Three-Fold Increase In Destination Weddings In Kashmir After PM Modi’s Call In March to ‘Wed In Kashmir’

Band Baaja Baraat

On March 7, speaking at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a call to people to organize their destination weddings in Kashmir instead of going abroad.

When the PM gave a call for ‘Wed In Kashmir’ in March, I knew that our time has come

In the four months thereafter, Kashmir has witnessed a three-fold increase in destination weddings held in Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and other beautiful tourist getaways of the charming valley.

Adnan Mohd Mattoo, MD of Zool Production, a top wedding planner company of Kashmir, says the local industry is thrilled by the spike in demand for destination weddings in Kashmir after the PM’s call.

“When the Prime Minister spoke about us, we knew something big is going to happen. Look how Lakshadweep Tourism transformed after Modi ji took a beach walk there. When the PM gave a call for ‘Wed In Kashmir’ in March, I knew that our time has come. From then on, we have been flooded with requests from all metros and other big cities for weddings in Kashmir,” reveals Mattoo.

He says that last year, Kashmir would have hosted five to seven destination weddings. After the PM’s call, about 21 to 22 destination weddings have been organized here, translating into a whopping three-fold increase within a few months.

“In the last few weeks, star wedding planners of our country have collaborated with us for lavish weddings here. Devika Narain, a top wedding planner and event stylist in India, collaborated with us. For another major wedding, the hugely popular wedding planner Lalit Jain collaborated with us. Working with them is immensely educational for us, and our staff gets a deeper understanding of our trade,” said Mattoo. “Now it feels that Kashmir as a wedding destination is really taking off.”

Mattoo was Kashmir’s first wedding planner and started his company in 2017. “People mocked me for being a tent and baaje waala. But this business has grown exponentially in Kashmir in the last few years. Those people who mocked me now come to me to organize regal weddings for their children,” he notes.

How Big Is Kashmir’s Destination Wedding Industry?

Almost all families that have come to Kashmir for destination weddings have demanded five-star accommodation and equivalent services. With all costs put together, a destination wedding costs Rs 1 crore or more approximately. There is no upper limit, of course.

Mattoo says this is not even a fraction of the revenue that the industry can generate. He says Goa and Rajasthan hosted about 500 destination weddings each last year. And mega rich families spend well above Rs 1 crore on a destination wedding. Kashmir can compete with the top global destinations for gorgeous weddings, feels the local industry.

Industry Got Organized With JKMEA After PM’s Call

After the PM’s call for ‘Wed In Kashmir’, the local wedding planner industry has got organized. Planners and all vendors associated with the industry have formed the JK Marriage Events Association (JKMEA), with about 70 registered members.

Mattoo is the president of the association. He says that even last year with a few destination weddings, planners in Kashmir were feeling that it was time to form their association. “After the PM directly spoke about us, we realized that things would go big now and we should form our association.”

Each Destination Wedding Supports Hundreds Of Families

Each destination wedding in Kashmir provides income support to hundreds of families. These include the employees of the wedding planner company and diverse vendors like catering services, flower suppliers, decor builders, lighting service providers, musical bands, make-up artists, mehndi artists, local handicrafts used for decor, hotel employees where guests are accommodated, transporters, shikara rides, houseboat stays, shopping and sightseeing – it’s a long and strong value chain.

Then there are the add-ons. There was a demand for fancy ghoda-gaadi for the baraat, so local vendors have provided that. There was demand for Punjabi dhol when families want to dance, so this and other such small and big add-ons have been provided.

Each wedding is a huge generation of revenue for each service provider in the value chain. This is the reason why the wedding industry in Kashmir has grown huge in the last few years.

Wedding managers say that at times, some families or guests are worried about the security scenario or the resources available. They are completely amazed by their wonderful experience here and the legendary Kashmiri hospitality.

Pluses And Challenges 

Destination weddings are immensely popular because they offer the irresistible combination of celebrations and vacation. With its multiple tourist destinations, Kashmir offers a wide range of choice to the guests.

A huge plus that Kashmir enjoys is the weather advantage. Summer is off season for weddings in most other states of India. In Kashmir, summer is the time for beautiful, blossoming days. Autumn and winter are equally charming, so the wedding season in Kashmir blooms throughout the year.

The biggest challenge faced by wedding planners in Kashmir is the lack of enough five-star hotel rooms. Due to the prolonged turmoil, Kashmir could not build adequate hospitality infrastructure for high end tourists. But most families who opt for destination weddings want five-star accommodation only. Plush new hotels are coming up to cater to this demand.

Wedding planners say that most of the highly rated old properties do not have large banquet halls. Now when new hotels are being constructed, the promoters discuss with Kashmir’s leading wedding planners about what should be the size of the banquet halls. The local wedding industry wants to outstrip Rajasthan and Goa as the most favoured places for destination weddings in India, and also wants to compete globally.

Mattoo says that across the world, entire regions are supported by the wedding economy. Kashmir can match them in beauty and grandeur to rank among the best.

The Kashmir wedding planner industry is hopeful that this region can emerge as a global favourite for destination weddings

The Big Fat Money Spinner

India hosts around 10 million weddings annually. The Indian wedding industry ranks second internationally.

According to a report published by the Economist, the wedding industry is the fourth-largest industry in India. It is also a major money spinner, recording a huge spending of US$ 130 billion per year.

The potential in Kashmir is so massive that recently, a delegation of the prestigious Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) visited Kashmir to assess its strengths as a wedding destination.

EEMA is the largest group of India’s events and experiential marketing industry. The industry has observed an exponential growth in the past two decades with more than 1000 entities operating in various levels and segments that are spread across 100+ Indian cities. For EEMA, one of the most vital destinations with phenomenal potential is Kashmir.

The Kashmir wedding planner industry is hopeful that this region can emerge as a global favourite for destination weddings. The weather is amazing, the landscapes are breathtaking, and costs are relatively low. The support provided by the Tourism Department is a huge plus.

It’s lavish, stylish, and uber plush band-baaja-baraat times in Kashmir.

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