Couples in India Are Selling Tourists Tickets to Their Weddings

Known for being fascinating, elaborate and colorful events, tourists are eager to gain admission to Indian weddings.

© Getty Images Colorful stage decoration for bride and groom in sangeet night of Indian wedding.(photo courtesy iStock / Getty Images Plus indigosmx)

By Mia Taylor, TravelPulse

It’s no secret that Indian weddings can be quite the elaborate and colorful affair.

Some are spread over days and include multiple events and stunning outfit changes, making them intriguing to witness even if you’re not part of the bride and groom’s family.

Now some Indian couples are seeking to cash in on the world’s fascination with their weddings.

According to a report from CNBC, wedding tourism is an up and coming trend in the tourism industry with some couples selling admission to their nuptials.

Most recently, two travel bloggers from Australia  paid around $200 for two days of access to an Indian wedding. They booked their experience through a start-up called Join My Wedding.

Through the new platform, couples in India provide details about their wedding and international travelers buy tickets. While most of the fee paid for the ticket is pocketed by the bride and groom, a portion goes to the website itself.

"If you think about it, there's nothing more cultural than a wedding because you have every cultural element present: The local people, local food, customs, the outfit, the music, basically every cultural element is right there," Join My Wedding Co-Founder Orsi Parkanyi told CNBC.

Thus far, travelers have attended about 100 Indian weddings. Parkanyi said she opted to focus on weddings in India because they're so legendary and many people don't have a chance to attend one unless they have a personal connection.

"Experiencing all the cultural elements at once, meaningfully connecting with the locals in India, that's a huge motivating factor for the travelers," she told CNBC. "It's a safe experience. You attend an event with hundreds of people, you're a distinguished guest, people look after you."

Without missing a beat, travel agencies and tour operators have also jumped on the trend and are now offering custom tour packages that involve attending an Indian wedding during a visit to the country.

Among the companies offering this option is Indian Holiday, and Atithi Voyages.