Story highlights Indian weddings feature huge amount of gold

Tradition affects price of gold around the world

'The Silk Road: Past, Present, Future' travels east to west along this ancient trade route, exploring how traditional culture, arts, and trade have developed in the 21st century. This month we explore India.

(CNN) You know a wedding's big when it doesn't just break the bank -- it sways global markets.

There are up to 20 million weddings a year in India, and while no two relationships are the same, all will have one thing in common.

Gold -- and lots of it. So much of the precious metal in fact, that it can influence the price of gold around the world.

"No wedding in India is complete without gold," explains Vithika Agarwal, co-founder of Divya Vithika Wedding Planners , in Bangalore.

"It doesn't matter how rich or poor you are -- you will still own gold according to your status. And because this is a day when you're showing off your prosperity, wealth, and material goods, the amount of gold you're wearing really matters."

Read More