I enjoyed the movie but was little disappointed to see another Hindi film which copies western culture with no shame. Guy proposing to his GF in a restaurant in one knee and then the mother singing a romantic song and his best friend saying toast. There has been so many movies like this. Kal Ho Na Ho, K.A.N.K etc etc. We have a culture going back centuries and still we copies the westerners in every aspect of our life.
shareProposing on one knee is tradition - when the wedding is not arranged (which is not only in India, even in France, no need to go that way back to see families arrange the marriage of their children, before the 3rd Republique, it was common in the little bourgeoisie, and beyond).
Regarding the rest, well I can't tell for indian weddings (for the religious ceremony), but if you choose not to marry "before god", well there's no rule really, you can do whatever you want. For example, in France (and I think that is the case in most western countries), you can just go to city hall and organize a big lunch or dinner afterwards, or you choose to exchange vows before a "master of ceremony" without the religious and the state's involvement. In the end, it's your day, you can do whatever you want: no one is going to throw stones at you if your best man and maid of honor do not make a toast.
But parents' embarrassing moments (like in the movie when the mom sings), well, that's you and your luck :D
But that's just an example, there's many combinations possible: traditions are mixed with modernism these days. And that's not a bad thing. If India is experiencing the same changes, it's not a bad thing. That doesn't mean that the culture is disappearing, it's evolving, like society. You wan't wish for evolution and censor it at the same time. I guess indian youth is torn between the mass culture and traditions. But wedding symbols are not part of this big mass culture that the media (through tv shows, and movies and music) try to shove into everybody's throat.
Western culture is not always "bad": proposing on one knee is a sign of devotion and submission (for a short moment at least :D), it's a real symbol that people tend to forget a little, but it is a nice and "romantic" way to pop the question. Not that it's a rule, but many people like to play by the book. Because it's been that way for centuries. And even if you feel that for India it's "western pollution" (i'm exaggerating, but it's just to illustrate), for us, it is a real tradition, just like walking seven times around a sacred fire. In the middle age, the knight used to bend on one knee before the king for the dubbing ("adoubement"), it was already a rite of passage, and in the same sense of submission and devotion. Just like marriage.
Peace out :)
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If I want a baby inside of me, I'll eat it!