Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani are slated to get married on Friday in Mumbai.</li><li>Four Indian event planners shared what it's like to plan a big celebrity wedding.</li></ul>The wedding of the year is upon us.After rounds of opulent pre-wedding festivities, <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/anant-ambani-and-radhika-merchant-to-wed-at-the-jio-world-convention-centre-in-mumbai-on-july-12/articleshow/110562426.cms">Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani</a>, the youngest son of <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/indian-billionaire-ambani-targets-african-telecom-market-with-new-venture/vwmsmgn">Asia's richest man</a>, are slated to get married on Friday in Mumbai.Their guests, who have so far included <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ambani-pre-wedding-celebration-with-justin-bieber-performance-2024-7">Bollywood actors, Indian cricketers,</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-mark-zuckerberg-among-expected-attendees-at-indian-wedding-2024-2">international business leaders</a>, will also attend events on Saturday and a reception on Sunday.During a pre-wedding event in March, Ambani said his mom worked 18 hours a day for the four months leading up to the parties."All this is created by my mother and no one else, and my mother has gone all out for the last four months," Ambani said, per a <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmMh8KtrGaY&amp;ab_channel=BusinessToday">video</a> of the speech uploaded in March.Planning such an event takes a village, according to four wedding planners who spoke to Business Insider about what goes into organizing a multi-day Indian celebrity wedding.<h2 id="d3a9cac7-58b4-42c9-888b-817200ed450e">The biggest cost is the venue</h2>The planners BI spoke to said a typical multi-day wedding that they plan costs between five to 10 crore Indian Rupees, or about $1.2 million.Crore is an Indian term for 10 million; 1 crore rupees is around $120,000.Whether it's a big-ticket <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ambani-richest-family-in-asia-india-lifestyle-home-wedding-photos-2018-12">wedding like the Ambani's</a> or the wedding of an upper-middle-class family, the breakdown of major costs in an Indian wedding look about the same, one event planner told BI.About 40% to 50% of the budget goes to the venue, which includes catering and rooms for the guests, said Nishita Aggarwal, the founder of The Event Designer, a Delhi-based wedding planning company.Next, 25% to 30% of costs go toward decorations, which include elaborate backdrops, tents, and floor-to-ceiling floral arrangements.<div type="image" title="pink backdrop at Indian wedding" height="3508" width="5262" msid="111674066" hostid="261"></div>About 10% is spent on entertainment. The Ambanis have hired Rihanna, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ambani-pre-wedding-celebration-with-justin-bieber-performance-2024-7">Justin Bieber, </a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anant-ambani-katy-perry-backstreet-boys-pre-wedding-party-2024-6">Katy Perry, The Backstreet Boys</a>, and Pitbull for pre-wedding functions in recent months.Other families spend a lot on artists including singers and celebrity DJs, said Purvi Modgil, a destination wedding planner based in Mumbai."If you plan to call three or four of them in different core functions, that can also add up to a good cost," she said.The remaining 10% usually goes into wedding gifts and logistics for the family and guests."Now, when it comes to a high-net-worth wedding or a celebrity wedding, everything becomes 10 times or hundred times" of that cost, Aggarwal said. "There is no bar on the budget."Planners' cost estimates of the Ambani wedding varied widely, from tens of millions of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars.Anant's older sister <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ambani-richest-family-in-asia-india-lifestyle-home-wedding-photos-2018-12">Isha Ambani</a> got married in 2018 in a similarly lavish wedding, including a Beyoncé performance. While media outlets speculated about a $100 million price tag, a spokesperson for