The Most Popular Wedding Trends for 2025 and How to Ace Them!
Unveiling the biggest wedding trends of 2025, from decoration, wedding formats, photography trends to wedding fashion, jewellery and more!
Image Credit: Konark Events
Weddings in India have seen a whirlwind of changes in the past six years—incorporating modern colours, Bollywood inspirations, intimate weddings, more thoughtful and personalised events, and more! Couples have walked towards the dawn of a new era in weddings, reshaping the Indian wedding space and giving the traditions and celebrations their voice and meaning. Neoculturation and Personalisation are now feeding off each other, significantly crafting compelling wedding stories. However, as traditions become more intimate and romance takes centre stage in planning and decor, the influence of social media is also growing manifold. Many of these stories now have their minutes and even months of fame on Instagram.
I recently delved into deep conversations with industry experts to underscore the most significant trends that couples should watch out for in 2025. I scoured through thousands of wedding terms currently being searched on the internet. Check them out here:
Table of Contents:
- Wedding Planning Trends
- New Decoration and Thematic Trends
- Wedding Photography Trends
- Trending Dresses and Bridal Style
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Wedding Planning Trends for 2025
1. Wed in India
Not so long ago, PM Modi encouraged Indian couples to plan their destination weddings in their own country and ‘Wed in India’. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s grand pre-wedding ceremony at Jamnagar set a lavish example of India's endless possibilities for hosting a destination wedding of any magnitude. Sachin Katoch, Cluster Associate Director of Sales at Raffles and Fairmont Jaipur, sheds light on the trends. “Anant and Radhika’s extravagant celebration held in Mumbai also served as an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of Indian venues. The wedding attracted global attention, featuring high-profile guests such as Kim Kardashian and Priyanka Chopra, whose presence significantly boosted media coverage and interest in India as a wedding destination. At Fairmont Jaipur, we have seen 4 to 5 weddings shift from international destinations to our property. Hotels are leveraging this momentum by highlighting their unique offerings and positioning themselves as premier luxury wedding destinations. The initiative also fosters collaborations with local vendors, allowing couples to integrate regional traditions into their celebrations. This surge in wedding bookings is positively impacting the broader hospitality sector, including catering and décor services.”
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2. Open-Air Venues Closer to Nature
🔍 Searches for Outdoor Weddings have grown by 22%* YoY
🔍 Searches for Wedding Background Nature have grown by 100%* YoY
Be it intimate wedding ceremonies like Farhan Akhtar and Shibani Dandekar’s wedding at their Khandala farmhouse, grand weddings to remember like Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul’s wedding events at Sunil Shetty’s Khandala Mansion, or Pulkit Samrat and Kriti Kharbanda’s wedding at ITC, Grand Bharat, these Bollywood weddings had one thing in common—open-air wedding venues surrounded by lush greenery.
This "less is more" wedding venue trend highlights nature as the main decor element of the ceremonies. Heavy floral installations, in-house lights, and decorations are all being replaced by setups in natural surroundings, mandap under a giant tree, and ceremonies brought to life with lush green landscapes and the untamed beauty of nature, featuring bamboo baskets, jute mats, potted plants, and wooden accents as decor elements.
In conversation with Roop Partap Choudhary, Executive Director at Noormahal Group, we confirm the magnitude of this trend. “Approximately 65-70% of couples for 2025 bookings are preferring to hold their ceremonies in natural surroundings. Noormahal Palace offers beautifully curated outdoor spaces like the Dera and the Amphitheatre to cater to this rising demand. Outdoor venues are especially popular for events like the mehendi, sangeet, and the main wedding ceremony. Nature plays a vital role in enhancing these moments by providing an enchanting backdrop—whether it’s a vibrant garden for a sangeet or a serene mandap under open skies. The presence of natural beauty not only enriches the ambiance but also creates a sense of tranquility and timelessness, making these precious moments truly unforgettable.”
