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Why are Gorillas taking over Delhi weddings?
The viral gorilla trend is lighting up Delhi-NCR weddings, turning the event into an electrifying dance floor full of fun, madness, and endless entertainment
Across Delhi-NCR, weddings this summer are witnessing a bizarre new trend as artistes dressed as gorillas are seen roaming across venues, dancing in baraats, posing with the couple, and even joining the groom and bride squads. Social media is flooded with videos capturing these high-energy, crowd-pleasing moments, and it seems like nobody wants to miss out on this wildly entertaining fad.
Affirming to this, event planners in the city share an uptick in queries for such artistes. Deepak Khatri, a wedding organiser based in East Delhi, says: “’Humaari shaadi pe decor, khaana toh theek hai, par yeh batao ki gorilla hoga ki nahin’. This is what the clients are asking me these days (laughs)!” The idea first picked up online and then exploded at weddings in Delhi-NCR. Here’s more insight into what’s fuelling this wacky vibe:
Why gorilla gained popularity?
The idea first picked up online and then exploded at weddings in Delhi-NCR. Among those who jumped on the bandwagon of this craze quite early on was Bhadana Events. Hitesh Bhadana, from this event organiser company, shares, “It was around December when the trend started at some South Indian weddings, and the Reels began going viral. Seeing its potential, we thought of trying it in a wedding in Delhi and started pitching the idea to clients who were then planning summer weddings. Suddenly, it became a massive hit! Honestly, even I was surprised.”
Hitesh adds, “Now, if we have five weddings booked in a week then at least three clients ask for gorillas at atleast one of the wedding functions. And not just one, sometimes two or even three gorillas are demanded at the venue. It usually costs around ₹5,000-6,000 per gorilla, but the demand is now so high that people are willing to pay extra when availability is low. We’ve even doubled our team now and properly train the performers who wear gorilla costumes to perform well.”
Craze, crazy, crazier: The client reactions
For couples tying the knot this wedding season, having a gorilla at the wedding celebrations seems to have become the latest must-have. “Seeing the Reels and even word of mouth popularity, it feels like if we don’t book a gorilla for our wedding then the guests will think we are totally behind the trend,” shares Ritu Batra, a Delhi-based IT professional who is planning to get married soon. She adds, “I’ve already told my partner that we are getting two gorillas, no matter who thinks what. We also want these artistes featured properly in our wedding album as keepsake.”
At his wedding recently, a Delhi-based entrepreneur Tushar Jaitly was shocked to spot two performers dressed as gorillas and recalls how the act completely stole the show. “I had no idea there would be gorillas in my baraat! My friends had planned it as a surprise. The moment they entered, the guests went crazy! Everyone was laughing, recording videos and dancing with them. Especially the relatives who had come from abroad were so enamoured! The gorillas were literally dancing with us throughout the baraat, and made the whole experience so much fun that I will now remember my wedding for reasons than just emotional.”
Dressed to play the act
Krish, one of the performers behind the now-viral act, says the experience is as entertaining for them as it is for the guests. “I usually wear a 9-10 foot suit which makes the gorilla look larger than life. There’s a fan installed inside the costume so it stays cool and is manageable to wear for longer duration. But the real trick is in the performance,” he explains, adding, “You have to genuinely enjoy it yourself! You can’t act like a performer standing in one corner. You have to become part of the wedding, dance with the guests, interact with people and behave like you are an actual gorilla who has landed up at the baraat.”
