DUSHYANT SARVAIYA
With its unique heritage and picturesque locations, India has the potential to emerge as the preferred wedding destination for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) settled in the US and Canada. Be it corporate honchos, Bollywood stars, or celebrities, Rajasthan, and especially Udaipur, is the hot favourite among the who’s who for the royal feeling it evokes. Its pristine beaches make Goa another favourite of the richie rich for a destination wedding.
There are other places where one can find palaces and forts, but nothing comes close to the royalty of Udaipur or Jaipur because of the rich history associated with them. There is a definite attraction among NRIs for getting married at such unique and different destinations. Many NRIs from Europe, especially the UK, as well as those from the Middle East, have chosen Udaipur or Goa or other locations in India for a destination wedding, but those from the US and Canada are largely giving a miss to India.
The large and highly successful Indian community in the US prefers to have destination weddings in the US itself or some popular places in Europe. This is even though a destination wedding in Europe costs nearly double that of a comparable wedding in India. India has been unable to tap the community for the destination wedding segment despite the obvious and strong link with them and the country. The need is to promote India as the ideal location for a destination wedding among the diaspora in North America and market the unparalleled offerings and hospitality it offers.
Besides its regal heritage, India offers many other advantages of having a destination wedding. India’s cultural heritage makes it more hospitable compared with other destinations. Guests can experience royalty in the real sense because of the services they are offered. Moreover, as a result of low labour costs, more services can be availed in the same budget. Guests can be treated to 400-500 metre long buffets in India, with hundreds of dishes, which is not even thinkable in the US or Europe.
Many in the diaspora would like to come to India for a destination wedding and connect with their roots but are unable to do so for various reasons. Certainly, distance is one of the reasons why NRIs do not find India convenient for a destination wedding. A destination wedding requires elaborate planning, and travelling multiple times to India for the planning is neither convenient nor possible. Moreover, travelling to India with a large contingent of family and friends can be cumbersome. This problem can be addressed by providing them with complete airport-to-airport service, which means taking care of everything from the time they land in India till they leave.
Wedding planners provide the same kind of service package to clients from other geographies and must find ways and means to do the same to the high potential diaspora in the US and Canada. It will be a win-win for all stakeholders.
The writer is Director of The Party Hub & The ACE Creative Concepts, a leading wedding planning firm based out of Ahmedabad, Gujarat
