A perfect wedding is the dream of almost every individual and this dream has been glorified by Indian cinema. Bollywood has given us so many movies that involve a grand destination wedding, here are the top 10 of them:
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
What’s a better way to begin than writing about this movie? Everything from a lavish wedding to crazy friendship blended so well in the film. The movie begins with the story of an introvert reuniting with her school friends on a trip, where they develop a close friendship. After a few years, one of those friends decides to marry someone in a grand luxury wedding with beautiful setups for each and every tradition, i.e., Haldi, Mehendi, etc. The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur featured this whole wedding scene. This palace is one of the most luxurious palaces of Udaipur with great history and magnificent looks.
Remember Aditi’s bright and colourful haldi? Or Bunny and Naina’s deep conversation on the lakeside? All these could be experienced only in this beautiful palace. The song “Kabira” was perfectly shot at this location. Not only this place, the movie even shot some beautiful scenes at different locations in Udaipur.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
There wasn’t any Great Indian wedding showcased in this film but it ended with a wedding in a Christian style at Vilanova Park, Spain. The story of three friends who separate after school but reunite on a road trip wherein they go to try a new and a secret adventure sport decided by each one of them. On the trip, one of those friends falls in love with the swimming instructor who teaches them scuba diving. As the film ends, the song “Sooraj Ki Baahon Me” plays, wherein they perform the rituals of the wedding. The location and the setup of this wedding radiate jolly and happy vibes throughout the song. All the friends groove on the beats of this lovely song and perform a dance. Unlike big fat weddings, this was a small and intimate event.
2 States (2014)
Based on the novel of a renowned author, Chetan Bhagat, this movie plays a great role in breaking the prevalent stereotypes in our society regarding the caste barriers in a wedding. The novel is based on his real-life story, wherein a boy and girl from North and South India falls in love with each other and dreams of their marriage. But their parents are against this marriage due to the caste barriers that prevail in the society. Not in any grand palace or lavish resort, the shooting for this film took place in the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram. “Ullam Paadum” song plays during the whole wedding in the temple. The temple is close to Chennai and the Bay of Bengal. The spiritual aura that this wedding scene creates is incomparable.
Band Baaja Baaraat (2010)
The story of two entrepreneurs starting their new wedding business called Shaadi Mubarak falls in love with each other. The movie revolves around the story of these wedding planners, the way they arranged weddings and the challenges they faced while doing so. Of all the locations in the film, one location captures the heart of the viewers, that’s of Lalgarh Palace, Bikaner wherein a destination wedding shoot happened. The protagonists of the story were seen dancing to the song “Dum Dum Dum Mast Hai”. The palace not only provides an amazing wedding location but also fills us with historical facts. Bikaner is very connected to Bollywood and different locations of the city can be seen in various films.
Shaandaar (2015)
Termed by many as India’s first destination wedding film, it is the story of a wedding planner who looks after the wedding of the daughter of a businessman in London. The whole film showcases the preparations for a wedding. The movie is full of picturesque and beautiful locations. Though the audience thought the movie was shot in a single castle, it was shot in many different locations. Out of those, the best ones for a destination wedding are Carlton Towers (North Yorkshire), Broughton Hall (North Yorkshire), Allerton Castle (North Yorkshire). This movie is perfect for couples planning to consider a destination wedding in a foreign land.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)
One of the most expensive movies of all time will definitely have something to do with an extravagant wedding. A man who looks like the prince replaces him and Prince’s fiancee falls in love with this man. The movie is shot at beautiful grand locations and setups. Though the movie is shot at different locations, such as Mumbai, Rajkot, Gondal, and others, the majority of the scenes are shot in the city of Udaipur. The Kumbhalgarh Fort of Mewar is used as a backdrop for various shots. In fact, the scene shot in Sheesh Mahal took around three months and three hundred artisans. This film makes us dream about our dream destination wedding due to the large and magnificent locations used.
Jodhaa Akbar (2018)
A must watch for the brides and grooms to be, not just because of the picturesque locations, but also because of the heavy and traditional jewellery and costumes the actors carried. We have been listening to the stories of Jodhaa and Akbar for decades, but no movie and actors can better tell the story than this one. Jodhaa, a princess faces an obligation to marry Akbar, a prince but love slowly and steadily blooms out between them. The shooting of this film took place at multiple locations from Karjat to Rajasthan to Agra. A few scenes are shot in the big palaces of our country. Roopangarh Fort in Kishangarh, Amer Fort and Agra Fort were a few of them.
The movie also showcases ‘Maharaja-Maharani’ kind of jewels and dresses which serve as a true inspiration for the ones fond of marrying in the ‘Raja-Rani’ style. The song “Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah” marks the entry of the prince, and this song still plays in many wedding ceremonies while the groom enters the wedding area with his bride. The other hit romantic songs from this film gave totally royal vibes.
Student Of The Year (2012)
The story of three friends who entered the college phase portrays their lives in this film. The way they fall in love with one another complicates their lives and friendships. The whole film is about a competition for the title ‘Student of the year’ wherein, students compete with each other in athletics, dance and other fields. Though the movie did not have anything as such related to weddings, the song “Radha” showcased all the stars dressing up in glimmering and glittering dresses. Starry and shining backdrops used literally add stars to the song. The decoration and the setup in Banyan Tree Samui Hotel in Thailand could be on the wishlist of many. Though the song reached various hearts, it raised several controversies as it termed Radha as ‘sexy’. The film was a huge success as it is relatable to the lives of various youngsters and teenagers.
Khoobsurat (2014)
Rajasthan, surely, is the town of destination wedding locations because around half of the movies discussed have something related to the locations in this state. Not much to your surprise, this beautiful aka Khoobsurat movie’s shoot happened in the blue city of Rajasthan. Yes, Bikaner again came up in our locations list, this movie’s shooting happened at Lakshmi Niwas Palace in Bikaner. This ancient palace is not as ancient as it looks, it has all the modern amenities and facilities required.
A wedding at such a palace is a dream in itself and might be once in a lifetime opportunity. The great architecture and green lands make this location amongst the topmost ones. The movie centres around the story of a physiotherapist who stays with a royal family to treat their son. While treating him, she falls in love with the young prince of the family. By the end, everything falls into place when the prince, despite his engagement with someone else, also confesses his love for the physiotherapist and calls off his former engagement.
3 Idiots (2009)
One of the most loved films of all time involves everything from humour to romance to comedy to friendship and whatnot. Three college friends who enter their engineering college phase make the most out of their lives by finding unique solutions to each and every problem. After a few years, two out of those three friends reunite to find their long lost friend and meanwhile, they even convinces and helps his girlfriend to flee from her own marriage. At last, all of them reunite and end on a smiling note. The location at which the protagonist’s girlfriend’s wedding took place is a special attraction. The shooting took place at Woodville Palace Hotel in the snow city, Shimla. This is an ideal destination for a cosy and cool wedding in Shimla. The vintage architecture and heritage of this hotel are what makes it special.
A bride-to-be or a groom-to-be must-watch these movies before their wedding and add these destinations to their dream wedding locations.