What Wedding Budgets Say About Love and Family Values Who Pays for the Wedding Now?

In Indian culture, weddings have never been just about two people. They are layered, multi-generational events, part celebration, ceremony, and community theatre. They’re where families gather, stories are told, blessings are exchanged, and emotions run deep. And yet, under all the beauty and grandeur, there has always been a quiet, complicated question: who pays for what?

Recognise The Shift In The Wedding Paradigm

No longer is marriage something orchestrated entirely by elders, where the couple enters after most of the big decisions are made. Today’s couples, particularly Gen Z, are present from the beginning. From choosing whom to marry to where, how, and why, they are active participants. And rightly so. This shift has brought something else with it: the courage to have open, often uncomfortable, but essential conversations, especially around finances. 

Begin With A Vision, Not A Bill 

Before asking who’s contributing what, it’s more powerful to ask: what do we want this wedding to feel like? Not look like — feel like. Is it about intimacy, elegance, community, or cultural tradition? Is sustainability a priority? Do they want grandeur, or meaning, or both? This conversation creates alignment. It invites mindfulness. And most importantly, it gives the couple a shared language to then engage with their families, not with demands but with clarity instead.

Navigate Family Conversation With Grace

Indian parents are generous — often to a fault. Many dream of their child’s wedding for decades, sometimes even saving quietly behind the scenes. But while their intentions are noble, their expectations may be unspoken. This is where transparency becomes a gift. Start early. Approach the conversation with respect. Acknowledge the emotion behind the gesture before discussing the logistics. Say things like: “We’d love to know how you envision your role in the wedding — financially and otherwise.” Or: “We want this to feel like a celebration of all of us — and would love to explore together how we might each contribute in ways that feel right.” When approached with empathy, financial conversations become less about spreadsheets and more about shared ownership. 

Create A Unique Model For Contribution

In modern weddings, there is no single formula. Some couples choose to fund the wedding themselves, while others receive generous support from one or both families. Some divide costs by function, reception, décor, and food, while others base it on who feels connected to a particular aspect. What matters most is intentionality. When each party is clear about what they’re offering, whether it’s money, time, or energy, it prevents resentment and nurtures trust. 

View The Celebration As A Reflection

The truth is, weddings have always been mirrors of the family, of the culture, and now more than ever, of the couple’s values. And so the way a couple manages money, expectations, and collaboration in this season can be a quiet preview of their marriage itself. For couples stepping into a lifetime together, this is a foundational moment. How a couple navigates this conversation with each other and with their families sets the tone for how they’ll navigate everything else: careers, children, shared responsibilities, and even conflict. Kindness in difficult conversations. Clarity in the face of complexity. Grace under pressure. These are not just wedding planning skills, they are life skills. 

Embrace The New Tradition

Perhaps the most beautiful thing about this new era of Indian weddings is that we’re no longer bound by what should be done, but free to explore what feels right for us. If we can approach these conversations not with fear or formality, but with honesty and love, then something incredible happens. Weddings stop being financial performances and start becoming the sacred unions they were always meant to be, not just of two people, but of intentions, values, and futures.   

Priti Rathi Gupta is the founder of LXME, India’s first financial platform designed especially for women. With over two decades of experience, the Harvard Business School alumnus champions financial freedom and equitable access to wealth for women.

This story appears in Manifest India’s Issue 03. Subscribe here for more stories like this.