Antalya has become the new favorite destination for Indian couples who want to tie the knot. Indians spend millions of dollars on wedding ceremonies. For example, in 2017, Antalya has already hosted 10 weddings with budgets ranging from $200 to over $000 million.
A significant number of Indian billionaires and wealthiest families have their weddings abroad. Turkey is a new market for India in terms of wedding tourism. Antalya in particular attracts Indian families for its stunning scenery, historical aspects, five-star hotels and warm climate.
The first Indian wedding in Antalya was held in 2012 at the Mardan Palace, which was chosen as the most luxurious hotel complex in the world. After the wedding, which was organized with 600 guests and cost over $1 million, a total of 12 events were held there, including birthday celebrations and wedding anniversaries. Asli Akar, a representative from Inventum Mice, said that Indian wedding planners and agencies did not know about Antalya before 2012, so they had not previously offered the bride and groom to hold their event here, using the services of luxury hotels surrounded by enchanting nature. Thus, Antalya does not even have one percent share of the rich wedding events of India, the total cost of which is 20 billion dollars.
How about a gold-plated iPad as a wedding invitation? Pointing out that Indian billionaires can spend anywhere from $200 to over $000 million on their wedding events, Aseel Akar said, “There is no limit to it. Indian weddings held abroad usually last for three to four days. The invited families love to gift gold jewellery to the newlyweds, like the Turks. In fact, there are rumours that the global gold market is driven by Indian weddings.”
Marriage is the most important event in Indians’ lives, which is why they go to great lengths to make it truly wonderful. “For example, there was a wedding organized by the Gupta family with a price tag of over $10 million. But there are so many rich families in India that they can spend $50 million to $60 million,” Akar said, recalling that one family even gave gold-plated iPads as invitations to what was reportedly the most expensive wedding ever organized.
In Antalya today, the largest wedding companies and agencies that do this in India organize ceremonial events. Rich Indians love Turkey, so they want to celebrate their wedding here. As part of the wedding program, Indian organizers are located in Belek, taking part in city excursions and yacht tours. Mutual negotiations are also held with the tourism sector in Antalya, in addition to historical tours in Perge and Aspendos.
The target for 2017 is 10 weddings. Pointing out that Indian weddings are usually held between the months of November and April, this is a big advantage. During this period, hotels experience the slowest season, so they can offer affordable prices, and weddings are organized on a flexible schedule. Today, there are six to seven companies that want to hold their weddings in Antalya.
It is worth noting that the issue of organizing Indian weddings in Turkey was also discussed during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to India, adding that they are planning to hold about 10 weddings this season. The bride's side pays for the dowry. Indian traditions are the complete opposite of Turkish customs because the bride's side spends more money.
