HAPPILY EVER AFTER AT HERITAGE HOTELS

FROM BOLLYWOOD-APPROVED PALACE HOTELS TO INTIMATE BOUTIQUE PROPERTIES AND BOUGAINVILLEA-SMOTHERED HAVELIS, INDIA HAS PLENTY OF HISTORIC WEDDING VENUES TO CHOOSE FROM

- NIVEDITA JAYARAM PAWAR

FOR MANY, MARRYING IN A PALACE OR A fort is a childhood dream. A heritage venue with its ancient corridors and halls where kings and queens once walked, sweeping staircases and elegant interiors offer couples a wonderful opportunity to create memories and a slice of history on their special day. "When palaces were built many years ago, they were created with celebrations in mind. They were designed with large rooms, high ceilings, oversized courtyards, extreme grandeur and exquisite grounds, which make for the ultimate wedding celebration venue," says Ekta Saigal Lulla, founder and partner of Weddings by ESL.

WHY CHOOSE A HISTORIC VENUE?

Forts, palaces and havelis often sit amongst naturally stunning settings that generally need minimal effort to make them look beautiful for a wedding. Grand entrances, majestic courtyards, and landscaped gardens also provide a wonderful setting for photo opportunities, ceremonies, games, or simply relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere.

A royal wedding venue isn't just limited to antiques, history and grandeur. Most venues come with beautiful pools, games room and spa that you can book for your wedding guests to enjoy. But the most compelling reason is the ease. Most palace hotels offer everything needed for the big day under one roof. You can hold fun mehendi and haldi ceremonies, exchange vows, throw lavish dinners, dance the night away and retire to your bridal suite, all in one place. No travelling between venues to disrupt the flow of the day. In addition, these spaces lend themselves very well to personalisation with colours, flowers and details chosen by you.

Tempted to take your own story to one of them? Here are 10 of the most incredible venues for a memorable royal wedding in India.