As destination weddings continue to gain popularity among young Indian couples, many are spending substantial amounts to turn their celebrations into multi-day luxury experiences. One such wedding has now gone viral after a Bengaluru-based couple shared a detailed breakdown of the expenses involved in hosting their ceremony at a luxury resort in Uttarakhand.
Apoorva Dixit and Manu Shukla revealed through a joint Instagram video that a destination wedding at a four-star or five-star property can “easily cost anywhere between ₹50 lakh to ₹80 lakh.”
The couple hosted their wedding celebrations at Tiaraa Resort near Jim Corbett National Park. Their video quickly gained traction online, crossing over 2 lakh views and triggering discussions around rising wedding costs in India.
‘It was about creating memories’
Explaining why they opted for a destination wedding, Apoorva said the decision was emotional rather than purely extravagant.
“We always knew we wanted a destination wedding, because for us it was never just about the wedding day, it was about spending quality time with our loved ones and creating memories that would stay with us forever.”
The couple shared that photography and videography formed a major portion of the budget. Manu noted that professional wedding photography packages for destination weddings usually range between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh depending on the scale and duration of events.
They also highlighted how outfit choices can significantly affect the overall budget, especially in multi-function Indian weddings where couples often require several customised looks.
Bride spent ₹2 lakh on outfits, groom kept costs lower
Apoorva, an alumna of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, said her wedding outfits cost nearly ₹2 lakh in total.
In contrast, Manu said he attempted to reduce expenses by sourcing fabrics independently and getting multiple outfits stitched instead of purchasing designer collections. According to the couple, all six of the groom’s outfits across different functions were prepared within a budget of ₹80,000.
The bride further revealed that additional spending on props, travel arrangements, gifts, accessories and miscellaneous logistics collectively reached around ₹5 lakh.
Jewellery alone touched ₹25 lakh
Since both families belong to Uttar Pradesh and wanted to incorporate traditional customs into the celebrations, gold jewellery became one of the largest components of the wedding expenditure.
According to Apoorva, the value of jewellery used during the ceremonies was estimated at nearly ₹20 lakh to ₹25 lakh.
The couple also explained how they approached financial planning before deciding on the wedding budget.
“Money wise, we had only one rule — the wedding budget should stay within twice our annual income.”
Manu added that luxury destination weddings in India currently come with a rapidly expanding price tag.
“So realistically, if you’re planning a destination wedding in India today, you can expect to spend around ₹60 to ₹80 lakhs.”
Couple says there is ‘no right way’ to celebrate
Despite the high expenditure, the couple stressed that weddings should not become a financial burden and that celebrations should be aligned with personal priorities and affordability.
“But at the end of the day, there’s no one right way to celebrate a wedding. Just do what makes you and your loved ones happy.”
In the comments section of the viral post, Apoorva also advised other couples to maintain financial discipline while planning weddings.
“A very important point already mentioned in the video – spend less than twice of what you earn annually and this won’t be a burden but something both parties can enjoy. No one way of celebration is correct obviously , this video is for general information on current destination wedding finances in India .”
IIT Kanpur alumni tied the knot after 9-year relationship
The couple had reportedly been together for nearly nine years before getting married. Both studied engineering at IIT Kanpur before beginning their professional careers.
While Apoorva currently works at Qualcomm, the couple also runs lifestyle and travel content online. Apoorva is originally from Lucknow, while Manu belongs to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
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