Television Actor Surbhi Chandra’s recent forest wedding at Jim Corbett caught my eye as a blueprint of what close-to-nature weddings should look like in 2025. Ayu Tripathi, Director at Aahana Resort adds to my research. “99% of our couples choose outdoor mandaps, embracing the forest wedding concept we have promoted since the beginning. The natural surroundings provide a stunning backdrop, with ceremonies often starting with a serene Aarti paying tribute to nature and its five elements. These outdoor settings beautifully incorporate the destination's essence, making the forest a central element of weddings in Corbett. Whether a daytime ceremony under the sun, a romantic sunset wedding, or an enchanting evening under the stars, our outdoor mandaps remain a favourite among couples and guests alike. Here, each wedding is infused with local elements like bagpiper welcome, traditional folk dances and personal experiences like sindoor plucking from the Sindoor Tree and sehra-making from the Sehra Tree, which make the wedding truly personal to each couple. Our in-house catering offers fresh, locally sourced ingredients and customized drinks infused with herbs grown on-site. These meaningful touches ensure every wedding is both memorable and meaningful.”
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3. Plan that After-Party
🔍 Searches for After-Party have grown by 55%* YoY
‘Abhi to Party Shuru Hui hai’ is undoubtedly the new anthem for Indian weddings. There has to be a dedicated night for the DJ or the celebrity singers for a crazy after-party. Engagement or Reception nights are no longer just about posing on the stage - couples are turning their venues into dance floors and throwing parties that their siblings and friends will never forget. Online search for After-parties grew by 55% this year, confirming that this is de-rigour for 2025 weddings. Devanshi Patel, Founder of Shreem Events, shares expert tips on the trend. “The after-party serves as the crescendo of the wedding celebrations and should ideally follow the sangeet, wedding ceremony, or reception. Couples should incorporate the after-party into their wedding timeline early on while planning the other events to avoid over-scheduling. It should mark the conclusion of the evening’s festivities and be planned accordingly, considering the party’s duration and the timing of any following events. Typically, after-parties work best when the energy is still high, which is usually around 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. Careful timing ensures a smooth flow of events, allowing guests to enjoy the evening without feeling rushed fully.”
New Decoration and Thematic Trends in 2025
4. Unconventional Color Stories
🔍 Searches for Purple Wedding Decorations have grown by 129%* YoY
The search for Purple Wedding Decorations grew by 129% this year, while the search for Multi-Colored Bridal Lehenga grew by 30%. 2025 is the year of purple and fuchsia wedding decor themes. This generation of experimental couples is opting for vibrant, unconventional colours for at least one of their wedding ceremonies. Couples can ditch the conventional yellow for their Haldi or Mehndi ceremony and choose a unique palette of colours. Shedding light on the trend of quirky and unconventional colours in wedding decor, Jinal Patel, Co-Founder of The Doli Diary, shares, “For a quirky theme, multiple colours generally work best. A contrast between bold and lighter shades adds depth and playfulness. However, maintaining a few dominant colours from the palette for continuity ensures the design remains cohesive. Combining vibrant hues with neutral tones like beige or ivory can balance the quirky elements. Some themes to explore for unconventional palettes for 2025 weddings are Bohemian Carnival (A mix of boho elements like dreamcatchers and macramé paired with carnival decor), Retro Disco (Neon signs, mirror balls, and funky patterns for a groovy pre-wedding vibe), Whimsical Forest (Enchanted forest setting with fairy lights, oversized mushrooms, and mystical florals), Pop Art Party (Bright colours, quirky sculptures, and bold graphics inspired by modern art) and Maharaja’s Fair (A royal twist to carnival themes with plush seating, ornate tents, and Rajasthani-inspired decor)."
