Indian weddings have long been associated with grand celebrations, large gatherings and deep-rooted traditions. A Mint survey of urban India suggests that while lavish weddings remain popular, a growing section is turning more cost-conscious and questioning convention.
Gold and silver, once central to wedding customs, are gradually losing their hold. Nearly half of respondents said they are willing to skip precious metals altogether—either due to high prices or limited attachment to the tradition, according to the YouGov-Mint-CPR Millennial Survey. Among those who still consider them essential, more linked them to investment value (31%) than tradition alone (20%).
Income still shapes spending, but not always predictably. Richer respondents were more likely to favour expensive celebrations, yet southern India—despite higher per capita incomes in some states—showed a stronger tilt towards frugal weddings. Younger generations, meanwhile, were less inclined towards large traditional functions and more drawn to intimate destination weddings.
Around seven in 10 respondents said weddings should be funded with limited borrowing or no loans at all. The median wedding budget was ₹5 lakh, though nearly one in six respondents placed it at ₹20 lakh or more.
These findings are part of the 13th round of a survey conducted by Mint in association with YouGov India and the Centre for Policy Research. The survey was conducted in March-April 2026 across 10,022 adults in 207 towns and cities. Around 53% of respondents were Gen Z (born 1997–2008) and 34% were millennials (born 1981–1996).
How to fund a wedding
Wedding aspirations and spending priorities vary widely across generations, income groups and regions.
High earners (those earning above ₹1 lakh a month) were more likely to favour lavish weddings, with 72% expressing support, compared with 66% in lower income brackets. Within this group, preferences split between large traditional ceremonies with many guests (49%) and intimate destination weddings with fewer attendees (23%).
Their median expected wedding budget stood at ₹10 lakh, the highest across income groups. Nearly 32% said they were comfortable spending over ₹20 lakh. Among the lowest earners, the median budget was ₹2 lakh.
Higher incomes, however, do not always translate into cash-only funding. High earners were also more open to borrowing: 48% said they were fine with taking loans—from banks, family or friends—for weddings, viewing it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” expense, compared with 30% overall.
This points to a growing “marry now, pay later” mindset among affluent households, where loans and EMIs are seen less as financial strain and more as a convenient way to finance large expenses.
Youth has a fresh perspective
More than two-thirds of respondents said weddings should be somewhat lavish, a view broadly consistent across generations. The difference lies in how that lavishness is defined.
Gen Z showed a stronger preference for intimate destination weddings and a lower inclination towards large traditional ceremonies. Despite many still being early in their earning years, their median expected wedding budget was ₹4.9 lakh, broadly in line with other generations. This suggests younger respondents are not rejecting expensive weddings, but are instead reshaping them into more intimate and experience-led formats.
Among Gen Z, 26% preferred destination weddings, while 44% opted for large traditional ones. Among pre-millennials, the corresponding shares were 17% and 50%.
Gen Z respondents were also more cautious about borrowing. Nearly 75% preferred either avoiding loans or using them only for a small portion of expenses. However, more than 40% supported some borrowing, while 35% opposed it entirely. This indicates a preference for moderated debt rather than outright rejection of credit.
Millennials, in their peak earning years, were more comfortable with wedding-related borrowing. Pre-millennials were the most cautious, with 42% saying loans for weddings are unacceptable.
Different regions, different weddings
Wedding customs vary widely across India, and so do financial priorities and planning preferences.
Respondents in southern states showed a mix of grandeur and frugality—supporting both traditional and intimate destination weddings, while still reporting a relatively low median budget of ₹3 lakh. Western states were comparatively more inclined towards simpler weddings, with over 35% favouring them against 31% overall.
In contrast, respondents in northern and central India were the most willing to stretch budgets, with nearly one in five quoting ₹20 lakh or more, the highest share across regions.
The survey also suggests bullion may be losing some of its prominence in weddings. Overall, 49% of respondents said they are comfortable dropping gold from wedding ceremonies, a share that rises to 53% in southern India—reinforcing the region’s broader tilt toward lower-cost celebrations.
(This is the third part of a series based on the 13th round of the survey. The first part covered parenting trends, the second part was about changing family dynamics, and the next part will focus on investing and personal finance. Note that these surveys are skewed towards urban, well-to-do netizens, with 90% of respondents falling under the top category (“A”) of the socio-economic classification (ISEC) used in market research. Full methodology note here.)