Digital Dirt: Why 150 Indore Couples Said ‘I Don’t’

December 13, 2025: In a striking illustration of how deeply social media has interwoven itself with modern relationships, the city of Indore has witnessed an alarming surge in last-minute wedding cancellations. A recent report indicates that 150 couples called off their planned weddings within a short 40-day window, with a staggering 62% of these breakups directly citing social media activity as the primary reason.

This trend underscores a significant shift in what constitutes a “deal-breaker” in modern matrimonial alliances, replacing older issues like dowry with the digital footprint of a prospective partner.

The Unwanted Digital Archeology

The primary trigger for these cancellations appears to be one partner digging into the other’s old social media posts, often uncovering details about previous relationships. This digital ‘archeology’ is quickly becoming a critical, and often destructive, stage of the vetting process in marriages, particularly arranged ones.

• Old Posts and Comments: Posts, comments, likes, emojis, or even “friend lists” from the past are being heavily scrutinized, leading to arguments and the ultimate decision to dissolve the engagement.
• Case Examples: One report highlighted a couple whose wedding was called off after an argument during a pre-wedding shoot over the bride’s old social media activity. In another case, the discovery of old posts relating to a former partner caused a major conflict.

This phenomenon suggests that in an age of hyper-connectivity, the expectation for a ‘clean’ or transparent past has been dramatically raised, with a person’s entire online history becoming fair game for intense inspection.

Financial and Emotional Fallout

The ripple effect of these sudden cancellations is being felt far beyond the emotional toll on the couples and their families.

• Massive Financial Losses: The wedding industry in Indore is grappling with significant financial setbacks. Vendors, including wedding planners, caterers, decorators, and hotel operators, have reported major losses, estimating the collective cost of the cancelled weddings to be substantial (one estimate put the loss at around ₹25 crore). Advance bookings and preparations are often non-refundable, leaving businesses unable to recover their expenses.
• The Industry Impact: The situation highlights the precarious position of the wedding services sector, which is increasingly dependent on extravagant, social-media-ready celebrations that can be undone in an instant by a digital discovery.

A Deeper Look at Modern Marriages

This trend in Indore serves as a cautionary tale about the intersection of digital life and personal relationships. It suggests that:

1. Digital Footprints are Permanent: The transient nature of real-life conversations and relationships is not reflected online, where a post from years ago is as accessible as one from yesterday.
2. Unrealistic Expectations: The highly curated and often idealized portrayal of relationships on social media can set unrealistic expectations, leading partners to judge their real-life relationships against a manufactured online standard.
3. The Need for Transparency: Experts suggest this surge might be a symptom of insufficient communication and transparency before the engagement, urging couples to have open and honest discussions about their past and their digital boundaries early on.

As the wedding season continues, the increasing number of cancellations due to social media activity signals a need for society, and particularly young couples, to re-evaluate the role of their digital past in their future together.