The Destination Wedding Edit: Mistakes To Avoid And Moments To Prioritise

Last Updated:July 11, 2025, 20:20 IST

From not setting a realistic budget to leaving everything for the last minute, here are some of the mistakes that couples should avoid when they are planning their wedding.

Experts advise to secure venue and vendors 9-12 months in advance.

Planning a wedding in today means finding the right balance between tradition and modernity, and in India, few trends have grown so drastically as destination weddings. It doesn’t matter if your event is lavish, at a palatial location abroad or intimate, in a villa at home: good planning is always the best approach.

Anjali Tolani, Vice President of Celebrations at Tamarind Global, has shared some of the mistakes to avoid when you are planning your big day.

Not Setting a Realistic Budget: “India’s destination wedding market is witnessing explosive growth, valued at USD 3.5 billion in 2024, it’s projected to soar to USD 25.7 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22%,” notes Tolani. However, as the industry expands, so do the expenses. Tolani explains, “The planning process begins by breaking down major cost categories – venue and stay, catering, travel logistics, and decor. But couples also need to budget for extras like local excursions, entertainment, or guest experiences that elevate the event.”

Overlooking the Guest Experience: In this new era of multi-day Indian weddings, as the average wedding is currently 4.2 days long, the guest experience is no longer an afterthought; it’s what every celebration revolves around. Tolani notes, “With the destination format adding even more duration to the wedding itinerary, we need to think beyond the mandap. Guests need airport pick ups and drop offs; welcome kits full of thoughtful takes; customized itineraries, all dedicated to individuals because the aim is for guests to feel spoiled and included.”

The most popular destinations for weddings are not just outside the country anymore; luxury resorts in Rajasthan, Goa, and Kerala are on the rise. Heritage venues such as palaces, forts, boutique estates and destination farms are popular not only for the beautiful spaces they provide, but also to add to the cultural experience.

Last-Minute Bookings: Rush decisions in destination weddings can be costly. Tolani notes, “Of total weddings in India, 85% of couples are currently planning or have held a destination wedding, and 26% of couples are planning to get married at an exotic destination. Unique venues, truly, are being quickly booked right now, whether a fort in Rajasthan, a vineyard in Europe, or a villa in Bali.” She advises securing the venue, vendors, and travel up to nine to twelve months in advance to ensure that you have the best rates and availability.

Poor Timeline Planning on the Wedding Day: Multi-day events are becoming ordinary in India, covering everything from pre-wedding shoots to welcome dinners, to ceremonies, to receptions, to farewells. It’s really simple to overprogram. If you don’t have a planned timeline, you may find yourself with mehendi sessions that extend into sangeet time or late arrival of photos, resulting in a ceremony that is delayed.

Micromanaging Every Detail: Significant celebrations require trust. Be it sourcing biodegradable bamboo décor for an environmentally conscious wedding, or bringing an e-barat to life in the desert, trust in experts. Delegating the details clears your headspace from paralysis by detail and allows you to enjoy your celebration.

Overlooking Personalisation: Today’s couples are looking for weddings that express their story, special dietary requirements like vegan spreads (a growing trend), themes (coordinated decor), the use of projection-mapped visuals, and digital journeys. Personalisation of weddings is changing the Indian wedding landscape in a plethora of ways: from pastels over reds, multiregional rituals, and digital invites, etc. Guests remember the personalisation, not the gifts, but they want to celebrate with you.

Whether it’s choosing pastel colours instead of classic red or combining traditions from multiple parts of the world, the emphasis for them is on creating a celebration that reflects who they are. For them, the guest experience is most important because, in the end, more than the gifts or decor, people remember how the wedding made them feel.

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