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Indians seek Malaysian destination weddings

KUALA LUMPUR: Indian weddings are the epitome of grandeur, and couples often go to great lengths for their big day, sometimes even flying to Malaysia.

Anind Bhattacharya, founder and director of DestoWedding, a destination wedding planning company, said Indian couples made a beeline to get married in Malaysia, primarily for its pristine beaches.

Bhattacharya said demand for destination weddings had been increasing since Malaysia reopened its borders in April.

Malaysia, he said, could expect a destination wedding boom with more Indian couples flying here to get married, starting in November.

"Indian couples want their wedding to be the talk of the town. And the best way to make your marriage memorable is to turn the event into a vacation for your guests.

"Besides the country's picturesque beaches, travelling to Malaysia is also hassle-free since there are frequent direct flights and Indian nationals can get visa on arrival in Malaysia.

"It is also easy to source Indian cooks in Malaysia to prepare Indian cuisine, especially pure vegetarian meals," he told the New Straits Times.

Destination weddings, as exquisite as they were, also required meticulous planning, he said.

"It takes about eight months of planning, including scouting for the venue, event management companies and food caterers.

"Couples make two or three trips to Malaysia with their wedding planners before they finalise the arrangements," he said.

For the wedding season in November, Bhattacharya is planning to promote Malaysia as a wedding destination for Muslim couples in India.

"Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country and commands a great reputation in the Islamic world. This makes the country a promising market to explore."

With destination weddings gaining traction among Indian couples, Malaysian hotels are cashing in on the hype, turning weddings into a multimillion-dollar industry.

Among the early birds that ventured into the wedding industry was Lexis Hibiscus in Port Dickson. The resort, which began hosting destination weddings in 2018, is a household name among high-end Indian families.

In fact, Lexis Hibiscus was named the World's Leading Wedding Venue by the World Travel Awards in 2019 and won the International Excellence Award as the best wedding destination from India the same year.

"The peak season for destination weddings is the first quarter and last quarter of the year," Lexis Hotel Group senior vice-president (sales and marketing) Steve Woon said.

"Many couples are eager to book our place for the wedding season that starts in October.

"We have received eight enquiries from India. Some of them are already planning to have their weddings next year.

"Guests who attend destination weddings usually stay for at least one week. The wedding ceremony itself takes up to three days. Then they go for sightseeing tours."

Woon said Lexis had incorporated a "new dimension" to beach weddings because of its world-renowned overwater villas.

In fact, it holds two Guinness World Records for having the most number of overwater villas and swimming pools than any other resort in the world.

"We have 522 overwater villas, and each villa has its own swimming pool.

"The resort has 643 swimming pools. So we can accommodate all our wedding guests in the overwater villas.

"The entire bharaat (groom's wedding procession) takes place along the 1.2km overwater bridge that connects our farthest overwater villa to the lobby of our mainland hotel," he said.

While India is its largest market for destination weddings, Lexis had also hosted small-scale beach weddings for couples from Singapore and Indonesia, he said.

Destination weddings, he said, also had spillover benefits for local wedding decorators and dance groups.

"At one wedding, the couple hired a Chinese lion dance team that performed for almost one hour. Even Malaysians do not watch the dance for that long."

One Indian couple who got married at Lexis Hibiscus were Ratik Saboo, and his partner, Saakshi Saboo, in November 2018.

Saakshi said they felt immediately welcomed when they saw the turquoise-blue sea that surrounded the villas.

They even used the sunset as a backdrop for their beachside wedding pavilion to elevate and enliven the occasion.

"We had the most wonderful time in Malaysia. The hospitality was pleasant and Malaysian people are accommodating. It almost felt like a home away from home."

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