The big fat media mix of India’s wedding season

India’s wedding season has officially joined the festive calendar as a full-blown marketing moment, one that’s rich in emotion, scale, and opportunity. According to a 2025 report by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), over 46-48 lakh weddings are expected to take place between November 1 and December 14, contributing to a total of ₹6.5 lakh crore to the economy this year. One might call it the next big advertising window after the IPL and Diwali, a season where brands across jewellery, fashion, beauty, travel, luxury, gifting, and décor jostle for visibility as love, culture, and commerce intertwine.

Budgets are up, campaigns are rolling out, and the wedding-season media mix is in motion. As emotions run high and spending peaks, let’s take a look at how marketers are navigating this high-stakes, high-sentiment season.

The season of spending and sentiment

For brands and agencies alike, the wedding season isn’t just about ad spends; it’s about tapping into a deeply emotional space. Capturing this, Sonal Jadhav, Managing Partner- West, Havas Media India, said, “The Indian wedding industry today is more than a 6-lakh-crore+ market, it’s a celebration of culture, emotion, and dreams. Weddings here aren’t just events; they’re emotional ecosystems where family, tradition, and aspiration beautifully converge.”

For Jadhav, the magic lies beyond the mandap, in the months of anticipation, planning, and discovery that happen mostly online. “That’s where emotion meets intent,” she added, “and where brands can truly become part of the story.”

Building on that emotion-led opportunity, Guru Mishra, SVP - Media, RepIndia, highlighted the scale and preparedness that now define this season. He noted that the overall wedding market in India is growing 20-25% year-on-year, with brands ramping up their spends early to secure premium media real estate. “Bigger, impactful, and tactical media investments are locked in early,” he said. “Late planning costs up to 20% higher due to scarcity and demand during the wedding season.”

The result is a media rush that feels a lot like a festive finale. As the season heats up, the next big question becomes how is the wedding media mix evolving in the age of screens?

From mainstream to multiscreen

In an increasingly digital economy, the wedding season media plan has undergone a fundamental shift. The once-predictable formula of television + print has given way to hybrid budgets that span performance marketing, influencer storytelling, and connected TV.

Outlining this transformation, Mishra said, “Brands will lean towards digital with about 50-60% of their marketing budget. TV remains the mainstay at 30-40% and will be used as a reach lever to amplify visibility.” He added that print and radio, though smaller, continue to serve as powerful connectors for older family members and regional audiences, especially when paired with vernacular content.

Jewellery brands, traditionally among the biggest spenders in this season, have been quick to adapt to this new reality. Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director, Kalyan Jewellers, said his brand’s media strategy has evolved to blend scale with precision.

“While television and print remain vital for mass reach and credibility, we have steadily increased investment in digital with performance-led campaigns,” he explained. “Regionally tailored ad films enhance cultural relevance, while experiential marketing and showroom events reinforce trust and emotional connection locally.”

Kalyanaraman shared that digital isn’t replacing traditional media, it’s amplifying it. “Wedding jewellery is a high-value, once-in-a-lifetime purchase,” he said. “Authenticity and trust matter far more than reach.”

As brands balance reach with resonance, the screen where the story unfolds may have changed, but the emotional currency of weddings remains timeless.

Storytelling and category play

If media is the skeleton of a campaign, storytelling is the heartbeat, especially during weddings. From bridal jewellery to travel and décor, every category is reimagining how it narrates the celebration.

For Kalyanaraman, that narrative begins with craftsmanship and emotion. His brand’s wedding-season storytelling relies on celebrity ambassadors like Jhanvi Kapoor and Kriti Sanon, who embody modern-day bridal aspirations while highlighting the artistry behind each piece. “Our ambassadors act as storytellers,” he said, “showcasing the design and emotion behind each piece, while keeping the product as the true hero.”

Similarly, Joita Sen, Director and Head of Marketing & Designs at Senco Gold’s approach leans on what she calls a phygital strategy merging physical presence with digital engagement.

“The wedding season is naturally our biggest focus period, and each year, our marketing investments go up during these months to feed this peak demand,” Sen explained. “Recently, we’re seeing this split evolve as the digital vertical grows much faster. Social media, celebrity collaborations, and video-led storytelling allow us to connect directly with younger audiences, while TV and print continue to be important in Tier II and III cities.”

For both these brands, storytelling isn’t just advertising, it’s a trust-building exercise rooted in emotion, culture, and personal identity.

As storytelling grows more regional and data-driven, brands are also learning that one message rarely fits all, leading naturally into the next frontier of wedding marketing: localisation.

The power of local

Cultural relevance has become the most prized currency in the wedding economy. With more than half of India’s weddings now taking place outside metros, regional markets have become the real growth engines.

For Jadhav, this is where the wedding economy becomes a reflection of India itself, diverse, layered, and deeply personal. “The ‘shaadi wala ghar’ isn’t just a place,” she said, “it’s a feeling that captures the magic of togetherness.” Her point resonates with how brands are designing campaigns that don’t just sell products, but celebrate traditions and familial bonds in language and imagery that feel local.

Sen highlighted that regionalisation is the next big unlock. “Eastern India continues to be our heartland,” she said, “but over the last few years, we’ve seen strong traction from the North, South, and West as well. In newer markets, we invest more in awareness-driven campaigns and regional influencer partnerships, while in legacy markets we focus on reinforcing loyalty and trust through emotional storytelling.”

This local-first strategy highlights a key reality: India’s weddings may be global in aspiration, but their heart remains regional, and so must the media that surrounds them.

The wedding season today is no longer just a cluster of ceremonies; it’s a cultural and commercial festival shaping the nation’s advertising pulse. Budgets are swelling, media is skewing digital, and storytelling is finding new homes on reels, OTT platforms, and regional screens.

But amid all the data and dashboards, what still drives this season is emotion. Jadhav concluded, the real opportunity lies “in the many digital moments of discovery, planning, and anticipation.” That’s where love meets media, and where brands, if they’re lucky, get to join the celebration.