MARRIAGE: A NEW JOURNEY BEGINS AT A DESTINATION
Dying with curiosity, when you ask your well-heeled friend or neighbour “Where are you having your son/daughter’s wedding?” “The sprawling lawns of a race course or a five star hotel banquet” as a reply would surely deflate the ballooning enthusiasm. Because nowadays wedding preparations begin with a D. The ‘Destination’ for the wedding.
Big scale weddings on reel can take a tip or two from the ones playing out in real life. They are redefining posh and the fairy tale-like set up and how! In fact, as more and more people opt for destination weddings, there’s a crazy need to discover virgin destinations. After all, the boast value is at stake. But the fact is, weddings today are so mesmerising, they make you wonder whether the adage ‘Marriages are made in heaven’ hints at them being made on the pristine Bali beaches or in the grand Rajasthan palaces, rather than the mystic abode in the sky.
One look at the kind of destinations you can choose from and even you’ll drool!
Sand and Sea: That beaches are romantic is unarguable. The soft carpet of the sand beneath you, the blue sky above, the waves crashing onto the shores, the gentle breeze kissing you Hi! When such natural beauty is complemented with white canopies, blushing floral arrangements and the finest cuisine, you’ve got yourself the dream wedding. And you could always walk away into the sunset, hand-in-hand with your beloved, making for the perfect happily-ever-after visual.
Back home, Goa is one of the most popular beach destinations for weddings. Park Hyatt and Taj Exotica are beautiful beach properties that offer their luxurious five star facilities and make the wedding even more talk-worthy. Next on the wish list comes the gorgeous Kerala with its serene backwaters and swaying palm trees. For people planning to go international, Hawaii, Bali, Phuket, Mauritius, Seychelles and the Caribbean islands like Aruba, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, make for the choicest picks.
Feel like Royalty: Teleport into the era of kings and queens, as the grand palaces and castles open their gates and roll out the proverbial red carpet in honour of their guests. Their old world charm blending with modern amenities, rich heritage, intricate architecture, magnificent crystal chandeliers, beautifully woven carpets and the air itself which brims with an imperial fragrance, transform every wedding into a royal affair to remember. The lake city of Udaipur boasts of the Taj Lake Palace, Oberoi Udaivilas and other palace-hotels where many a lavish celebrity weddings have been hosted. Jodhpur and Jaipur have also kept their rich past alive and lend a regal touch to wedding ceremonies. The Taj Falaknuma in Hyderabad is another ultra-chic palace to put as the venue on the wedding invite. Internationally, Spanish and Italian castles are high on the wow factor.
Set Sail: For couples seeking a mix of romance and richness, a wedding on board a cruise liner would be just fitting. The world-class comforts, the calm ride on the undulating waves, the attentive service and the intrinsic hip value of a cruise liner up the stature of the wedding in more ways than one.
Joy at its Peak: Usually people threaten to run away to the mountains when they want break free from all worldly bonds. But you could walk into a new relationship in midst of the tranquillity of the mountains. Imagine the snow-capped mountains of Manali, Mussoorie, Shimla, Dharmshala or Nainital in North India or the quaint hills of Munnar or Ooty standing solid and fluffy clouds touching down upon their peaks. Dreamy and so ideal for a romantic occasion like a wedding, isn’t it? Host a wedding at Jaypee Residency Manor in Mussoorie, Oberio-owned Wildflower Hall or Oberoi Cecil in Shimla and leave everyone enthralled. Switzerland, Colorado, Napa call all international mountain lovers.
With people becoming more innovative and the one-upmanship game in weddings getting hotter, destination wedding ideas are getting more exotic. Weddings at museums, art galleries, underwater, in the sky, you name it and there is a wedding happening there. The only mantra seems to be to buck the trend and to set new ones. Do something which will get eyeballs to pop out and mouths to sing praises much after the wedding is over. Go right on and plan a wedding that’s as glorious as it is romantic
