- Avarna Jain,
Chairperson RPSG Lifestyle Media
These Are The Indian Destinations That Would Be Popular For Weddings In 2025
2025 is the year of 'Wed In India'.
Destination weddings have become an evergreen trend in the industry and, if reports are to be believed, they're going to be more popular than ever in 2025. While foreign destinations, like Italy and Thailand, are going to continue to occupy the top spots on the wishlists of brides and grooms in the coming years, the recently-introduced ‘Wed In India’ campaign has opened up more options within the country that could be on your destination wedding mood boards.
“The initiatives taken by the Indian government to revive the tourism and hospitality industry post the pandemic has helped pave the way for destination weddings to happen within the country”, says Chundur Phani, founder of The Yellow Pages, a Hyderabad-based wedding planning company. “Today when couples come to us they are more keen on tying the knot within the country rather than opting for a location abroad. They look forward to places that reflect their culture, their roots and their traditions and resonate with their true self.”
Recent celebrity weddings, like Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth’s nuptials at the 400-year-old temple in Wanaparthy or Pulkit Samrat and Kriti Kharbanda’s wedding in Manesar, highlighted how many stunning spots in the country can be explored when you’re planning your destination wedding.
We spoke to insiders to get the scoop on wedding locations around the country that would be popular in 2025.
Take a look…
Places To Bookmark For Your Destination Wedding In 2025
Although Goa, Kerala and Rajasthan have been destination wedding favourite locations for a while, here are a few places that experts feel have gained popularity in 2024 and will remain popular in 2025.
Shimla
Image Credit: Pexels
The snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas along with the serene beauty of the place make Shimla a perfect place for a destination wedding. Whether you are looking for an intimate celebration or a lavish affair, Shimla fits the bill. The place has enough open-air venues and cottages with open green lush lawns that can make it a perfect spot for functions of all kinds.
“The rich colonial heritage of Shimla reflects in its architecture,” says Devrat Chawla, founder of Delhi-based wedding planning company DC Events and Weddings. If you wish to have a nature-inspired pre-wedding photoshoot or wedding film, the apple orchards in Shimla can serve as the perfect backdrop.”
Shimla also offers plenty of adventure sports activities within its glacial waters which makes it a great pick for all sports and adventure lovers. So, if you are looking to plan a fun-filled wedding itinerary for your guests, Shimla is one place you should consider while finalising your destination wedding location.
“The place also has easy connectivity to major hill stations like Dalhousie, and Manali which is another bonus. Also, it has a temperate climate throughout the year which is another added advantage. Moreover, it has a lot of underrated locations that offer stunning natural beauty and are also rich in cultural heritage and hence is a great place to plan travel itineraries for your guests,” says Devrat.
Hyderabad
Image credit: Pexels
The ‘city of Nizams’ is an emerging choice among people planning their destination weddings in 2024-25. The culture of the place showcases a peaceful amalgamation of south Indian Hindu and Muslim cultures which is reflected in its food, language architecture and history. The growing and diverse options of venues within the city have been one of the reasons for the rising popularity among places apt for destination weddings.
“Hyderabad has been gaining popularity in the past year among couples who are planning their destination wedding,” says Priyanka Birla Wadhwa, founder of Hyderabad-based wedding planning company, Shaddi Ka Ladoo. “The city has large-sized convention centres that can support crowds of up to 10,000 people and small-scale hotels and resorts with limited banquet and rooming facilities which makes it a perfect choice for lavish and intimate weddings. Also, the city has palatial properties like the Chowmahalla Palace and Taj Falaknuma which is another added advantage for those who want to have a luxurious heritage-themed wedding.”
Hyderabad also has easy access to local craft villages like Karimnagar, Bidar and Adilabad which are famous for Bidri, Filigree and Dokra work, which can give you lovely takeaway gifting options for your guests. What’s more, it is also home to numerous historical monuments and places which speak of the city's glorious past.
Bengaluru
Image Credit: Pexels
With over 200 pristine lakes within its territory, Bengaluru is an emerging popular spot for people looking for nature-themed destination weddings. The city is easily accessible to hill stations like Ramnagara (where Sholay was shot), Brahmagiri, Coorg and UNESCO heritage sites like Hampi, Thanjavur and Mysore which makes it an ideal choice for destination weddings.
