Curated By: Purvi Khemani
News18.com
Last Updated: March 26, 2024, 13:48 IST
Delhi, India
Anjali-Sufi Split Sparks Indian Interest in American Wedding Gift 'Registry' Trend (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Anjali Chakra and Sufi Malik, a US-based couple originally from India and Pakistan, have recently made headlines by calling off their marriage due to infidelity. Their announcement, made through Instagram, has ignited a storm of discussions and speculations on social media, with everyone dissecting the details and playing the blame game.
Adding to the intrigue is their wedding gift website registry, which was set up for their honeymoon, dare night, down payment, and IVF. With the couple’s relationship officially ended, many are curious about the fate of the funds collected through their registry. Some see it as a source of amusement, while others criticise the couple for what they perceive as a misuse of their followers’ generosity.
Also Read: Anjali-Sufi Breakup: Who is This Indo-Pak Couple That Went Viral For Their Same-Sex Relationship?
“I’m not as invested in anjali-sufi relationship/breakup as much as I want to know what happens to all the money collected on their wedding gift registry website,” joked one observer.
I AM CRYING THEY WERE COLLECTING FUND FOR THEIR WEDDING AND WHAT IF IT WAS ALL TO GET MONEY LMAO pic.twitter.com/N8vl7zqdWh— ️ (@xishiis) March 25, 2024
Others chimed in, decrying what they saw as a cynical ploy for financial gain: “Bro they are literally begging for money so that they can use it for their marriage….I’m done with this influencer culture.”
bruhhhhno way https://t.co/8Jh4CXL0oV pic.twitter.com/NbcxIYbZtR— cat in a gay bar(she/her) (@whatwhyidk) March 25, 2024
As the controversy escalated, the couple reportedly removed their wedding gift registry website from public view. However, supporters were quick to point out that such registries are common in the US and are intended for guests and relatives to contribute to specific items or experiences for the couple.
“It’s a registry. they never posted that on their socials. It wasn’t for their followers, only their friends and families attending the wedding. And that is pretty common in the west, bhai stop being haters,” clarified one defender. Another chimed in, “It’s a culture in the west that u have a wedding registry putting up all the things u want, and your guests can just buy that/fund for that instead of figuring out what to gift, so instead of items, they put up goals?? Idk?? I do feel they will refund the money.”
Registries are very common in the US. Baby showers/ weddings etc often have registries. But people look for stuff like a $30 knife or $25 diaper bag. They aren’t looking to fund the entire wedding /honeymoon with the corpus. This just seems extreme in some respect.— Banrakas (@noyes99) March 26, 2024
Exactly, I’m not sure why Indians who live in India are getting so worked up about a wedding registry which is super common in the U.S. among all ethnicities including the Indian diaspora. I’ve been to 3+ weddings where there was an option to contribute to honeymoon/DP fund.— jane in her New Order T-Shirt (@___jane0504) March 25, 2024
The third one explained, “The Anjali Sufi fiasco is at least educating people on what a marriage gift registry is. They’re not asking for donations, it’s a list of items they’re prefer as gifts if you decide to gift them for the wedding and it is quite common and hassle free process.”
The Anjali Sufi fiasco is atleast educating people on what a marriage gift registry is.They’re not asking for donations, it’s a list of items they’re prefer as gifts if you decide to gift them for the wedding and it is quite common and hassle free process.
— Naimish Sanghvi (@ThatNaimish) March 25, 2024
Indeed, amidst the drama, the Anjali-Sufi debacle has inadvertently become a crash course in the nuances of wedding gift registries.
So what exactly is this ‘Wedding Gift Registry’ phenomenon?
Simply put, it’s an online platform where couples curate a wish list of desired gifts for their big day. Guests can then contribute towards these items, ensuring the newlyweds receive exactly what they want.
And how does it work?
Couples like Anjali and Sufi sign up on platforms like Zola, select their desired gifts or experiences, and share the registry link with guests. Contributions are made online, making the process seamless for all involved.
While this practice originated in the West and found its way to India a few years back, it’s only now gaining traction. And with figures like Priyanka Chopra coming forward (during their wedding) to bring the American gifting concept to India — teaming with Amazon to feature her ‘wish list’ items like luggage bags, dog apparel, and bedsheets—it’s clear that there’s more to this trend than meets the eye.
A post shared by Priyanka (@priyankachopra)
So let’s not be too quick to judge, shall we?