A WEDDING TO REMEMBER

With the big, fat Indian wedding season in full swing, some of the best wedding planners in the business share where to tie the knot.

- BY ARZOO DINA

There's more to a destination than meets the eye—and when it comes to picking a venue for your dream nuptials, this couldn't be more true.

Beyond the picture-perfect backdrops, stunning scenery and the prospect of soaking in the culture of a new place with your nearest and dearest, choosing a destination is just as much about channeling your aesthetic as a couple. So, when it comes to picking an exclusive destination or hotel to enjoy your wedding to the fullest, Robb Report India turned to among the top wedding planners in the business for recommendations.

SURYAGARH JAISALMER, RAJASTHAN

Vedika Mohan, creative director at The Wedding Design Company (which has designed and executed weddings for several Bollywood celebrities and HNIs, including Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's elegant nuptials at Lake Como in Italy), believes Jaisalmer's sandstone hues coupled with its heritage palaces and forts make it an underrated pick in Rajasthan. “I think Jaisalmer's exclusivity is rooted in its living heritage aesthetic. You've got havelis, stepwells, fort ramparts and golden sand dunes, giving it an instantly recognisable, rich backdrop that sets the stage for a royal-inspired wedding,” she shares. Couples are assured of privacy and a sense of drama—a rare combination in today’s over-saturated wedding circuit, she adds. Her pick for an all-encompassing wedding venue is the resplendent Suryagarh, tucked away on the edges of the Thar Desert. “Imagine a sangeet by the lake, pheras at sunset in a classic stepwell, and a farewell dinner staged against the dunes,” she says. Their legendary khatirdari sets the tone; the logistics are quite straightforward for India-based guests (domestic flights and road transfers), and the contrast between a fort-like feel and the open desert lets you build a variety of events in just one destination, she adds.