This is a groundbreaking event destination wedding with 35 guests was a game changer, and young ladies and brides-to-be from both sides of the border have been dreaming of a destination wedding ever since their photos went viral.
Ievent Planners are best destination wedding planners in Pakistan.
While some tried to replicate her rustic décor, others continued to use the same theme song as she did, but the smartest people pulled off a destination wedding without breaking their bank.
How? Organizing a destination wedding.
What is a destination wedding?
The destination wedding is one that takes place at a local destination: in the hills, by the lake, in Murree, Nathiagali, Bhurban, or even in Hunza. It offers couples the best of both worlds – a stunning location without having to jump on a plane and spend dollars, but that’s not all.
Destination weddings are unique and charming, they give you the excitement of traveling to another place to get married and the warmth of being surrounded by close friends and family who have traveled a distance to be with you on the most special day of your life.
Destination wedding planners in Pakistan.
The trend of traveling to a new location within the country for a wedding is on the rise, and why shouldn’t it be? It is fun, different, and more accessible compared to Tuscany or Turkey. And since the northern areas of Pakistan are no less than the Swiss Alps, who needs to travel to exotic and foreign locations to have a stunning backdrop for their wedding when they can do the same without taking a plane?
The A&W travel enthusiasts (who chose to remain anonymous) knew that their wedding was going to be the most special day of their lives, but they also wanted it to be exciting and unique, so they organized an intimate ceremony at the Silk. Route Hotel in Passu, Hunza.
Fewer guests also mean more meaningful experiences.
The hotel’s lawn overlooks the mountains, making it an impressive setting for any event. “The excitement that we wanted in our ceremony was not reflected in the idea of organizing it in Karachi, so we thought about doing it in a beautiful, secluded place and naturally we thought about going to the mountains.”
Their wedding turned out to be a great adventure for the 60 people who came from 10 different places and traveled north together, stopping in Naran for one night, where they organized a simple dholki in the midst of close friends, family, great weather and natural beauty. . location.
Lakeside wedding by Mirador in Banigala, Islamabad.
The couple explained why they chose to celebrate their wedding in Hunza. “The idea was to not have heavy clothes and [just] change the backdrop, or have a lot of makeup and change the environment. The idea was to do genuine things that would make us happy, exciting and that should be prioritized at a wedding. For makeup, the bride received help from her best friends who knew the way. “
So how was it different? Only direct family members, closest friends and colleagues of the couple came to the ceremony. Many typical traditions were skipped to make room for new ones. The event featured speeches from the couple’s best friends, the bride’s brother was the MC, and her father read an Urdu poem that he wrote for the occasion, which made the event even more special.
It is the idea that counts, not the budget.
The clothing was light and simple, but it suited the theme well. The images were the last thing they worried about and they only hired a photographer at the last minute, proving just how real destination weddings can be, concentrating on the most important thing: the experience and not the material.
Apart from being unique, this new trend is also making people value the Pakistani landscape, explore new places and think outside the box when it comes to weddings.
Ievent’s sundowner at Head Marala, Sialkot.
Ievent Arshad’s sunset / bachelorette party at Head Marala, near Sialkot, looked like nothing less than a celebration on a beach in Thailand. She had hoped for one of her wedding functions to be on the beach, but she realized that getting all of her friends to attend would be a challenge.
“It was difficult for all my friends from Pakistan to travel and my friends from London had already booked their tickets to Pakistan for the wedding festivities, so I decided to make Head Marala a fun place for a sunset. It was kept as a surprise; They told my friends that it was a secret place and that we will all go together. Everyone was surprised to see the place transformed into a small Thailand for the celebration ”.
Changing stereotypes with destination weddings
Destination weddings are also breaking stereotypes. For starters, they are different from traditional weddings and add innovation to the celebrations.
They help reduce the total number of events that, without
Wedding in the hills at Mariano Restaurant & Spa by Miradore.
Wedding in the hills at Mariano Restaurant & Spa by Miradore.
Fewer guests also mean more meaningful experiences. The bride and groom can be themselves and dance. The bride does not have to put on a lot of jewelry and heavy clothes and sit quietly worried about log kya kahaingey. These are all stereotypes that I am glad destination weddings break.
A&W, the anonymous couple who got married in Hunza, mentioned that while the ceremony was unique, they had to give in to parental pressure and organize a traditional event with lots of food and even more people for the extended family and guests. when they return. to Karachi. But they admit that, for them, the only thing that mattered was the event in Hunza.
It would be interesting to see our older generation understand that a wedding in an intimate destination does not necessarily have to be followed by a big event in the city. We are still very far away, but it seems that we have started to take steps in that direction.
Worth it?
But was the destination wedding challenge worth it? So it seems.
A & W told Images it was 100% worth it. “The event was so inclusive for all of our friends and family: the wedding became something that everyone was a part of; from friends who helped the bride dress to those who helped with makeup, friends who danced, those who helped coordinate logistics with the travel company and traveled together with us. The idea was for everyone to support him and feel part of this adventure instead of inviting them to dinner with hundreds of people where they eat and go ”.
Wedding in the hills at Mariano Restaurant & Spa by Miradore.
When everyone got involved, the event turned into a celebration of the couple’s love and friendship and a memorable week in everyone’s lives. “Although we had so many challenges, when we saw our loved ones join in our happiness, it was an experience worth living. Spending five to six days traveling north with our closest friends and family doing things we really enjoy and not having to worry about was memorable and beautiful. “
The beauty of having a short guest list and only people who really care about you and love you is that they don’t create problems for you; instead, they try to make things easier, the couple notes.
