If you're not tapping into Indian destination wedding planning, you’re missing out on a fast-growing and highly profitable niche in the travel industry. The demand for extravagant, international Indian weddings is skyrocketing as the country’s wealthiest population continues to grow.
According to Skift Research, the average cost of an Indian international destination wedding clocks in at $200,000. That’s five times higher than the average cost of an international destination wedding, per The Knot Real Weddings Study. Skift estimates that there were 10,000 Indian international destination weddings in 2023, contributing $1.9 billion to the travel industry.
With Indian destination weddings expected to represent 8% of the global destination wedding market by 2033, travel advisors who develop expertise in this niche stand to unlock significant revenue potential. But capturing this market isn't easy; it requires deep knowledge of cultural customs and celebrations, close collaboration with vendors and suppliers and insight into the logistical demands unique to these grand, multi-day events.
Here’s what you need to know about planning Indian destination weddings.
Indian Weddings 101
At a high level, Indian destination weddings tend to be elaborate affairs involving several days of meaningful ceremonies, traditions and events. They’re also large: The average Indian wedding has around 150 guests, according to Skift. But you can’t go into it assuming every Indian wedding is the same.
India is one of the world’s most diverse countries, encompassing more than 120 major languages, dozens of religions and many distinctive regional cultures. This wide range of cultural and religious influences, combined with unique traditions from family to family, significantly impacts the details of each couple’s celebration — from the cuisine and entertainment to the ceremony, reception and other events.
“There are differences in every single region of India, and with Indian and South Asian weddings, it can vary from one family to the next,” said Aimee Monihan, founder of Destination Occasions and Destination Desi, which offers South Asian wedding planning services. “Rather than assume anything, ask the client what they want and need from you and whether there are any traditions within their families that they want observed.”
It’s also important to research Indian weddings and common traditions associated with them, which vary across religions and regions, if you want to develop this niche.
“You really have to deep dive into every single culture you think you’ll work on,” said Ateet Ahuja, travel advisor and founder of Indian Destination Wedding, which offers Indian destination wedding planning services. “Ultimately, the families are interviewing us as much as we’re interviewing them. If they don’t feel you have the knowledge to take on their wedding, they won’t hire you.”
Monihan adds that attention to detail is key, and knowing the customs can help ensure that every aspect of the wedding is respectful of the couple’s traditions.
“The attention to detail for a Hindu wedding on the stage (mandap) alone — you need so many things, like a mango leaf, rice and turmeric powder, in order for the priest to do the ceremony,” she said. “And if I’m in the holy space of a Sikh wedding, having head coverings available for all guests is vital, including those working at the event.”
Planning an Indian destination wedding is a family affair, so expect to have multiple voices contributing to the decisions and arrangements.
“Being Indian myself, I understand how the entire family is involved with planning an Indian wedding,” Ahuja said. “My Zoom calls with clients can have 10 to 20 people, including parents and sometimes brothers and sisters of the couple and their aunts and uncles.”
With so many people involved in the planning, it’s important to know who has the final say on decisions. Ahuja defaults to the couple when he receives conflicting instructions from family members. Monihan, on the other hand, asks her client who has the last word.
“Understanding whose voice is the loudest in those opinions will really help streamline the planning,” she advised. “Whoever is paying the most is typically the boss.”
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Popular Destinations
Choosing the right destination is crucial for Indian destination weddings, as it sets the stage for the entire celebration. According to Skift, the idea of getting married in a place with breathtaking scenery, great weather and a relaxed atmosphere plays a big role in a couple’s decision to have an Indian wedding abroad.
“Indian weddings are all about hospitality. They want the wedding guests to have an amazing experience at the most photogenic of locations,” Monihan said.
The Skift report also revealed that large cities and nature-focused destinations in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe are the most popular places for Indian destination weddings.
“Italy has become very popular, and Lake Como is a hot spot for high-end Indian weddings,” Monihan said.
For Indian and South Asian couples who want to have their nuptials in North America, the Caribbean and Mexico are trending destinations, Ahuja adds. “In terms of popularity, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and St. Lucia are the top three in the Caribbean. The east coast of Mexico — including the entire Riviera Maya, Cancun, Playa Mujeres and Tulum — is big, followed by Cabo and Puerto Vallarta,” he said.
Resort Selection
There are a few things to keep in mind when proposing a venue for a client’s Indian destination wedding.
“When planning Indian destination weddings, travel advisors should prioritize venues that offer flexibility for large-scale events, customizable spaces for multiple ceremonies and top-notch accommodations,” said Yessica Lira, corporate wedding manager at Velas Resorts, which has expertise in planning Indian weddings. “It’s also important to ensure the resort is equipped to handle traditional rituals, decor requirements and a variety of cultural customs.”
Skift data shows that couples strongly prefer to house guests at a single location. If the couple plans to invite several hundred guests, you’ll need to seek out large resorts with enough rooms and suites for everyone.
“I’ve had Indian destination weddings as small as 100 guests and as large as 500, but my average guest count is 200 to 250,” Ahuja said.
Knowing the layout of the venue and the availability of event spaces is also key. Lots of events happen throughout the days of the wedding, so the couple will need a resort that offers several ballrooms, terraces and other gathering spaces, Monihan said.