the Ambani-owned company, Reliance, said that it cost less than $15 million, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/naazneenkarmali/2018/12/11/the-big-fat-ambani-wedding-celebrates-a-match-among-indias-billionaire-elite/#7cb474465992">per a Forbes article</a> at the time.A spokesperson for the family did not respond to a request for comment about the costs for Anant Ambani's wedding.The pre-wedding events have grabbed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ambanis-throwing-another-pre-wedding-party-cruise-ship-2024-5">headlines</a> for months. With so many celebrities and business leaders angling for an invitation, the nuptials are also a business networking event, Aggarwal said.<h2 id="7190f45a-3ee9-4e5a-bf2a-0fef8f5de89f">Each main family member is assigned a 'shadow'</h2>Many couples don't want to host their weddings at venues where other high-profile families have already held nuptials, Aggarwal said."They want everything to be exclusive," she said. "The decor has to be something else that no one else has ever thought of. It is almost like a big movie set."For a big celebrity wedding, planners divide their staff into teams and hire hundreds of additional people leading up to and on the day of the ceremony.With chefs, waiters, light and audio teams, and decorators, about 500 people often work the event, Modgil said.The planners also assign butlers to each main family member. These staffers, called "shadows," hold their phones and gifts and ensure they stay hydrated and have everything they need."There are over 70 suppliers and vendors who we work with for each wedding," said Darshan Shroff, a Mumbai-based wedding planner. "I like to describe wedding planners in India as circus masters."<h2 id="07e84198-c3b3-4ae5-b860-565eaa82e3bd">Privacy and security are top concerns</h2>Many celebrity or influencer couples are particular about how their wedding is portrayed on the news and on social media.Planners have strict instructions that restrict posts from vendors about outfits, decor, or flowers before a set date. Most big weddings also collect the phones of their guests for privacy, and couples have teams that work with the media."You can't have too many people hanging out taking their pictures. It makes them very uncomfortable," Modgil said about celebrity guests and couples.Top security firms and even local authorities may sketch out safety plans."The minute there are some kind of celebrities, whether it's politicians or Bollywood, security becomes very important," Modgil said. "We've had separate people escorting them and even taking them back because sometimes they even get mobbed."The families and their guests are not always easy to please.Aggarwal said she has planned weddings where celebrity attendees call to confirm what type of hotel suite they will be staying in and what kind of car is coming to pick them up. Everything must match their lifestyle standard.<h2 id="f2b6f12d-16c9-4226-9b64-e59a5aa60374">Setting a blueprint for other weddings</h2>The Ambani wedding is already influencing how other Indians are envisioning and planning their own nuptials.The planners told BI that brides are asking them for the same designers that Radhika Merchant wore in her pre-wedding events, like the custom lehengas designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Tarun Tahiliani.<div type="image" title="Radhika Merchant wore a Swarovski crystal lehenga designed by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla" height="691" width="1024" msid="111674067" hostid="261"></div>Planners expect the main wedding to leave an even bigger mark."Given the immense influence celebrities have, their weddings often become blueprints for future celebrations worldwide," said Bharat Jagasia, a Delhi-based wedding planner."For the Ambani wedding, I am particularly excited to see how they differentiate the main event from their pre-wedding functions," he said.The festivities are slated to kick off Friday at the Jio World Convention Centre, which is owned by the Ambani family. It can accommodate over 16,000 guests.July 12, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated Nishita Aggarwal's location. She is based in Delhi, not in Mumbai.

