Cosmo settings, exotic beaches & more: Bengaluru is becoming a popular hub for destination weddings

Jaipur businessman Pankaj Sharma and Hyderabad techie Smriti Kumari (name changed) courted for four years before deciding to tie the knot at a dream destination. Goa was too ‘modern’ for their extended families, while Pankaj found Udaipur commonplace, given that it hosts too many weddings. Bengaluru was their natural choice where they got married earlier this year.

Incidentally, Pankaj first met Smriti at a common friend’s wedding in Bengaluru, which he visits every alternate month on business. “Even that was a ‘destination wedding’. The groom was my childhood friend and my wife’s colleague. I think we were destined to get married in Bengaluru,” Pankaj told TOI.

Like Pankaj, many youngsters are picking Bengaluru as their wedding destination owing to its pleasant weather, budget-friendly packages and cosmopolitan settings. The city’s luxury hotels and serene resorts are making up for the absence of historical spots or picturesque beaches, say experts.

Srikant Kanoi, CEO, Ethereal Celebration Management, confirmed the number of destination weddings in Benglauru has gone up by 80% in the last two years.

According to Kanoi, Bengaluru’s five-star hotels provide some great weekend deals, while alternative locations are famous vacation hubs with no rooms during weekends and peak season. He said the city’s resorts are also most sought after by north India families.



Anita Makharia from Shubhkamanaye, an event management company, said, “Bengaluru’s weather is pleasant through the year, unlike other humid and extreme-weather cities. Air fares to the city are much lower and food costs less than half.”

Mantaps are available in various designs and budgets in Bengaluru resorts and it is easy to get the feel of a palace or beach weddings here, Anita said, adding: “Decor that costs Rs 5 lakh for a day in a city like Goa will be available at a little over Rs 2 lakh in Benglauru for two-three days.”

According to Kanoi, weddings are also becoming close-knit affairs. “So, most business families look at the event as a vacation and the city provides several resorts and high-end hotels for just that, sans, the touristy crowd,” he added.

Hyderabad businessman Taher Rahman recalled that his wedding in Bengaluru was not a tiring affair for any of his family members, who took the opportunity to unwind at a star hotel. His wife hails from a small town in Karnataka. “There is the matter of logistics and comfort as well. It was easier for everyone to meet at a place with better connectivity,” he said, adding he’d prefer to have his anniversaries in Goa or any other picturesque location rather than having his wedding there.



“Bengaluru is not as expensive as other metros. It has a great welcoming crowd and some great entertainment options as well,” Rahman said.

Anita said it is easier to coordinate with musicians, DJs and other performers in Bengaluru. “Business families from other parts of India feel weddings in Bengaluru’s highend hotels and resorts are about status, even as it is easier on their pockets,” she said.

Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi of KGN Caterers, Bangarapet, said the trend of destination-weddings is still catching up, but a lot of people from other parts of the state are choosing Bengaluru to celebrate weddings. “For Karnataka’s movers and shakers, a wedding in Bengaluru Palace Grounds or resorts is a status symbol,” he added.