Move over heaven; Mauritius is the ultimate paradise for the wedding and honeymoon of your dreams!

With superb hospitality, chefs that can lay out the best Indian food, and heritage that is the perfect blend of Indian and European aesthetics; combined with excellent connectivity from India plus a visa on arrival, Mauritius promises a flawless wedding and a dreamy honeymoon for Indian couples planning to tie the knot!

By Shikha Mishra

Should you go all-out glam or simply chic, classy European vibe or an over-the-top Bollywood theme, from an intimate gathering or a grand affair, we are sure you have your wedding planned in your head. And with every social media scroll, you must be screenshotting outfits, and décor ideas, adding them to a themed mood board to make your special moment shine the brightest.

From deciding the looks, to the song you will make a grand entry on, the caterers to the destination — planning a wedding is not easy. If you want an exotic destination for a fairytale wedding, with a guaranteed perfect golden light for reels and photos, gorgeous beaches as the backdrop, perpetually shimmering blue waters, and sunsets that are so good they don’t need a filter; you can take your ‘saat pheras’ or say ‘I Dos’ in the tropical paradise that is Mauritius.

Along with scenic beauty, the destination has chic chateaus, exotic tropical gardens, plush hotels, and resorts that will make getting married there a breeze. Here are a few hand-picked locations that will make you happy that you zoomed in on Mauritius!

Sun Resorts

A sundowner wedding, where the couple walks down the aisle with the song that brings back the sweet times of courtship for the both of you—from the first date to the wedding day. Sounds dreamy, right? Well, Sun Resorts are expert at what they do. From the perfect beach location for exotic-style weddings to beautiful lawns for the ceremony, to events in the ballroom, they have several venues to make your special day one to remember.

If you want to bring your chef to cook some authentic food, the resort can provide for that too. It is also perfect for the big fat Indian wedding as it offers bookings for up to 1000 people.

Sofitel Mauritius L’Impérial Resort 

More than the couple or the family, it’s usually the staff at the Sofitel Imperial that get excited about Indian weddings which they think are lavish, colorful with positive vibes, and a whole lot of fun! The hotel offer different options on its white sandy beaches, tropical gardens plus the beachfront, and poolside restaurants, you may choose any one of them for your post-wedding dinner – and you can be sure that everything that the hotel does is luxurious with a tropical feel which will be perfect for your special occasion.

The hotel also offers an exclusivity guarantee, i.e., whether you have a one-day event or a full weekend event, you can do a complete buy out to ensure only that one wedding will be hosted for the duration, with the entire staff and the hotel  giving you that undivided attention and the best hospitality.

Heritage Resorts

The Heritage Resorts truly believe that couples look for a “once in a lifetime” experience that will stay with them as fond memories when they look back at their life journey. Which is why they offer the ability to privatize a hotel completely for a wedding, with bespoke food and beverage experts, florists, decorators, seasoned chefs, a full AV production team, entertainers, DJ, dance, and musical groups. The guests can be accommodated within two five-star hotels, that are located right next to each other, and the wedding venues/event space. They are cognizant of the fact that an Indian wedding can either be very traditional or a more contemporary fusion of east-west folklore and entertainment and can blend the two well.

An Indian wedding planner who has organized several weddings in Mauritius is Pawan Mirchandani of Horizon W.I.E. who says, “It has been a wonderful journey to organize weddings in Mauritius so far. It is easily one of the most picturesque places in the world, with a breathtaking coast, gorgeous white beaches, and some incredible hospitality and food. It is the ultimate tropical paradise to plan a wedding with an abundance of venues to choose from.” According to him, “What drives Indian couples to host their special occasion in Mauritius is the familiarity of culture, food, and the ease of visa on arrival and the fantastic hotels that play impeccable hosts. Mauritius has a visa on arrival, which makes travel easier for the wedding planners and the guests. Since there are a number of Indians in the hospitality industry, language is not a problem either. Indian food is easily accessible, which further helps Indians plan weddings there,” he says.

Anushree Khemka, a Kolkata-based wedding planner who is planning several overseas weddings spread over the next year feels Mauritius has the beach chill vibe that is in favor currently. “Mauritius certainly has a dreamy quality; I would highly recommend it as the perfect destination for families planning something out of the box and unforgettable,” she says.

With unique being the keyword, 2022-23 is projected to be a promising year for weddings for Indian couples who are zeroing in on how to make their celebrations rock. As lockdowns were in place for most of 2020 and 2021, the time is now right to look at various options – such as extended celebrations (combining the wedding and honeymoon), possibilities of adventure and water sports, chartering yachts for sundowners and brunches on the beach – unique experiences that only Mauritius can offer.