Destination Wedding in Goa: A Preferred Place for Weddings

The hundreds of plans that you make to visit Goa with your friends might not always come to fruition but planning your destination wedding in Goa could really help with the pangs of missing out on those Goa trips! These days, the whole premise of having destination weddings is becoming more and more popular among people, and there is no doubt that a Goa wedding tends to top the list of prospective wedding destinations. One thing that everyone can agree upon is that a wedding is quite a big deal, especially in India. There is no dearth of people looking for different ways to make it as grand and as memorable as they possibly can. This is one of the reasons why holding the ceremony at a special destination, like a wedding in Goa, is on almost every bride and groom’s list!

A destination wedding offers you the chance to have a wedding ceremony that is special in its own right and leaves every guest and family member that attends some of the best memories of your special day. The cost of a destination wedding in Goa may be higher than a regular ceremony, but the memories you make and the sheer novelty of your Goa wedding make it all worth the price! So, whether you too are planning your budget for a Goa destination wedding or thinking about the various destinations you can consider for your wedding, here is some information that will along to plan an epic wedding!

Your Destination Wedding in Goa

The first question that may assail your mind is probably – Why Goa? Gorgeous beaches, a beautiful coastline, the perfect vacation, amazing wedding venues, and something that resembles an international destination, right here in India; the real question is – Why not Goa? Whether you want to plan a small destination wedding in Goa with just your closest friends or family members or have a lavish ceremony in mind, you will have some great options for planning the perfect wedding. Goa is one of the handpicked wedding destinations around the world.

The cost of a destination wedding in Goa will be comparatively less as compared to several other destinations that you may consider. Plus, you have so many themes to choose from. You could plan a beach wedding, an island wedding, speak your vows in a quaint Portuguese church, stand with a backdrop of rocky cliffs, or head towards some evergreen fields. When it comes to a Goa wedding, you have all that you need for planning the most exotic celebration of your love and for marking the beginning of your new life; all this without having to burn a hole in your pocket.

1. Planning Your Destination Wedding in Goa

Even though Goa has a lot of options and choices to offer for your destination wedding, you cannot start thinking that planning a wedding is a cakewalk. There are a lot of tasks that you need to complete, from preparing for the numerous events of the wedding to negotiating with the vendors and running the innumerable errands that are important for ensuring that your wedding is a stellar success. Unless you have a family member or friend who is very much interested in managing all the comings and goings involved in your wedding ceremony, you might also want to consider hiring a wedding planner.

The weeks preceding the wedding can be the most chaotic and strenuous ones, so if you plan to take a backseat and relax with your friends and family in order to be well-rested for the actual day, finding the right wedding planner might just be the best decision that you take.

The first thing you should know about planning your Goa wedding is that destination weddings in Goa can be broadly divided into two categories. First, you have weddings that are proper beach weddings, and for these, you need to ensure that the weather is conducive for holding an outdoor wedding. Beach weddings are generally planned between October and February. Then there are the indoor weddings at resorts or churches. What you must know here is that the cost of a destination wedding in Goa is much less if planned for the months of May to August, so if you are planning an indoor wedding, you can decide on a date between May and August and start planning the budget for your Goa destination wedding.

Also Read – “Tourist Places To Visit in Goa”

2. Choosing the Best Wedding Destination in Goa

Choosing to have your wedding in Goa does not absolve you from making important decisions, the most important one of which is choosing the best wedding destination in Goa depending on your preferences. Talking about Goa, it may be said that South Goa is more popular for holding weddings as it is overall more peaceful, the beaches are cleaner, and most of the resorts in the region have private beaches as well.

While a lot of people prefer the South side for having the best wedding destinations in Goa, the proximity of the North side beaches and resorts to the several party places and shacks offers a great attraction for the guests who will be attending your wedding. The wedding functions may take up a good part of most of the days, but your guests will still have quite some free time to explore the surrounding areas, and if a majority of your wedding party is composed of youngsters, they might just appreciate North Goa a bit more. Overall, it is all about your preferences. Just ensure that you put in enough research in the beginning so you are able to choose the best place to hold your ceremony.

Another thing that you would do well to keep in mind is the fact that beach weddings require special permissions. You need a licence to get married on the beach and this involves a security deposit. This is a criterion put in place to basically ensure that you are cleaning up the beach after the wedding ceremony has been concluded. This is also one of the biggest reasons why people tend to involve the services of a local wedding planner when planning their destination wedding in Goa, for a local wedding planner will have all the necessary contacts as well as knowledge about what needs to be done.

3. Planning the Wedding Day

There’s a lot that goes into planning a Goa destination wedding, from budget to arranging food. The arrangements that you have to plan will, of course, depend on the type of wedding you wish to have, but here are some of the most basic tasks you will need to get out of the way: -

4. The Venue & Accommodation

A major part of the cost of a destination wedding in Goa is set aside for booking the venue. After all, it is quite an important highlight of your wedding day. The accommodation that you book for your guests has to be very close to the venue otherwise travelling is going to cause a lot of hassles. A common practice is to book the same resort for your guests where the ceremonies are to be held. Depending on whether you are having your wedding in the peak season or during the off-season, the accommodation costs (for instance, for about 200 guests at a basic 4-star resort) can stretch up to Rs. 36 lakhs, depending on the type of accommodation you choose. These rates should ideally include lunch and dinner arrangements as well, for breakfast is usually included in the stay. You should start looking for a Goa travel package that especially caters destination wedding guests well before the dates are even close.

5. Food and Drinks

When you book a 4 or 5-star resort for your wedding, you would probably not be allowed to serve your own alcohol during the wedding functions. You will have to opt for the IMFL that the hotel offers in its wedding packages. However, regardless of being in North or South Goa, wedding venue and package charges basically remain the same throughout the year, especially the alcohol charges. This is not something that you should be worried about though, as it won’t really affect the cost of your destination wedding in Goa by much, and in the long run, it might even prove to be beneficial, as there will be lesser chances of running out of alcohol or even food, as the hotel will be taking care of these matters for you.

Charges for catering are generally calculated per plate. Depending on the package you choose and the number of guests that are expected to come, you can be offered different rates for the food.

6. The Décor for the Wedding

You will have to plan and finalise wedding décor for each and every function that your wedding will have. Your Goa destination wedding budget will have to account for the decoration as well. You can cut down some of the costs by picking a number of items that can be reused for different functions, like a photo booth, lighting, flowers, etc.

7. Miscellaneous Goa Destination Wedding Budget Items

Instead of having to increase the budget for your destination wedding in Goa, you can opt to source services from local vendors, which would definitely be more budget-friendly in the long run. These miscellaneous expenses can include a DJ, makeup and mehndi artists, etc. As small as these expenses may seem, they must not be forgotten and can still make quite a difference in your overall budget.

With proper planning and the right kind of assistance, the perfect destination wedding in Goa can be an affair to remember.