Demonetisation: No ‘Keech Keech’; Goa still a hit for celeb & fat Indian weddings

PANJIM: The cricketer-Bollywood pair’s wedding at the quiet coastal village of Siolim has once again proved that Goa has managed to maintained its position as one of the highly preferred wedding sites besides being a popular tourist destination. 

Big hitter Yuvraj Singh and Hazel Keech had their wedding ceremony in the state on Friday, two days after they tied the knot at Chandigarh on November 30 according to Sikh rituals. The marriage at Siolim in Hindu tradition saw Bollywood and cricket stars. 

While this is not the only celebrity couple’s wedding in Goa, actress Lara Dutta and tennis star Mahesh Bhupati, stunning actress Raveena Tandon’s younger daughter Chaya and Shawn Mendes; and Anjali Mody, daughter of corporate lawyer Zia Mody and industrialist Jaydev Mody with Akshay Tandon are amongst many who exchanged wedding vows in the resort State. 

Another lavish wedding, that of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani and wife Neeta Ambani’s niece Isheta Salgaoncar with Neeshal Modi, the younger brother of 'diamond king' Nirav Modi will follow on Sunday. 

Besides the star-studded marriages, the upper middle class families from different parts of the country are taking the Goa route to celebrate the big bash. Andheri West-based  ‘The Wedding Designer,’  has come across several to-be married couples excited to host the event in Goa. 

“A number of pre and post-wedding functions are held across different parts of the state. Various other exotic locations are also chosen to make one’s wedding a memorable event, even for the attendees,” wedding planner Rishi Rochlani said. Having organized two marriage ceremonies in the recent past, the wedding planner claimed that relaxed and stress-free ambiance pulls many couples to this state. 

Bangalore-based ‘Divya-Vithika Wedding Planners’ is among other wedding planners to receive a barrage of inquiries from couples wishing to tie the knot here. 

“We get inquiries from different communities about holding marriages in Goa, although we route them through our contacts there (Goa) considering the logistics and familiarity with the place,” said Divya adding, “The holiday feel, festive mood and romantic ambiance has attracted several upper educated middle and rich class Bangalorians to Goa.” Young couples from the IT sector and NRIs insist on marriages in Goa. 

Asked whether demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes has hampered wedding plans, they said “No.”

“There is a small percentage of cost cutting but this hasn’t compelled any family to cancel wedding plans,” Rochlani said. 

Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) attributes the popularity to repeated marketing across major cities pan-India. “In the last four years, we have held wedding shows in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and other places by inviting wedding planners from the respective cities/metros,” GTDC Chairman Nilesh Cabral said adding they are further upgrading the State to maintain its status as a highly preferred wedding destination.