Luxury weddings are embracing a new essential guest: wedding content creators. The Insta Shaadi founders Antoinette D’Souza and Darshan Suratwala lead this shift, crafting social-first, real-time storytelling that complements traditional photography. By capturing candid emotions, behind-the-scenes moments and destination-specific details, they help couples relive their celebrations instantly while balancing privacy, personalisation and premium aesthetics.
Luxury weddings have always been the first to embrace what’s next. From personalised favours and immersive guest experiences to AI-powered invitations and trousseau blinging with couture, every season brings a new trend. Lately, one addition has quietly become a staple on the guest list — wedding content creators.
Unlike photographers and cinematographers who create timeless keepsakes, wedding content creators document the celebrations as they unfold, capturing candid moments, behind-the-scenes emotions and social-first content that can be relived almost instantly. It is no longer just about preserving memories. It is about experiencing them in real time.
Among the names leading this growing movement in India and internationally are Antoinette D’Souza and Darshan Suratwala, founders of The Insta Shaadi. Having documented over 100 luxury celebrations across destinations ranging from Thailand and Dubai to London and Mexico, the duo has helped redefine how modern couples tell their wedding story. In conversation with Manifest, they discuss why wedding content creators have become indispensable, what goes on behind the scenes, and where the industry is headed next.
Manifest: Wedding content creators have gone from being a niche service to almost a must-have at luxury weddings. When did you first notice this shift, and what do you think is driving this demand?
Antoinette: We noticed the shift when couples realised weddings had become experiences they wanted to relive and share instantly, rather than just memories preserved for years later. Social media changed the way people document milestones, and there was a clear gap between traditional wedding films and real-time storytelling.
Today’s couples want authentic moments, guest reactions, behind-the-scenes snippets and all the little details that make their celebration unique. At luxury weddings especially, every event is deeply personal, so naturally they want content that reflects their personality rather than a generic highlight reel.
M: Many couples now hire wedding content creators alongside photographers and cinematographers. How do you explain the difference?
Darshan: Photographers and cinematographers create timeless visual memories, while our role is to capture the feeling of being at the wedding as it unfolds.
We focus on social-first storytelling, documenting the excitement, laughter, emotions and candid moments in a way that feels natural and instantly shareable. Every wedding is different, so we spend time understanding the couple’s personality, family dynamics and aesthetic. Our aim is to create content that feels premium, effortless and true to them.
M: Walk us through your role during a wedding.
A: Our work begins well before the first function. We spend time understanding the couple’s vision, personalities and the mood they want their wedding content to have.
During the celebrations, we’re constantly moving behind the scenes, capturing moments discreetly in formats designed for Instagram and digital storytelling. For many of our luxury clients, privacy is equally important, so a large part of the content is often shared only with close family or through private accounts.
M: One of the biggest USPs of wedding content creators is the quick turnaround. How do you manage that?
D: It comes down to preparation and experience. We’re constantly identifying moments that will resonate emotionally while keeping social media in mind.
Shooting on phones also helps us work naturally without disrupting the flow of the celebrations. That allows us to edit and deliver content while the emotions are still fresh.
M: What kinds of weddings do you cover today? Have destination weddings changed your storytelling?
A: We primarily work on luxury and destination weddings, and every location brings a different personality to the story.
D: We’ve documented celebrations across Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, Singapore, Dubai, Doha, London, Mexico, Egypt, Azerbaijan and several other destinations. Whether it’s a palace in India or a beach in Thailand, our storytelling always adapts to the destination so the content feels rooted in that experience rather than simply showcasing beautiful visuals.
M: Some couples even hand over access to their Instagram accounts during the wedding weekend. Is that becoming more common?
D: Yes, although it depends entirely on the client. Some couples want their celebrations to unfold online in real time, while others, especially HNI families, prioritise privacy.
Luxury today is just as much about controlling what you share as it is about sharing it. Some of our best work never reaches the public because it is created exclusively for the couple and their loved ones.
M: What kind of budget should couples realistically expect when hiring a wedding content creator?
A: Every wedding is customised, so budgets vary depending on the number of events, team size, content requirements and privacy expectations.
Luxury wedding content creation goes far beyond simply covering events. It’s about creating a storytelling experience that’s tailored to each couple’s journey.
M: Tell us about one of your most memorable projects.
D: We’ve been fortunate to document some incredible celebrations, including weddings at Adiyogi in Coimbatore, Vantara in Jamnagar, the historic Birla House and even a spectacular sangeet at Warner Bros. Abu Dhabi.
But one of our favourite memories happened completely by chance. We met a local Thai couple during their pre-wedding shoot in Bangkok and, despite the language barrier, convinced them to let us create content for them. It reminded us that storytelling goes beyond weddings. It’s really about capturing human connection.
M: The Insta Shaadi has become one of the most recognisable names in this space. Tell us about the journey.
A: We started The Insta Shaadi because we saw a clear gap in the industry. Couples wanted instant, personalised and social-first storytelling that traditional wedding formats weren’t designed to deliver.
D: Today, we’ve documented over 100 weddings across India and internationally, and were recently recognised on the DWP Powerlist in Macau as one of the world’s top wedding content creators. Through it all, our philosophy has remained the same. The most memorable moments aren’t always the perfectly staged ones. They’re the quiet conversations, happy tears, nervous smiles and everything that happens in between.
M: Looking ahead, where do you see wedding content creation heading?
D: The future is only becoming more personal. Couples are moving away from overly curated content and gravitating towards stories that genuinely reflect who they are.
For us, wedding content has never been about showing what a celebration looked like. It’s about preserving how it felt, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.