Behind the scenes of billionaire Indian weddings: Hired 'shadows,' phone bans, and a circus master to lead the chaos

<keyword id="6371470" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="alibaug">Alibaug</keyword>, <keyword id="143" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> actor <keyword id="383666" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Dhawan">Varun Dhawan</keyword> is getting married amid the Covid- 19 <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword>. Hence it is not surprising that as a precautionary measure, a Covid test has been made mandatory for all the guests entering the wedding arena. As the preparations have begun in full swing for the Bollywood actor's big fat wedding to be held later in the day, celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani informed in an Instagram post that "a mandatory Covid test was taken for everyone entering the wedding arena." Varun will tie the knot with his childhood sweetheart <keyword id="1594220" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Natasha-Dalal">Natasha Dalal</keyword> at 'The Mansion House' resort in Maharashtra's Alibaug on Sunday. Celebrities like filmmaker Karan Johar and fashion designer Manish Malhotra were clicked on their way to the wedding on Sunday. Malhotra has reportedly designed outfits for the Dhawan family for Varun's wedding. Varun Dhawan reportedly had a plan to get married last year but had to postpone the wedding because of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Reports claim that the couple was planning to tie the knot in Thailand's Khao Lak in 2020 which got postponed due to the pandemic and Alibaug has been selected as the wedding destination. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/mrs-bectors-shares-are-down-32-from-the-peak-post-listing-analysts-say-it-is-still-overpriced/articleshow/80430865.cms">Mrs Bectors shares are down 32% from the peak post listing — analysts say it is still 'overpriced'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/indias-co-working-sector-wants-recognition-under-real-estate-tax-benefits-as-flexible-workspaces-aim-for-a-significant-revival-in-the-post-covid-era/articleshow/80431768.cms">India’s co-working sector wants recognition under real estate, tax benefits as flexible workspaces aim for a significant revival in the post-COVID era</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-check-allotment-status-of-indian-railway-finance-corporation-irfc-ipo/articleshow/80406208.cms">Indian Railway Finance Corporation IPO allotment: Here’s how to check share allotment status</a>

