Trending - All Aisles Lead To Europe

The big fat Indian wedding makes a grand European comeback-and this time around, it's even more sophisticated, glamorous and designed to impress.

- Praachi Raniwala

As Indians, we don't do things in half measures. So, when we're taking one of our biggest cultural exports-the big fat Indian wedding-to Europe, you can count on us to do it with finesse, fervour and flavours of east-meets-west. Chana-kulcha in Cannes? You got it. Pani puri in Puglia? You had better expect no less. Bollywood music in Barcelona? Yes, indeed.

After a pandemic-induced hibernation, relaxed travel restrictions encouraged many couples tying the knot this year to set their sights on the picturesque vistas of Europe. "After two years of destination weddings limited to India, go-to spots like Jaipur, Udaipur, Goa and Jodhpur had all been exhausted. Thus leading to the inevitable return to Europe," says Aditya Motwane of Motwane Entertainment and Weddings. "It's a case of revenge travel for weddings. Travelling to Europe has become more expensive in general, but even that has not deterred couples. They are tweaking their wedding dates to match availability at the hotel and city of their choice, not the other way round," adds Vandana Mohan, founder of The Wedding Design Company.

This summer alone has witnessed some big-ticket Indian weddings in Cannes, Venice, Puglia and Lake Como. You probably saw them all over your Instagram feeds. If not, let us paint you a picture of these dreamy 'I dos!

The destinations

The Italian countryside and French Riviera aside, Turkey, Malta, Vienna and Switzerland are other popular options. As are buzzing cities like Paris and Barcelona. "Sardinia and Mykonos have great potential too. Bigger cities tend to get preference because of infrastructure, inventory of hotels and flight connectivity," adds Motwane. From museums and parks to historic spots, the wedding events are then scattered across the city.

The planning