India is a beautiful country full of diversity, and offers a slew of exotic wedding destinations depending on a couple’s preference and liking. While the palaces of Rajasthan in Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur provide royal backdrops, Goa is attractive for those who want a beach wedding. Similarly, a wedding in the Himalayas is perfect for those who love the mountains, whereas Kerala Backwaters offer amazing experiences, even as the islands of Andaman & Nicobar offer enticing locales for a soon-to-wed couple. If you are eyeing a destination wedding, then here are the best ways to plan that dreamy wedding. Vaibhav Sadhwani, co-founder, Behind The Scene, a destination wedding planner takes us through it:
Hire a Wedding Planner
A wedding planner solves 99% of your issues, as they are well versed with the nuances of organising weddings that go perfectly in tandem with diverse choices. While showering you with innumerable options, they will customise the wedding as per your budget, dream destinations, number of guests, and couple it up with the right local flavour to ensure you have a truly memorable wedding. Communication is the key. Talking to them just once a week will ensure that every minute detail is as per your wish.
Choose the Perfect Destination
Indian wedding season is from November to February. And then there are auspicious dates. You can select a destination on the basis of availability and as mentioned, as per your choice. Choose from a royal, mountain or a beach wedding and the wedding planner will give you ample of options.
Creating Memories for All
A destination wedding is usually intimate with just about 200-400 people in total, and most of them are close family members and friends. It is imperative to ensure that an experience is created for them that they will remember. Create some welcome kits with snacks and keep them in their rooms. Plan a day for sight seeing or spa so that they can indulge in the luxuries offered by the destination.
Seamless Logistics
Make sure that the wedding hotel is not more than one hour from the airport. For guests, it becomes tiresome to travel for long hours as there be elderlies and children too in the group. Also arrange for suitable transport and if the guests are not coming in the same flight then co ordinate with the guests about their arrival so that they are not waiting at the airport. So hire an experienced transporter or hand over this job to the wedding planner and enjoy the wedding.
Seamless Show Flow
One of the major attributes of a memorable destination wedding is having a seamless and well thought of show flow. A wedding usually comprises a series of events, starting from Mehendi, Haldi and Sangeet to Cocktail party, Barat assembly and Pheras, and it is only a proper show flow that could facilitate seamless celebrations all around. The show flow in itself has diverse ambits, for instance if a wedding is happening in Rajasthan, it is advisable that you incorporate elements like Rajasthani Mehendi, while in Goa, one may opt for a Wine & Cheese vibe. Similarly, for events like Sangeet, the sequence of performances should be pre-decided to avoid last minute hiccups. In case of celebrity engagements too, prior planning is a major requisite.
Contingency Plan
Indian weddings are always a grand affair, and we cannot leave any stone unturned to ensure that the grandeur remains intact under all situations and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly recommend having a fool-proof contingency plan in place, in case of any unforeseen eventuality. Whether it’s a weather change or, god forbid, some other major issue cropping up in the final moments, the host must ensure a comprehensive insurance to avoid much loss. In case of sudden weather change, which is a possibility especially for some specific destinations, it also becomes imperative to keep a back-up plan, so that a function can be shifted to an alternate venue or destination for seamless execution.
Décor
Well, décor is one aspect that takes ample of time and deliberations in the run up to any wedding. Consisting of a number of stuff, including colour coding/theme, material selection, flowers, tents, lights, elements and props etc, décor plays an instrumental role in determining the overall feel of a wedding. Besides, it is also co-related to the outfit of the bride and the groom, and hence the wardrobe planner roped in should take into account the décor of each occasion before finalizing the outfits & apparels for both the couple as well as the guests.
Sustainability
Many couples are now becoming more cautious of impacting the planet when they are getting married. While the traditional paper invites have led way to digital invites, eco friendly décor is a great option as well. Mindful waste management is the key here.
Local Flavour
Indian weddings and rich food are synonymous with each other. While planning a destination wedding be mindful of serving local cuisine to give the perfect destination experience. Rajasthani food is great for the Indian palate, but there will be vegetarians in Goa who will not want to have sea food. So a menu according to taste preference must be curated.
A destination wedding is not just a wedding but a holiday too for the guests. Make sure they experience the destination and enjoy the wedding too, making it the perfect destination wedding.