The big fat Indian wedding is set to become bigger and fatter this year

• During the coming wedding season, 35 lakh weddings will take place across the country.
• Normally, in a wedding, 20% of the expenditure goes to the groom-bride's side while 80% of the expenditure goes to other third party agencies.
• Destination weddings are picking up, but even now it is meant for only a certain class and the masses cannot afford it.

The big fat Indian wedding – a celebration so lavish, it's the stuff of TV series and legends. This extravaganza isn't just about tying the knot; it's a whirlwind of opulence, from palatial venues to sumptuous feasts.

In a land where traditions meet modernity, and where elephants and drones both make appearances, welcome to a world of big fat Indian weddings.

Along with brides, grooms and their families, traders across the country too are gearing up and preparing themselves adequately for one big bonanza for the upcoming wedding season. The first spell will begin from November 23, the day of Dev Uthan Ekadashi, till December 15th. The next phase of the wedding season will start from mid- January and will continue till July.

During this period around 35 lakh weddings will be take place across the country with a flow of about ₹4.25 lakh crore by way of wedding purchasing and obtaining various services in the wedding business, as per a survey conducted by the CAIT Research and Trade Development Society, the research arm of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), among traders and service providers of 20 different cities.

“According to estimates, there are 35 lakh weddings going to happen this year with an average spend of 12 lakh per wedding. Last year during the Nov-Dec timeline 32 lakh weddings happened. So, in my opinion the wedding season is going to be even bigger,” says Aman Kumar, co-founder and CTO, VivaHIT, a wedtech company.

Economic slowdown: Wait, what is that?

There is a sense of overall economic uncertainty. Also, there is a slowdown in jobs. However, these factors are not likely to act as a dampener as far as wedding spending is concerned.

“These short term factors don't really affect wedding spends in general. Just 1-2 years of bad market doesn't impact this number that much,” says Kumar.

Also, with a shorter wedding season in November- December, the prices may have gone up, or there could be a large demand supply mismatch. However, Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general, CAIT says that we must understand that after Covid, this is the first year when there is no threat of any Covid or any other epidemic.

So, there is a good spirit among the people of the country to solemnise weddings at a faster pace.

Prices will not be affected because most of the dates are decided months before. The weddings for the first spell of the wedding season have already been finalised, maybe in the month of July or maybe in the month of June or in the previous months.

Once the dates are finalised, the first thing of any wedding is to book the venue. “As far as the prizes are concerned, I don't think that there will be any splash in the prices,” says Khandelwal,.

Have money will spend

Like anything else wedding budgets vary. According to CAIT, during this marriage season, about 6 lakh weddings will have an estimated expenditure of ₹3 lakh per wedding, while in about 10 lakh weddings the cost per wedding will be around ₹6 lakh per wedding, 12 lakh weddings will cost about ₹10 lakhs per wedding.

Further, 6 lakhs weddings will cost ₹25 lakhs per wedding, 50 thousand weddings will have ₹50 lakhs expenditure per wedding and 50 thousand weddings will be such in which ₹1 crore or more money will be spent.

Wedding expenses generally follow a 80:20 rule. Says Khandelwal, “It is a known fact that about 20 percent of the expenditure of each marriage goes to the broom-bride's side while 80 percent of the expenditure goes to other third agencies working in solemnising the marriage.” Put together, the market is huge.

Band Baaja Baraat: A complete ecosystem

It is important to understand that weddings span several industries. According to CAIT, during the wedding season, a large amount of business happens in the repair of houses and paint of the houses.

Additionally, a wide range of items such as jewellery, traditional clothing like sarees and lehenga-choli, furniture, ready-to-wear garments, shoes, wedding and greeting cards, dry fruits, sweets, fruits, worship items, groceries, food grains, decoration items, home decor, electrical appliances, electronics, and various gift items are in high demand and expected to have a successful year.

Venues for weddings, including banquet halls, hotels, open lawns, community centres, public parks, and farmhouses, are prepared across the country.

Besides purchasing accessories for each wedding, various services play a crucial role. This includes tent decorators, floral decorations, crockery, catering services, travel arrangements, transportation services, professional welcoming groups, vegetable vendors, photographers, videographers, musical services like Shehnai, Orchestra, DJ, procession horses, wagons, lighting services, and much more.

‘Event management has also emerged as a thriving business, taking care of wedding arrangements from venue booking to event execution.

So, get ready to witness Indian weddings in all their grand glory this year! With all the glitz, glamour, and joyful chaos, it's like a Bollywood blockbuster come to life. Love conquers all, and Indian weddings are the ultimate celebration of it!