In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the country’s wedding and film industries will come together on a common business platform at WV Connect Season 4, Asia’s largest B2B wedding summit, scheduled from September 1 to 3, 2026, at Arth Resorts, Hyderabad.
This year’s summit will be held under the theme “Weddings & Films”, bringing together India’s ₹10-lakh-crore wedding economy and one of the country’s largest film ecosystems.
The three-day summit is expected to bring together more than 800 delegates from over 20 cities, including wedding planners, production designers, filmmakers, event companies, luxury hospitality brands, destination wedding specialists, photographers, decorators, cinematographers, choreographers, venue operators and technology providers.
Where Weddings Meet Cinema
The convergence comes from the growing similarities between the two industries. While weddings and films may appear to be different worlds, both are driven by storytelling, creativity, production and emotion.
Modern luxury weddings increasingly resemble large-scale film productions, featuring elaborate sets, lighting, music, choreography, costumes, cinematography and detailed production design. At the same time, filmmaking techniques and cinematic visual storytelling are increasingly influencing wedding experiences.
The two industries also share a large creative talent pool, with art directors, production designers, lighting professionals, cinematographers, choreographers, costume designers, drone operators and digital creators working across both sectors.
WV Connect aims to create a structured business ecosystem where this existing creative overlap can translate into new collaborations, commercial opportunities and innovation.
Creating New Business Opportunities
The convergence of the two industries could open opportunities across production design, technology, hospitality, tourism and creative services.
Film art directors and production designers can bring cinematic scale to premium wedding venues and destination celebrations. Film studios and shooting locations could also emerge as wedding destinations, while professionals working in lighting, sound, camera, drone and VFX can access opportunities beyond traditional film production.
Wedding planners can similarly adopt film-style production techniques, immersive storytelling, virtual production, projection mapping and AI-powered guest experiences to create more experiential celebrations.
The platform will also bring together hospitality companies, tourism stakeholders, technology providers, brands and sponsors, creating opportunities to engage with both industries through a common business ecosystem.
The wider impact could extend to creative professionals, MSMEs and destination wedding markets, generating opportunities for fabricators, florists, decorators, lighting vendors, costume designers, printers, logistics providers and event management companies.
Hyderabad Hosts the Convergence
The summit countdown began with a ceremonial flag-off at Arth Resorts by Kumar Raja, Founder, Designs by Raja, and Kishore Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director, Arth Resorts, in the presence of Ruchi Pant, Chief Business Officer, Ramoji Film City; Shwetha Sabu Cyril, noted Art Director and Production Designer who worked on Bahubali; and Photriya Venky, celebrity and wedding photographer, along with industry leaders and media representatives.
According to the organisers, Hyderabad was chosen as the host city because it combines a rapidly growing luxury wedding market with one of India’s largest film production ecosystems.
Three Days of Industry Engagement
WV Connect Season 4 will feature keynote addresses, WedX Talks, curated B2B meetings, speed networking sessions, knowledge forums, experiential showcases and the WV Awards 2026, which will recognise excellence in India’s wedding industry.
Participants will include representatives from luxury hotels, destination management companies, tourism boards, film studios, event management firms, designers, photographers, production houses and wedding entrepreneurs.
The summit is guided by an Advisory Board comprising leading personalities from the film, hospitality and wedding industries, including Sabu Cyril, internationally acclaimed production designer; Kumar Raja, Founder of Design by Raja and Strategic Alliance Partner; Ruchi Pant, Chief Business Officer, Ramoji Film City; Aditya Motwane; Gitika Ganju Dhar; Amit Sarin of Black Rock Hotels; and Sumit Ghosh of Arth Resorts.
DakshinaaMurthi, Founder & CEO, WV Connect, said, “India’s wedding and film industries have evolved alongside each other for years, sharing talent, creativity and technology. WV Connect 2026 is the first structured platform that brings these ecosystems together to collaborate, create business opportunities and redefine experiential celebrations. Hyderabad, with its leadership in both weddings and cinema, is the ideal city to host this convergence.”
Kumar Raja, Founder, Design by Raja, said “After two decades across both industries, I’ve seen how much they can learn from each other”
With WV Connect Season 4, the organisers aim to establish a long-term platform where the wedding and film industries can collaborate as business partners, share creative expertise and explore new opportunities across India’s expanding experience economy.
