India's Annual Wedding Industry Report 2024-2025

How Indian couples met in 2024? 

The digital age is playing a significant role, with online connections accounting for 30% of Indian couples. Within this online sphere, social media platforms like, Instagram and Facebook, are the most popular, followed by dating apps (Bumble, Hinge) and matrimonial sites (Jeevansathi.com, Shaadi.com).

However, offline connections still dominate, accounting for 60% of couples. Workplace connections are the most common way couples meet offline, followed by family introductions and social gatherings.

Interestingly, 10% of couples met through a hybrid approach, suggesting a blend of online and offline interactions. 

While online platforms are increasingly important for Indian couples to connect, traditional methods like workplace connections and family introductions remain highly relevant in 2024. It also highlights the emerging trend of hybrid connections, where couples utilize both online and offline avenues to find love.

How Indian couples finance their weddings?

Personal and family savings are the primary source of funding, accounting for a significant 82% of wedding expenses. This highlights the cultural importance of family support and financial planning in Indian weddings.

While loans from banks are more common, friends contribute a smaller portion (2.76%) of the overall loan amount compared to banks (9.22%). This suggests that while couples may turn to friends for smaller loans, they rely on banks for more substantial financial assistance.

The infographic also sheds light on the key expenditure categories. Jewellery emerges as the most significant expense, accounting for 37.1% of the budget. This is followed by venue costs at 22.9%, with catering and décor each accounting for 20%. These figures highlight the priorities and cultural traditions associated with Indian weddings, where significant investment is made in adornment, venue, and hospitality.

What influences Indian weddings?

Family and cultural traditions remain the strongest influence (31.42%)on Indian weddings, highlighting the importance of heritage and customs in these celebrations.

Interestingly, social media platforms (16.48%) are the second biggest influence, demonstrating the growing role of digital channels in inspiring and shaping wedding trends. This is followed closely by the influence of friends' weddings (13.03%), suggesting that personal experiences and recommendations play a significant role in decision-making.

Wedding websites and apps (12.26%) also hold considerable sway, indicating that couples are increasingly relying on online resources for planning and inspiration. Wedding blogs (11.49%) continue to be a source of information and ideas, though their influence appears to be slightly less than websites and apps.

Celebrity weddings (9.96%) capture attention and inspire trends, while social media influencers (5.36%) play a lesser but still notable role in shaping wedding choices.

Rising trend of hiring wedding planners

As the wedding industry in India continues to evolve, demand for skilled wedding planners is risin.

In 2022, only 12% of couples used a wedding planner. This increased to 14.6% in 2023 and jumped to 16.7% in 2024.

This upward trend suggests that more and more couples in India are recognizing the value and benefits of professional wedding planning services.

It could be attributed to several factors, such as the increasing complexity of weddings, the desire for a stress-free planning experience, the growing popularity of destination weddings and themed celebrations.

The rising popularity of destination weddings

In 2022, 18% of couples in India opted for a destination wedding. This number steadily increased to 21% in 2023 and reached 26% in 2024. This upward trend suggests that more and more Indian couples are choosing to celebrate their special day in unique and memorable locations, away from their hometowns.

The survey provides further insight, highlighting popular destination wedding hotspots within India. Rajasthan emerges as a clear favorite, with cities like Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, and Pushkar attracting a significant number of couples. Uttarakhand also appears to be gaining popularity, with Rishikesh marked as a destination wedding location.

This trend towards destination weddings is attributed to several factors, including the desire for a unique and personalized experience, the allure of scenic locations, and the increasing accessibility of travel and wedding planning services. As the wedding industry in India continues to evolve, destination weddings will continue to grow in popularity, with couples seeking to create unforgettable memories in breathtaking settings.

Honeymoon trends of Indian couples in 2024

Interestingly, a slight majority (59.8%) of couples prefer to honeymoon within India, while 40.2% opt for international destinations. This suggests a growing appreciation for the diverse and beautiful locales within India itself, while still acknowledging the allure of exploring new cultures and landscapes abroad.

The survey also reveals the honeymoon budget breakdown. The most common budget range is 1-2 Lakh (31%), followed closely by 2-5 Lakh (28%). A smaller percentage (23%) allocate less than 1 Lakh for their honeymoon, while 18% splurge on a honeymoon exceeding 5 Lakh. This indicates a wide range of honeymoon budgets, with most couples falling within the mid-range categories.

The rise of Eco-friendly Weddings & Lab-grown diamonds

The survey highlights the growing trend of eco-consciousness in Indian weddings and the rising acceptance of lab-grown diamonds.

On the eco-friendly front, a significant 52% of couples are making conscious choices to reduce their wedding's environmental impact. The most popular eco-friendly practices include using e-invites (49.2%), donating excess food (40.9%), opting for cars over horses (38.6%), using artificial flowers (38%), limiting plastic use (31.8%), choosing eco-friendly favors (21%), and renting items instead of buying them (12.8%). This indicates a shift towards more sustainable and responsible wedding celebrations.

In the realm of diamonds, lab-grown diamonds are gaining popularity, with 45.5% of couples choosing them over natural diamonds (54.5%). This suggests a growing awareness of the ethical and environmental concerns associated with mined diamonds, as well as, the affordability and comparable quality of lab-grown alternatives.