Indian weddings are back with a bang.
After a lull of more than two years, hoteliers in India are rejoicing as demand for hotel-based weddings increases and occupancies soar.
With Indian wedding celebrations lasting anywhere between one and five days or longer, the return of the wedding business is a great sign for Indian hotels.
“The Indian wedding has been a significant contributor to the bounce back the sector has witnessed in 2022,” said Mandeep Lamba, president of South Asia at business consultancy HVS Anarock.
He added that the Indian wedding market closed out 2022 with significant spending increases, and that is only expected to continue.
Dhananjay Saliankar, head of sales and marketing for India at Fortune Hotels & Welcomheritage, said hotel companies across the various segments want to capture wedding demand business.
“All Indian hotel chains are vying for a piece of this growing market, with several brands launching new marketing initiatives specifically targeted at the wedding market,” he said. “We have seen over 100% growth in the revenues generated in this segment compared to last financial year.
“People are now spending more than ever before. Guests are taking advantage of the opportunity to spend lavishly on themed and grand weddings. They are using this time to make up for the two years they missed out on socializing.”
Manish Deolekar, general manager of Grand Victoria The Fern Resort & Spa in Western India, is equally confidant things are back to normal, or close to normal.
“In the past year or so, the overall wedding business had dipped by almost 60%, but because the previous year’s weddings are rescheduled to happen now, 80% percent of the venues are booked in advance, and we are looking at robust growth figures,” Deolekar said. “We estimate a 20% to 25% rise in the wedding segment for the upcoming season.”
Lamba describes the wedding surge phenomenon as “The Big Fat Indian Wedding.” He said several hotels have sold out for the season, which usually takes place from October through February or March. Some dates are very auspicious and thus demand higher costs.
Deolekar said couples who delayed getting married for two years or had a very muted event due to the pandemic and the ensuing restrictions are now spending lavishly on their weddings.
“In the post-COVID-19 era, the trend has changed completely, with the key word being customization for dream ceremonies, and thus our resorts are seeing entire properties being booked exclusively for this reason,” he said.
More weddings are taking place outdoors. In past years this was necessary, but now guests want outdoor weddings.
“The emphasis is on outdoor weddings, smaller guest lists and booking entire properties so that interaction with people outside of the guest list is avoided,” Saliankar said. “The pandemic had pushed many guests to hold outdoor weddings due to safety reasons, but it seems like the trend will continue to grow this season as well. While celebrating their big day, guests prefer big open areas and scenic views.
“There is a newfound focus on sustainability amongst couples planning their weddings today. They want to utilize local talents and, in general, seek out different ways to make their celebration greener,” he added.
Lifting Lavishness
While weddings might have become a little more intimate, that does not mean any degree of lavishness has disappeared.
“There has been an increase in the number of people opting for intimate weddings,” Deolekar said. “With less people present, hosts are able to provide better and qualitative experience to their guests and hence the scale has gone down. Saying that, however, budgets have certainly not gone down for a wedding.”
He said a smaller guest list has enabled wedding hosts to spend more on destination weddings, luxury properties, varied cuisines and elaborate décor.
“Spending has not reduced as hosts focus on creating experiences, but the guest list has reduced from an average of 400 to 500. It has come down to 250 to 300,” Saliankar said. “Even with intimate weddings being the preferred choice for a lot of our patrons, spending has gone up. Couples continue to choose a close-knit wedding as it opens a whole new realm of possibilities to experiment with and plan a lux, fairy-tale one.
“They limit the guest count, resulting in reduced expenditure on accommodation and food. This gives them the option of saving or even investing that money in making the wedding more luxurious,” he added.
Lamba emphasized the new destination-centric manner of Indian weddings. He said to obtain the necessary fairy-tale wedding, couples are choosing luxury and upscale hotels and resorts in spectacular destinations.
He added there are still challenges when obtaining visas to go to international markets.
Saliankar agreed, adding that domestic weddings still have the bigger share of the demand.
“People prefer destinations within the country rather than getting married in international destinations,” Saliankar said.
He said his hotels in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand State; Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh; and Goa all have shown a marked rise in demand during the wedding season. Hotels in secondary and tertiary markets have seen demand increases as well.
For Deolekar’s hotels, Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan and, also, Goa dominate, but destinations such as Panchgani, Mahableshwar and Lonavala in Maharashtra have also joined the mix.
“As per the data, people are looking for properties close to their hometowns. Also, the preference for venues that are within the driving distance for the host families is the biggest difference we have noticed,” Deolekar said.