HYDERABAD: The season of big fat Indian weddings has hit an unexpected speed bump — and this time, it's not decor costs or venue scarcity but Donald Trump's visa rulebook. As stricter scrutiny looms over H1B and F1 visa holders, many Telugu NRIs are quietly shelving plans for grand celebrations back home and opting for intimate, bare-bones ceremonies in the US. The sangeet may be missing, the baraat may be smaller, but the anxiety over a visa stamp is bigger than ever. Gone are the elaborate Hyderabad gatherings with hundreds of guests, multi-day rituals and frenzied family dance rehearsals. This shaadi season's guest lists are trimmed down to just parents — provided they already have valid visitor visas — and a handful of local friends.

"Hyderabad was always the plan. But my employe

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