In India, “royal weddings” refer to events held inside royal palaces, with the cost to host such events ranging from 50 to 200 crores INR. If you are an NRI and wish to plan such a wedding from abroad, it is advisable that you enlist the help of a royal wedding planner one year in advance. This is particularly helpful because the process to secure permissions to use the palaces is lengthy, and so is the process to coordinate the travel and arrival of the guests.
Having your guests arrive at a 300 year old palace by means of a vintage car and having your grandmother get out to welcome them, while they take their places to watch you get married to the love of your life, who just happens to be flying in from Canada…well, that’s why so many NRIs come back to India to get married!
Of course, planning the logistics for the big day takes a great deal of planning as well.
Increasing Trend of NRI Weddings in India
Wedding related services in India is a rapidly growing industry, worth USD 139 billion in 2026, and anticipated to reach USD 503 billion by 2035 at an annual growth rate of 15.32%. Destination weddings have been a major driver of growth in the weddings industry. One out of four weddings in India is a destination wedding. The segment was worth around INR 2,50,000 crore in 2020, and is estimated to have grown by over 35% from the previous year.
Wedding trends among the Indian diaspora has particularly gained attention of late. Weddings among NRIs (Non Resident Indians) are different from resident Indian weddings. For members of the Indian diaspora, tying the knot in India gives them an opportunity to celebrate their marriage while giving their first generation NRI parents an opportunity to reunite with relatives and celebrate in the country they left behind. It also gives them an opportunity to showcase India’s palaces to their friends and family.
What to Expect in 2026
Wedding trends are constantly changing. This means that what you focused on last year is not going to be helpful for this year’s planning. In June 2026, News 18 highlighted various changes in the Indian Wedding landscape. Some key changes highlighted in the article were,
- Quiet luxury
- Wellness Weddings
- Heritage Weddings
- Slow Weddings
A palace fits most of the 2026 wedding trends. A palace has architecturally gorgeous interiors, giving you an opportunity to celebrate in style while maintaining quiet luxury.
The Most Recognizable Heritage Palace Venues in India
There are countless options in India, and the ones included below are the most well known.
Udaipur has two options, City Palace and Taj Lake Palace
Boat arrivals and sunsets are the prized attractions of Udaipur. Over the years, the city has become synonymous with royal weddings. The wedding venue at the city palace has hosted many royal weddings, and the cost for these events range from 1 crore to 20 crores depending on the guest list and the area alloted.
Other than the palace in Udaipur, the maharaja’s palace of Jaipur, Rambagh Palace, is another good option. It is fairly close to Delhi and has well kept grounds.
Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur is another maharaja’s palace turned hotel. The grounds of Umaid Bhawan are comparatively smaller, but it is a preferred venue of many couples getting married in India.
A palace in Hyderabad, Falaknuma, is the last palace on the list. It is the most recent addition to the list of palaces that have been converted into luxury hotels. It is situated high above the city of Hyderabad. It has good dining options and is likely to impress your cousins the most.
All palaces in India are protected monuments, and if decorations do not adhere to the rules of the monuments, they will not allow the decorations to be set up.
Common Palace Wedding Constraints
Banning Nails and Heavy Items: In many monuments, nails and other heavy things are not allowed to be set up. So, decorations need to be set up using alternate means.
Fire marshal and electrical limits. Your lighting design may require a significant rethink.
Sound and time restrictions. The Sangeet may have to end earlier, much to the dismay of your uncles and aunts on the dance floor.
Constraints on loading and unloading. Vendors are allotted a strict time window to set up and pick up their material.
Registration and permission from multiple authorities.
Uncertain weather conditions.
Add to this a family group chat with 87 members, a 10 hour time difference, and service providers with no prior relationship, and many couples planning their weddings from abroad begin to understand the role of a palace wedding planner.
About Beyond Pheras
Beyond Pheras understands that a palace is more than just a venue for a wedding, it is part of the country’s heritage, and an important part of history. Keeping this in mind, they have designed their processes, procedures and strategies differently from other wedding planners.
Built for NRIs
The Beyond Pheras team acts as the customer’s point of authority for all decisions related to the wedding. Customer’s need for control is realized and maintained by means of virtual management of the wedding activities. The customers maintain control without the need to travel to India.
A team you can trust
We have a proven track record working with palace officials and have the know-how to quickly obtain necessary permits, licenses and clearances. A member of our team will personally conduct a feasibility check to determine the possible solutions for your event. We take great pride in using flexible, non-permanent and non-obtrusive decorations to highlight and celebrate your venue.
Old ideas, new setting
Every celebration is crafted to represent the story and values of the couple and family. The team will work with you to identify poignant details that create a unique representation of your family.
You Deserve to Know
Our budgets and contracts will always be clear and itemized. We promise to eliminate all surprises and offer transparent pricing throughout the process.
Control Freaks
We have a team on the ground working with the palace staff and other vendors to adhere to strict timelines. We will always have a point person on site to manage your event production.
BEYOND PHERAS PHERAS HIGHLIGHTS
- Complete wedding planning and management, specialization in palace and heritage weddings
- Working with clients in India and abroad (NRI)
- No cost cutting on services.
- Guest hospitality, transportation, and travel desk services
- Privacy and access management, photo and video restrictions, and other special requests
- Outdoor event contingency management
- Planning additional events in the city
Many Beyond Pheras clients have NRI guest profiles. It is common practice for NRI guests to travel to India and celebrate a palace wedding followed by a separate reception in Mumbai. Beyond Pheras is a premiere wedding planner in Mumbai as well and helps clients with sound and lighting restrictions due to the NZP (Noise Zone Precincts) Act as well as other Acts related to Event Management in Mumbai.
When to Start and Budgeting
A good palace wedding in India usually takes at least a year of planning. The peak wedding season for India is from October to March, and heritage permissions usually take time. Booking venues during peak season well in advance usually gets clients better rates.
Budget: The cost of a royal wedding in India is between 50 lakhs and 200 crores. Many factors contribute to the overall cost including location, the number of functions, the number of guests, the type of decor, catering, and hospitality. The cost of planning a royal wedding is about 10% to 20% of the overall cost, making planning and cost management critical to effective budget control.
The Poetry and Paperwork
A royal wedding in India is a perfect blend of romanticism and practicality. The romantic elements of a royal wedding are easy to define. They are the emotional moments shared by families. The practical elements of a royal wedding encompass all of the activities required to plan and execute the event.
You can choose your palace based on emotions. You can choose your planner based on logic. Beyond Pheras is a renowned planner in India for royal and heritage weddings. If you are looking for a team that will help coordinate your wedding while staying within your budget and keeping you updated, look no further. Your grandmother is waiting!
