'A growing business'
The big fat weddings are now substituted by highly experiential ones, says Vikram Lalvani, Chief of Sales, Revenue and Destinations, Sterling Holiday Resorts
What trends are you seeing for destination weddings in India amid the pandemic? Destination weddings are emerging as a trend amid the pandemic because a lot of new-age millennial couples value experiences over luxury. The new sense of luxury is in discovering something unique and memorable, while the quality of service and facilities remain spot on. With a limited number of guests, couples are now really focused on making the entire wedding an experience in itself that they can share with close family and loved ones; as a trend, this is expected to continue and even gain mileage in the years to come. For Sterling, weddings is a growing business segment that is almost doubling every year.
What is your USP when it comes to organising destination weddings? At Sterling our resorts are blessed with stunning locales, rich local culture for unique themes and cuisines, and the exotic charm as most of these destinations are still unexplored. Sterling understood the growing need to have an effortless endto-end wedding planning and execution, interweaving the destination's ethos with that of the celebrations and creating a unique experience with lifelong memories.
Which are your most popular hotels/resorts for destination weddings? Some of the popular resorts that have received a number of inquiries for destination weddings are in Mussourie, Puri, Palavelli Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, Jaipur, Lonavala, Kodaikanal, Ooty Elk Hill and Fern Hill, Darjeeling, Gangtok, Goa and Guruvayur. They are at a drivable distance from key cities & towns. Additionally, several wedding parties are booking out the entire resort & conducting ceremonies, such is the case in Anaikatti, Thekkady and Corbett.
As of now, are clients looking at more costeffective weddings? People are now looking forward to discovering and experiencing their functions differently. We believe, the cap limit gives the families a chance to explore more of the destination, cuisines, thematic set ups – indoor and outdoor venues, enjoy the wedding ceremonies at a leisurely pace instead of rushing through, and with their near and dear ones. As a wedding is mostly a once in a life-time affair, families are more than willing to enjoy minimalistic weddings with maximum memories and the big fat weddings are now substituted by highly experiential ones.