Matchmaking and arranged marriages, in general, have witnessed a sea change ever since the dawn of matrimonial sites back in the early 2000s.
Asian, and more specifically, Indian families began to make complete use of the opportunity that matchmaking websites provided. Whether it is to do with the fact that you can match with someone who is halfway across the globe because your religious beliefs and plans for the future are aligned or because you hold similar values, matchmaking websites are here to stay.
As such, Tamil weddings have undergone a transformation as well. Tamil marriages, especially the arranged ones, largely depended on how well you knew your potential spouse’s family, whether you have mutual acquaintances, and finally, through the assistance of intermediaries who you knew well.
In the age of dating apps, matchmaking websites, and more recently, the pandemic and the subsequent social distancing measures, the entire process and approach to the marriage scene are different.
This change doesn’t necessarily mean that the outcome is at variance. In fact, several pieces of research and studies show how consequential matrimonial websites have been in bringing couples together.
How Couples Get Matched Nowadays
With the sort of arrangements afforded by matrimonial websites, families and, more specifically, potential spouses are able to list everything they desire in a match and subsequently be rewarded for their efforts in days, weeks, or in rare cases, within a few months.
This setting is quite opposed to the traditional means of looking for your better half. Often, families had to depend on brokers, trusted friends and family, neighbors, and mere acquaintances. In desperate cases, families hoped that word would travel (by informing anyone and everyone they know that they’re in search of a spouse), and a miracle happens.
The Life-changing Meeting
Where men and women from a Tamil background would earlier rely on their families to make matches, put the word out, straighten out the finer details, matrimonial websites have changed the dynamic to a vast extent.
Although matches are still made in a manner where a potential couple meets each other for the first time at either of their parental homes (complete with the parents, cousins, uncles, aunts, and whoever is able to make it), when things progress online, it’s primarily the bride-to-be and the groom who take charge.
This is not to say that families don’t have a say in the matter. In fact, families these days are completely open to the idea of making matches online since these websites are able to smoothly navigate between the various priorities of the respective families.
Once a couple is safe in the knowledge that they have a fair understanding of each other’s likes, dislikes, preferences, habits, they make the decision to introduce one another to their respective families.
Online matchmaking on Tamil Matrimony sites has made the process of meeting and communicating with a suitable match much easier and safer. One can also take this opportunity to look through various selections of profiles, and find someone with similar interests, hobbies, values, etc.
The Wedding Ceremony
Although the traditional wedding attire (Kanjeevaram sarees for the bride and a Veshti and Angavastram for the groom) has stood the test of time, many weddings have shifted from temples to wedding halls, resorts, and other destination wedding venues.
But this hasn’t stopped families from performing the various pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding Tamil rituals because these customs, traditions, and values are literally the stuff of legends. It has been carried over from one generation to another and to this day remains relevant and very much present.
With the current economic crisis, the lockdown situation in various parts of the world and the many social distancing measures that have been put in place, organizing a Tamil wedding might seem like a distant dream.
But with the aid of social media, many couples who are looking to get married within the year are gaining inspiration from the many quirky ideas put forth by blissfully married duos who have wanted to get hitched this year.
From hosting a simple beach wedding or in a hill station to ordering takeaway as the wedding meal, couples out there are showing the world that even a pandemic will not come in the way of their union.
Wrapping Up
In essence, Tamil weddings are the same. The traditions of old are still present but it is the process itself that has changed. Although the way in which families meet and get acquainted has changed drastically, at the end of the day, they all come together to celebrate a culture that has been around for hundreds of generations.
If you’re someone who’s thinking about taking the big step, you should consider the online matrimonial scene a good place to start.
Not only would you be able to match with someone based on your unique preferences, but you will also find out what works for you and what doesn’t.
In the age of dating apps, matchmaking websites, and more recently, the pandemic and the subsequent social distancing measures, the entire process and approach to the marriage scene, including Wedding toasts, are different
