Abstract
The emergence of social networking sites (SNS) has redefined how Indian weddings are conceptualized, curated, and consumed. This study examines the transformative impact of SNS content—specifically from platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube—on shaping consumer perceptions of wedding trends, products, and services within the Indian matrimonial context. Anchored in a qualitative research design, the study involved semi-structured interviews with 30 participants, including brides, grooms, wedding planners, and wedding service vendors across urban India. The analysis revealed three dominant themes: (1) digitally-driven aspiration building, where users formed idealized visions of weddings based on visual content and influencer narratives; (2) platform-mediated consumer behavior, where algorithm-curated trends and peer-generated content increasingly influenced decision-making processes regarding décor, attire, photography, and venues; and (3) the rise of performative wedding culture, wherein social comparison and online validation reshaped how consumers evaluated the ‘success’ of a wedding experience. Participants expressed both empowerment—due to access to inspiration and resources—and pressure, due to heightened expectations fueled by SNS aesthetics. The study contributes to consumer culture theory by contextualizing the wedding economy within the digital attention economy. It highlights how traditional rituals are being reimagined in the era of curated digital storytelling. The findings have implications for marketing professionals, sociologists, and cultural anthropologists interested in the intersection of tradition, technology, and consumer identity.
KEYWORDS
Social Networking Sites (SNS), Urban India, Consumer Behavior, Decision Making, Digital Platforms, Wedding Planners.
Harsh Singh
Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies, Engineering College, Ajmer-305024, Rajasthan, India