“Bengaluru is a melting pot of culture, which reflects art, music and culinary excellence”, says Nandita Rao, wedding planner at Tales of Tradition, a Kochi-based wedding planning company. “The place also has some serene natural scenery and hence can provide your guests a break. Earlier weddings used to be only about capturing picture-perfect moments, but now it is more about experiencing luxury while also revisiting and paying homage to your culture, which is why Bengaluru is gaining popularity.”
In terms of accessibility and connectivity, Bengaluru is also well connected by air, rail, and road making it easily accessible for all guests to travel from different parts of the world. The hospitality industry of Bengaluru has hotels, budget stays and resorts of all price ranges of varying capacities to adhere to people of all budgets.
“Compared to the other cities, you can see various options of luxurious hotels, resorts with traditional decor as well as places with chic-styled modern interiors. So, if you wish to have a traditional themed wedding or a wedding with modern themes, Bengaluru has properties of all kinds to accommodate all your requests,” says Nandita.
Gir
Image Credit: Pexels
Adventure enthusiasts and nature lovers should consider Gir in Gujarat for their destination wedding. Reason. The lush green forests with diverse wildlife offer a diverse landscape to plan your pre-wedding photoshoots, videos and wedding films. The place has hotels with limited rooming and banquet facilities which makes it an ideal choice for intimate and low-key weddings.
“Gir is a perfect place for intimate weddings in Gujarat and is an emerging choice for destination weddings in 2025,” says Mumbai-based wedding planner and designer Janvi Dave. Apart from its beautiful scenery, it also has decent connectivity as it is near Rajkot and the Diu airport which gives it another added advantage. Secondly, it has well-built road and highway systems which makes transport and communication a hassle-free and seamless process. The Gir national park is also situated there which is another major tourist attraction. So, if you have limited functions and want to arrange a one-day itinerary for your guests, Go for Gir.”
Along with some beautiful natural landscapes, Gir also offers unique Safari rides and bird-watching activities which can be included in your one-day wedding itinerary. What’s more, If you are planning your wedding from October to March, you can also witness the tribal festival of Gir which is focused on promoting the local culture of the Maldhari and Siddhi tribes of the Gujarat region.
Puducherry
Image Credit: Pexels
From beaches to farmhouses to palaces and resorts, Puducherry has it all. The French-styled buildings of the place along with the natural beachy landscape make it an ideal choice for people planning to have a beach-themed wedding. For those looking for intimate weddings, Puducherry is another place to have on your radar.
“Planning a wedding in Pondicherry will be nothing less than a fairy tale," says Nandita Rao,“In the last year the enquiries received for Puducherry have been increasing and we see it increasing further in 2025. The place has innumerable luxury resorts and hotels with limited rooming and banqueting facilities which makes it an ideal choice for low-key weddings. As 2025 is predicted to have more intimate weddings, Puducherry is a place couples wishing to have a low-key affair should consider.”
Puducherry also has numerous Michelin-star restaurants that offer cuisines and delicacies of French and Indian cuisine. It is easily accessible to major cities like Chennai and Kochi and is closer to hill stations like Yelagiri, Kodaikanal, Ooty and Coonoor. So, for anyone who wishes to relish the best South Indian and French delicacies while catching a glimpse of the best mountains and beaches, Puducherry is the ideal place for you.
Where we give you a fast-paced look into everything you should wish list when you start to think about marriage. What to buy and how to dress, along with modern mithai and the homegrown fragrance makers to bookmark. Make special note of the feature on alta.
It has everything you need to make your wedding special. From the big comeback of red and pink in bridal wear to how the cool kids are wearing corsets to the celebration, there is only one way to get ready for a wedding —with enjoyment.
This section is a building block, a step to a better life. A place where we have all the answers. Or at least the beginning of a great conversation.
This needs very little description. It has travel with a special focus on incredible India, and a collection of wedding albums, sourced randomly, but collected with abundance because happiness has no limits.
