India, Nov. 20 -- With 46 lakh weddings in just 45 days, India is set for its biggest-ever wedding season - but are last-minute planners feeling the heat? Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), estimates 46 lakh weddings between November 1 and December 14, 2025. This wave of celebrations shows the scale of the frenzy - families who booked early for catering, planners, and bands are far better off, as event managers report unprecedented demand and 'registers ringing.' "We were getting queries for quite a few months now," says Sanjana Gupta, a marketing professional at Treat And Greet Planners, which operates pan-India. "Halat yeh hai ki banquet halls kam padh rahe hai people who booked in advance are secured in terms of getting apt services. There those who planned and have already started to book for March 2026. The numbers for short-time planning or instant deciders are surely up since last year's season ended this year. It's difficult to fit them in for the vendors." For those who planned ahead, the foresight has paid off. Vandana R Trivedi, an HR professional from Noida set to marry in December, emphasizes early planning. "My family, especially my brother, has been planning things since March. That's why we were able to have our venue and catering sorted. If we would have waited any longer, I know it would have created chaos. Many cautioned us against paying in advance, saying 'inte pehle se paisa mat phansaon' (don't block money so early), but this worked for us because costs have suddenly gone up. The appeal of planning a destination wedding early continues to rise, but last-minute planners face challenges. "Destination booking is a different ball game, as you go away from your city and set up the entire lavish affair, so planning has to happen much earlier; instant arrangements is quite difficult," explains Rahul Sharma, director for sales at Destination Wedding Bharat, Delhi. "We have been booked in advance at our two main properties-Jim Corbett and Manali-for a minimum of 200 guests much in earlier in the year. We are sold out for November and December. Same-date clashes are unavoidable, and prices go up every year, so advance booking helps manage your budget," says Sharma. He also notes the impact of auspicious timings (Shubh Mahurat): "Mahurat does bring in more calls. From Delhi alone, I get 50-60 queries every day from August-September onwards." Catering services are heavily reliant on advance bookings, operating on a first-come, first-served basis. "See, we need to close the deals," says Rajesh Aswal, owner of Get Your Menu, based in Delhi-NCR. "Gathering size is typically 400-500. Prices have gone up as raw material costs have increased." Current rates: mixed menu (70:30 non-veg and veg) priced at Rs.2,500 per plate, a pure-veg at Rs.2,300 per plate, both with taxes. "Bookings are mainly for mixed gatherings, but trust me, venues are all booked well in advance, it's chaotic for the instant arrivals". "Banquet vendors sometimes host two weddings a day on auspicious dates. People are ready to spend rather than cut budgets, unlike before," says Mumbai entrepreneur, Rudra Singh, preparing his son's and daughter's weddings on the same day. "My daughter's wedding was planned last year, but my son's date was fixed in October." The wedding music scene is shifting, with couples opting for live pop bands over traditional ensembles. Abhishek Varadarajan, lead vocalist-guitarist of Chennai-based six-member band Vihara, notes the trend. "People are embracing pop live bands, like in the West, and we get playlists in advance, couples are booking us early to avoid last-minute chaos." Large traditional setups are tough. Ram Naval Chaurasia from the OG wedding band, Rajdhani Band, says, "With 40-50 members, we can usually take only one wedding a day, on auspicious mahurats."...