5. Seating Charts for Guests
Image Credit: Lettering by At
🔍 Searches for Seating Charts have grown by 22%* YoY
Preparing seating charts is a global wedding trend that many Indian couples are now embracing for a seamless guest experience. Couples realise that their wedding is also a reunion and a celebration for people from different stages of their lives. This trend ensures that your closest family members, friends and colleagues are all seated together to enjoy sharing the experience and make the best memories at your wedding events. This also allows the bride and groom to keep their tribes close throughout the wedding ceremonies. “The growing trend of seating charts in Indian weddings results from both the rise of intimate wedding setups and the influence of neoculturation. As couples embrace more minor, curated celebrations, seating charts have become a practical tool for creating meaningful guest experiences. Intimate weddings focus on personalisation, where every guest feels valued and included, and seating charts help achieve this by thoughtfully arranging attendees who otherwise might not know anyone else. At the same time, neoculturation, has introduced global practices into Indian weddings. This includes structured seating arrangements often seen in Western-style weddings. By combining traditional familial values with modern aesthetics, seating charts allow for a harmonious balance between cultural authenticity and contemporary elegance,” Reshma Ramaiah - Director of USA Operations & Co-Founder of Resh&Co confirms!
6. Hire a Live Painter
Image Credit: Live Indian Painter on Instagram
🔍 Searches for Live Painters have grown by 247%* YoY
Live Painters at a wedding is a trend that has Instagram to thank for its growing popularity! It started globally, but many new live painters from India have created exclusive accounts over the past year and are finding leads through social media alone. In this trend, couples hire a live painter to capture their wedding moment on canvas as their wedding ceremonies are being held. It’s a unique creative trend that will grow in the coming years.
7. Theme Based Invitations
Personalised wedding invitations are all the rage now! Couples want to tell their wedding story or bring the themes of their wedding events to their wedding stationery and invitations (digital as well as paper). Wedding Invitation Designer Itchha Talreja confirms, “In 2025, the focus will be on personalisation and innovative designs that genuinely showcase each couple's unique personalities. Think of it as brand building, but we celebrate the couple instead of promoting a business. Every detail reflects their individuality, creating a deeply personal and unique invitation experience. Couples want a fresh, innovative approach to every invitation, reflecting their unique story and standing out from the rest. We strive to experiment with different illustration styles with each invitation, sometimes exploring new fonts and always crafting a fresh concept. It's all about pushing boundaries and ensuring every invitation feels unique and personalized to the couple."
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Wedding Photography Trends 2025
8. The First Look Trend
Image Credit: Epic Stories
🔍 Searches for First Look have grown by 19%* YoY
The first look trend is a modern twist that allows the photographer to capture candid and romantic moments, creating a special memory before the wedding day ritual begins. The idea is to seize a moment before the bridal entry and varmala ceremony to share a unique and emotional moment between partners. Himanshu Patel, Founder of Epic Stories, shares, “A First Look is one of the most intimate and meaningful moments of a wedding day. One major benefit is that it allows couples to share a private, emotional moment before the ceremony, away from the eyes of the crowd. This can help ease nerves and allow them to feel more relaxed going into the ceremony. From a photography perspective, a First Look also gives me the chance to capture their genuine emotions in a natural setting, without the formalities and structure of the ceremony. This often results in stunning, candid shots filled with raw emotion, which couples cherish. Additionally, it opens up the timeline, giving more space to enjoy the celebration without feeling rushed for photos between the ceremony and reception.”
9. Documentary Wedding Films
A wedding film is perhaps the only romantic film couples will create in a lifetime. Drawing inspiration from Bollywood Celebrity wedding trends, the documentary style is about to take over in 2025. It’s a cinematic film created by clubbing a couple’s wedding events together along with a strong narrative build with the interviews of the couple, their parents, friends and siblings. “A documentary film is all about capturing the real story. It’s not as polished or staged as a cinematic video; instead, it focuses on what’s actually happening, without heavy editing or arranged scenes. For example, the bride getting last-minute adjustments on her dress, the chaos of the shoe-stealing ritual, or the family’s excitement during the baraat, with relatives running to organise everything just in time. These imperfect, unscripted moments feel more like a memory and less like a ‘movie’—it’s you and your day, just as it truly was. Personalization is key in creating wedding documentary films! Couples should bring in elements that mean something to them—whether it’s a specific song, a meaningful place, or a family tradition. Share those little details with us, like a special story or an inside joke,” shares Rajesh Satankar, Co-Founder of Knotting Bells.