Covid-19 test mandatory for guests attending Varun Dhawan's wedding

The big, fat, Indian wedding is the stuff of dreams.For Krishma Sood Bhojwani, this meant hosting a four-day-long celebration at the JW Marriott in Phuket, Thailand. The bride imported cheese wheels from Italy, sourced Iberico ham directly from Spain, and hired a photography team from Mumbai. She flew in <a href="https://www.wedmegood.com/blog/epic-phuket-wedding-with-head-turning-bridal-looks/">chefs</a> from India and Japan, and had cooks preparing fresh food across 24 dining stations.The wedding consisted of eight events spread across four days, all set against the backdrop of the oceanfront resort where lush jungle meets the province's coastline. The 120 guests, who flew in from around the world and wore black-tie attire and intricately embroidered lehengas, were treated to cocktail dinners by the beach and ballroom parties.Bhojwani had arranged for a floating altar and wore <a href="https://wedbook.in/real-weddings/thailand-destination-wedding-of-a-couple-who-postponed-their-wedding-thrice/">traditional outfits</a> that were made by luxury designers like Sabyasachi, whose <a href="https://www.azafashions.com/products/floral-embroidered-lehenga-set/222913?utm_country=sg&amp;wpsrc=Google%20AdWords&amp;wpscid=&amp;wpsnetn=x&amp;wpkwn=&amp;wpkmatch=&amp;wpcrid=&amp;wpcid=17961464551&amp;wpkwid=&amp;wpscn=&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_source=google-pmax&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=SGD-ACQ-GOOGLE-PMAX-ALL-MCV-12August2022&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwmouZBhDSARIsALYcouoPDwycaxZa2Np04dLTMyBf5DqDEeZg9yHbJ1QgQ70oSm4Cs6s5uEIaAlgrEALw_wcB">designs</a> can go for $30,000 a piece.As for the cost? Around $400,000 for the wedding events alone, Bhojwani estimates — and that doesn't account for the couple's jewelry and outfits. "I did have a strict budget — money doesn't grow on a tree. We were sharp on cost and didn't spend a dollar over what I said we would," Bhojwani, who's from Australia, told Insider.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="3555" width="4740" msid="94268295" hostid="261"></div>In India, the wedding industry is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indias-50-billion-wedding-industry-is-gearing-up-for-a-busy-winter/articleshow/78163437.cms">worth</a> a whopping $50 billion, and it's not uncommon for wealthy families to spend astronomical amounts of money on weddings. In 2018, billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-10/real-crazy-rich-asian-wedding-is-said-to-cost-100-million?leadSource=uverify%20wall">spent</a> a reported $100 million on his daughter's wedding, with guests like Beyonce, Shah Rukh Khan, and Hillary Clinton in attendance.But even for the just ordinarily wealthy, weddings can ring up serious price tags: Indian families are known to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-looks-indian-weddings-boost-tourism-revenue-2022-08-31/">spend</a> as much as $800,000 on destination weddings at five-star hotels and resorts across Southeast Asia. Traditionally, the bride's family would bear the wedding costs, but that's now considered an <a href="https://qz.com/2130328/how-hindu-weddings-became-indias-cultural-export/">outdated practice</a> — many families, including Bhojwani and her husband's, choose to share the expenses. As Bhojwani put it, Indian couples typically have a "huge amount of parental support" in financing the costs of their wedding.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="4023" width="5365" msid="94268298" hostid="261"></div>Now, as luxury resorts across Southeast Asia emerge from the pandemic, many of them are competing for these lucrative Indian weddings. Many of these establishments are still reeling from the financial impact of the pandemic, and they're sparing no effort to attract the business of wealthy Indian couples to make up for the deficits. After all, that big Indian wedding may just be the tipping factor between ending the year in red or black. <h2>The big business of big Indian weddings</h2>One reason high-end Indian weddings can be so expensive is because they're often not single-day events — Sikh wedding ceremonies, for example, are held over several days, said Vin Ramash, a wedding planner with Singapore-based wedding and events company Alangkaar. <div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding in Phuket." height="4023" width="5365" msid="94268301" hostid="261"></div>"At the higher end, Punjabi weddings start at $100,000 per day, so spending $500,000 is possible," Ramash told Insider, explaining that this is typical of weddings held at premium hotels like Capella, St. Regis, or Ritz-Carlton.But the bells, whistles, and whims of the couple also contribute to the hefty price tag.Hand-made mandaps, or altars, and custom-designed decorations can cost around $40,000, Ramash said — and additional requests like fireworks can cost even more.And then there's the travel element. As destination weddings become more popular among high-net worth Indian couples, many couples are looking to Thailand. Ramash said Alangkaar's tourism partner in the country anticipates 400 to 500 "large-sale Indian weddings" in 2023 alone.