How the World is Wooing the Billion-dollar Indian Destination Wedding

ON A BRIGHT JUNE AFTERNOON, the narrow street beside the Mandarin Oriental in Prague fell silent, save for the thundering beat of dhols. A procession of more than 100 guests, dressed in sherwanis and sequinned lehengas, accompanied by the groom on a horse, danced its way towards the hotel, blocking traffic for an hour. The interruption wasn’t accidental; it had been sanctioned by the tourism board.

The occasion was the wedding of Arjun Reddy, a Tesla executive from the U.S., with Marie Benes from Prague [names changed]. For the couple’s families, the seamless execution of a full-fledged Indian baraat (wedding procession) in the heart of the Czech capital was non-negotiable. For Prague’s tourism officials, it was a calculated investment. The two-day wedding with 180 guests cost around ₹5 crore and included chefs being flown in, especially from Hyderabad.