The dramatic rise of India’s middle class teamed with the glamourous standards advertised by Bollywood has carved new aspirations for our once basic lifestyles. In the world dominated by constant societal contests of ‘who did it better’ or rather ‘who spent more money’, Indians don’t mind even spending a third of their savings on weddings. Deep pocketed families often take this a step further by putting up a grandiose, almost competitive display of wealth at destinations around the world.
According to Mandeep Lamba, president, south Asia at HVS Anarock, a firm that provides consulting and advisory services to hotels says, “The Indian destination wedding industry is expected to reach a market size of Rs45,000 crore by 2020, with a projected annual growth rate of 25-30 per cent.”
Out of the cities on the wish list of Indian families, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have emerged as preferred destinations.
Dubai’s glitz and Abu Dhabi’s charm
With Emirates (flying from nine Indian cities), Go Air, Indigo, Vistara, flydubai and Air India Express offering nonstop connectivity to Dubai from major Indian hubs, travel to the emirate has become seamless today. It almost feels like flying domestic with the ease of connectivity — making it an almost obvious choice for couples with hundreds of families and friends on the guest lists.
And once you arrive in Dubai, its plethora of international hotels with expansive wedding venues and multitude of sightseeing options welcome you. “Dubai offers world class facilities and venues within a four hour flight from India. It boasts an unbeatable selection of luxury hotels, memorable wedding spots with stunning beaches, iconic views and great weather during the cooler months” says Rabia Shaheen, associate director of events at Taj Dubai.
Additionally, impeccable service and high standards in hospitality at Dubai’s premium hotels are some of the other factors that appeal to Indians for their elaborate marital ceremonies. “The emirate’s variety of offerings, venues and friendly hospitality definitely attract Indians,” says Fadoua El Mesbahi, director of sales and marketing, Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay.
A number of Indians have chosen Abu Dhabi as their imposing wedding destination as well. A discerning pick with a number of cultural spots and luxury hotels, the UAE capital is also very well connected to Indian cities via Etihad Airways, Indigo, Go Air and Air India that offer nonstop connections. “Abu Dhabi is a truly an exclusive and exciting destination with world-class hotels at affordable prices. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, The Grand Mosque, the Presidential Palace and Ferrari World are some key sights to see here,” says Ricardo Gomes, director of sales, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi.
The big-ticket Indian wedding
Many Dubai hotels have played host to large-scale Indian weddings in recent times. While the 296-key Taj Dubai has handled 19 weddings this year itself, hotels like JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai (1,608 rooms) and Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay (350 rooms) have handled ten to 15 weddings each in the past few years. With massive inventories and banqueting facilities, these hotels give enough room to planners to be creative with different elements. “Taj Dubai offers a spectrum of meeting and event spaces including three meeting rooms and three large event venues,” says Shaheen of Taj Dubai. With five guest entry points, Taj Dubai’s ballroom accommodates up to 400 guests in theatre style.
Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay’s central location and the views of the Burj Khalifa from the rooms clubbed with its ballroom which accommodates 200 guests makes it a winning wedding locale of Dubai too. For much larger guest lists, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai houses flexible event spaces that sprawl over 8,000 sqm. Its premiere wedding hall, Dubai Ballroom, can host over 1,000 guests for a reception.
Speaking about luxury hotels in the UAE, a mention of Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi comes rather innately. Having hosted 25 weddings of the elite in the past few years, the hotel has dedicated an entire wing to weddings. For sweeping wedding banquets, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi is also quite sought after. Its 1,900 sqm pillar-less ballroom along with other unique indoor and outdoor areas are ideal for lavish Indian ceremonies. If the middle east’s highest active helipad, as well as the world’s highest suspended suite 220 meters above the ground are on your bucket list for your nuptials, pick The St. Regis Abu Dhabi.
The extra mile
It’s not only the sizes and numbers that make a wedding memorable, but those little gestures of personalisation that make all the difference. Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay believes that their event planners are onsite wedding planners too. “Obviously to ensure the successful outcome of the wedding, communication is key. In this sector, clients are the most demanding as they are organising the most important event of their life; the level of detail can only be achieved by internal team work within the hotel and external collaboration with the other stakeholders providing the rest of the services,” says El Mesbahi of Steigenberger.
Warm hospitality and decadent F&B are key at weddings and a high standard of service is another reason why Indian families are flocking to Taj Dubai for their destination weddings. The hotel is able to bring a wide variety of events to life, cementing the Taj reputation for an unmatched guest experience. From international, Indian to middle eastern cuisines, the team provides a multitude of options that meet their guest’s requirements.
While F&B plays a huge role in making an Indian wedding indelible, event teams in these Emirati hotels curate vibrant themes and tailor make décor options that appeal to guests for those noteworthy Instagram shots. For instance, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai’s multi-national wedding planners execute detailed requests from couples and customise events that make for beautiful photographs.
While hotels like JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai are equipped to handle large Indian weddings, hotels in Abu Dhabi are not far behind. An interesting case in point is a very high profile wedding for 3,000 guests handled by Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi. “It required 56 days of set up, more than 600 staff and quite a bit of food. We had to build the entire set-up from scratch, including creating makeshift kitchens, and had to train additional hands to assist on the day. It was quite a task but we managed to successfully live up to the couple’s expectations and delivered a great event,” says Anna Olsson, director of sales and marketing, Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi.
Including Emirati elements in the wedding is another practice followed by the UAE-capital’s luxury hotels. “Our partner wedding planners create spectacular sets and decorations which usually incorporate Emirati elements like Abu Dhabi’s heritage, pearl diving, its strong connection to the Arabian Gulf and the oasis,” says Gomes of The St. Regis Abu Dhabi.
When all the glitz and the glamour fades off, it is the stories that make these rather expensive Indian weddings timeless. It’s the memories we make and the mental pictures we click that we reminisce even years after returning from a destination wedding. Noted wedding photographer, Vishal Punjabi of The Wedding Filmer who has covered more than ten weddings in the UAE, gives us two romantic tales to take home — “There was one where the owner of a cat fell in love with the owner of a dog, or the one where he helped her change her car tyre and in the process changed their lives. Another one that sticks out quite a bit is this 72-year-old bride and 75-year-old groom, who decided to have a full wedding ceremony on their 50th anniversary.”
Ras Al Khaimah: The next wedding destination
White sand and cerulean waters; luxury hotels with expansive spaces for Indian weddings that resemble fairy tales — the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah has also become the next aspirational wedding destination for Indians. Marco Pedna, hotel manager, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah give his insight — “Ras Al Khaimah, in less than a decade, has blossomed into a modern business hub and upscale tourist destination. This destination has welcomed many Indian tourists and has majorly seen wedding tourism coming from India. The emirate boasts a diverse array of natural landscapes that appeal to visitors of every kind and in particular, weddings groups from India seeking an exotic destination with fantastic hotels at great value for money.”