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="3580" width="4773" msid="94268303" hostid="261"></div>"Couples love destination weddings in Thailand because of the value you get for every dollar you spend. People want an experience — it's not just about status," Ramash, who plans weddings in Singapore, Bali, and Phuket, added. Bhojwani and her husband had initially planned to host their wedding at the Intercontinental Hotel in Phu Quoc, Vietnam. After lockdowns, travel restrictions, and four postponements, they finally decided to host their wedding in Thailand.Vendors and planners in Phu Quoc failed to understand what they wanted for their wedding "no matter how hard we negotiated," Bhojwani said. The planners and venue in Thailand, meanwhile, "understood the vision, the scale, the grandeur, and experience" she and her husband were looking for.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="3881" width="5174" msid="94268305" hostid="261"></div><h2>Tourism boards and luxury hotels are fighting for weddings</h2>Given the pent-up demand, and in an effort to get back to pre-pandemic business levels, tourism boards and luxury hotels are prioritizing marketing campaigns that target the ultra-luxe destination Indian wedding segment. That means that destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Maldives are often vying for the same big-budget weddings.Resorts are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to become the destination of choice. Hotels are catering to all sorts of demands from the wedding parties, including making special arrangements for religious rituals like providing a Hindu priest to solemnize the wedding. In some instances, they've even offered to rebook guests at sister venues if a bigger wedding party wants to book out the entire property. Tourism boards are getting in on it, too.For Thailand, wedding revenue is embedded into the tourism revenue for the year. Thailand expects a 600 billion to 700 billion baht, or $16 to 19 million, boost to tourism revenues this year from luxury weddings and honeymooners, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-looks-indian-weddings-boost-tourism-revenue-2022-08-31/">reported</a>, citing a senior tourism official. Indian tourists are the "priority" this year, Tanes Petsuwan, the deputy governor of Thailand's tourism authority, <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Thai-tourism-eyes-Indian-weddings-as-Chinese-spending-dries-up">told</a> Nikkei Asia.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="2250" width="3000" msid="94268475" hostid="261"></div>Other tourism boards, like Indonesia's, are also on the prowl to woo these glitzy-eyed couples. These exclusive weddings can cost anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000, Sanjay Sondhi, the CEO of Om Tourism and the head of Indonesia's tourism board for India, told Insider. Indonesia tourism board officials often collaborate with the biggest wedding planners in countries like India, and in some instances are even present when resorts are pitching to the prospective brides and grooms. The fruits of this labor can be sweet. For one high-profile wedding slated to be held in the tropical island of Bali, talks are now revolving around a chartered flight for around 250 guests, Sondhi said. The couple was previously mulling a destination wedding in Thailand. <h2>Hotels lay out the red carpet</h2>With the main Indian wedding season, which runs from October to December, just around the corner, hotels are seeing a pick-up in inquiries.Demand for Six Senses properties across Southeast Asia for Indian destination weddings has been on the rise, with Six Senses Uluwatu in Bali being the absolute "favorite," Agnes Poon, the director of sales and marketing for Six Senses in Asia, told Insider. In August, the five-star resort held the wedding for a high-end family based in South India, Poon said. And in late 2021, the hotel chain <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/vicky-kaushal-katrina-kaif-s-wedding-suites-in-six-senses-resort-costs-rs-7-lakh-per-night-exclusive-1882458-2021-11-30">hosted</a> the wedding of Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal. The wedding took place at the chain's flagship property in India, Six Senses Fort Barwara.Poon said queries are coming in for minimums of 200-250 rooms at the resort, which rests on the famed limestone cliffs of Uluwatu and opens up to sweeping views of the Indian Ocean.To be sure, it's not just Indian weddings that are big business. The global wedding services industry generated $160.5 billion revenues in 2020 and is expected to generate revenues of $414.2 billion in 2030, per an Allied Market Research <a href="https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/wedding-services-market-A15864">report</a>.Luxury hotel Capella Singapore has weddings scheduled for every weekend of the year, Victoria Lim, a content marketing specialist at Capella Hotel group, told Insider. Demand for venues is topping pre-pandemic levels — but the type of demand is also diversifying. Capella is seeing an increase in small and intimate solemnization, especially for couples who put their weddings on pause due to the pandemic, Lim said. <div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="3843" width="5124" msid="94268478" hostid="261"></div>But for many of those taking the traditional big Indian wedding route, it's worth it to dish out — even if they had to change their plans multiple times along the way."I've always dreamed of having a beautiful wedding," Bhojwani said of her April wedding. "It was really hard, it was delayed for three years but we got there in the end. It's definitely worth it."

