Couples fly on cupid wings

RANCHI: Overseas weddings and honeymoons are getting increasingly popular as couples from small town are also eager to keep their costs low and guest lists in check, according to a new survey.
Earlier, the trend of going abroad was largely confined to metros and cosmopolitan cities and a ticket to foreign destinations was for the affluent class only.But with the focus shifting to B class towns and tier III cities, youngsters are not hesitating to book a ticket at least for their honeymoon.
A jubilant Nikhil Vohra after returning from Australia showed his honeymoon pictures and said he would have missed something very exquisite and thrilling had he not planned his honeymoon trip abroad.
"We were in Australia for five days and enjoyed our stay till we were exhausted. Visiting the foreign country also helped us understand each other better as we shared some exclusive moments," said Vohra.
"Although he had to spend around `2.5 lakh, he has no regrets."
Atish Kumar and Gurjeet Singh shared their experiences. While in college they had planned that both friends would go on a honeymoon trip jointly. "We wanted to share some exclusive moments with our wives on a trip abroad," said Atish adding a childhood friend with his wife on such a special trip had made them more comfortable in a foreign country.
Travel agents are also flooded with inquiries and requests for tickets and arrangements of passports. Prakash Kumar, a city-based travel agent, said gone were the days when newlywed couples visited hill stations like Shimla, Nainital, Dehradun or places like Agra, Jaipur and Goa. "People now love to visit Singapore, Bangkok, New Zealand, Australia, London or the US and are planning their honeymoon trips a couple of months ahead of their wedding," said Kumar.
Tour operators have also got on to the bandwagon and traditional honeymoon packages now come with arrangements for themed weddings in exotic destinations the Caribbean Islands for sunnier wedding experiences, South East Asia for its oriental appeal and sometimes, even Europe for its romantic charm.
"However, destinations closer to home, including Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have more attraction," said a tour operator M K Roy. "Honeymoon packages range between `50,000 to `3 lakh, which even small town people are now able to afford," he added.
"For Asian countries, one has to spend between `50,000 and `1.5 lakh, for European countries between `1 lakh and `2 lakh and for other Western countries like Australia and the US, one spends between `2 lakh and `3 lakh," said Kumar adding that rates vary according to stay fixtures, places to be visited, accommodation and food.
In 2010, Kumar said, he had booked 700 tickets for newlywed couples for their honeymoon trips.