Wedding trends 2025: What's hot and what's not in the new era of celebrations

Wedding celebrations are becoming more personal, engaging and interactive; shifting away from passive celebrations. Check out the top trends for 2025.

Wedding trends have constantly evolved over time, from the way celebrations are hosted to the choice of venues, reflecting changing preferences and values. A wedding is intimate and personal, never truly following a familiar script, always evolving with trends. As a major milestone, it’s only natural for couples to want every detail to feel fresh, relevant, and up-to-date.

Wedding trends show a shift towards personalised, engaging celebrations.(Pexels)

In an interview with HT, Anjali Tolani, Vice President, Weddings at Tamarind, shared the current wedding trends. She said, “The wedding landscape is evolving, with couples looking for fresh, personalized experiences that break away from conventional norms. Modern weddings are becoming more meaningful and reflective of personal stories and values.”

Couples are putting aside the dazzling grandeur and embracing trends which are more personal and immersive.

Anjali Tolani shared in-depth more on what all trends are in and gone. She explained each of the trends and how they are unique in comparison to the outdated trends. Along with this, Anjali also shared sample scenarios to better explain the trends.

Here are the trends she shared:

IN: The 24-Hour Wedding Experience
OUT: Single-Day Weddings

Weddings are no longer confined to a single day of festivities and have expanded into full-fledged experiences that span across an entire day or even a weekend. Couples are opting for various events that combine leisure with celebration and bonding.

A sample wedding itinerary could look like: Morning wellness retreats, afternoon cultural immersions and late-night dance parties. Such an approach allows couples and their guests to savour every moment without the rush and that makes the experience more relaxed and enjoyable. The 24-hour wedding concept allows guests to truly connect and engage themselves in the joyous occasion.

IN: Immersive multi-sensory experiences
OUT: Standard themed décor

Today’s couples are looking for wedding settings that engage all the senses. Weddings are now designed to reflect the duo’s love story, where elements like ambient lighting, fragrance-infused spaces and tactile textures work in harmony. Whether it’s using music to set different moods throughout the day or incorporating scent branding that ties into the couple’s journey, multi-sensory experiences are redefining wedding aesthetics. This method ensures that every guest feels connected to the celebration on a personal level.

IN: Unconventional wedding venues
OUT: Luxury hotels and banquet halls

Luxury hotels and banquet halls are making way for more unconventional and unique wedding venues. Couples today scout for locations that align with their personality and offer distinctive experiences. Be it heritage forts, rustic barns to vineyards, private estates or beachfront villas, the choice of venue is becoming an extension of the couple’s story. These locations enable more flexibility in terms of customization and help create an intimate yet visually striking atmosphere that stands out from the typical setting.

IN: Ethical and story-driven wedding return gifts

OUT: Generic goodie bags

Wedding return gifts are now becoming more thoughtful and personal, moving away from mass-produced generic gifts. Couples are choosing favours that hold sentimental value or reflect their values, such as locally sourced artisanal products, personalized keepsakes, eco-friendly alternatives and more.

Sustainable gifting options such as seed paper, handmade crafts and upcycled goods are gaining popularity as well, aligning with the growing trend of conscious consumerism. By opting for guests' gifts that tell a story and support local communities, couples can leave a lasting impression on their guests while making a positive impact.

IN: Interactive food and drink experiences

OUT: Standard buffets and plated dinners

Gone are the days when guests lined up for the same old buffets or were served traditional plated dinners. Couples now prefer interactive food and drink experiences that allow guests to engage with their meals in a more personalized way. Live culinary stations, curated tasting menus, DIY food bars and the like are replacing conventional catering setups, which add an element of excitement to the dining experience. Think artisanal cocktail bars, gourmet food trucks, customized dessert stations and more.

So to sum it up, based on Anjali Tolani's wedding trends breakdown, it appears that weddings are becoming more extended, without any feeling of being rushed. It lets the guests to fully enjoy the celebration. Along with this, weddings are o longer just about aesthetics; it’s about engaging all the senses through lighting and aesthetics to tell a compelling story. Interactivity also has a major share in the trends as weddings now feature interactive food and drink stations rather than passive, standard buffets. Modern weddings are all experience-driven.