Want A Dream Wedding In 2026? Here’s How To Build Your Fund Before It’s Too Late

Last Updated:December 01, 2025, 08:20 IST

If you plan to get married in 12 months, build a strong safety net. A sensible mix is 70-80% in safe assets like FDs, emergency reserves, with 20-30% in equities, an expert said

The business of Indian weddings is growing at a pace faster than inflation. Even a modest wedding today costs between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, while mid-scale celebrations in metro cities easily stretch beyond Rs 25 lakh. Destination weddings, pre-wedding events, premium photography, décor, and jewellery often take the cost to Rs 40 lakh or more.

If you are planning to get married in early, mid-, or late 2026, you have between six and 12 months to plan your finances. That is not a long time, but with the right strategy, it is possible to create a wedding fund without jeopardising your long-term savings. Here’s what you should know.

First Step: Estimate Your Wedding Budget

Financial planning for a wedding should begin just like planning for a goal, such as buying a house or pursuing higher education. The first step is understanding the approximate costs involved. Venue and catering account for the largest portion of the budget. Clothing, make-up, photography, travel, décor, and jewellery are next. Honeymoon plans and miscellaneous family expenses add further pressure. Once you account for these, fix a rough budget and identify how much of it you already have. The remaining gap becomes your investment target.

“Marriage marks a new financial chapter—one that requires structure, discipline, and a shared vision. While couples often focus intensely on wedding expenses, the real priority should be building and protecting wealth after marriage. The first year sets the foundation for long-term financial strength,” said Narender Agarwal, CEO, Wealth1 (PMS & AIF Investments).

Why Time Horizon Matters For Investment Choice

Unlike retirement planning, where you can take risks over longer periods, wedding planning requires capital safety, liquidity, and stable returns. If your wedding is a year or more away, you can look at short-term debt mutual funds, recurring deposits, fixed deposits, or gold mutual funds. These options provide moderate returns with relatively low volatility.

“For those planning to marry within the next 12 months, it is wise to build a strong safety net before looking at aggressive returns. A sensible starting mix is 70-80% in safe assets like fixed deposits, emergency reserves, and short-duration debt funds, with 20-30% allocated to equities for long-term compounding. This balance provides stability for early married life while ensuring wealth creation begins immediately,” advised Agarwal.

But if your timeline is shorter than nine months, you should focus on safety over return. Ultra-short-term debt funds, high-interest fixed deposits, and liquid mutual funds are safer choices as they protect capital while offering slightly better returns than traditional savings accounts.

If your wedding is less than six months away, liquidity becomes most important. In such cases, it is best to stay with fixed deposits, high-yield savings accounts, or sweep-in accounts. These options offer immediate access to funds and ensure that the money is not exposed to market risks.

Should You Invest In Gold?

Jewellery is a major expense for most Indian weddings, but buying gold too early comes with storage risks, making charges, and concerns about design trends changing. Instead of purchasing physical gold in advance, investors increasingly use gold mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. These allow people to accumulate the value of gold without actually holding it.

One can redeem the investment as the wedding date approaches and purchase the jewellery as per the final designs and prices. This approach avoids making charges, ensures purity, and avoids the risk of theft or storage loss. It also allows the money to benefit from any gold price appreciation in the interim.

Understanding Wedding Inflation

Wedding-related inflation moves faster than general inflation. Venue rentals, décor, photography, and destination wedding services have risen by almost 10 to 15% annually in major cities. In many cases, booking a venue early saves more money than investing the same amount for a short period. If your wedding is in late 2025 or 2026, booking key vendors early — venue, photographers, décor planners, and make-up artists — may help you beat inflation better than any financial instrument. Securing early rates effectively acts as a form of financial planning.

Wedding Insurance: A Growing Concept

While rare in India, wedding insurance is slowly being considered for big-budget and destination weddings. Such insurance covers last-minute cancellations due to weather disruptions, strikes, vendor default, accidents involving the bride or groom, and property damage. Premiums vary based on event size, guest count, and coverage limit.

In cities where wedding costs exceed Rs 25 lakh, insurance offers reasonable protection against unpredictable disruptions. Although not yet common, it is slowly gaining attention among urban families and wedding planners.

