LONDON — When it comes to nuptials, nothing quite rivals the opulence of an Indian wedding.
Throughout December and January, wedding shows take place all over the world as brides and grooms prepare for the summer's wedding season.
According to the 2011 census, the UK has an Indian population of more than 1.4 million, so it's no wonder that the Indian wedding industry is booming in the UK.
On Sunday January 8, hundreds of brides-to-be attended the Aashni & Co Wedding Show to meet the designers behind some of the most opulent and expensive bridal gowns on the market.
More than 10 million weddings take place in India each year, leading Aashni & Co founder Aashni Shah to call the industry "recession-proof."
Take a look inside the £12 billion Indian wedding industry below:
Hundreds of brides-to-be attended the Aashni & Co Wedding Show to meet the designers behind some of the most opulent and expensive bridal gowns on the market.
According to Aashni Shah, creative director of boutique wedding designer Aashni & Co and the founder of the Aashni & Co Wedding Show, the Indian wedding industry is worth £12 billion worldwide, and much of that money is spent by expats living in the UK.
The show was first launched in 2015, and has grown bigger every year. The event, which is one of the largest exhibitions for Indian and South East Asian designers in the UK, earned more than £200,000 in sales of intricately designed dresses, jewellery and decorations from more than 20 high-end designers.
Everything from clothing and jewellery to the decorations are intricately designed, and mostly by hand.
Guarang Shah, one of the designers exhibited at the show, said that some of the sarees in his collection can take months to make.
"Everything is hand-woven," he said, "and is designed to represent a different regional style in India. A lot of love and hard work go into these bridal clothes."
In just one wedding, a typical bride could spend between £10,000 and £18,000 on dresses alone.
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