Covid-19 trimmed down the big fat Indian weddings to low-key personal events, held under strict safety precautions. It led to huge losses for the wedding industry estimated of being worth of $40 billion (₹2.94 lakh crore). But interestingly, the destination wedding trend has got a boost during the pandemic. Planners say they’re getting a large number of requests to organise destination weddings. And more families are heading off to places that are being considered safer.
While total number of confirmed cases in Delhi stands at over 193K, states of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have recorded 92,536 and 7,660 cases, respectively. Hence, such states with comparatively low number of Covid-19 cases are emerging as the preferred destination for weddings. “People want to step out due to the rising numbers in Delhi. These resorts are huge and maintaining social distancing is easier. When guests are all staying together the chances of being safe are higher,” says event planner Nitin Arora.
Another reason is the slashed prices and amazing discounts offered by many. “Budgets have now changed. A wedding in Delhi a few months back is costing the same as a destination wedding today. So, people prefer going out of the city for weddings. Resorts close to Delhi are the most sought-after places,” says wedding planner Prerana Saxena, adding, “For example, someone’s budget for a wedding in Delhi is ₹10lakh, now they can pull off a destination wedding in Sohna Road or other places also in same amount.”