“We saw it throughout the ceremony and the trip and it was worth it.”
The challenges
Organizing a destination wedding doesn’t come without its own difficulties. The folks at Miradore Weddings, an event management company, told Images that the lack of infrastructure is the biggest challenge when it comes to hosting weddings in tourist destinations within Pakistan.
“There are many beautiful places in Pakistan, especially in the north, but due to the lack of hotels and catering services, hosting a wedding becomes a challenge and if you outsource everything from Islamabad, the cost goes up [three times].”
Faryal Qasim, who recently had her nikkah in a private location in Bhurban, told Images that traveling and making sure everything was okay was stressful for her.
“Although I travel all the time, this was very different. For me, the biggest challenge was putting on makeup, time and punctuality. Everything was late from the moment our day started (and it started at 6am). The event of the day became a night event. “
Faryal recalls that although she was at the makeup salon on time, she did not open at the promised time and had to do makeup herself with the help of a cousin, which added to her stress.
For A&W, logistics was the biggest challenge. “The northern areas are not yet that accessible; there are problems with roads, flights and reservations. Initially, we thought that convincing people to come with us would be a challenge, but surprisingly, that was the easiest part. And since only our closest friends and family came who really wanted to be part of the ceremony, they took care of the travel and lodging expenses themselves. “
How to do it?
While destination weddings can be arranged on your own with a lot of hard work, it is often easier to outsource the arrangements to event management companies.
Since they are challenging, many wedding planners may not be up to the task, but Touristan, a travel agency that organizes trips to the north, recently took up the challenge and hosted a wedding ceremony in Passu.
With blue skies and beautiful mountains in the background, the daytime outdoor event was organized with simplicity and beauty, letting the location speak for itself. Touristan brought the flowers and decorations from Islamabad.
Miradore Weddings, who specialize in wedding planning in Islamabad, notes that it is possible to select a destination wedding effect without having to v
travel to another part of the country.
Wedding in the hills at Mariano Restaurant & Spa by Miradore.
“We have hosted numerous lakeside weddings in Islamabad that
“Innovation is something we depend on and it is fun to innovate at one-time events. The lakeside weddings near Rawal Lake have been a success and since most of them are in the afternoon, especially in the winter, work begins in the early hours of the morning to ensure the event does not seem less than a destination wedding. “
Heavy in the pocket? Not necessarily
It may seem very expensive to host a destination wedding, but it doesn’t have to be. The idea of a destination wedding is that it be intimate and that is how they are done all over the world.
Ellen Degeneres laughs that she was not invited to George Clooney’s wedding. Shahrukh Khan was not present at the Deepika or Anushka ceremonies in Italy, which were in the midst of close friends and direct family members, and that is what makes them special, but it may also be a reason why they can also be performed with a shoestring budget.
Lakeside wedding by Mirador in Banigala, Islamabad.
The 60 guests at the A&W wedding in Passu paid for their own travel and accommodation, a great gesture that shows that the people who want to be with you on your special day will make it possible. Having fewer people on the guest list is the only way to keep costs down.
Likewise, the flowers and decorations can be simple because the location should do the magic and that helps cut costs too. According to most couples who arranged their wedding at their destinations, their weddings cost as much as they would in the city.
It is the idea that counts, not the budget
You don’t need a multi-million rupee budget to organize the most unique wedding. All you need is creativity and that’s exactly what the wedding planners in Murree, Nathiagali and Hunza had.
But if you feel like that has already been done, there are other perfect destination wedding venues that have yet to be explored. Do you need ideas? Here are some.
Ievent Expertswedding.
The Kalash Valley can be the perfect setting for a daytime wedding that is both cultural and contemporary.
Lake Attabad in Hunza is another perfect wedding destination that is no less than Lake Como in Italy. With new accommodation options opening nearby, it seems like less of a challenge now, even though it takes a lot of effort.
Shangri-La Resort in Skardu, although a very expensive place, can be a very luxurious and unique place to get married, and the palaces in Bahawalpur are another place that has not yet been explored. After all, if people can get married at Badshahi Masjid, they should also be able to get married at Darbar Mahal in Bahawalpur.
(Don’t tell your parents that I gave you these ideas.)
Respecting culture and nature
It’s easy to get irresponsible while celebrating, but when you host an outdoor wedding in the mountains or by a lake, you have an even greater responsibility on your shoulders to preserve natural beauty and make sure your celebration is not destructive.
Similarly, if the wedding is taking place in the Hunza or Kalash Valley, it is equally important to respect local customs and ensure that your celebration does not become a nuisance to the locals.
Let us all resolve to be aware of nature and local cultures as we celebrate. For getting married in the hills.
Ievent says that respecting natural beauty and keeping the place clean is very important. “It took a team of 10 three days to clean up and prepare the Head Marala location for the event. It’s sad that people pollute scenic spots with their trash. After the event, the team cleaned the space again to make sure we left it in a better state than it was originally. “
Ievent believes that Pakistan is no less than any other posh destination in Southeast Asia or Europe. “As a nation, we must be considerate of our heritage and our environment. Cleaning up after a picnic does not require significant effort. I believe that together we can make Pakistan a better place. “