Couples Sharing Wedding Costs

There is a gradual shift in how Indian weddings are financed. Increasingly, working professionals in metro cities share wedding expenses, reducing the financial burden on families. Couples are choosing to build joint wedding funds, contributing equally based on income levels. Some corporate employees even start disciplined wedding SIPs or recurring deposits soon after the engagement. For many, it is also the beginning of financial compatibility in the relationship. Financial planners note that couples who plan their wedding funds together are also more likely to start their married lives with better financial discipline.

Newly married couples should avoid “unnecessary expenditure, especially in the first few years. Lifestyle inflation—upgrading homes, gadgets, vacations, or impulsive purchases—can silently derail wealth-building efforts. Controlling discretionary spending and prioritising savings can accelerate financial independence,” cautioned Agarwal.

What Not To Do

Since the wedding timeline is short, financial experts strongly advise against using equity-based SIPs, index funds, crypto, or real estate. These are volatile and unsuitable for goals that are less than two years away.

“Equity SIPs are excellent, but only for goals beyond three to five years, such as buying a home or building long-term assets. For near-term needs, stability should always outweigh return-chasing. Gold can act as a hedge, debt provides consistency, and equity delivers growth,” said Agarwal.

Dipping into long-term savings such as EPF, PPF, or retirement mutual funds can also be damaging as it disrupts compounding. Financial planners recommend keeping wedding funds entirely separate from emergency funds or home-buying savings.

After The Wedding: Keep Savings Intact

Many people exhaust their funds during wedding planning without thinking about post-wedding financial needs. This often leads to debt and months of financial stress. Experts say the real success of wedding budgeting is when you do not need to rebuild your finances after the ceremony.

To ensure this, it is essential to keep a separate emergency fund untouched and build a joint savings fund soon after marriage for future goals such as house purchase, vacations, or child planning.

“Another mistake couples make is postponing investments until ‘life settles’. True wealth is built when saving and investing become habits, not afterthoughts. The strongest approach is collaborative: set joint goals, maintain transparency, and divide responsibilities clearly,” explained Agarwal.

What To Conclude

In India, weddings are not just social events — they are financial milestones. While families traditionally manage most expenses, today’s working couples are looking for smarter, planned, and debt-free ways to fund their celebrations. The key is not about chasing high returns but ensuring certainty, stability, and liquidity. A wedding date is fixed. Your financial plan should, too.

“Marriage is a partnership of values, and wealth is one of them. With discipline, safety, and structured investing, couples can build a financially secure and fulfilling future together,” said Agarwal.

Shilpy Bisht

Shilpy Bisht is a News Editor at News18, where she leads the English App operations. She writes on world affairs, health, AI, career, business, and issues affecting women and children. A former print journalist…Read More

Shilpy Bisht is a News Editor at News18, where she leads the English App operations. She writes on world affairs, health, AI, career, business, and issues affecting women and children. A former print journalist… Read More

If you are planning to get married in early, mid-, or late 2026, you have between six and 12 months to plan your finances. That is not a long time, but with the right strategy, it is possible to create a wedding fund without jeopardising your long-term savings. Here’s what you should know.

First Step: Estimate Your Wedding Budget

Financial planning for a wedding should begin just like planning for a goal, such as buying a house or pursuing higher education. The first step is understanding the approximate costs involved. Venue and catering account for the largest portion of the budget. Clothing, make-up, photography, travel, décor, and jewellery are next. Honeymoon plans and miscellaneous family expenses add further pressure. Once you account for these, fix a rough budget and identify how much of it you already have. The remaining gap becomes your investment target.

“Marriage marks a new financial chapter—one that requires structure, discipline, and a shared vision. While couples often focus intensely on wedding expenses, the real priority should be building and protecting wealth after marriage. The first year sets the foundation for long-term financial strength,” said Narender Agarwal, CEO, Wealth1 (PMS & AIF Investments).

Why Time Horizon Matters For Investment Choice

Unlike retirement planning, where you can take risks over longer periods, wedding planning requires capital safety, liquidity, and stable returns. If your wedding is a year or more away, you can look at short-term debt mutual funds, recurring deposits, fixed deposits, or gold mutual funds. These options provide moderate returns with relatively low volatility.

“For those planning to marry within the next 12 months, it is wise to build a strong safety net before looking at aggressive returns. A sensible starting mix is 70-80% in safe assets like fixed deposits, emergency reserves, and short-duration debt funds, with 20-30% allocated to equities for long-term compounding. This balance provides stability for early married life while ensuring wealth creation begins immediately,” advised Agarwal.

