What To Know Before Finalising Your Destination Wedding Location

Destination weddings are a great way to ensure your nuptials are special and memorable for you and your partner, as well as your guests. The trend has been around for a while, with iconic weddings of the past decade popularising the practice of couples choosing to ditch traditional venues in favour of exotic locales. Remember how stunning Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Lake Como wedding looked? The celebrity couple can be safely credited for starting the trend of other Bollywood celebrities opting for beautiful, picture-perfect locations for their weddings.

The Ambanis, too, held one of their million pre-wedding functions aboard a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea, even if they opted to hold the actual wedding in Mumbai itself.

Post-pandemic, the trend has evolved from people opting for locations closer to home for their destination weddings. The Indian wedding industry ranks second globally and occupies a large section of the whopping $119,084.4 million destination wedding industry in the world. In late 2023, the government of India introduced the ‘Wed in India’ initiative that sought to redirect the eye-wateringly high sum of money spent by Indians on destination weddings internationally back home.

“Youngsters are looking to fund their own weddings, and with the emphasis being on Indigenous tourism over the past few years, couples in today’s date look for options of locations within the country that offer the same scenic beauty as that of a foreign landscape, as it is comparatively economical and also supports local businesses like vendors, suppliers and logistics,” says Amanveer Singh, the founder of TEN Events & Entertainment LLP.

Whether it’s outside the country or within, it can't be denied that selecting a location for your destination wedding is hard. Hence, to make your decision-making easier, we chatted with some wedding planners whose expertise can help you narrow down your options.

Things To Keep In Mind While Finalising A Location For Destination Wedding

Here’s what they have to say…

Have Clarity About The Vision For Your Wedding

Just like how having a map helps you get to your location with ease, having a clear idea about what your destination wedding should look like can help you narrow down your location choices for a destination wedding. Purvi Modgil, co-founder at the Mumbai-based wedding planning firm F5 Weddings, advises picking a location that provides the resources to create the wedding theme which can showcase your love story. She says, “Whether you dream of tropical paradise, rustic charm, or urban elegance, the destination should have the necessary resources to execute your vision of a wedding as a couple. Because when it reflects and is able to execute your vision, the memories become everlasting. The cherry on the cake, the pictures turn out well”.

Venue Accessibility And Inclusions

The venue's accessibility to spots like hospitals, airports and local markets ensures your guest's comfort and also facilitates faster to and from communication of guests and vendors. Moreover, when you are aware about the inclusion of the food and dining package in your wedding, it can help you to allocate and devise a budget for your wedding festivities accordingly.

Darshan Shroff, founder at Momente Weddings, shares the best way to ensure this happens, saying, “People should interact with couples who have organised their wedding previously and check for reviews before making a final choice.”

Travel Arrangements

Having an idea about the travel documents needed, and information like the cost of airfare, gives an idea of the actual guest count and helps plan the itinerary of wedding festivities accordingly. Reetu Jain, a celebrity wedding planner and the founder of The Wedding wale, “Travel documentation takes a lot of time, so if you’re aware of the travel documents and the time taken to fulfil formalities before visiting a particular place, the planning process that follows behind becomes a lot easier, as it prevents overpreparing in catering and helps arrange to and from transfers of the vendors and guests accordingly.”

Local Tourism Of The Place

Bookmarking a destination wedding that offers innumerable tourist and fun-filled sports and activities reduces the burden of making entertainment arrangements for your guests. Moreover, if you implement local sightseeing and sporting activities offered by the place in your wedding itinerary, it gives your guests a feel of the place. Amanveer Singh, Founder of TEN Events & Entertainment LLP, says, “You must always check for the tourist packages offered by the place while finalising a place for a destination wedding. Implementing these packages in your wedding itinerary helps make your guest's experience memorable”.

Common Mistakes People Make While Finalising A Destination Wedding Location

Ignoring Local Traditions And Laws

Some places may have reservations and restrictions due to religious and cultural sentiments. Therefore, one must be aware of this while deciding on a destination wedding venue. Ignoring local traditions and laws may hurt the sentiments of local folk and impose legal penalties. Purvi Modgil says,  Every destination comes with its unique culture, customs, and traditions, which we cannot overlook. Therefore, one must always be mindful about their actions while making choices in menu planning, decor, and even arranging for entertainment as it may lead to fines and also invite unnecessary expenses.”

Finalising A Location Without Scheduling A Visit

“The most common mistake people make while deciding a destination wedding is that they don't visit the location before finalising the place," says Amanveer Singh, who had also organised Raghav Chadda and Parineeti Chopra’s wedding in Udaipur. He advises that couples should visit the location at least three months before the wedding festivities. “Couples must always accompany their wedding planner and decorator to look for the best local vendors of decoratives and flowers, as they may discover something that resonates with their  personality and the wedding theme.”

