The Cost of a Destination Wedding in Haryana

Destination weddings are a lot of fun and the popular trend right now. Although a wedding at a faraway resort may sound exotic and expensive, if planned well and executed with precision, it can end up costing much less than a traditional wedding in your hometown. However, the cost structure of a destination wedding is slightly different. Here’s a quick guide:

Do Destination weddings cost a lot?

Destination weddings don’t cost a lot because the guest list is usually smaller, the functions are fewer and all the venues are at a single resort. This is very different from a traditional wedding, which typically involves many functions spread out over the city including large receptions where almost everyone you know is invited.

Destination weddings are meant to be intimate. Usually, only a close circle of tightknit family and friends are invited and there are no surprise guests who walk in. The smaller and fixed guest list means less of everything and this can lead to a big reduction in costs and wastage. Since you know exactly how many people will show up to each function, there is no chance of overbilling or overreaching.

Since all the functions will be held at the selected resort where the wedding party is staying, you can also get huge benefits from economies of scale. You can negotiate better discounts and lower prices with the resort as the overall single bill that you will be paying will be quite sizable.

What are the Costs associated with Destination weddings?

Although there are many foreseen and unforeseen costs of a wedding, there are 5 main costs that you need to be aware of before planning a destination wedding. These are the biggest and most unavoidable costs and if you can manage each one down to a reasonable level, the overall wedding can be quite economical.

Transportation: Since destination weddings are usually held at faraway locations, the cost of going there and returning can be quite exorbitant. This is especially true if travel to the destination involves expensive flight tickets. As you can imagine, the travel costs of a destination wedding halfway across the world can itself run into lakhs.

To reduce the burden of transportation costs on the hosts, it is common for hosts to let the guests pay their own fare. The invitation is worded carefully to let the guests know that they are responsible for getting to the resort after which everything else will be covered by the hosts including meals, stay and parties.

To further reduce the burden of transportation on guests, you can choose to have the wedding at a resort that is not too far away. Overly exotic locations are anyways not a good idea as it leads to runaway guests and the location overshadowing the sacred ceremony.

Stay: Accommodations at the resort are the responsibility of the hosts and make up a big part of the cost. Destination weddings require anything from 10 to 200 rooms for multiple nights, which can be quite expensive. However there are ways to manage and reduce these costs as well.

One way to manage exorbitant hotel bills is to avoid overly expensive resorts, suites and peak tourist seasons. Most luxury resorts have an off-season period when rooms are steeply discounted. Depending on your preferences and auspicious dates, you can book a resort that offers volume and seasonal discounts that can make a big difference to the overall bill.

In some cases, the resort will not be able to accommodate all your guests at its property or you may not deem the resort suitable for all guests. In this case, you can book a secondary resort that is nearby but comes at a lower cost. You can use this resort for storage, staging, staff and younger guests who want to be away from the eye of the storm.

Catering:The meals and snacks at weddings tend to be exotic, opulent and lavish in variety. Wedding parties also consume a large amount of beverages and alcohol, which can add up quickly. While this can get very expensive at some venues, resorts are best suited to provide good value for money as they already have running kitchens and nothing needs to be specially arranged.

To further reduce catering costs, you can negotiate with the resort and buy your own alcohol. Most resorts will allow this if you pay a small “corking charge” that covers the cost of serving and licensing. This can bring down the costs significantly as alcoholic beverages can be unreasonably priced at fine resorts.

To further bring down the costs, you can also organize one or two meals at a nearby restaurant away from the resort. You can also instruct the resort not to take room service orders from your guests and not to provide mini bars in the rooms.

Venues: Interesting venues in urban areas can cost a lot of money as demand is higher and these venues have to be specially decorated and made usable for the event. This involves providing pack up power, parking facilities, toilets etc. On the other hand, the venues at faraway resorts are already attractive and functional. Depending on your dates, you can negotiate good prices for the venues you need.

Decorations: Decorations are one of the most important aspects of a wedding. Depending on the theme, it can be hard and costly to hire decorators, buy or rent fixings and organize good flower arrangements. However, most resorts have ongoing working relationships with teams of professions who already know the venue well. This can help you get exactly what you want at reasonable prices.

Where should I get married to get the most out of my budget?

 One of the best places to get married near Delhi or Chandigarh is Karnal. This is a great destination that is easily accessible by road and lies at an interesting crossroads of greenery and historical sites. There is also a great resort here that is ideal for destination weddings called the Vivaan Hotel and Resort.

Considered to be one of the best wedding resorts in Karnal, the Vivaan Hotel specializes in events of all kinds. It has over 11 different venues including their main wedding hall which can accommodate over 2000 people and is widely considered to be amongst the best wedding venues in Karnal.

With modern architecture, easy access, ample parking, luxurious rooms, impeccable service and amazing food, it is the ideal place to tie the knot without breaking the bank. If you plan well, the cost of a destination wedding in Karnal can be surprisingly low while the effects are sure to be stunning, memorable and immensely enjoyable for all.