You want an intimate and informal wedding. You also want just a few of your closest friends and family, who are no doubt, spread out all over the globe, to be with you on this occasion. Pick an exotic destination. Let your wedding celebrations double up as a holiday to remember every minute by!

Now you have loads of questions. Okay, shoot...

How Do I Work It Out?

There's hardly anything that you might have to do - besides choosing a location. Leave the rest to your planner and pack your bags for the holiday!

What Can I Look Forward To?

Loads of excitement! For example, you can actually get married like a king in an assortment of large and small palaces and historic forts across Rajasthan. Replete with royal banquets, theme décor, traditional entertainers like folk dances, 'shehnai' players, grand fireworks, fire-eaters and all to create a unique wedding experience.

What kind of costs are involved? Can I bring guests along? How many?

Of course, guests are welcome. The cost would depend on various factors like the location chosen, number of guests, decorations, music, etc, that the wedding would require. The advantage is that you have an intimate affair since travel costs whittle down the invite list. You can have an exclusive top-of-the-line event for 30 guests or 1,000. It all depends on your budget.

What happens typically at such weddings?

There is no fixed itinerary as such. Most weddings are spread across three to four days, depending on the wedding functions or one's budget. Wedding counsellors help plan the wedding right from selecting the destination to making arrangements for the 'baraat' for the groom, and decorating the 'mandap' and arranging for the ceremony. Exotic theme evenings like desert safaris, evening bazaars, beach barbeques, sightseeing trips, boat parties are also arranged.

Destination Weddings

Mountains

Serene mountains, lush greenery, streams and rivers cascading down the slopes... a peaceful wedding, close to Nature.

The majestic Himalayas have played perfect host to several tranquil weddings. What's more, guests can be entertained with treks or river rafting, to complete the holiday experience.

Other Locations: Though in India, mountain destinations haven't yet gained too much popularity for weddings, world over mountain getaways are becoming the much-preferred choice for a perfect wedding - the mountains of North Carolina and the Smoky mountains, just to name a few.

Heritage And Royal

Imagine a royal wedding - in a palace surrounded by gardens. Luxury and comfort amid centuries-old surrounding history, makes not just for fun but also for memories to last a lifetime.

One fine example is the Samode Palace, 42 km from Jaipur. It crowns the rugged Aravalli Mountains, and is often compared to a gold jewel adorning the forehead of a bride. A wedding at Samode, like most other destination weddings, can be quite an experience. The grandeur of bygone days, the lavish opulence of the regal lifestyle of the Rajput kings - a world of charm and chivalry, of palaces and gardens, elephants, horses, camels, musicians and dancers, food and wine, etiquette and culture, all weave together to create a sense of magic, a perfect setting for a celebration in style.

Other Locations: Rajasthan is a natural choice for a regal wedding - Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur and the other 'gems' in the state make for ideal locations.

Beaches

Endless stretches of sand, a sunset glow, palm trees swaying to a gentle breeze, blue-green waters lashing at the shore... The beach's a dream wedding venue.

Heard of Mandvi Palace in Kutch? Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, the beach resort here is India's first and only private beach and is two kilometres long.

Other Locations: Goa, of course, is an ideal and much-sought-after place for a beach wedding destination. Innumerable luxury resorts and spas are the chosen venues, where weddings are celebrated with a typical Goan flavour added to it - flowers, coconut water, Goan music bands, river cruises and rain dances mark the event. That apart, the exotic Maldives is very popular, too, or The Caribbean, Hawaii, Maui... the list is endless.