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From the luxurious beaches of Goa which witnessed Bollywood star Lara Dutta's wedding to the 1,000-year-old monastery in Austria where actress Celina Jaitley exchanged her vows, the concept of destination weddings has picked up among Indians. Recently, American pop singer Katy Perry and her British comedian actor husband Russell Brand made India their wedding destination and tied the knot near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.
Estimated at a whopping Rs 1,90,000 crore, the big fat Indian wedding industry is not just about the flamboyant colours, elaborate rituals, food, revelry and boisterous music — but also about glitzy and exotic locales.
A growing trend
Destination weddings at exotic locales have become a trend, in an industry that is growing at about 25 per cent per annum, say industry analysts. The Indian wedding season runs from late September and stretches all the way to February.
Week-end affairs
According to the travel players, there has been an increase in tourism of over 35 to 40 per cent, with the wedding season contributing to a 10 to 15 per cent increase in the figures.
In fact, weddings are turning into detailed weekend affairs at destinations both national and international. With increased spending power, couples are exploring more destinations — both within the country and outside.
“Weddings are a multibillion dollar business in India. There is a growing desire among Indians to opt for exotic destination weddings, a trend, which could drive this prodigious business further,” said Mr Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India.
Among Indian destinations, Goa, Udaipur and Manali are preferred destinations, while international locales in Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives, Hawaii and Singapore are the most preferred destinations. Like when Raghav and Chandni from Delhi wanted a lavish destination wedding with their entire social circle, they decided to tie the knot at Langkawi Islands, Malaysia, for their fairytale wedding with over 150 guests from all over the world. A three-day event, the couple and their guests not only enjoyed the auspicious ceremony, but also the true flavours of Malay hospitality, landscape, retails and spa therapy.
Newer destinations
Tourism embassies of some countries are also pitching in, promoting their locales as wedding destinations to lure the Indian couples and get a share in the pie. Newer destinations like the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are joining this league. “Since last year, VISA norms were relaxed for Indians travelling to Trinidad and Tobago and they can enter with an immigration stamp on arrival at the airport,” said Huzan Fraser of Beautiful Planet. In the domestic sector, the wedding destinations that are gaining popularity are Ooty, Palakkad, Rathambore and Jodhpur with many celebrity weddings held in these places in the recent past.
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