Many couples have had to reconsider their upcoming nuptials due to travel restrictions, health and well being concerns and lockdowns due to the pandemic.

Since wedding celebrations are an intrinsic part of the Indian culture, with a little creativity, you can still get married amidst the pandemic and also in a post-pandemic world. In the coming months some of these trends will transform the wedding industry and the way people plan destination weddings this year.

Divya Chadha, Founder and Director of A Klass Apart, curator of bespoke weddings and events, lists 5 ways in which the destination wedding space may evolve in the post-coronavirus era:

Eco-friendly

There is a shift of attitude towards as people are becoming more aware of their daily actions and thinking responsibly when planning events.

As a sustainability advocate, one should push for green weddings – whether it be something as simple as switching from a printed wedding card to a digital e-card (saves paper, money on postage, and it stays in your inbox until deleted vs a printed card which typically gets thrown away).

Replace real Flowers

No wedding is complete without flowers – however, one can reduce the use of real flowers by using an appropriate mix of real and artificial florals.

The Experience Factor Rekindled

As an ethos – every wedding is an ‘experience’ so rather than focusing on over the top decor and excessive use of florals – couples can focus on providing their guests with unique experiences through each event.

Another personal touch is showing your natural talent – like surprising the entire wedding party by playing on a grand piano at the reception dinner – the guests will just swoon!

Live-streaming Of Events

Airfare might become expensive due to airlines looking to cut losses as soon as possible due to the lockdown and air travel suspension. International travel could also become more complicated as many restrictions might come into play; countries will look to safeguard their borders against disease.

In such a situation, there could be a rise in requests for live-streaming of events for friends and family who wouldn’t be able to fly out for weddings but would still like to be a part of the ceremony.

Travel Restricted To Destinations Within The Country

Domestic travel would become more popular as apprehensions around international airfare and visa

requirements continue. People will prefer to have their destination weddings within the country so that their friends and family can easily attend the festivities and be a part of the celebrations. Destinations like Goa, Udaipur, Jaipur, Mussoorie will become popular wedding hotspots as they are car-friendly and people can travel in their own vehicles from major cities in India. Car-friendly distances will guarantee more safety amongst a post-pandemic India where people might not immediately want to travel in public transportation and maintain social distance.

Scaled Down Weddings With A Focus On Guest Experience

While practicing social distancing in the post-pandemic era, weddings will scale down in size making it more meaningful. Couples can actually plan the affair for their closed ones and family making it more about the experience. The big fat Indian wedding of 500+ guests will reduce to 150-250 guests. Not everyone will travel or want to attend large public gatherings – and as a result – this would allow the couple and family to focus on the guest experience of the wedding.