What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you say Indian wedding? Chances are we’re thinking colour, music, opulence, tradition, drama and often chaos as well. Perfect décor, fabulous food, a venue filled with guests, dreamy pictures, top-rated entertainers if possible, and an ethereal-looking bride and dapper groom are probably what define a great wedding for many. It’s a tall order this one. Ask anyone who’s planned one and they’ll tell you just how stressful it can be.
Weddings might be big business, with the Indian wedding industry billed at close to 12 billion pounds. But they are also rather stressful; especially for the couple and their families. Which is why, families and couples are increasingly looking to have big fat weddings in their home towns and jet out for a couple of days of pure fun. Enter: destination after parties.
“Destination weddings have become routine now,” says Reshme Saigal, founder of Reshme Saigal Weddings. “People are looking to get away after all the drama and chaos of a big fat Indian wedding. They round up some of their closest friends and family and get away,” she says.
According to wedding planners, destination after parties are the latest trend. From Hua Hin, Bangkok and Rayong in Thailand, Bali, Mauritius, Maldives and Europe to Goa, Rajasthan, Mammallapuram, and Kumarakom closer home, the world is their nightclub, with more clients looking to move away from the routine and chaos of their daily lives, post their wedding celebrations.
Parthip Thyagarajan, CEO, WeddingSutra, says that the trend has been on an upswing of late. “Vis-à-vis four years ago, post-wedding celebrations at a destination have become a lot more common today. Families are opting to have big bang traditional weddings and receptions in their cities and move the after party somewhere else. It’s usually a two-night affair with the family flying out select guests,” he says.
A 2016 report in Business Insider stated that the wedding industry in India is growing at 25-30% annually.
Big budgets
A wedding in the country can cost anywhere between ₹5 lakh to ₹5 crore. Typically, an Indian might spend close to one-fifth of the wealth they accumulate in a lifetime on a wedding. Seems like this is only set to increase with everyone looking to offer their guests a different experience. According to Thyagarajan, the expenditure for post-wedding celebrations can range anywhere between ₹50 lakh and ₹2 crore.
Often, the events include a welcome dinner, a cocktail party, an entertainment night, sangeet and pool parties. This works for many, say planners, because it gives them the perfect excuse to kick back and relax after all the stress of organising a wedding. Also, since there are no time constraints involved, the families and their friends get to relax and take things at their own pace. “Often, the couple and their immediate family do not really enjoy the wedding; what with all the rituals and work involved. There are time constraints to factor in. For instance, the couple might want to party late into the night with friends, but their parents need them to be ready by a certain time the next day for rituals. Then there’s always the whole matter of a guest passing a comment. All of it can get rather stressful and take the fun out of weddings for the organising party,” says Saigal.
Short on time
One of the key points that families consider while zeroing in on a destination is the travel time. Having already taken considerable time off to organise the wedding itself, the idea is to cut down on travel time and focus on the fun aspect. So destinations such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mauritius and Maldives are hot favourites. Mussoorie is also fast emerging as a venue for these parties, according to Saigal. And despite the plethora of options available, Goa continues to be a top contender for many, she adds.
Nidhi Sahi, MD, Enjay Events, says that some couples also opt to get away for a couple of days before the wedding with friends for a weekend of enjoyment. “We’re currently working with a couple getting married next February. The wedding is going to be a traditional affair, so the duo wants to fly out some of its friends to just let their hair down. So about 50 couples, the bride and groom, minus the family are heading to Europe in November this year,” she says.
Saigal adds, that décor is not the priority here. “It’s the alcohol and DJ. After all, everyone’s just looking forward to a great party.”
