India is projected to host another 3.5 million weddings between November and mid-December this year, up from 3.2 million held during the same period in 2023, at an expense of over `4.25 lakh crore, according to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).
The first half of the year has already witnessed over 4.2 million weddings from January 15-July 15, with an estimated expenditure of `5.5 lakh crore, a survey by CAIT featured in stockbroking firm Prabhudas Lilladher’s report, ‘Band, Baaja, Baarat and Markets’ shows.
This despite FY25 having 49 muhurat days versus 60 in FY24, as per a Motilal Oswal Financial Services report. India hosts around 10 million weddings annually, making its wedding industry the second-largest globally.
Spending is taking new directions in recent times, with a focus on interactive activities and customisation. These could be multisensory food counters, drone shows, audio invitations, DIY lipstick or bangle-making stalls, charter inflight entertainment, and more.
Gifting portal FNP’s wedding vertical is expecting a 30-40% growth in revenue against last year. Vikaas Gutgutia, founder and MD, Ferns N Petals, said, “Our venues are full and we have expanded our offerings with the launch of Shaadi Central―a platform to streamline the wedding planning process, and FNP Fleur, a floral and decor vertical addressing the demand for imported flowers. Interactive tools to visualise wedding setups in 3D are offered and budgets can range from 2 crore to10 crore. This year, we have seen many NRI couples returning to India to host weddings, and over 50% of weddings are for NRI clients with nostalgia and grandeur being central themes.”
Luxury catering company Purple Plate Catering offers innovative pasta stations by analysing a guest’s mood to suggest pasta flavours to suit their emotional state. “Weddings are now a multisensory experience. As the demand for experiential elements is growing, such visual feasts engage guests with on-the-spot activity. The pasta moodboard uses AI technology, a trend blending entertainment and epicurean delight,” said Ishaan Kapoor, founder of Purple Plate Catering.
Customisation has gone a notch higher, like a drone show staged by wedding planners Event Casa, where the couple told their story through drones. “We used around 400 drones, AI tools for planning, and a significant budget to create an aerial display at Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace. The show depicted their journey: a Ukrainian woman and an Indian man met in Dubai, fell in love, and married in a palace,” said Shobhit Jain, founder of Event Casa.
“Experimentation of this level just expands the wedding industry, creating bigger business opportunities,” said Anand Rathi, founder of photography and film company Reels and Frames, who created a save-the-date video played as a charter’s inflight entertainment showing the couple at various locations — a functional water park, F1 car experience at Bahrain International Circuit, go karting at one of the biggest karting tracks in the world and a 4×4 off road experience in a customised track terrain.
“One groom had an uncanny resemblance to Jesus, so there was a ‘Last Supper’ themed baraat with decor in symbolisms from Jesus to Apostles. Artists and bartenders dressed as per the theme; the decor had elements of gothic, renaissance architecture,” said Rathi.
“The wedding industry is a $75-billion business with a growth of 13% every year,” said Jasmin Shah, co-founder, Karibo Cosmetics, which organises do-it-yourself (DIY) counters for weddings. “We have even seen a grandfather making a lipstick for his wife and granddaughter. It’s a new way of giving away wedding favours,” said Shah.
Event planning firm To The Aisle made drink stirrers for a 60-person luxury wedding at Raas Devigarh in Udaipur with the guests’ name at every ceremony, while mehndi had hand-made and hand-carved wooden blocks of a logo made for the couple, which was also imprinted on fabrics for decor. Momente Wedding planners organised a Jaipur wedding based on a ‘Bridgerton theme’ for a couple who adored the series. Guests and artists dressed in the theme’s attire, and the bride and groom performed a dance. Shreem Events planners made digital invites to include personalised videos and QR codes leading to a custom wedding website, creating an engaging prelude to the event.
Hotel Fairmont Jaipur aims to achieve a 25% increase in revenue this year compared with last year for weddings, with guests opting for live counters with freshly brewed beverages, hammam bath and amenities like moulded chocolates depicting iconic symbols of Rajasthan’s heritage, said Rajat Sethi, general manager.
As per Prabhudas Lilladher’s report ‘Band, Baaja, Baarat and Markets’, factors like the recent reduction in gold import duties from 15% to 6% are likely to spark a significant increase in gold purchases across the country, particularly during the upcoming wedding season.