Find out why Italy is the top choice of Bollywood stars and Indian billionaires
Have you just said “YES” to your other half and you’re now looking for the best destination around the globe to tie the knot? The world is full of fascinating places, but are they all suitable for an Indian wedding?
Finding the right destination for your Indian wedding is no easy task, since there are a lot of things to take into consideration to make sure your big day is special and unique, and to avoid your guests thinking that it could be done domestically. And most of all, you want your wedding to unfold in an effortless way for you and your guests, without logistic complications and without unexpected events that may occur if you choose your destination without any criteria, but only relying on pretty pictures. Because a wedding is not a holiday for two, it’s an event that takes place in more than one day and with 100-200 guests to take care of. You surely don’t want to ruin your big day just because you chose the wrong destination!
Questions to ask yourself when choosing a destination for your wedding
First of all, you need to look at some practicalities that you absolutely need to consider when planning a destination wedding and you might want to ask yourself some questions first: How many guests are on your list? What are the wedding dates? Are there hotels that can accommodate all these guests on those dates? Will it be possible to host all the different functions prior to the wedding? Has that destination already hosted enough Indian weddings? Are there any local professionals who have prior experience with Indian weddings?
Do you want a cookie-cutter wedding?
If you decided to get married in Goa, you surely wouldn’t have any of these concerns, except for the date. Because wedding season in Goa coincides with winter in Europe. And it’s not sure whether your guests can all get holidays to fly out to Goa or not. On the other hand, if you were to choose to get married during Christmas time when all the schools and offices are closed in Europe and America, then the prices to fly out to Goa would be really high and many of your guests could give up for this reason. It would surely be a lot easier for your relatives in India, because it would not be difficult for them to reach Goa, and they wouldn’t need a Visa. But that would mean saying goodbye to an intimate wedding with just your close family and friends. In that case you would definitely have to invite so many more people and your guest number would go up to 300-400 and even more people.
And let’s face it: do you really want to have a wedding that looks exactly like hundreds if not thousands of Indian weddings you can see every day in these Goa resorts? Or do you want to break the mold and have THE wedding, unique and tailor-made according to YOUR dreams, and not something out of a wedding package? I’m sorry to disappoint you, but in Goa, that won’t be possible.
The same thing applies to Indian weddings in Mexico. Of course, the season is opposite to the north hemisphere, which means different holiday periods. Flights are long haul and quite expensive, if you fly out from the UK. But if you live in the US, Mexico is not that far, and you may even find cheaper flights. But this is one of the main reasons why many of your friends choose that destination for their weddings. It’s not on the same level of Goa for number of weddings, but it’s pretty close. It is another wedding-factory for Indian couples, that creates all the same weddings, as if they were all made from the same mold: NEXT! Huge resorts, palm trees, beaches and… a row of weddings one in front of the other. But is it really worth it? Try to think of your friends’ faces when they’ll hear about another wedding in Mexico once again. Same places, same backdrops, same photos. The only different things would be the date and maybe the color palette of the wedding. I think you deserve more than that, don’t you agree?
Be twice as careful when looking at Europe for your destination wedding
Ok, let’s talk about Europe now. Here you have plenty of choices when it comes to location, backdrop, venue and so on. There are so many choices in Europe that it allows you to have a different wedding from the ones you are used to see. But it is here that you need to be extra careful because it’s really easy to choose the wrong destination.
When thinking of a destination wedding in Europe, especially in the south, a lot of couples consider Greece, Portugal, Spain or Croatia, and Italy of course. On first impression, they may all seem the same: sea, sun, great views… but is it really so? Let’s have a closer look at the differences and what to expect if you opt for one of these countries for your destination wedding.
What comes to your mind when you think of Greece? Probably, the white roofs of Santorini, overhanging the sea. And when you think of Portugal? Probably the yellow city of Sintra with its famous castle. And what about Croatia (assuming that you have ever heard of it)? I find it difficult to believe you can easily make a mental association, maybe the only thing it comes to your mind is that it’s a cheap destination. They are all delightful countries with sea, sun and great views, and Greece is probably the most famous one. But they are also small countries, famous for their small towns, which may not have big venues or big hotels to host all of your guests. The number of the guests and the dates are pivotal factors to consider when choosing a destination for your wedding. And if you’re considering having 150-200 guests, I’m sorry but they’re not the right places for you and your Indian wedding.
And you also have to consider the logistic aspect of this. If you have already been to Greece before, you surely know that it’s not one territory but instead a myriad of separated islands, so you are subject to the sea conditions to reach your destination. So think of your guests, whom would have to take a plane (sometimes even more than one, especially if they fly out from the US), then a ferry (and I don’t want to think about those who suffer from seasickness, which could be very common for those coming from the UK or US where they’re not used to it); they would arrive very tired, and you probably want to plan the welcome party on that same day. And did you know that Greece is called the island of sun and wind? Yes, the wind, which could jeopardize that postcard-like picture you have in mind, with the Mandap ceremony overlooking those beautiful and attractive white roofs.