Overlooking The Venue Capacity

The wedding venue should have the accommodating capacity the banquet arrangements and the space needed to organise all your wedding festivities, and also execute backup plans in case of worst-case scenarios like weather changes. Moreover, it should overwhelm or congest your guests and the wedding functions. “A wedding venue and location should present a perfect balance of intimacy and space as per the guest count and the festivities”, says Purvi Modgil. “A small boutique venue or a remote resort may not have enough room for all guests or might feel cramped if the guest count is large. Alternatively, a spacious venue is not necessary for a small group.”

Ignoring Hidden Costs

Planning a wedding itinerary at a distant place often has miscellaneous expenses like licence, outsourcing and travel costs along with the expense of logistics.“Although destination weddings are comparatively cheaper compared to traditional weddings, they come with huge hidden costs like taxi charges, vendor fees and tourist hotspot charges,” says Purvi Modgil. She advises setting aside a budget for hidden costs to avoid a shortage of funds during the wedding festivities.

Not Hiring A Local Guide

“Yourwedding planner might not be aware of the rules and cultural sentiments of the people and the changes in state laws at your desired destination wedding location, hence, hiring a local guide to accompany your planner who is fluent in the language and familiar with the routes and laws of the place can help obtain permissions for shooting and filming and also help explore the place better,” says Amanveer Singh, of TEN Events & Entertainment LLP.

Not Having Any Backup Plan

Although destination weddings might not have weather-related issues, one must always be prepared for the worst-case scenario, as nature is unpredictable. There might be sudden changes in the state and government laws of the place that may lead to strikes and protests which may affect the movement of vendors and thus wedding festivities. Darshan Shroff, says, “One should be willing to have multiple meetings with planners, accept suggestions and implement changes due to changes due to weather and politics of the place.  Approaching the planning process with an open mind and having healthy discussions may lead to an idea that aligns well with the wedding theme and the venue and is aesthetically pleasing.”

Popular Destination Wedding Locations

While there are endless beautiful places to bookmark while finalising your destination wedding location, here are a few places within the country that emerged as the most popular choices for a destination wedding, according to experts.

Goa

Goa is a go-to choice for all beach lovers as it offers innumerable hotel options across different price ranges. It also offers innumerable water sports options like jet. skiing, parasailing, and speed boating that guests can enjoy during a destination wedding.  Renowned wedding planner Purvi Modgil says, “Goa with its beachy landscapes along with luxurious resorts make it suitable for intimate and big fat Indian weddings. In addition, it also offers rustic Portuguese-style villas, and charming chapels for those seeking a more intimate or traditional setting. Be it sunset cruises or pool parties Goa offers the best of both”.

Manifest Recommends- Taj Aguada Fort Resort and Spa.

Kashmir

If you are looking for boat rides and a breathtaking backdrop of snow-capped mountains for your destination wedding, you must look no further than Kashmir. The place rightly lives up to its descriptor ‘Paradise on earth’, as it offers crystal clear lakes, lush valleys and the best of natural scenery. Wedding planner Reetu Jain says, “As Kashmir has now opened its arms towards inbound tourism, it is slowly going to be the next most sought-after location for destination weddings”.

Manifest Recommends -The Khyber Himalayan Resort and Spa, The Lalit Grand Palace, Srinagar

Jaipur

“From Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif to Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal, Jaipur has remained a favourite destination for many couples planning their destination wedding”, says wedding planner Reetu Jain. She further adds, “Jaipur offers an array of stunning palaces, historic forts, and luxury hotels. The city has rusticity and a regal charm attached to it which makes it a timeless favourite”. Thus, if you are looking for a wedding location that embodies tradition, culture, luxury and heritage, Jaipur is the place for you.

Manifest Recommends- Fairmont Jaipur, Samode Palace, Taj Rambagh Palace

Uttarakhand

For all mountain lovers, Uttarakhand is another place that one should bookmark for their next destination wedding. Whether it’s the queen of the hills, Mussoorie or Doon Valley, Dehradun, the place offers scenic beauty innumerable religious places along with adventure sports activities that make it ideal for destination weddings. Purvi Modgil says, Uttarakhand offers stunning backdrops, impeccable service, and customisable spaces that cater to every wedding style, from grand celebrations to intimate affairs. Moreover, the climate is mild which makes it suitable for outdoor and indoor settings.”.

Manifest Recommends- JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove, The Savoy Mussoorie, Taj Rishikesh Resort and Spa, Ananda in the Himalayas.

Kerala

God’s own country is home to many hill stations like Wayanad and Munnar along with beautiful water bodies in Kochi and Trivandrum. For anyone who wishes to have the best of both worlds, Kerala is the place.

“Kerala’s stunning backwaters, such as Alleppey and Kumarakom, provide a picture-perfect setting for a tranquil and romantic wedding”, says wedding planner, Purvi Modgil. She adds, “The tea plantations, misty mountains, and lush greenery, these hilltop retreats make it a perfect setting for nature theme inspired weddings”.

Manifest Recommends- The Leela Kovalam, Grand Hyatt Kochi,  Vivanta by Taj Kumarakom Lake Resort  and Spa