Beginners Guide to Destination Weddings: How to Select the Ideal City or Location?

Travel to any part of India, whether near or far off locations, the country has a plethora of picturesque travel destinations spread throughout. From scenic beaches to rustic forts, snow-clad mountains to intricately carved temples, this, mixed along with the rich and diverse culture the country inherits, is reason enough why couples across India and internationally are ditching the idea of close-to-home weddings and adopting the concept of destination weddings.

However, planning a destination wedding is not as easy as it sounds. It may sometimes be a cheaper option than having an elaborate wedding at your home-town, especially if you live in a city like Mumbai or Delhi. However, other costs like travel add up quickly. How do you know which location is the best to celebrate your union? Whether it will be convenient for your guests and family too? You surely know what you can get around your home-town, but when it’s a location you have not a single clue about, how do you go around with the arrangement and planning?

The questions are endless, but we hope to give you some answers right here.

Why go for a Destination Wedding?

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Here’s why? You want to organize an intimate wedding for close family and friends away from the hustle and bustle of the city you live in. A great way to limit your guest list by the way. Not all your co-workers and friends of friends can make it for a three day affair in another city, which may be a good thing! You are sick and tired of attending weddings in the same set of banquet halls in your city and want to do something ‘hatke’ for your own. You live in a city which does not give you the kind of venue options you require to plan the wedding of your dreams. A destination location might just be the answer. Most of your guests are going to be travelling from other cities to attend your wedding. In other words, you have more outstation and less local guests. Perfect ruse for a destination affair, we say! You’re gonna have to arrange accommodation and travel for your guests even if they were to come to your city. You might as well go for a central location convenient to all. You have a theme in mind and your wedding venue/location should match up. Reasons enough, right? Let’s examine a few more variables, shall we?

Decide Your Wedding Theme

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How and in which style do you want to celebrate your union, will more or less direct you in determining your destination wedding location. Having a beach wedding, then Goa; a royal wedding, then Jaipur, Jaisalmer or Udaipur; if a big fat Indian wedding then, Hyderabad; for a fort wedding there is Pune, for a hill station wedding, Lonavala and for a residential wedding, Mumbai or Delhi. You’ll definitely find one for all types of themes. 

What’s Your Budget and what’s Their Budget?

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Destination weddings can lower your overall wedding expenses, or make them significantly higher, depending on your personal situation. If you reside in a metro, planning a large wedding for the thousands of guests on your list might be an expensive affair. Opting for a destination wedding will help you shrink your guest list and also lower your overall spend given that most destinations within India are bound to be cheaper than a Delhi or a Mumbai. Now if you live in a smaller town and want to get married in style, a destination wedding might be a bigger jolt on that check book since planning a wedding in a small town might help you limit expenses in comparison to planning one in a destination city, factoring in all travel and stay arrangement for your guests.

It all finally depends on how much moolah has been allocated for this shaadi. We do want to break the myth that destination weddings require you to rob the bank and a neighbour or two. On the contrary, it is possible to whisk your guests away to fancy schmancy locations in a budget. So quickly come up with the magic number to narrow down the locations you can afford. Other than the usual considerations, add travel, logistics and accommodation to the budget.

While considering budget, do not forget to bear in mind the budget of your guests too, unless you plan to go whole hog and book travel and accommodation for them. It really won’t be as cool as you imagined your destination wedding to be if you don’t have your best pals or people whose presence matter to you, not attending your big day.

Time of the Year, Season and the Weather Gods

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Is it a summer, monsoon or winter wedding you’re planning on? A royal wedding in Rajasthan during summers or a scenic backwater wedding in Kerala during the monsoon is definitely a bad-bad idea! Sizzling in the harsh Rajasthan summer sun in your Jodha avatar or being soaked to the bones in your Kanjivaram may not be your ideal vision of a dream destination wedding. Season and time of year becomes a crucial factor in deciding your destination wedding location. Also, check for peak season and tourist onslaughts. If planning a beach wedding in Goa during peak season time in December or January, God Bless your bank balance.

Our expert suggestion here, plan and book your destination wedding at least a year in advance if not more. Availability and negotiation will become smaller problems.

Geographical Location

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How far or near will the wedding destination location be for you and a majority of your guests is another prime factor. Remember, farther the location, lesser the attendance.  Also, you just can’t simply finalize a location if you’re not sure how to travel to that destination and if at all your band baja and baraat can reach there with ease. After all, what’s a wedding without the baraatis. Pick your location wisely and check for travel arrangements, whether a bus, train or flight would be smooth and feasible. Also, check for the availability and fare of the tickets for your decided dates.

What Are The Legal Requirements?

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Some wedding destinations do require legalizing your marriage before you plan on getting married on their grounds. Enquire about all the legal requirements to find out whether or not it is an easy process. Your foreign guests might need to carry legal documents to the venue, so be well-informed in advance to avoid any hiccups. 

Do You Prefer Local Vendors or Travelling with your Team?

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Planning a destination wedding with local expertise could be fun and could also help you maintain authenticity. Hiring local vendors can considerably lower your budget too. They’re well aware of the locality and can help you quickly with the best suggestions. But do you have the time and patience to scout for the best vendors there? If not, you could form a stateside team and travel to your location. Yes, with that your budget could steep higher since it will now include your vendor’s travel and accommodation expenses. This is where an all-inclusive wedding destination location like a resort comes handy.

Planning to have a Destination Wedding and Honeymoon in One?

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Is this going to be a destination wedding cum honeymoon plan? Or do you intend to go elsewhere for your honeymoon? If yes for the former, then check for nearby attractions, activities and accommodation you could consider for your honeymoon requirements. Now this is called “ek teer se do nishane”.

Need Professional Help?

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If you think this is too much and you have no time at all to handle all this adventure, you could always take professional help. Pick a facility that has a wedding planning team on hand. Most venues have their in-house wedding planners whose services are complimentary. Or you can simply hire a day-off coordinator to do the job and make your life easy.

You could commence your search through our website. Find the most calm to extravagant wedding venues, knowledgeable and skilled vendors and expert destination wedding planners all under one roof. Explore.