Celeb weddings turn serious brand business

From influencers leading media strategy to an avalanche of brands enabling monetization, the celebrity wedding economy has grown more complex than ever before.

- Lata Jha

What began last decade as endorsements for wedding-wear brands by 'it' couples like actor Anushka Sharma and her husband Virat Kohli has now evolved into a layered commercial ecosystem. Staggered picture drops by celebrities getting married are only the tip of the iceberg. Influencer content, often appearing as organic 'fan accounts', sustains the buzz far longer.

Couples increasingly enter brand partnerships across fashion, jewellery, beauty and hospitality.

Couples increasingly enter brand partnerships across fashion, jewellery, beauty and hospitality—gaining visibility through outfits, venues and curated wedding imagery. The curated buzz is then leveraged to announce upcoming films or campaigns that ride the spike in social media attention.

Recent examples include the wedding of Telugu movie stars Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, followed by a campaign by wedding fashion brand Manyavar-Mohey starring them as brand ambassadors. Soon after, the actors announced a film titled Rana-bali, scheduled for release this September.

Industry experts say this wedding-marketing economy is here to stay and will help 'power couples' command even higher brand value after they are married.

“Celebrity weddings today are more high-attention cultural IP waiting to be monetized. The playbook is fairly clear and the money usually flows through distinct layers,” Megha Marwah, vice president-strategy at digital agency White Rivers Media said.