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Destination weddings in Nepal

A wedding away from home is mostly about logistics. Choose the place and season, check what the venue includes, and keep your guests comfortable.

A destination wedding moves the celebration to a place with its own setting: a lakeside, a hill resort, a jungle lodge. Your guests travel, so more of the planning goes into getting people there, housing them and keeping the schedule on time than into decoration.

Couples in Nepal often look at Pokhara for its lake, Chitwan for lodges near the forest, and Dhulikhel and Nagarkot for hill views not far from Kathmandu. Each place has its own busy and quiet months, so start with the season, not the decor.

How to plan it, in order

  1. Pick the season and the date first

    Weather, festival crowds and the road to the place all change through the year. Ask the venue which months are busy and which are rainy, and fix the date with your family pandit before you pay anything.

  2. See the venue, or at least video-call it

    Photos hide the walk from the rooms to the hall, the road in and the noise at night. Visit once if you can. If not, ask for a live video tour at the hour of your ceremony.

  3. Plan how guests get there and where they sleep

    Count how many guests need rooms and how many will come by road in one day. Arrange buses or shared cars, and tell older relatives exactly how long the trip takes.

  4. Find out what is included

    Rooms for the family, catering, decoration, sound, generator or power backup, parking. Get the list in writing, so you know what you pay for twice.

  5. Decide on local vendors or your own team

    Bringing a photographer or makeup artist from Kathmandu means paying for their travel and stay. Local vendors know the venue, but check their work and their dates the same way.

  6. Make a plan for rain and delays

    Ask where the ceremony moves if it rains and who decides. Add buffer time between events, because roads and weather rarely keep to the schedule.

Questions to ask every venue

  • How many guests can the hall and the rooms hold, and how many can sleep on site?
  • Can we bring our own caterer, decorator and music, or must we use yours?
  • What time must the music stop, and are there limits on fireworks or open flame?
  • Is there power backup and a steady water supply for the whole stay?
  • Can large buses reach the venue, and where do they park?
  • Which dates are held for us, for how long, and what are the cancellation terms?

What changes the cost

Prices differ a lot between venues and dates, so compare quotes for the same date and the same guest count. These are the things that move the total:

  • Season and day of the week
  • Rooms for family and guests
  • Travel and stay for vendors you bring along
  • Transport for guests
  • Decoration set-up on site
  • Extra days before and after the ceremony

Venues in popular destination towns

Live from WedSathi, in Pokhara, Chitwan, Dhulikhel and Nagarkot, ordered by rating.

See all venues

S

Mahamanjushree Nagarkot

5.0(7)Replies within 1 hours

Price on request

Questions about destination weddings

How early should I book a destination wedding venue?

Popular dates fill early. Contact venues as soon as you have a rough date, and ask in writing what is held for you and for how long.

Can I use my own photographer and decorator?

It depends on the venue. Some allow outside vendors, some charge a fee and some require their own. Ask before you book.

What if it rains on the wedding day?

Ask the venue where each event moves in bad weather and who makes the call. A covered hall or tent plan should be agreed before the day.

Is a destination wedding more expensive?

It can be, because of guest travel, rooms and vendors' travel. It can also be smaller and simpler. The only way to know is to compare quotes for your own date and guest count.

Ask several venues at once

Send one request with your date and guest count and compare the replies side by side.

Request quotes