Destination weddings are an extremely expensive and time consuming affair, an extravagance well beyond the means and intentions of a frugal young couple writes Mazhar Nadiadwala, MD, Dome Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

Destination weddings are all the rage, given their romantic nature, as well as the charm of having an intimate ceremony amid close family and friends. The destination chosen usually has some innate or special connection to the couple, be it their mutual obsession for the region, its natural beauty, or role it has played in their relationship.Given the significant costs as a result of travel, lodging, and the time taken off of work, destination weddings are often usually more limited in terms of guests, and restricted mainly to immediate family and close friends of the betrothed.

Destinations weddings are to most people, the textbook definition of a dream wedding. And why wouldn’t they be? From exotic locations, to the spectacular sceneries in some of theworld’s most beautiful countries, they represent a very fairy tale- like version of love.  In popular culture, musicals like Mama Mia show us just how unearthly and escapist such weddings can be when executed properly, and have captured the imaginations of young girls everywhere. 

Destination weddings are an extremely expensive and time consuming affair, an extravagance well beyond the means and intentions of a frugal young couple. Fortunately, with considerable planning, even a wedding hosted right here in Mumbai can be made to feel as grand as anything the plains of Tuscany, islands of Greece, or coasts of Bali have to offer. Here are a few simple steps to planning a destination wedding, in Mumbai:

Set A Budget

The key to successfully planning a wedding, wherever in the world it may be, is clever financial management. Set a budget based on your income, your expectations from the ceremony i.e. the grandeur, location, food, etc., and the number of expected guests, and this will give you a fair estimate of your final expenses. Planning a wedding without a strict budget turns out to be significantly more expensive. This is because a budget acts as a strict anchor that keeps it within reasonable constraints, whereas an unlimited budget tends to make your decisions more erratic and exuberant. 

Pick A Theme

Choosing a theme and sticking with it, is central to planning your wedding because it dictates the choice of food, music, decorations, décor, lighting, gifts, outfits, colours, and a host of other elements that directly affect the ceremony. For example, choosing an Italian themed wedding would ultimately result in a very different outcome whencompared to selecting a Rajasthani or Middle-Eastern styled reception. When selecting a theme, make sure to finalise your choice before you begin with any actual planning as it will give you a direction to work in.

Choose The Right Venue

A venue is central to turning your dream wedding into a reality. When selecting a venue to host your reception, make sure that ithas adequate space to house your guests comfortably, the technical infrastructure to handle your music and lighting requirements, ample area for a stage, and a layout that matches the theme you have in mind. As a rule of thumb, a larger venue gives you considerably more flexibility than a smaller one, but that is a decision which depends entirely upon your budget.

Choose The Right Wedding Planner

The best way to plan a wedding is not to get into the specifics itself, but instead outsource the work entirely by availing the services of a professional wedding planner. Their expertise, connections, and advice can greatly enhance the quality of the event, while conceivably lowering the price. Hiring a wedding plannertakes the vast majority of the workload off the couple and their families, allowing them to concentrate on other, more personal activitiessuch as inviting guests. A competent wedding planner with a decent budget can work miracles when compared to a well-meaning amateur owing primarily to experience, and this finesse extends to the execution of your desired theme.

Space It Out

Weddings take time to plan properly, and should ideally, not be rushed. Depending upon the proposed scale, venue, theme, and season, a wedding can take anywhere between a few weeks to several months to fully execute since it involves considerable efforts, including planning, logistics, decorations, gift ideas, licences, décor elements, venue bookings, invitations, religious ceremonies, vehicle rentals, and a whole host of miscellaneous tasks. When setting a wedding date, make sure to leave a fair amount of time to account for all the aforementioned duties that need to be undertaken.

Of all the rites that life has to offer, few are more elaborate or memorable than a wedding. That being said, with a little planning and a lot of hard work, even a small ceremony in Mumbai can be every bit as exciting as the most surreal, cinematic, marriage that Hollywood or Bollywood could ever hope to portray.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house