Seven Weddings, Seven Trips: A 2025 Wedding Travel Survival Guide
I couldn’t wrap up 2025 without talking about the seven weddings we attended this year. Yes - SEVEN! They were spread all across the globe, which meant that we not only got to see how different cultures celebrate weddings, but also had the chance to visit seven different places. So, let’s dive in, shall we?!
Wedding 1: The Big Fat Bengali Wedding, Kolkata
This was my cousin’s wedding, and my cousin and I are just a year apart - so it wasn’t surprising that we had our weddings back to back! (I got married in June 2024, and he got married in February 2025.)
What did we do as guests?
Being from the groom’s side, we got to experience the following:
Bou Bhaat – literally translates to “Bride Rice.” This takes place the day after the wedding, when the bride and groom come to the groom’s house for a big lunch. The bride serves the first portion of rice to the guests as the woman of the house. This is usually an intimate, family-only occasion.
Reception – the party of the wedding, as we all know! Usually held in the evening, this was all about dinner and mingling. My cousin had some pretty cool stalls, like a phuchka (aka paani puri) stall and a fire paan stall—and of course, so much food!
The travel:
Luckily for us, Weddings 1 and 2 were both in India and just a week apart, so we combined them into one trip. In total, we took six flights:
London → Bahrain → Kolkata → Delhi → Doha → London
Since it was off-peak season for travel to India, flight costs weren’t as high as they sometimes can be. Travelling with stopovers also helped reduce costs. If I’m not mistaken, we paid around £500 each for a return ticket.
The accommodation:
If you didn’t know, I have family in Kolkata—so we didn’t need to book accommodation for this wedding.
Wedding 2: The Big Fat Punjabi Wedding, Jim Corbett (Nainital)
This was a friend’s wedding and also our first time attending a Punjabi wedding. Unlike the Bengali wedding, the constant theme of a Punjabi wedding is dance and dhols (drums). For every event, the drums were playing—and at one point, the beat was right next to my ear. I jumped and joked that it took a year off my life!
What did we do as guests?
Since this was a destination wedding, many of the rituals were celebrated together by both sides.
We attended all the events, including Haldi, Sangeet, Wedding, and Reception. There were two events per day:
- Day 1: Haldi & Sangeet
- Day 2: Wedding & Reception
Haldi – turmeric paste (made with turmeric, oil, and rose water) is applied to the bride and groom to bless them with a healthy marriage and a beautiful glow. They then apply the haldi to their single friends as a way of telling the universe, “you’re next”—similar to throwing the bouquet.
Sangeet – literally translates to “music.” This is the night of music and dance, where the bride’s side and groom’s side engage in a friendly dance battle. I’m not sure who wins by the end of the night, but one thing’s for sure—everyone is danced out.
Wedding – the main event! The day begins with small religious ceremonies held separately for the bride and groom. This is followed by the groom’s turban ceremony, where his turban is blessed and placed on him. All the groom’s male friends also wear turbans, helped by a “turban man” who expertly ties them.
The wedding procession follows, with the groom mounted on a horse and led to the altar, surrounded by family and friends—almost like a parade.
Both sides then meet in a ceremony called milni, meaning “the meeting,” where family members greet and embrace one another while the drummers play.
The groom waits at the altar for his bride, who then walks in, and the wedding ceremony begins.
Reception – the party we know and love!
Danced our hearts out – every event started with dancing.
Ate to our hearts’ content – food was served after every event, and it was delicious.
The travel:
We travelled from Kolkata to Delhi on a direct flight. We then spent a few days sightseeing in Delhi and Agra (had to see the Taj Mahal!) before driving up to Jim Corbett National Park.
The bride and groom kindly arranged a car and driver for the five-hour journey. We shared the ride—and the cost—with other guests who were also in Delhi.
The accommodation:
While sightseeing, we stayed at the Ginger Hotel in Noida (PS: much cheaper than staying in Delhi and an easy commute).
On the way back, we stayed near Delhi Airport since our flight to London was at the crack of dawn.
At Jim Corbett, the bride and groom had also kindly booked a room for us.
Commuting around Delhi:
Although public transport is an option (the Delhi Metro is far better than the London Tube!), we hired a car and driver for two days to take us around Delhi, Agra, and back to Noida. The total cost was around £150.
Wedding 3: The British-Indian Wedding (Reception Only)
This wedding was between two British-Indians—the bride of Gujarati origin and the groom of Bengali origin.
A friend and I were asked to perform a short dance routine at the reception. We prepared a five-minute performance and ended it by pulling family and friends onto the stage. It was a hit and a great way to kick off the evening!
Travel & accommodation:
We drove to the venue, and since it was within driving distance, no accommodation was needed.
Wedding 4: The Roman Wedding
An Italian wedding in Rome, where we watched the bride and groom tie the knot in a small European civil ceremony.
The ceremony was followed by an incredible spread of appetisers—so vast that I genuinely thought it was dinner. It wasn’t. Dinner was a beautiful sit-down meal with divine pasta that still makes my mouth water as I write this.
Speeches followed, and then the couple’s first dance kicked off the reception.
Travel & accommodation:
This was by far our most exhausting trip—even more than India! We were essentially in Rome for just one day: flying in Friday night and back early Sunday morning.
Our accommodation was on the outskirts of Rome and, honestly, not one I’d particularly recommend. I can't lie, I did get a bit ill after this trip!
Wedding 5: The Big Fat Greek Wedding
This was an Orthodox Christian wedding ceremony. Interestingly, the groom wasn’t very religious and kept looking at the bride for cues on when to make the sign of the cross - which ended up looking really romantic!
The food completely surprised me. There was one long table starting with salads and breads, moving on to roast dishes, and finally ending with a full carvery. It was insane.
Travel & accommodation:
This trip doubled as our first anniversary getaway, so we stayed a few extra days.
We flew into Athens and then took a bus to the town of Vari, where we booked an Airbnb.
Special mention to our hosts - they were the kindest people ever, bringing us homemade Greek food and making us feel completely at home.
Wedding 6: The Greek Cypriot & British Indian (Hindu) Wedding
Talk about a blend of cultures! This wedding was a beautiful mix - from a Cypriot pre-wedding ceremony to a Hindu wedding, followed by a Cypriot reception.
The pre-wedding ceremony stood out the most. The bride’s bridesmaids and maid of honour carried her shoes and perfume on a tray covered with a red cloth, passing it around her three times. The bride then wrote the names of her single friends on the soles of her shoes—the first name to rub off by the end of the night is said to be the next to get married.
At the same time, the groom’s best man shaved him to prepare for the wedding.
This was followed by singing, dancing, drinks, the ceremony, and finally the reception.
Wedding 7: The Hindu Bengali & Hindu Punjabi Wedding
This wedding was a blend of Weddings 1 and 2—a full four-day extravaganza.
The celebrations began with Haldi and Sangeet, though this time the bride’s and groom’s sides celebrated separately rather than together.
The wedding ceremony followed Hindu Punjabi traditions, ending with a reception. To wrap everything up, the couple hosted a Bou Bhaat for family and friends.
Final Thoughts
And that’s a wrap! Seven weddings and seven trips later, I can confidently say that wedding season is less about perfect logistics and more about showing up - sometimes slightly jet-lagged, often overdressed, but always happy you made the journey. While 2025 kept my calendar full and my suitcase permanently half-packed, it reminded me that some of the best trips are the ones centered around people you love. With a little planning (and a lot of flexibility), wedding travel can turn into memories that last far longer than the weekend itself. We had no regrets!