“In a typical weekend of a South Asian wedding, you’ll have a minimum of three to six events,” Monihan said. “You need multiple spaces for that to happen, and you don’t want to re-dress the same ballroom multiple times.”
She recommends reserving a banquet room or similar space to serve as a hospitality lounge, too. This can be a dedicated space to have round-the-clock chai tea service, grab-and-go lunch and treats.
“Moms and aunties will often make homemade things like cookies and snacks for the wedding. It’s important to have a space in which those relatives can host their friends and hang out,” Monihan said.
It’s also extremely helpful to find a resort that trains its staff in the nuances of Indian weddings. Velas Resorts, for example, hires a specialist to offer one to two weeks of training for its wedding staff every year. They also go through a two-month certification process with tests, quizzes and interviews, Lira says.
“All of our wedding coordinators specialize in Indian weddings. It’s also important to know that we work with international and national vendors. If we need to fly in someone like a makeup artist for mehndi (also known as henna), we are open to doing it. We can even fly in a Bollywood choreographer,” Lira added.
This flexibility is a key advantage for resorts catering to Indian destination weddings, as they often require specialized vendors to honor important cultural traditions.
As you explore options for venues and pricing, expect to ask for concessions and discounts on behalf of the couple. In Indian culture, negotiating with vendors is a typical part of the planning process, with families expecting flexibility in pricing and services.
“Agents need to be ready for the bartering part of the weddings. You have to be prepared for the fact that whoever’s paying for the wedding will want to see that the first offer is not the end offer,” Monihan explained.
It’s especially important to use your skills as a travel advisor and your relationships with different venues and vendors to build compelling packages. Indian destination weddings require minimally 600 room nights, Monihan said, so the resort should be willing to work with you on certain things, like discounted guest rooms or meals.
“Little things will make the difference. Throwing in breakfast for guests every morning will speak volumes to the families involved,” she said.
Authentic Food and Entertainment
You can’t understate the importance of authentic, sumptuous food at an Indian wedding, no matter where it’s held. But the location can make a big difference in how well the cuisine is handled.
“I’m always going to the resorts I work with to test their food, not only once, but again and again to make sure there’s consistency there,” Ahuja said. “If a couple wants a specific kind of food, I only want to show the resorts that have the food they need, whether that’s Halal, Jain or something else — every single one is different.”
There are also regional differences in Indian cuisine that lead to significant, but often subtle, variations in the meals, spices and even the ways in which vegetables are cut. The food and beverage team at the venue needs to understand these nuances and serve foods that properly reflect each couple’s religious and cultural identities.
For its part, Velas Resorts is able to have Indian chefs come in whenever needed, Lira said. Other resorts may not have that expertise available, though, so you’ll need to see if the property has any restrictions on bringing in a chef or caterer who can deliver on the couple’s expectations for their wedding.
“Hotels that allow a chef to come work with them or an outside caterer to do a buyout of their kitchen will be the most successful for these events. If the hotel doesn’t have the ability to allow an Indian chef to work internally or an outside caterer to come in, or if they don’t have Indian people on their staff in their kitchen, it’ll be a hard sell,” Monihan explained.
Almost all of these rules apply to entertainment and other vendors, too. Velas Resorts, for example, regularly works with Bollywood choreographers, traditional florists, specialized makeup artists and designers from India for custom fittings and consultations to ensure that their clients’ cultures are seamlessly integrated into their weddings, Lira said.
If you’re going to a property that doesn’t host many Indian destination weddings, travel advisors will need to put in a lot of legwork to meet their clients’ expectations, especially for the music.
“In our culture, entertainment is huge. If your guests’ feet don’t hurt as they leave your event, that means they didn’t dance a lot and it wasn’t great,” explained Ahuja, who started his career in the wedding industry as a DJ and owner of an entertainment company in the Washington, D.C., area.
He notes that there are a ton of distinctions between musical styles from one region of India to the next, and it’s important that the entertainment at a wedding reflects the culture of the couple and their families.
“You need the right DJ for the right couple,” Ahuja said.
You may need to look around the region, depending on where the wedding is being held, or fly in the right DJ and other vendors for the job.
Monihan has built up her contacts in this space throughout her 25 years of planning destination weddings. For newcomers to the niche, she recommends doing a simple Google search for “Indian wedding” and the destination to begin finding vendors, along with asking others in the industry for referrals.
“The music is so important. The parents will have Bollywood classics they want to hear, and the couple may want to intermix modern Indian music and modern hip-hop. The DJ needs to know how to do that,” she explained.
If all that sounds like a lot, well, it is. And here’s the kicker: You won’t have much time to plan it, either. According to Skift, the majority of Indian destination weddings are pulled together in just six to 12 months. Another 20% are planned in six months or less.
The timeline is tight, and the scale is grand, but the payoff is worth it for a vibrant, unforgettable celebration steeped in tradition and culture. As a travel advisor, you’ll have the opportunity to not only earn a generous commission but also build lasting relationships with the families. Plus, because Indian weddings are so focused on community, impressing the guests can lead to plenty of referrals for future events and trips.
Tapping into the Indian destination wedding market can be daunting, but once you’re in, you’ll be part of a growing, highly rewarding niche — and create lifelong memories for the happy couples you work with.
Originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of The Compass magazine
Joni Sweet
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