Making Guests Say 'I Do'

With guests willing to spend more on luxurious weddings, Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace’s GM, Rajesh Gopalakrishnan, believes hoteliers need to look beyond creating on-the-day packages to crafting memories before and after the big day

- Vinita Bhatia

Everyone loves the big fat Indian wedding – families involved in it, guests invited to it as well as suppliers providing products and services to it. But behind the garrulous bonhomie surrounding it, a lot of hard work that goes into making the wedding and assorted functions attached to it a success, especially from the perspective of the hotel hosting it.

In every city, some hotels have become de facto wedding destinations, because guests feel they can entrust them with majority of their on-ground tasks. In Vadodara, Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace earned this distinction as the city's denizens feel confident it will manage any last minute detail they might have overlooked. It is also because the property has handled many weddings over the past three decades.

Its general manager, Rajesh Gopalakrishnan, shares one instance where the baraat refused to start from its destination, because the bride’s family forgot to inform the hotel that the groom’s family had to be served snacks before they headed to venue, as per tradition. “It was a small matter, but we immediately arranged for some snacks and beverages, sent it to where the baraat was waiting, served it to them and only then did they leave for our hotel,” he said.

This might appear to a trivial matter, but it can play a crucial role on the big day. Hence, when his team gets a wedding booking, they have detailed sessions with family members, the couple-to-be, their wedding planner, etc, to understand their requirements and expectations from the hotel. This is to minimise any ambiguity, confusion and acrimony before, during or after the wedding.

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