How Zepto stages fake ‘shaadis’ to seal its place in India’s wedding market

Weddings have long been considered the union of two souls committing to a shared future – complete with vows, celebrations, and the coming together of families. But a few months ago, a curious new trend emerged: the concept of “fake weddings”. And no, it’s not a scam or a staged drama. It’s a playful, wedding-themed party where people come together to celebrate minus the actual couple or real nuptials.

What started as a quirky party theme for clubs and event hosts has now caught the attention of brands. Leading the charge is quick-commerce platform Zepto, which recently hosted The Great Indian Fake Shaadi – a full-fledged wedding celebration that was “fake” in ceremony but real in engagement, buzz, and brand integration.

The event curated by Meragi, a real wedding planning startup, was held in Delhi, and it brought together over 300 invitees, including creators, brand partners and guests.

Explaining the idea behind the campaign, Chandan Mendiratta, chief brand officer at Zepto, says, “The idea started when one of our team members mentioned attending a fake shaadi. We realised that while the concept existed, no brand had owned it yet. Every brand does something during Diwali, Holi, or Valentine’s Day, but no one has built an association with weddings. We wanted to change that.”

Also Read: Fake weddings are India’s newest craze—and people are paying to attend

It was designed to align Zepto with the cultural and emotional essence of Indian weddings – an occasion that requires everything from clothes, skincare, and snacks to drinks and desserts, all of which can be delivered via Zepto in just 10 minutes.

A cultural collaboration of brands

Mendiratta wants people to think of Zepto when they think of weddings. And the brand made a full-fledged event instead of just depicting it in ads because, according to him, the Zepto way is about creating something people talk about – something that garners attention organically rather than through paid means.

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And Zepto wasn’t the only brand to hop on the trend; the fake shaadi had Britannia as the title sponsor, and it was co-powered by Nivea, Haldirams, Bingo Tedhe Medhe, Manforce Epic Condoms, Shaadi.com, Close Up, ITC Fabelle and Minimalist.

Siddharth Gupta, general manager, marketing, Britannia Industries, says the partnership was driven by the brand’s focus on Gen Z engagement.

“Gen Z is a pivotal audience for all brands, representing a $2 trillion opportunity. Nearly 54% of them value immersive, in-person, and phygital experiences. The Great Indian Fake Shaadi was a powerful platform to connect with this audience and kick off the wedding season in a way that resonated with their values. As the title sponsor, Britannia Pure Magic led the baraat, setting the tone for a night where experience took centre stage.”

Echoing this, Suresh Chand, VP and head of marketing – Snacks, Noodles & Pasta, Foods Division, ITC, says the format was tailor-made for Bingo! Tedhe Medhe’s playful personality.

“The whole Fake Shaadi trend beautifully captures Gen Z’s love for creativity and self-expression – it’s quirky, fun, and made for social sharing. So, when Zepto approached us to be part of it, we instantly knew it was a natural fit with Bingo! Tedhe Medhe. From Bingo! Chaat Stall serving playful twists like Baraati Bhelbarood and Phera Papri Twist to our viral Tedhe Medhe track blending into the sangeet, each moment was crafted to deliver an unconventional, delightful experience.”

He adds that such cultural collaborations reflect “the future of marketing, where culture, creativity, and community come together in the most deliciously twisted way.”

Content-first, culture-led marketing

Unlike a conventional campaign, Zepto’s Fake Shaadi was designed as an event-first, content-distribution-later experience. Over 200 creators attended the event, sharing real-time content that flooded Instagram and LinkedIn feeds for days.

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“We’re not thinking of a film and then distributing it,” says Mendiratta. “This is an event being distributed. It’s a campaign that comes alive through people and content, not just media spends.”

The company received over 2,000 form submissions from people eager to be part of the celebration.

“The response was completely organic,” he adds. “People were making AI films and reels and even dressing up in their offices to be part of the wedding. That’s when we knew we had struck a cultural chord.”

Unlike those paid themed fake weddings, this was not a ticketed event. It was exclusively for creators, but some of the contest winners were also invited.

And obviously, the participating brands echoed the message. Manforce Epic saw the event as an opportunity to connect with youth audiences in a bold yet relatable way.

Joy Chatterjee, vice president and head of sales and marketing – Consumer Division, Mankind Pharma, says, “Manforce Epic’s positioning as a premium and confident sexual wellness brand aligns naturally with cultural moments that challenge convention while remaining playful and relatable. Zepto’s Fake Shaadi offered exactly that – a youth-centric, viral format that blended humour, social shareability, and experiential storytelling.”

On how the brand brought its integration to life, he adds, “The collaboration was conceptualised jointly with Zepto’s brand team – with the clear goal of making Manforce Epic the most talked-about experience at the event. For instance, a vibrating suhaag-raat bed installation became the highlight, turning curiosity into engagement and organically linking back to the brand’s promise.”

Will this become the new trend in the market?

On whether the Fake Shaadi will become a recurring property for Zepto, Mendiratta hints at the possibility, “We’ll see how this one goes. If the brands are having fun, the creators are having fun, and Zepto is having fun – we’ll do it again. Maybe in Mumbai next time.”

As for the event’s overarching philosophy, he summed it up simply: “The shaadi is fake, the dulha and dulhan are fake – but the fun is real,” he adds.

“If everyone’s having fun – brands, creators, even guests – that’s when we know we’ve done something right.”

While the chief brand officer did not give any industry projections, he does believe that brands want to cater to Gen Z, and if that means having to do a fake shaadi, they absolutely should. “I’d be happy if later on people would say that the first one was done by Zepto.”

Chatterjee also believes that the “fake wedding” trend will evolve into a long-term marketing playground.

“It taps into India’s love for weddings, social theatre, and viral shareability. With the rise of creator-led experiential events and UGC-driven virality, such pop-culture-based activations will likely become a mainstay of youth marketing – especially for lifestyle, F&B, and intimacy brands.”

With the success of this first edition in Delhi, Zepto’s Fake Shaadi might soon travel to other cities, sparking a new wave of cultural, creator-led brand storytelling in India.