Wedding is one big potential market in India that gets visitors to these shores from all around the globe.
Due to its traditional and cultural charm, Rajasthan is rightly the hub that manages to grab most of the attention when it comes to destination weddings. Brand Hilton has already made its mark in the hospitality segment all over the world.
On 1 September, Hilton Jaipur organised a wedding showcase, “Sagai se Shehnai 2.0”, to display what they’ve got to offer to the wedding market.
This was the second edition of the event. Hosted in collaboration with various wedding planners, the event addressed every aspect of a wedding—from pre-wedding ceremonies and sagai, to the actual wedding. Every detail was covered, from décor and food to clothes, makeup and music.
The event took place at the Turquoise Ballroom of the hotel that had the occupancy of almost 500 people. The grand entrance, with its blue and pink themed décor, gave out perfect festive vibes that one looks for in a wedding venue. There was flowery decor and elegant lighting.
The mandap area was beautifully set up as well. The main hall featured a stage and a sitting area with a music station in one corner. Though the area looked good, the loud music and flashy lights were a little too much for my taste.
Moving on to the food segment, from the menu selection to the presentation, everything was on point. It included a mélange of traditional Rajashtani food and delicacies like watermelon and cucumber dosa. The bar area at the venue offered all sorts of alcohol and mocktail options.
The event began with a lamp-lighting ceremony followed by a dance performance on Ganesh Vandana. The wedding show included artistes acting as the bride and groom, with family members from both sides, to create the air of a realistic wedding. There was a proper ramp walk after the mock sangeet and sagai ceremonies to showcase the designs that were especially made for the event.
The night ended with a live performance by the band “Beats of Rajasthan”, which entertained the crowd with traditional folk songs.
In conversation with Guardian 20, Arindram Bhattacharya, business development head, Touchwood Group (wedding planners), said, “In season one, we were not much aware of how to put up this show and we came up with the concept of mock wedding. This year, we thought that there is a chain of ceremonies involved like sangeet, engagement and so on. So why not put up a pre wedding show? There is a different level of craze for heritage destination weddings. People from different parts of the country and the world come to Rajasthan to experience that level of grandeur on their wedding day. Jaipur is not going to be overshadowed by other emerging destinations.”
Overall, Hilton Jaipur provides good hospitality and facilities with 179 rooms spread across nine floors. The hotel also offers a rooftop space, called Signature, located on the 10th floor, which could be a decent option for small gatherings and ceremonies like sangeet or mehendi. It also offers a beautiful view of the city in the backdrop.