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Today, Indian weddings are no longer confined within temples or churches and has grown in size and stature. Destination weddings have become a preferred option for elite Indian couples. Indian weddings is a huge market segment that has been spurred by the spending powers of the elite class who are growing in numbers by the day. India, which recorded a total of 182,000 millionaires at the end of 2013, will add another 120,000 millionaires in the next five years. From exotic international locations, wide array of national and international dishes to entertainment and leisure activities, Bollywood style designer sets and fireworks – Indian weddings are going places. Though still at an emerging stage this growing segment has induced leading tourism boards, exotic destinations, hotels, car-rental companies, art designers, decorators and others to concentrate on targeting this niche market.
Kolkata’s Vedic Village Spa Resort, located on the outskirts of the city, is one such exotic location, which is concentrating on the wedding segment in a big way. Over the years it has become a much sought-after destination for high-end weddings and MICE events. The resort, spread over an area of 150 acres is situated at Bagu-Rajarhat and is near to the Kolkata International Airport and only 75 minutes drive from the city centre. The property offers 225 luxury accommodation facilities in the form of a Zamindari Suite, 18 deluxe villas, 10 earth villas, two-bedroom suites, aqua home rooms, standard suites, deluxe resort bungalow rooms and studio rooms. It also offers state-of-the-art banquets with lawns and ‘Cerebrum’ – the 70,000 sq ft internationally styled convention centre, ideally suited for hosting weddings and MICE events with several dining options. Then there is ‘V Den’ – the underground leisure and entertainment centre for the youth to host their bachelor’s party’. ‘Sanjeeva’, the international class medical spa offers both ayurvedic and naturopathy-based treatments to customers.
A complete focus
Today, Vedic Village has become a niche wedding destination for the elite class. The wedding clientele is not just from Kolkata but also from the neighbouring places. “The resort has successfully conducted more than 45 high-profile weddings over the last four wedding seasons with guests coming from across India and abroad. The target is to take the number to 100 weddings soon,” says Biswajit Syam, director – sales and marketing, Vedic Village Spa Resort. The resort offers a complete wedding experience ranging from pre-wedding events and the main wedding event to other support services. “Weddings have become an integral part of revenue generation in Vedic Village Spa Resort. We market ourselves as an exclusive wedding destination. Aggressive marketing through various marketing tools and mediums is our strategy, so that we are visible in the client’s mind through at least nine months in a financial year. We also participate in various national and major international travel trade expositions like ITB – Berlin or WTM – London and at major wedding fairs,” he elaborates.
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On how Vedic Village is different from any conventional MICE or wedding location in this part of the country, Syam opines, “The design, décor and ambiance of the property and standard of services we offer along with our expertise in organising innovative events offer a one-of-a-kind experience to the wedding clientele, who has been returning to our resort time and again.”
Syam points out that the families have to just come, relax and enjoy. “Our team of experts will conceptualise and design the main event, chalk out the event flow, entertainment and leisure activities and decide on the cuisine from different international and national options according to client requirements. Our event management department and logistics team, can handle them easily,” he points out. There are expert chefs who help in designing and executing the menu as per the requirements of guests. “Now, wedding anniversaries too are becoming important amongst a family’s event calendar. Nuclear families get together to celebrate wedding anniversaries. Vedic Village also provides an ideal setting and specialised customised services to celebrate ‘wedding anniversaries,” he adds.
