5 millennial wedding trends to keep an eye on in 2022

The lockdowns that followed the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic were a big blow to those who had their wedding planned and pre-bookings done in those dates but it was a bigger shock for those fond of the traditional big-fat Indian weddings. While innumerable wedding functions were pushed for later and delayed to when the coronavirus would subside, couples eventually gave in to the concept of only 50-200 people making it to the wedding as per the protocols given that the pandemic raged on.

Three months into the New Year 2022, all of us are hoping for a fresh start after facing the financial, emotional and mental brunt of the pandemic apart from the physical. As we enter the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, the concept of a dream wedding has been redefined even though the lockdowns and travel restrictions have now been lifted.

Given our recent brush with the uncertainties that even gripped the wedding ecosystem, couples are now opting for new-age wedding formats like shift weddings where guests are invited in batches or hybrid/intimate weddings, while a major chunk is waiting for the Covid-19 wave to settle in to celebrate their wedding in the traditional big-fat Indian wedding format.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Anam Zubair, Associate Director of Marketing at WeddingWire India (a part of The Knot Worldwide) shared, “It’s true that this pandemic has redefined the concept of a dream wedding. It’s no longer just about scrumptious menus, flashy decors, and extravaganza events, rather it’s about thoughtfulness, personalization and celebrating with loved ones.”

She added, “In my opinion, millennial couples have a huge role to play in redefining this new wave of Indian weddings. Their inclusive nature and thoughtfulness have transformed how weddings are perceived in India. Adding to that, their convenience and comfort opting nature has opened gates for technological innovations. Due to these factors, we’ve witnessed trends like non-saaya weddings, sustainable weddings or even metaverse weddings pick up. In my opinion, 2022 will transform the wedding industry even further.”

She listed 5 millennial wedding trends to keep an eye on in 2022 as they are anticipated to take place this year:

1. WedTech driven weddings-

Pandemic revolutionised the way Indians experience weddings and the process of wedding planning, with the rise of WedTech being at the core of this experience. With WedTech, couples and families realised that they can do everything online at one place- from selecting wedding invitations, finalising mehendi wala to shortlisting venues, all at one place, which in turn made them realise that they can significantly reduce time and effort required in the planning process.

This trend particularly picked up among young millennial couples. As per an analysis done in 2020, there were around 250K -300K couples in India that were using the internet to find wedding vendors at that time. Now with the pandemic coming into the picture, the number has only increased further. 2022 will be a defining year for the WedTech industry.

2. Hybrid/New format weddings-

Weddings, big or intimate, are once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. However, in pandemic times, the current choice seems to have shifted from big fat events to various smaller versions, from grand physical weddings to hybrid weddings, keeping everyone’s safety as the utmost priority. Hybrid weddings essentially combine in-person and virtual elements. It helps couples and families follow the social distancing guidelines while organising the wedding of their dreams with their loved ones being present.

From setting up live streaming to having food delivered to guests who are attending remotely, weddings with a mix of in-person and virtual celebrations are currently in trend, we will witness some more of this trend in the near future as well. However, nothing can replace big-fat weddings in India and the majority of the population will still opt for it but currently, the concept has come down to small, personal and intimate weddings, keeping the restrictions and all the safety precautions in mind.

3. Personalisations and customisations –

Since the last decade, we’ve witnessed that personalisation has become pivotal to weddings. With each passing day, the number of couples opting for personalized decor, hashtags or rituals are increasing. As we step into 2022, this is only going to increase further. Especially the hashtag trend. It has been soaring in the social media-driven world and has almost become a wedding ritual these days. 

Newlyweds-to-be are flooding social media with so many of these tags. Some are even hiring pros to make sure their nuptial codes stand apart. The statistics validate the same- our community admins created more than 40,000 exclusive hashtags for 2800 couples in 2021 along with customizations. 

4. Vicination weddings (destination weddings in the vicinity)-

Destination weddings have become extremely popular over the past several years. Some of the popular destinations are Jaipur, Udaipur, Mussoorie, Agra and Lonavala. An interesting trend related to destination weddings is Vicination weddings- destination weddings in the vicinity. It has witnessed a significant uptick since the pandemic. The biggest driving factor is the imposed travel restrictions and safety precautions. For instance, a couple residing in Mumbai might opt for a wedding in Goa or Lonavla. Similarly, a couple residing in Delhi might opt for a destination wedding in Rishikesh or Jaipur, basically locations that can be easily travelled to.

Owing to this trend, tourist locations that fall in the proximity of Metro and Tier-1 cities are gaining traction. In order to experience everything, a destination has to offer, hiring locally based wedding service providers is a must. The location you choose is not just about the sights but also about the services available in that place — this will bring a beautiful and important cultural element to the event.

5. Sustainability at the core-

When we talk about weddings or big-fat Indian celebrations this year, couples are keeping sustainability at the top of their priority list. Millennial couples are at the forefront of driving this change towards sustainability. They’ve themselves become more conscious of their lifestyle choices and they also urge their families and friends to do so. This year the priority on sustainable fashion is high as well and that’s not just for designers but also for consumers. This is redefining post-pandemic wedding fashion trends as there is a drastic shift in sartorial choices for the bride and groom. Instead of building a limited wardrobe by opting for traditional heavy attire, they are now choosing sustainable clothing which is multipurpose and a smart investment.

Apart from fashion, sustainability is also changing a few other wedding trends slowly and gradually. For instance, it is driving the demand for E-invites or seed paper invites and customized wedding websites and giving couples an option to limit paper consumption or reuse it sustainably. Therefore, to avoid the relentless waste of plastic and paper that comes along with printed wedding invites, couples are increasingly opting for new-age wedding invites.

Anam Zubair highlighted, “If the pandemic taught us anything, weddings aren’t all about social obligations anymore — they’re now a time for celebrating the love you have for each other but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with it! In India, weddings are like a festival with all the loved ones coming together, where one can explore many different things and trends which keep evolving as the year passes and bring some new aspects to it.”