Indian weddings are big money &mdash; and luxury resorts across Southeast Asia are competing to draw them in to make up for their Covid deficits

<keyword id="32063" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="honeymoon">Honeymoon</keyword> is the most romantic beginning that every marriage deserves. It is the most memorable vacation in a couple’s life that enriches them with memories that last forever. And when the honeymooning couple hails from the uber-rich and uber-stylish Bollywood – honeymoon <keyword id="24194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="destinations">destinations</keyword> get exotic and experiences become lavish. So if you are hunting for a unique honeymoon destination, check out where your favourite Bollywood stars went for their honeymoon. 
 
1. Kareena Kapoor &amp; Saif Ali Khan 
After their quiet wedding, this royal couple flew to Gstaad amid the picturesque Swiss Alps. However, it was not the first time that Saifeena were holidaying at Gstaad. It is one of their favourite places; so whenever a chance pops up, they go there. 
 
2. Aiswarya Rai &amp; Abhishek Bachchan 
Abhishek and Aishwarya prefer keeping their personal lives under wraps. So after their wedding in 2007, the two jetted to Europe to celebrate their wedded bliss. 
 
3. Avatika Malik &amp; Imran Khan 
It was a fairy tale wedding when Imran married his childhood sweetheart Avantika in 2011. To make it all the more special and spend some time together, the couple headed to a privately owned island in Phuket, Thailand, for their honeymoon. They are also expecting their first child this year. 
 
4. Vidya Balan &amp; Siddharth Roy Kapur? 
Even the busiest of the business tycoons can’t say ‘no’ when it comes to spending some quality time with his spouse. That’s why UTV head honcho Siddharth Roy Kapoor tied the knot with Vidya Balan at a hush-hush ceremony and then flew to the scintillating Caribbean Islands for their honeymoon. 
 
5. Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupati 
Tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati and former beauty queen &amp; actress Lara Dutta exchanged wedding vows in Victorian style at the fort of Aguada in 2011. The couple then went to Bali for their honeymoon to mark the happy beginning of their marital bliss. 
 
6. Kiran Rao &amp; Aamir Khan 
While their friends from Bollywood make a beeline for exotic international locales, Aamir went to Panchgani for his honeymoon and stayed at a super luxury resort. 
 
7. Shilpa Shetty &amp; Raj Kundra 
After their big fat wedding, the couple made it to a bigger honeymoon at the Bahamas. They chose a popular resort and had a great time amid mesmerising waterfalls and lazy lagoons. 
 
8. Sussanne Khan &amp; Hrithik Roshan 
Although their marriage is going through a turbulent phase right now, during their happy days, the much-in-love couple went to Europe for their honeymoon. 
 
9. Natasha Madhwani &amp; Fardeen Khan 
It was a high-profile wedding and after all the hustle-bustle, they wanted to spend some quite time with each other. So the couple chose the serene Fiji Islands as their honeymoo

Planning
Your Honeymoon? Take Cue From Your Favourite Bollywood Stars

India is known for its colourful culture and weddings are the best places to observe its varied traditions. Apart from being a symbol of culture, it is fast becoming a lucrative business opportunity. With each passing year, Indian weddings are getting bigger and better, and so is the business involved, from designers, caterers to planners. As it is expanding at a break neck speed, let us have an inside look at the industry and its forces.
 

	Statistics
 The <keyword id="562840" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="wedding-industry">wedding industry</keyword> in India is flourishing and statistics corroborate the fact. Currently, the industry is over Rs 100,000 crore and is growing at 25-30% annually. The estimated cost of a <keyword id="6358814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wedding">wedding</keyword> with no expenses spared could be between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 5 crore, in India. A person, in India, spends one fifth of the wealth accumulated in a lifetime on a wedding ceremony. 

	Considering the demographic dividend, it would not be wrong to assume, with half of India’s population being under 29 years of age, the marriage market is set to boom like never before over the next five to ten years.
 

	There are several ancillary markets and segments benefiting from this boom, like Gold and diamond jewellery, apparels, decoration, makeup etc. The wedding planning industry is also booming. In Jan, 2015, the wedding planning industry was pegged at $ 40 billion.
 

	Unique and interesting consumer trends observed in 2015 in the industry
 

	With global trends entering the indigenous market, Indian weddings are donning a more corporate look and feel, moving away from traditional themes.
 

