A milestone event in the wedding industry in India and the world will be marked today when the 17th edition of the Destination Wedding Planners (DWP) Congress kicks off at Fairmont Udaipur Palace, making it the first time for the prestigious symposium to be held in India.
It reinforces the position of the country as one of the leading places globally, with the Indian wedding industry valued at a staggering $130 billion annual turnover (said to be making it the second-largest wedding market worldwide). Taking this sentiment ahead, the DWP gathering on until October 8, will bring together some of the most influential names shaping weddings across the world—from royalty to the most elite wedding visionaries and planners, tourism boards, hoteliers, and other creative visionaries.
Over 350 global attendees, including luxury wedding planners, premium suppliers, and strategic partners from more than 70 countries. Discussions center heavily around why global luxury brands are increasingly centering their infrastructure around India.
Serving as the event's distinguished Guest of Honour, Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur, the 77th Custodian of the House of Mewar, connects the global luxury sector with the authentic royal heritage of Udaipur.
The other powerful roster of industry luminaries from across the world includes Preston Bailey, a globally renowned celebrity event designer from the USA, known for his mind-bending, massive floral installations for top-tier icons like Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, and Uma Thurman.
So will master florist, Karen Tran (also from the USA), who is hailed for her ultra-luxurious, grand-scale wedding florals, Vandana Mohan (India), Founder of The Wedding Design Company and Sumant Jayakrishnan (India), an acclaimed scenographer celebrated for his breathtaking wedding backdrops. The event will also have Somesh Agarwal Chairman & Managing Director Keystone & Rockwood Hotels, India, Amitab Rai Chief Operating Officer, Accor South Asia, India, Bhavnesh Sawhney Co-Founder FB Celebrations, India, Dr. Ali Behnam Bakhtiar, Founder & Creative Director Ali Bakhtiar Designs, UAE & Monaco and others, who will engage the gathering with the business of beautiful weddings.
It's going to be three days of immersive action as the event whips up masterclasses, think-tank sessions, one-on-one meetings, innovation salons, and industry chatter.
The business-to-business platform will undoubtedly also track the changing landscape of luxury destination celebrations. After the core daytime business activities, the sunset hour will feature, the sunset hour will see immersive night functions with curated evening socials designed to showcase premier entertainment, local heritage, and world-class event production.