Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation - Restricted Access (SIA Only)

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Luxury Business

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the transformation of contemporary weddings as cultural and luxury experiences. The research develops a practice-based business proposal for Nativo, a bespoke wedding planning service in Mexico. In light of evolving consumer behavior, where couples increasingly prioritize intimacy and personalization over traditional scale, the study examines how storytelling and intentional design can converge to create meaningful ceremonies and events.

The research combines literature with multi-method qualitative analysis to explore how modern Mexican couples interpret luxury and wedding rituals. A conceptual framework was built from theories of luxury consumption, identity, cultural branding, and the experience economy, situating weddings as symbolic rites of passage and aesthetic products. Primary research involved an online focus group, longitudinal interviews, and a visual audit of global and local wedding media to determine trends. This approach informed consumer values, aesthetic codes, and cultural drivers that define contemporary wedding practices.

Findings highlight a clear market shift, where couples consistently favor authenticity, storytelling, and emotional engagement over traditional high-production formats. While status remains relevant, prestige is now expressed through narrative coherence, cultural symbolism, and carefully curated experiences. Pain points in the current planning landscape include vendor overwhelm, lack of transparency, and limited personalization. Participants voiced strong interest in services that balance logistical precision with emotional guidance, underscoring the planner’s role as a coordinator and creative partner, helping couples co-create their own ceremony.

A strategic landscape analysis, including PESTLE and competitor mapping, demonstrates favorable conditions for market entry, focusing on attractive destinations for local and international couples. Building on these insights, the business proposal positions Nativo within an underserved whitespace of the Mexican wedding market, combining the operational excellence of large-scale studios with the intimacy of boutique services. The proposal encompasses logistics, marketing, and operations. The service highlights multi-day formats, experiential gastronomy, collaborations with local artisans, and a personalized digital planning tool to ensure transparency and flexibility.

Overall, this dissertation contributes to academic debates on luxury and cultural consumption. It argues that the future of luxury weddings lies in personalization and authentic co-creation, where culture, intimacy and experience design redefine prestige for a new generation of couples.

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