	1. High degree of personalization - people spend more per guest (but call fewer guests) and try to integrate their love stories and interests in the decor, food and themes. 
 “Destination weddings are getting more exotic, with many weddings happening in Turkey, Europe, Sri Lanka, and more remote destinations in India,” said Sanna Vohra, Founder &amp; CEO of <keyword id="3247751" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="indear">Indear</keyword>.in 

	2. Modernization of ancient/ retro drapes, minimalist silhouettes, bold colors.
 

	3. People became more &amp; more fashion inclined, lot of experimentation, drama. Consumer spent a lot of time cross comparing
 

	4. Mix and match, accessories, a lot of tryouts in jewelry, artisans’ products. Hand-looms category grew 3x compared to last year.
 “We can tell that consumers are starting to trust online websites for their wedding purchases and this trend has mainly started in 2015. We are seeing increase in buying of heavy lehengas and sarees online. With few websites starting to offer home trial etc. this trend will change further in coming years as it makes it very easy for the consumers to buy their outfits online without wasting lot of time,” said Anupam Tulsyan, founder of <keyword id="3140859" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Peachmode">Peachmode</keyword>. 

	Expectations from 2016 wedding season
 

	“We will continue to see a high degree of personalization, and also a willingness to experiment with traditions. Brides now prefer to wear gowns instead of a traditional saree to their receptions, depict their own love story on their mehendi and leave goody bags for guests in their hotel rooms to cure their hangovers. India has also started adopting a few western traditions, namely bachelor / bachelorette parties, the idea of bridesmaids, and grand wedding cakes!” said Sana.
 

	Technology has also taken over the wedding season &amp; so has buying habits. Lot of families &amp; planners alike are coming online to check latest trends in this wedding season.
 “For grooms we have seen a rise in Jodhpuri Sherwanis. These sherwanis are different from the traditional ones as most of them are handmade &amp; have light colors instead of the traditional red ones,” said Shailesh Jain, founder of <keyword id="3247750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="mirraw">Mirraw</keyword>.com. 

	On the jewellery side, matte finish jewellery has seen a rise in demand. Necklaces which are heavy on gem stones are still a constant favorites amongst wedding shoppers.
 

	Employment generation 
 

	It continues to be significant with the wedding industry growing 25-30% YoY. It adds over 3 lac jobs a year (during season)
 

	Region wise trends PAN India 
	 
	North India leads in wedding spends, Kerala weddings focus more on gold.
 

	Though fashion and jewellery trends do differ from region to region (as does the ceremony itself) Bollywood is having a large effect on weddings across the nation, with lots of communities embracing ‘dhoom-dham’ sangeets, and glittery wedding outfits.
 

	General trends basis consumer behaviour, with respect to changing demands and preferences
 

	1. Heavy dupattas- Can be teamed up with all your monotone kurtas
 

	2. Statement jewellery piece - Chand ballis, Maang tikkas are in vogue. You can team them up with sarees as well as salwar kameez.
 

	3. Designer clutches - A nice clutch can add lot of glamour to your routine outfit. Pair it with simple chiffon saree or a plain kurta, it will catch everyone's attention.

