On April 11, the Union Building was transformed into a vibrant venue, and two students exchanged vows in the name of fun and cultural immersion. 

The South Asian Student Society (SASS) hosted its annual Mock Shaadi, which translates to “Mock Wedding” in Urdu and Hindi. Tapan Mandal ‘26, vice president of SASS, said Mock Shaadi started as a campus tradition “to bring visibility and awareness about cultural diversity and to showcase a South Asian wedding through its traditions, food, music and dance.” 

This year’s mock bride and groom were first-year students Emma Spruill ‘29 and Yera Aibakhytov ‘29. Initially, the couple volunteered because of their interest in the cultural experience. 

“It’s not everyday that you get the chance to get married, and it was nice to be a bride without worrying about the financial stress,” Spruill said. “Asking Yera to consider being the groom was a little nerve-wracking at first because I wasn’t too sure what I signed up for, but I thought it would be a lovely experience to share.” 

For Aibakhytov, being the mock groom was a way for him to increase his campus involvement. He said, “when Emma told me about Mock Shaadi, I thought it would be (a) culturally rich and beautiful experience.” 

The celebratory night began with the “Baraat,” or the groom’s grand procession to the venue, where Aibakhytov and a group of groomsmen made their way from the Green Center for Performing Arts to the Union Building. 

Then commenced the Varmala ceremony — one of the rituals marking the bride and groom’s first encounter of the wedding ceremony — marked by an exchange of floral garlands representing the couple’s acceptance of each other. 

Following the Varmala is the “Joota Chupai,” also known as the “Joota Chori,” which is a traditional South Asian wedding game, where the bridesmaids attempt to steal the groom’s shoes, while the groomsmen work to protect the shoes. 

Upon successfully stealing Aibakhytov’s shoe, the bridesmaids demanded a ransom, in this case, using fake money, in return for his shoe. The bridesmaids, unsatisfied with Aibakhytov’s offer, requested him to show his best dance move, in which he delivered a quick spin. 

Then, negotiation was succeeded by an array of live music and dance performances, opening with Shubham Baral ‘28. The following acts were the X-Cell Dance Team, The Hydrangeas, Spades, PB&J, Noah Hood ‘28 and Murtaza Ali Butt ‘29. Naach, DePauw’s South Asian dance group, closed the performances, featuring Spruill and Aibakhytov.

Serving as the event coordinator of Mock Shaadi and choreographer for Naach, Madhurima Roy Chowdhury ‘26 enjoyed seeing the amalgamation of students’ work bring the event to life.

“What I loved the most about (Mock Shaadi), is how each and every performer incorporated their cultures and art into this festival,” she said. 

In addition to watching the performances, wedding guests also had the opportunity to engage with South Asian culture through trying henna on their hands and tasting an assortment of traditional dishes. While the wedding and the vows exchanged were only for pretend, the rich and immersive experience was everlasting.