New Delhi: From Instagram-ready photo shoots to destination extravaganzas and quirky jewellery, 2025 emerged as a vibrant year for weddings in India, with couples celebrating their special day with grandeur despite rising gold and silver prices.
While high-profile cancellations, including those of cricketer Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhal, grabbed headlines, the year also witnessed several celebrity weddings, such as Aadar Jain-Alekha Advani, Netra Mantena-Vamsi Gadiraju, and Armaan Malik-Aashna Shroff.
Beyond the celebrity circuit, upper-middle-class and middle-class couples increasingly embraced lavish celebrations. According to wedtech platform WedMeGood, wedding spending rose 8% in 2025, with the average budget reaching around Rs 39.5 lakh. Experts expect spending to rise further in 2026, driven by destination events, curated experiences, and social-media-friendly celebrations.
Destination weddings on the rise
Destination weddings accounted for a growing share of celebrations in 2025. “In fact, one in every four weddings in 2025 was a destination event,” WedMeGood co-founder Mehak Shahani told PTI.
She added, “Among weddings with budgets over Rs 1 crore, more than 60% were destination celebrations. Last year, the average destination wedding cost around Rs 51.1 lakh, but in 2025 it rose to about Rs 58 lakh.”
Popular domestic destinations included Jaipur, Goa, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Shimla, Jim Corbett, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, and Jodhpur, while Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia emerged as top international choices.
According to CoTrav, a B2B travel concierge service, spending increased primarily because weddings became more experience-led and professionally executed, not just due to a rise in the number of ceremonies. Vinod Kumar Sah, CoTrav’s co-founder and CTO, said, “From CoTrav’s experience with around 60 luxury destination weddings this year, a five-star destination wedding today typically carries a budget in the Rs 3 crore-plus range. About 20-25% goes to premium venues, 10-15% to guest and family travel, 10% to artistes and crew, and the remaining 50-60% to decor, food, planning, and the celebrations.”
Shifts in photography and personalisation
Wedding photography also evolved in 2025, with couples increasingly opting for Instagram-driven, fast-turnaround content. “Personalisation is at an all-time high, with custom details and bespoke decor offering more intimate storytelling moments. Candid, documentary-led narratives continue to dominate,” said Harsheen Jammu, co-founder of luxury wedding photography service Ombre.
Despite the demand for personalised shoots, the average spend on photography saw a marginal dip. “The average spend per assignment in 2025 was about 6.8% lower than 2024’s average, but still around 22.1% higher than 2023. We also observed a 30-50% decline in the number of wedding shoots compared to previous years,” Jammu noted.
Wedding jewellery and rising prices
Rising gold and silver prices posed a challenge for the wedding jewellery segment. As of December 22, gold had surged 74.07% since January 1, reaching Rs 1,38,200 per 10 grams, while silver more than doubled to Rs 2,14,000 per kilogram.
“All in all, 40-50 lakh marriages happen in India annually. There has been 30-40% growth in wedding jewellery sales in value terms in 2024-25 compared to the previous year,” said All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council Chairman Rajesh Rokde. He added that gold recycling has also increased: “It was 10-15% before 2023, rose by 15% in 2023-24, and another 20-25% in FY25.” Rokde projected a Rs 2-3 lakh crore wedding jewellery market in FY26.
Hotels and multi-day celebrations
Hotel chains reported robust growth, especially during the peak November-February wedding season. Supreet Roy, General Manager of Sheraton Grand Pune, said, “Industry estimates suggest hotel-led wedding business grew 10-12% in 2025, with a significant surge expected during peak season. Destination weddings accounted for 55-60% of premium enquiries, and families increasingly opted for 2-3-day celebrations.”
He added that personalisation, including thematic entries, custom menus, and regional culinary experiences, rose 15-20%, contributing to higher per-guest spending.
Outlook for 2026
Looking ahead, industry experts expect a profitable year in 2026, with growing digital adoption across planning, payments, and guest management. “We will also see wider use of AI and tech among wedding vendors, helping them deliver better service, faster communication, and smoother operations,” Shahani said.
Sheraton Grand’s Roy forecast 8-10% growth next year, driven by destination weddings in tier-II and tier-III cities.