The Big Fat Wedding Industry in India: Recap of 2015 and outlook for 2016

<ul><li>Flipkart launches new avatar of ‘India Ka Fashion Capital’ campaign as India’s go-to lifestyle destination.</li><li>The campaign aims to encourage lifestyle enthusiasts across the country to look no further and browse from the endless selection of fashion and beauty products.</li></ul>Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, launched the 9th edition of the ‘India Ka Fashion Capital’ campaign in a new avatar, with a focus on being a complete lifestyle destination. Featuring Bollywood’s favorite couple Ranbir Kapoor and <keyword id="6354526" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="alia-bhatt" source="Orion">Alia Bhatt</keyword>, the campaign encourages customers to upgrade not only their fashion wardrobes but everything else that encapsulates their daily lifestyle from beauty &amp; personal care to home furnishing &amp; decor. <div type="Youtube" id="QWbOcbAgl5o" title="Free Shipping + Free from Tension with limitless Fashion" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QWbOcbAgl5o/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Close on the heels of the wedding season, the new campaign showcases the latest influencer-inspired ethnic fashion along with exotic choices for home furnishing and decor, targeting aspirational customers who may be fence-sitters when it comes to making a purchase online. Conceptualized in collaboration with McCann World group, the campaign truly captures the essence of Flipkart being India’s Fashion Capital that is delivering on an unparalleled range, quality, price, and access to the widest range of brands. <div type="Youtube" id="gJbzoDXrCXs" title="Grab the spotlight with Thousands of Influencer Looks!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gJbzoDXrCXs/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Speaking about the campaign, Prasanth Naidu - Director, Marketing, Flipkart, said, “Flipkart has a strong understanding of customer needs, which has helped us provide them with best-in-class offerings over the years. Today’s shoppers prefer to live a fashionable lifestyle that is both accessible and value-driven. With this campaign, our aim is to establish Flipkart as a value lifestyle destination that caters to various needs and appeals to a diverse demographic across the country. We are sure that <keyword id="6632829" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ranbir-and-alia" source="Orion">Ranbir and Alia</keyword> will create a unique connection with our target audience and inspire them to look at Flipkart as a one-stop-shop for all their lifestyle needs.” The campaign is live on television and digital platforms for a period of 14 weeks. Set on a college campus, these TVCs are aimed at the youth whose aspirations for high-quality fashion are ever evolving but their doubts at times, come in the way of their desires. The TVCs feature characters portrayed by Ranbir and Alia as college friends, showcasing their fun relationship with their quirky professor.

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt encourage consumers to upgrade their lifestyle in a new campaign for Flipkart

Mumbai, Feb 9 () Azerbaijan, a country situated at the crossroads of eastern Europe and western Asia, is eyeing 30-40 per cent growth in Indian visitors this year following a rise in corporate and wedding travellers as well as Bollywood productions. "In 2019, 65,000 Indian travellers visited Azerbaijan, which is 66.8 per cent growth compared with 2018. We are seeing a rise in travellers from the corporates, family and weddings. This is very encouraging and we believe that Azerbaijan will see 30-40 per cent growth in footfalls from Indian travellers in 2020," Azerbaijan Tourism Board CEO Florian Sengstschmid told here. He said there were several big and small productions shot in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, showcasing the city for a larger audience in India. "To encourage film fraternity to shoot in Azerbaijan, we will help production houses in getting permits, identify locations, provide them with support teams and also reimburse certain part of productions," he added. Therefore, in 2020, Azerbaijan Tourism Board is focused on connecting with corporates for their incentive programmes, wedding planners, production houses and travel agents. Azerbaijan, home to nine of the world's 11 climate zones, is targeting the tier II and III cities for promotions this year. "Earlier, we promoted Azerbaijan as a preferred travel destination among Indian travellers in the big and metro cities. As we have already covered the larger cities, this year we have decided to focus on the smaller cities which provide huge potential," Sengstschmid said. The country is positioned as a competitive destination that is good for all pocket sizes, he said. There are negotiations going on for direct flight connectivity between the two countries, he added, without giving any timeline for it. "When direct connectivity between both the countries is established, the tourist traffic from India will double. However, I don't know when it will take place," he said. SM ABMABM

You Searched For "bollywood destination weddings" and got 7 results

Behind the scenes of billionaire Indian weddings: Hired 'shadows,' phone bans, and a circus master to lead the chaos

Shubhangi Goel,Lian Kit Wee

Covid-19 test mandatory for guests attending Varun Dhawan's wedding

IANS

Indian weddings are big money and luxury resorts across Southeast Asia are competing to draw them in to make up for their Covid deficits

Marielle Descalsota,Nidhi Pan…

Planning Your Honeymoon? Take Cue From Your Favourite Bollywood Stars

Charu

The Big Fat Wedding Industry in India: Recap of 2015 and outlook for 2016

Usha Rani Das

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt encourage consumers to upgrade their lifestyle in a new campaign for Flipkart

BI India Partner

Azerbaijan eyes 30-40 pc growth in visitors from India in 2020

PTI

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides