The Big Fat Indian Wedding has changed. While the budgets haven’t scaled down, the celebrations have moved beyond opulence. Couples these days are seeking intimate gatherings with a curated guestlist of close friends and family. But the biggest shift is the trend of cruise weddings. “Yes, the concept of cruise weddings is gaining popularity in India. There has been an incredible increase in interest over the past three years. At Cordelia Cruises, we have had more than 50 weddings, ranging from small intimate weddings to grand-scale ones with hundreds of guests. Indian couples are attracted to the idea of a wedding at sea, as it combines the charm of a typical destination wedding with the luxury of cruise.
Couples nowadays are looking for a combination of travel, exclusivity and an experience their guests will never forget. In the age of social media and high-end weddings on the cruise, this trend is only going to increase,” says Jurgen Bailom, President & CEO of Cordelia Cruises. The trend gained momentum last year when Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant had their pre-wedding celebration onboard Celebrity Ascent, the newest ship of Celebrity Cruises. Much before that, Danube Homes CEO Adel Sajan and Sana Khan had a cruise wedding in April 2017. Their wedding party of 1,500 guests sailed on the Costa Fascinosa with stops at Barcelona, Marseilles, Cannes and Savona. The grand scale celebration was estimated to be over Rs 100 crore.
Love on the waves
A cruise wedding is simply a wedding on a cruise ship with friends and family. It’s like a destination wedding but onboard a cruise ship against the backdrop of the ocean and a soundtrack of splashing waves. The best part? After you say I do, you can turn your cruise into a honeymoon. “With a cruise wedding you don’t have to go through the hassle of multiple events in different locations.
A cruise offers all-inclusive wedding packages that takes care of every detail onboard and offshore from the ceremony, photography, flowers to every detail of the reception. It’s perfect for Indian weddings which has several functions leading up to the wedding day. There is a venue for each function, a variety of entertainment options, food from around the world and accommodations for solos, couples or families,” explains Manoj Singh, Country Head, Norwegian Cruise Line India.
Cruise weddings work differently
There are a few important things to consider before you say ‘I do’ to a cruise wedding. Zeroing on the cruise ship will be the biggest. While some are intimate and cozy, others are veritable floating cities! This difference significantly impacts how many guests you can invite, the overall atmosphere of the wedding celebration and, naturally, the associated costs.
Cruise lines typically offer wedding packages that commonly include designated venues onboard the ship for various functions, décor with fresh flowers, DJ, music (either recorded or live), a wedding cake, meals and entertainment.
The deck area is the most popular venue for the pheras, while the theatre is usually booked for the sangeet and the reception. The dinner can be in a specialty restaurant or in the main dining room. Some cruise lines have private islands for wedding or vow renewals.
While Norwegian Cruise Line has Great Stirrup Cay, an idyllic private island in The Bahamas, Royal Caribbean has CocoCay also in The Bahamas. Most cruise ships come with a daily schedule of activities for the couple and their guests to choose from. This aids in making the wedding trip more of an experience.
Is a cruise wedding for you?
One of the best parts of a cruise wedding is that it tends to be smaller, as the time and expense involved can be prohibitive for some. This means you can finally ditch the dilemma of inviting that pesky aunt or all those second cousins you barely know. Couples can even choose to get married on embarkation day or in a port of call. The cruise allows a set number of non-sailing guests to attend the onboard ceremony. This is the perfect way to have your cake and eat it too: celebrate with friends and family at the wedding, then escape for a private honeymoon without the mother-in-law or best man! Let's be real: if your wedding guests are also sailing, your ‘honeymoon’ might feel more like a family reunion!
The cost is another factor which will can fluctuate significantly depending on the time of year, length of itinerary, number of guests, décor and entertainment. “Of late we are getting a lot of enquiries for cruise weddings. Families don’t have to do much as the cruise takes care of everything. Plus it’s luxurious and unique and Indians love anything unique. But the fact remains that there are very few options available in India. A lot of people actually move their prewedding celebrations to an international cruise so it becomes a prewedding destination for the couple. Last year we saw a family book a 900-cabin cruise for 500 people. But it’s not for everyone. Only for the ultra rich,” says Zashank Bhatia, Director, Tailormade Experiences, wedding planners behind Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal Lucknow wedding.
However, the challenges can be many, warns Vithika Agarwal, Managing Partner – Divya Vithika Wedding Planners. “It may work for intimate weddings with a few friends but not for the big Indian wedding where guest numbers run into hundreds. The small cabin rooms, unpredictable weather, seasick guests and safety can be other issues,” she feels. Additionally, if you're the type who prefers to avoid the spotlight, a cruise wedding might feel a bit like walking a runway. Expect all eyes to be on you from everyone onboard as you strut your stuff in your wedding best.
But for those who want to avoid months of hectic wedding planning and have a wedding with a built-in honeymoon, it’s best to say I do on the sea!
Tips for a smooth sailing cruise wedding
- Start planning and booking at least a year ahead for a stress-free wedding experience.
- For greater flexibility with non-sailing guests, consider an onboard wedding while the ship is docked. Guests can attend the ceremony and reception before disembarking, leaving you to enjoy your honeymoon cruise.
- If your ceremony is planned in port, have a backup plan in case the ship is unable to dock due to bad weather.
- It’s always a good idea to purchase cruise insurance.
- If you envision a large wedding with personalized details, a cruise wedding - typically small and with limited flexibility in décor, food and guest count - might not be for you.