Croatia is another windy country, with cold sea always subject to a lot of currents. Of course, your guests would come for the wedding, and not for holidays and to go to the beach. But you perfectly know that the idea of a destination wedding is a combination of the two, to have a wedding during a holiday, and having warmer seas would be better, don’t you think?
And what about food? How important is it to you to have Indian food at your wedding? I think it’s really important. Croatia is a Balkan country, famous for meat dishes, not really open to Asian flavors. And even if there may be some small Indian restaurants, you may not be able to have an Indian catering at your wedding, unless you bring one from the UK (which would critically bring the costs up). Same thing for Greece, which of course has a different kind of cuisine than Croatia, but they would also serve their local cuisine at weddings. Besides, Greece is known to be the country of “wedding packages”, with already pre-set solutions and with a little choice for you.
Maybe you would be a little bit luckier in Portugal, both on food and logistics terms, but you would have to choose among those 3-4 venues capable to host a three-days sumptuous event as your Indian destination wedding. Just think that the population of the whole Portugal is less than half of the population in Delhi! The entire country is smaller than half the capital of India! Delightful, for sure, but very small and not many choices for venues suitable for you.
You may tell me that the cost of weddings in these countries is cheaper, and I can’t disagree with you (even if some Greek islands are not cheap at all, considering all the transfers). But you need to weigh what you are giving up: cheaper cost vs. logistic complications, cheaper costs vs. no Indian food, cheaper costs vs. only one type of backdrop and little choice of venues, cheaper costs vs. pre-set packages and no personalization.
IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU WANT?
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against these countries, and I gladly go there on holidays. They are all beautiful places with great views, but they are more suitable as destinations for your holidays, and not for a complex and large wedding such as Indian ones.
And what about Spain? At first glance it may look really similar to Italy: historic heritage, important architectural sights, sea and inland, variety of landscapes and views. It’s easy to get there, there are big hotels and it is probably easy to find Indian food. But there’s still something missing… Why aren’t there many Indian weddings while Italy is on the top of the wish list of every Indian couple? Why do so many people choose Barcelona or Seville for their hen or bachelor party but then come to Italy for their wedding ceremony?
Italy, the most romantic country in the world
I think I know the answer. And it is embedded in a simple yet powerful word: “romantic”. Italy represents everything romantic, everything beautiful, everything of good taste, everything poetic, dreamy and fairy tale-like, everything of desire and LOVE. I’m pretty sure that if you close your eyes and try to picture Italy, even if you’ve never visited it, everything I just mentioned will surely come to your mind. Italy is the country of love par excellence, it’s the most romantic country in the world, immersed in that relaxing and romantic atmosphere that makes you forget everything else. And it has been like this for centuries. It is exactly here that the biggest artists in the world got their inspirations and created their masterpieces. It’s the great beauty, and with no doubts it’s unrivalled. Not surprisingly, Italy has the highest number of UNESCO’s world heritage sites. Italy as a country, and not just some cities or places, is in the top 10 list of places to visit at least once in your lifetime. Italy is so vast, and it offers all the possible landscapes to choose from for your wedding backdrop: from snowy mountain peaks to lakes reflecting the Alps, from hills with cypress along the paths to vast vineyards, from lavender to sunflower fields. You can find rivers cutting off thousand-year old woods. You can find overhanging cliffs on one side, and white sanded beaches on the other. And in between all these magical landscapes, you can find medieval castles, ancient or modern villas, luxury resorts and mountain chalets, farm houses and design hotels. You are spoilt for choice like nowhere else! It is also easy to get around and travel to Italy, because of the many international airports and accommodation facilities to choose from. Plus, the mild weather allows you to have your wedding at any time of the year, you just need to choose the right place.
This unmatched and special mix has always lured lots of famous people and tycoons for their wedding in Italy. And the weddings of Bollywood stars recently stood out in the international news: Anushka Sharma&Virat Kohli and Deepika Padukone&Ranveer Singh fell for Italy’s charm and celebrated their weddings in our beautiful country. And what about Indian billionaires? Their choices swing from Apulia to Tuscany, to the recent engagement party of Isha Ambani on Lake Como – it’s a never-ending list. Getting married in Italy is by far a successful trend, a must have, an experience to live. Because it truly is a one-of-a-kind experience that you can only live here. You also have the chance to offer your guests this amazing experience that they will surely remember for a lifetime.
There is no debate: Italy is the real queen of destination weddings. It’s here that dreams come true. And it’s here that you can have your dream too. Are you still not sure? Then listen to this bride who has been to Italy many times, both for holidays and for weddings, since we organized three weddings for her family:
And if you want to have guaranteed the delivery of an authentical Indian wedding with all of the components respected and taken into account, without any logistic complications, a stress-free wedding, then Italy also offers you a truly specialist of Indian weddings that probably several other countries don’t offer. Stop dreaming. Take charge of the situation and check right away if you can have your Indian wedding in Italy too!
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THESE OTHER POSTS:
