Weddings abroad are becoming increasingly popular for couples from small towns in India who are looking to keep costs down, and the guest list limited.
When the trend of organising destination weddings first began to grow in India, many of the couples originated from fast-paced cities where exotic weddings abroad were the answer for those who maybe didnt have the time or the desire to organise a lavish traditional wedding at home along with an ever-expanding guest list.
However, this trend has now expanded to couples of all backgrounds across many locations in India and getting married abroad is now associated with cost savings, intimate ceremonies and exotic wedding destinations.
Honeymoons abroad are also on the increase and after returning from his honeymoon in Australia, Nikhil Vohra, said that he would have missed out on an exquisite and thrilling experience if they had not planned the trip abroad to celebrate their nuptials.
“We were in Australia for five days and enjoyed our stay till we were exhausted. Visiting the foreign country also helped us understand each other better as we shared some exclusive moments,” said Vohra.
College friends, Atish Kumar and Gurjeet Singh, shared a honeymoon abroad with their new wives and said that the experience allowed them to feel more comfortable in a foreign country.
“We wanted to share some exclusive moments with our wives on a trip abroad,” said Atish.
Indian travel agents are also seeing an increase in couples booking overseas weddings and honeymoons with many choosing New Zealand, Australia, London and the United States for their romantic destination.
City-based travel agent, Prakash Kumar, said: “People now love to visit Singapore, Bangkok, New Zealand, Australia, London or the US and are planning their honeymoon trips a couple of months ahead of their wedding,”
Tour operators have also jumped on the bandwagon by providing Indian-themed Caribbean weddings for couples and romantic experiences across South East Asia and Europe.
Tour Operator, M K Roy, explained: “However, destinations closer to home, including Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have more attraction.
“Honeymoon packages range between ‘50,000 to ‘3 lakh, which even small town people are now able to afford.”
Kumar added: “For Asian countries, one has to spend between ‘50,000 and ‘1.5 lakh, for European countries between ‘1 lakh and ‘2 lakh and for other Western countries like Australia and the US, one spends between ‘2 lakh and ‘3 lakh.”