Hyderabad, Sept. 2: WV Connect 2026, Asia’s largest B2B wedding summit, opened in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The three day summit focuses on the growing link between cinema and luxury weddings.
The fourth edition carries the theme “Weddings & Films”. It brings together professionals from weddings, films, hospitality, tourism, events and creative industries.
The summit is taking place at Arth Resorts in Moinabad. More than 800 delegates from over 20 cities are attending the event.
The programme includes business meetings, knowledge sessions, masterclasses and networking events. The summit will conclude on Thursday evening with the WV Awards 2026 Gala Night.
Kumar Raja, Rituraj Khanna, Sabu Cyril, Sabbas Joseph and Dakshina Moorthi N Naidu formally inaugurated the summit. They represent design, events, filmmaking and wedding businesses.
Wizcraft Group co founder Sabbas Joseph highlighted Hyderabad’s growing role in Indian cinema. He described the city as a new capital of cinema and said global film industries now watch Telugu cinema closely.
Joseph also spoke about the long connection between cinema and weddings. He said films have influenced wedding designs, venues and entertainment formats.
He noted that film sets have inspired wedding mandaps and large celebration spaces. He also said wedding performances have developed into specialised entertainment categories.
WV Connect explores a new business link
Four time National Award winning production designer Sabu Cyril discussed creativity, technology and perseverance. He is known for his work on major films, including Baahubali and RRR.
Cyril said his engineering background continues to influence his production design work. He also encouraged young professionals to treat difficult situations as opportunities.
WV Connect founder Dakshina Moorthi N Naidu said the idea emerged after his visit to Ramoji Film City. He said the Mahishmati Kingdom set made him consider a formal connection between cinema and weddings.
That idea led to the Weddings & Films edition of WV Connect. The summit now aims to turn an existing creative connection into a wider business ecosystem.
Luxury weddings increasingly use cinematic lighting, production design and advanced photography. They also use choreography, visual effects and immersive technology.
At the same time, film professionals can find new opportunities in weddings and events. Production designers, cinematographers, lighting teams and choreographers can serve both markets.
The organisers also see opportunities for film locations to become wedding destinations. Wedding professionals can likewise adopt techniques such as projection mapping, virtual production and AI based experiences.
Hyderabad provides a strong setting for this crossover. The city has Ramoji Film City and a large hospitality sector that supports major weddings and events.
Kumar Raja said Hyderabad has the venues and infrastructure needed for destination weddings. The summit therefore places the city at the centre of its business vision.
The organisers estimate India’s wedding industry at around ₹3.86 lakh crore. They estimate the country’s film and OTT industry at approximately ₹1.97 lakh crore.
Together, these sectors represent a major creative and experience driven economy. However, they have traditionally operated with limited formal B2B interaction.
WV Connect aims to bridge that gap through meetings, exhibitions and industry discussions. Its programme includes WedX talks, curated B2B meetings, panel sessions and practical masterclasses.
The event will also feature Srinivasa Kalyanam by priests invited from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. Bhajan Clubbing will follow the traditional ceremony with a contemporary musical format.
Prominent participants include K.K. Senthil Kumar, Lauren Rodgers, Ruchi Pant, Aditya Motwane, Rahul Kumar, Maggi Kewlani and Aarti Mattoo.
Other participants include Punam Chadha Joseph, Photriya Venky, Gauri Chadha, Reema Thakkar Tiwari and Tarun Agarwal. Vishnu Vardhan Indur, Ashok Kumar Koralath, Sri Koundinya, Laadi Sangeet Maker and Sandeep Molugu are also participating.
Naidu said the summit aims to build new business relationships between the two industries. He said cinema and weddings share storytelling, emotion, visual spectacle and craftsmanship.
WV Connect 2026 is therefore positioning Hyderabad as a meeting point for wedding and film professionals. The summit seeks to create new collaborations across India’s large wedding and creative markets.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates and Follow us on GoogleNews
