Indian couples opt for offbeat wedding destinations

Indian couples are increasingly choosing smaller towns and offbeat locations over traditional wedding hubs like Goa, Delhi and Mumbai for their destination weddings. Wedding planners report a 20-30% increase in bookings for locations beyond large cities, with the Event and Entertainment Management Association noting a 12% rise in destination weddings in Tier 2 and 3 cities over the past year.

Couples cite privacy, personalised experiences and the chance to avoid the conventional format as key reasons for the shift. Coorg, Jaisalmer, Kochi and Uttarakhand are among the emerging favourites. Spending by wealthy individuals on weddings climbed 20-25% year-on-year between November 2025 and March 2026, with smaller towns driving much of the increase, according to WeddingSutra.