insider’s journey, giving us a glimpse into what goes behind crafting every happily ever after. Catch the madness unfold in The Big Day, on 14th February, only on Netflix,” the streaming service writes.

The first three episodes of Collection 1 premiered on Valentine’s Day, February 14, and another collection is expected soon.

Watch the trailer here:

The show comes off the success of shows like Love is Blind, Indian Matchmaking and Say ‘I Do’, all of which premiered in 2020 and were internationally lauded.

Picture: Screenshot from video

China has launched a matchmaking campaign to encourage its younger residents to marry and procreate. This comes after both marriage and birth rates have continued to dip as a result of the old one-child policy.

The Chinese government has grown increasingly concerned by data revealing lower marriage rates over the years. Data by China’s National Bureau of Statistics shows that between 2013 to 2019, the number of first-time marriages in China dropped by 41%, from 23.8-million to 13.9-million. The country’s marriage rate plummeted to 6.6 per 1,000 people in 2019, the lowest drop China has experienced in 14 years.

This decline is down to a number of reasons, although many sociologists focus on the decades of policies aimed at controlling the population, like the one-child policy, which meant that there are fewer young people in China that can actually get married.

Despite this policy being dropped in 2016, birth rates are still lower than usual. A preference for sons has also resulted in a skewed sex ratio at birth, especially in rural areas. More men than women mean that heterosexual men will struggle to find suitable brides.

This marriage decline may severely distress economic and social stability in the country, as marriage and reproduction are so closely related.

As a result, the country’s Communist Youth League will be hosting mass blind dating events to bring singletons together in the hopes they may find their life partners.

Picture: Pexels

The Chinese government is growing increasingly worried as statistics reveal that fewer Chinese millennials are opting to tie the knot.

Data by China’s National Bureau of Statistics shows that between 2013 to 2019, the number of first-time marriages in China dropped by 41%, from 23.8-million to 13.9-million. The country’s marriage rate plummeted to 6.6 per 1,000 people in 2019, the lowest drop China has experienced in 14 years.

This decline is down to a number of reasons, although many sociologists focus on the decades of policies aimed at controlling the population, like the one-child policy, which meant that there are fewer young people in China that can actually get married.

Despite this policy being dropped in 2016, birth rates are still lower than usual. A preference for sons has also resulted in a skewed sex ratio at birth, especially in rural areas. More men than women mean that heterosexual men will struggle to find suitable brides.

Millennial women are also more educated and economically dependent than their elders, making marriage as a means of survival less necessary.

The Chinese government introduced a nine-year compulsory education program in the 1990s and expanded higher education to boost university enrollments in the late 90s. This has resulted in women outnumbering men in higher education programs.

As a result, many Chinese millennials view marriage as a personal choice rather than an obligation.

“With increased education, women gained economic independence, so marriage is no longer a necessity for women as it was in the past,”  Wei-Jun Jean Yeung, a sociologist at the National University of Singapore told CNN. “Women now want to pursue self-development and a career for themselves before they get married.”

The increased social and economic status of women has also made it harder for them to find partners of equal or higher stature, in accordance with Chinese tradition of ‘marrying up’.

While there have been many advances in education, cultural and gender norms still largely remain in China, which affects a woman’s role in marriage.

“The whole package of marriage is too hard. It’s not just marrying someone, it’s to marry the in-laws, take care of children — there are a lot of responsibilities that come with marriage,” Yeung said.

Women are also more hesitant to marry and start families as they are concerned with juggling a career and family life with all its demands.

This marriage decline may severely distress economic and social stability in the country, as marriage and reproduction are so closely related. As a result, the Chinese government is trying to mitigate a potential population crisis by introducing policies like the two-child policy, extended maternity leave and cash subsidies for those with two kids, and propaganda campaigns aimed at encouraging couples to have more children, reports CNN.

Picture: Pexels

Robben Island’s annual mass Valentine’s Day wedding will not go ahead as planned in 2021 and has officially been cancelled. This comes after the Department of Home Affairs temporarily suspended the issuing of marriage certificates under Level 3 lockdown in South Africa.

“Following the recent announcement by the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, on the temporary suspension of applications for IDs, passports and marriage services due to the increasing numbers of Department of Home Affairs (DHA) staff testing positive for COVID-19, the annual historic Robben Island Valentine’s Day weddings are unfortunately cancelled for 2021,” reads a statement from the Museum.

“This year would have marked 21 years of celebrating love on the island. Last year, 19 couples tied the knot with a historic milestone of Mr Frankford Williams and Cindi Mullins, who are visually impaired, officially being the first couple in South African to receive their marriage certificate in braille.”

To date, 327 couples have tied the knot on Robben Island. The first marriage ceremony was held on December 31, 2000 as part of the Millennium Celebrations, and was moved to Valentine’s Day in 2001.

Both the museum and the DHA will continue to engage on the possibility of hosting the weddings at a later stage, should conditions allow with the easing of COVID-19 regulations.

Picture: Facebook / Robben Island Museum

As we bid 2020 goodbye and ring in 2021, with no end in sight yet to the Covid-19 pandemic that has forever changed our world, it’s worth taking a look at how Wrapistry has evolved to help couples – and their loved ones – celebrate their most important moments.

Wrapistry is a local online registry and gift store aimed at making happy couples (and their guests) even happier by creating the ultimate registry experience. They’ve already proven themselves market leaders in the wedding gift registry space and now they’ve evolved, just like the couples they help celebrate do, by creating baby registries to welcome new bundles of joy to the world.

“Weddings are just one part of a couple’s journey together. We want to be a part of every chapter. So, it makes sense for reimagining the baby registry to be our next adventure,” comments CEO, Jed Shein.

Brick-and-mortar shopping has quite rightly developed into the click-and-mortar variety: you order online and have it delivered to your home. Wrapistry uses design and technology combined with exceptional customer service to help couples – and their loved ones – browse through a curated selection of everything that new parents and the new arrival may need. Couples can choose from an amazing range of products. From stylish cots and sleek strollers to everyday essentials (think cutlery sets and vests), Wrapistry has created the ultimate baby registry. Plus, new, beautiful items are added to the online store each week.

Let’s face it, traditional gift registries don’t leave much room for creativity. With Wrapistry, though, couples can ask for what they actually want. They can register for gifts and cash funds – all in one place – so their loved ones have options. And when they really desire a big-ticket item (a baby stroller or bassinet, for example), simply turn on group gifting and give guests the opportunity to contribute what they can. No stress, no hassle and no fuss of keeping tallies of who gave what – Wrapistry does that all for you.

“Creating a gift registry should be one of the most fun experiences,” says co-founders Pat Berman and Linda Shein.

Family and friends may not always be able to celebrate a baby’s arrival in person during a pandemic, and that makes giving them the option of gifting something special that they know the couple chose themselves so much more special. For the couple, the Wrapistry team is on hand to help. The team has learnt much over the years: from the most popular gifts to the average amount people spend. Answer a few questions and they’ll recommend how many gifts to add to the registry, based on price point and category. This way not only will the new parents get a variety of items, but also accommodate different budgets.

Each Wrapistry registry includes:

– The option to play around with photos, background images and customise the welcome message.

– Notifications every time guests shop the registry.

– Free delivery. Plus, the option to choose when to have gifts delivered.

– Free exchanges before closing the registry.

– A 10% registry completion discount.

– Support for the couple and their guests.

Visit wrapistry.shop today to create the perfect registry for the new chapter you’re about to enter as parents.

Picture/s: supplied