Trending Dresses & Bridal Style for 2025
10. Black Lehenga for Pre-Wedding Events
🔍 Searches for Black Lehenga has grown by 22%* YoY
Enters the color black for brides with all the trappings of conventional couture. A colour that has been warded off as a ‘bad omen’ by the previous generations is slowly becoming a trend, especially for cocktail and sangeet nights. The ‘LBD’ has been a timeless choice for parties and clubbing nights, and now, the brides bringing the dance floor to their wedding venue are happy to incorporate the black lehenga in their after-party and cocktail night wardrobe. The increase in search volume is specifically for ‘black lehenga in wedding’, but brides are mostly seen wearing it for their pre-wedding parties and cocktail nights. I don’t see black lehenga becoming a wedding day trend anytime soon.
11. Fairy Bridal Make-up Look
Fairytale stories are now coming true at a bride’s wedding events. If fairytales ruled their bedtime stories, this generation of brides is passionate and bold enough to live their fairytale fantasies in one of their pre-wedding events. From dressing up as a fairy or the Cinderella bride on their sangeet night to choosing an underwater wedding theme and wearing a mermaid lehenga, 2025 is the year of embracing the fairy our real bride wants to be! Think timeless matt glam looks, fresh morning dew makeup paired with a pastel lehenga embroidered with pearl, rhinestones, soft pink or rose quartz palette to achieve this look.
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Bridal Jewellery Trends for 2025
12. Polki Jewellery
🔍 Searches for Polki Jewellery have grown by 234%* YoY
Enters the color black for brides with all the trappings of conventional couture. A colour that has been warded off as a ‘bad omen’ by the previous generations is slowly becoming a trend, especially for cocktail and sangeet nights. The ‘LBD’ has been a timeless choice for parties and clubbing nights, and now, the brides bringing the dance floor to their wedding venue are happy to incorporate the black lehenga in their after-party and cocktail night wardrobe. The increase in search volume is specifically for ‘black lehenga in wedding’, but brides are mostly seen wearing it for their pre-wedding parties and cocktail nights. I don’t see black lehenga becoming a wedding day trend anytime soon.
13. Lab Grown Diamonds
Image Credits: House of Quadri
🔍 Searches for Lab Grown Diamonds have grown by 174%* YoY
Lab-grown diamonds (synthetic or cultured diamonds) are in high demand in India due to their cost-effective appeal. In 2024, the search demand for Lab-grown diamonds grew by 174%. Eco-conscious and budget-savvy couples are driving high demand for these diamonds. In India’s union budget 2023-24, the government announced a five-year research grant to encourage Indigenous production of LGD machinery, recipes, and seeds.
14. Toi-Et-Moi Rings
Image Credit: Pinterest
🔍 Searches for Toi-et-Moi rings have grown by 49%* YoY
An 18th-century trend is back on the radar: Toi et Moi rings (meaning: "You and Me" in French). Once worn by famous figures like Napoleon Bonaparte, the Toi-et-Moi ring is now a favourite among celebs! Bollywood actor Aditi Rao Hydari and multiple television stars were seen replacing the classic diamond solitaire ring with Toi-et-Moi as their engagement ring. The design is a romantic style of ring that features two stones symbolizing the union of two souls. The stones—diamonds or complementary colours or types—sit side by side, representing harmony and balance in a relationship.
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Now that you have a detailed guide to wedding trends for 2025, zero in on your favourites and start planning the wedding of your dreams. Don’t forget to access free planning tools, find top wedding venues and wedding vendors, and read through more trend blogs.
*(Search data sourced from SEMrush comparing search volume in India from 2023 to 2024). The 2025 wedding trends mentioned here are predicted exclusively by the WWI editorial desk.
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