But if your timeline is shorter than nine months, you should focus on safety over return. Ultra-short-term debt funds, high-interest fixed deposits, and liquid mutual funds are safer choices as they protect capital while offering slightly better returns than traditional savings accounts.

If your wedding is less than six months away, liquidity becomes most important. In such cases, it is best to stay with fixed deposits, high-yield savings accounts, or sweep-in accounts. These options offer immediate access to funds and ensure that the money is not exposed to market risks.

Should You Invest In Gold?

Jewellery is a major expense for most Indian weddings, but buying gold too early comes with storage risks, making charges, and concerns about design trends changing. Instead of purchasing physical gold in advance, investors increasingly use gold mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. These allow people to accumulate the value of gold without actually holding it.

One can redeem the investment as the wedding date approaches and purchase the jewellery as per the final designs and prices. This approach avoids making charges, ensures purity, and avoids the risk of theft or storage loss. It also allows the money to benefit from any gold price appreciation in the interim.

Understanding Wedding Inflation

Wedding-related inflation moves faster than general inflation. Venue rentals, décor, photography, and destination wedding services have risen by almost 10 to 15% annually in major cities. In many cases, booking a venue early saves more money than investing the same amount for a short period. If your wedding is in late 2025 or 2026, booking key vendors early — venue, photographers, décor planners, and make-up artists — may help you beat inflation better than any financial instrument. Securing early rates effectively acts as a form of financial planning.

Wedding Insurance: A Growing Concept

While rare in India, wedding insurance is slowly being considered for big-budget and destination weddings. Such insurance covers last-minute cancellations due to weather disruptions, strikes, vendor default, accidents involving the bride or groom, and property damage. Premiums vary based on event size, guest count, and coverage limit.

In cities where wedding costs exceed Rs 25 lakh, insurance offers reasonable protection against unpredictable disruptions. Although not yet common, it is slowly gaining attention among urban families and wedding planners.

Couples Sharing Wedding Costs

There is a gradual shift in how Indian weddings are financed. Increasingly, working professionals in metro cities share wedding expenses, reducing the financial burden on families. Couples are choosing to build joint wedding funds, contributing equally based on income levels. Some corporate employees even start disciplined wedding SIPs or recurring deposits soon after the engagement. For many, it is also the beginning of financial compatibility in the relationship. Financial planners note that couples who plan their wedding funds together are also more likely to start their married lives with better financial discipline.

Newly married couples should avoid “unnecessary expenditure, especially in the first few years. Lifestyle inflation—upgrading homes, gadgets, vacations, or impulsive purchases—can silently derail wealth-building efforts. Controlling discretionary spending and prioritising savings can accelerate financial independence,” cautioned Agarwal.

What Not To Do

Since the wedding timeline is short, financial experts strongly advise against using equity-based SIPs, index funds, crypto, or real estate. These are volatile and unsuitable for goals that are less than two years away.

“Equity SIPs are excellent, but only for goals beyond three to five years, such as buying a home or building long-term assets. For near-term needs, stability should always outweigh return-chasing. Gold can act as a hedge, debt provides consistency, and equity delivers growth,” said Agarwal.

Dipping into long-term savings such as EPF, PPF, or retirement mutual funds can also be damaging as it disrupts compounding. Financial planners recommend keeping wedding funds entirely separate from emergency funds or home-buying savings.

After The Wedding: Keep Savings Intact

Many people exhaust their funds during wedding planning without thinking about post-wedding financial needs. This often leads to debt and months of financial stress. Experts say the real success of wedding budgeting is when you do not need to rebuild your finances after the ceremony.

To ensure this, it is essential to keep a separate emergency fund untouched and build a joint savings fund soon after marriage for future goals such as house purchase, vacations, or child planning.

“Another mistake couples make is postponing investments until ‘life settles’. True wealth is built when saving and investing become habits, not afterthoughts. The strongest approach is collaborative: set joint goals, maintain transparency, and divide responsibilities clearly,” explained Agarwal.

What To Conclude

In India, weddings are not just social events — they are financial milestones. While families traditionally manage most expenses, today’s working couples are looking for smarter, planned, and debt-free ways to fund their celebrations. The key is not about chasing high returns but ensuring certainty, stability, and liquidity. A wedding date is fixed. Your financial plan should, too.

“Marriage is a partnership of values, and wealth is one of them. With discipline, safety, and structured investing, couples can build a financially secure and fulfilling future together,” said Agarwal.

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