Marriage is the union of two souls; temples are the union of man with the divine. When these two meet, heritage is not only preserved but reborn. This evocative idea set the tone for the opening session “Sacred Backdrops, Soulful Vows” at the International Congress for Wedding Futures (ICWF) 2025, Asia’s largest and most influential congregation for the global wedding fraternity.
The three-day convention - a premier, authoritative think-tank for the business of weddings for over a decade - brought together visionaries, policy advocates, and creative leaders to reimagine the future of weddings in India. The inaugural panel featured stalwarts including Shri Giresh Vasudev Kulkarni, Founder of Temple Connect and ITCX (International Temples Convention & EXPO); Shri Chetan Vohra, Co-Founder of Wedding Line; Tanuja Pandey, Advisor & Steering Committee Member, Department of Tourism, Maharashtra; and Rakhi Kankariya, Rachnostav Weddings. The conversation was moderated by Roshan Abbas.
Shri Kulkarni used the platform to encourage the fraternity to embrace temple towns as soulful and culturally rooted wedding destinations. “My pitch at ICWF 2025 was simple: Make temple towns epicentres for sustainable and spiritual wedding experiences. Not just me, but statistics also show that Millennials and Gen Z couples are increasingly drawn to temples for their weddings, seeking something inherently meaningful. While European castles sell history, Indian temples embody both history and spirituality,” he said.
His message struck a powerful chord with the industry, particularly as it aligns seamlessly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “Wed in India.” Shri Kulkarni further emphasized the enormous economic opportunity that lies in temple-town weddings. “The domestic tourism and hospitality sectors stand to benefit immensely - from hotels and logistics to local municipal bodies. But this movement requires new infrastructure that balances tradition with modern convenience,” he added.
The panel echoed his view, spotlighting temples as guardians of India’s cultural and spiritual heritage while offering untapped potential for authentic luxury wedding experiences.
ICWF’s Legacy and Leadership
For over a decade, ICWF has been at the forefront of organizing and streamlining the global wedding business, operating as the premier think-tank and authoritative voice of the industry. Its role has gone beyond convening conversations, actively shaping discourse around policy, sustainability, and innovation in weddings.
At the heart of this transformative journey is Samit Garg, Co-founder of ICWF and President of the Events and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA). Garg’s vision and advocacy have been instrumental in steering ICWF as the forum where culture, commerce, and policy converge. His push for enabling policies - including the opening up of temple economies and temple complexes as sanctified yet modern venues for wedding rituals and ceremonies - has paved the way for conversations such as the one that unfolded at ICWF 2025.
Speaking about the movement, Garg noted, “The wedding industry in India is not just about scale or grandeur. It is about rooting the biggest celebration of our lives in cultural authenticity, while also opening new avenues for tourism, hospitality, and heritage preservation. Temple weddings are not merely about a sacred backdrop; they can become the very symbol of India’s soft power in the world.”
A Defining Moment for “Wed in India”
The session underscored how, in a world obsessed with palaces and castles abroad, India’s temples - with their blessings, heritage, and spiritual resonance - can emerge as the ultimate venues for soulful weddings. The resounding response from the wedding fraternity at ICWF 2025 reaffirmed that this is not just a trend but a movement waiting to redefine India’s cultural and economic landscape.
As ICWF continues to shape the future of the wedding industry, temple towns are poised to stand as epicentres of heritage-led, sustainable, and spiritually rich celebrations - where unions transcend into alignments with tradition, community, and the divine.
