The Rise of Extravagant Pre-Wedding Events

Three bands will be flown in from New York for the night. The pre-wedding party will also have plenty of Dom Pérignon champagne, a raw bar with an abundance of caviar and gift bags that run around $500 apiece. Ms. Shipley, who lives in Savannah, Ga., with her fiancé, said she plans to don a custom-made, ankle-length white silk dress with a low back that costs as much as her wedding outfit.

“I wanted to throw the greatest party that anyone has ever been to, and to me, the celebrations leading up to the wedding are underrated,” she said. “By the time the wedding day comes around, people are exhausted. We want to capture some immaculate moments of fun when everyone is still fresh, and a pre-wedding party is how we want to do it.”

Supreeta Anand, the founder of Sweet Love Designs, a San Diego-based event planner specializing in Indian and multicultural weddings, is also well-versed in lavish prenuptial fetes. “Indians traditionally throw pre-wedding parties that are significant, especially a sangeet or dance party that’s usually the day before the wedding,” she said. “These events are getting more colorful, grander and expensive.”

Ms. Anand planned the May 2024 sangeet for Mansi Desai, 29, a civil engineer, and Rahul Shah, 29, a pharmacist, who married that same month and live in Long Beach, Calif. The party was held at Ovation Square, an early-20th-century building in downtown Long Beach that was the former headquarters for Bank of Italy and Bank of America and now hosts events.

Ms. Anand and her team decked out the bi-level space with pastel tassels hanging from the ceiling, pastel drapery, LED wall projecting images of Ms. Desai and Mr. Shah, and two backlit bars. There was a live band that had the 300 guests dancing to Bollywood hits and a chaiwallah, or tea maker, doling out freshly made chai with cardamom and cloves. The menu featured multiple food stations serving vegetarian plates like kati rolls, paneer bruschetta and masala fries.