After Heritage Monuments, Will Temples Become The New Luxury Wedding Destinations?

International Congress for Wedding Futures (ICWF) 2025 opened with a session on positioning India’s temples and temple towns as sustainable wedding destinations.

The three-day convention started with its inaugural session titled, ‘Sacred Backdrops, Soulful Vows’, offering a platform for the stakeholders of the global wedding industry across Asia, including leaders from the wedding industry, tourism, and cultural sectors, to examine the role of temples in shaping sustainable and culturally rooted weddings.

Can You Get Married At An Indian Temple?

The inaugural session pressed on the idea that Indian temples are living symbols of the spiritual and cultural wealth that India houses and have everything that younger couples seeking culturally rooted ceremonies would look for in their wedding venue besides being beneficial for the tourism of the country. From a rare blend of authenticity, beauty and meaning to immaculate and stunning Instagrammable backdrops, temples offer all that the luxury wedding market thrives on. To get a better understanding of this, Manifest spoke to Wedding planner Mohsin Khan, Founder, Vivah Luxury Weddings.

He shares that there has been a growing demand for temple-town weddings. “Couples today are looking for something that feels more meaningful than just a huge/heavily decorated venue. They want that sense of spirituality. Nowadays, it’s not just about rituals but also grounding the wedding in culture and creating an emotional connection that families really cherish,” he states that even the younger couples who might have grown up imagining destination weddings in palaces or resorts, are now inclined towards simplicity. 

“According to me, weddings are becoming less about showing scale and more about creating soulful experiences.”

Highlighting the challenges in planning weddings in temple towns, he states that infrastructure poses a major struggle. “Unlike hotels or resorts, which are built to host large gatherings, temples/towns often have limited accommodation, fewer banquet options and tighter transport facilities. So we as planners need to get very creative with logistics, from arranging stay options to ensuring smooth guest movement.”

He further adds that permissions are another hurdle. “Temples have their own rules about décor, music, photography, and timing. Then there’s the guest comfort factor. In a hotel, you have air conditioning, restrooms, and sound systems, all ready to go. Whereas in a temple-town, we have to bring those facilities in sometimes from outside vendors and make sure guests feel just as comfortable,” he mentions.

Balancing Cultural Sensitivities With Modern Wedding Expectations

In temple-town weddings, the rituals and the sanctity of the space always come first. Mohsin highlights that it is imperative to balance the cultural and spiritual sensitivities with the expectations that come with a modern luxury wedding. “We work within those boundaries with a simple, elegant décor and culturally appropriate music or performances. Then, to bring in the luxury element, we shift the focus to guest hospitality, curated experiences and receptions outside the temple premises, where we can go bigger with design and entertainment. This way, families feel the cultural essence while couples still get the comfort and style they wanted,” He shares.

When asked if he thinks the ‘Wed in India’ initiative will encourage more families to look at temple towns for their weddings instead of international destinations, he agrees. “Couples are already leaning towards weddings that feel rooted in culture, and temple towns naturally offer that sense of tradition and spirituality. At the same time, families are becoming more conscious of the costs and logistics of hosting weddings abroad.” 

He shares that with better infrastructure and hospitality options coming up in many temple towns, temple towns are starting to feel like a meaningful yet practical alternative. “So, while luxury hotels and resorts abroad will always have their appeal, I see more couples choosing to celebrate in places that combine heritage, blessings and that sense of being truly at home in India.”

He further adds that for temple towns to become viable like luxury venues, truly, the biggest improvements need to be in infrastructure. “Families want comfortable and reliable accommodation for large guest lists; therefore, more high-quality hotels and boutique stays are essential.” 

According to Mohsin, good connectivity is equally important for temple towns to be established as luxury wedding destinations, whether that’s better airports, road access, or local transport. 

“On the ground, we also need modern amenities like banquet spaces, reliable power, parking, and event-friendly permissions that make planning smoother. At the same time, a stronger connection with local vendors from catering to décor to technical teams would make it easier to bring in the luxury touch without relying entirely on outside resources. “

He states that once these basic amenities are in place, temple towns can offer the perfect blend of heritage and high-end hospitality.

Moving forward, he believes that if temple-town weddings become more mainstream, local communities and businesses will stand to gain significantly. “Increased weddings mean more guests needing accommodation, food and transport services, which creates jobs and supports small businesses. Vendors like florists, decorators, photographers and caterers also get new opportunities to grow.” 

Can Temple Weddings Boost Tourism?

He highlights that it can also boost tourism and put these towns on the map as wedding destinations, encouraging preservation of heritage sites and local culture.

This transformation of temple-towns into luxe wedding destinations, according to Mohsin, is largely spearheaded by Millennials and Gen Z. “Unlike previous generations, they often value experiences and meaning over just grandeur. They want their weddings to reflect their heritage, family traditions and personal values and not just to impress guests. Temple towns and heritage venues naturally offer that sense of authenticity and spirituality.” At the same time, he reiterates that the younger generation is smarter; therefore, they know how to blend tradition and comfort to create weddings that feel both culturally rich and luxurious.

While concluding, he states that he believes that temple-town weddings have the potential to move beyond being just a niche. “The combination of culture with spirituality and growing luxury infrastructure makes them appealing to modern couples.”

He states that while temple towns may never completely replace traditional resort or hotel weddings, they can definitely redefine how families approach weddings in India. “Shifting the focus from purely grand to experiences that are meaningful and emotionally rich. With time, I can see temple-town weddings becoming a mainstream choice, especially for the wedding ceremony itself while receptions and larger celebrations might still happen in hotels or resorts nearby,” he concluded.