More destination wedding bookings on the horizon

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has made its mark as a favourite destination for weddings in Asia.

According to Lexis Hotel Group sales and marketing senior vice-president Steve Woon, more than 10 couples have exchanged their vows on the pristine beaches of Lexis Hotels in Malaysia between 2018 and 2021.

The group can expect a boost as more couples will be eager to walk down the aisle here after our borders reopened, he added.

“We have couples from a number of countries, including Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore and especially India.

“Destination weddings have slowed down due to the pandemic, so to revive it, we are looking at one or two ceremonies a month to start with,” said Woon.

Malaysia has picturesque white, sandy beaches that attract couples around the globe, he said.

When asked about the things that couples consider before planning a destination wedding, Woon cited “tourist-friendly, cost-saving, picture-friendly, property size and rich cultures”.

“When planning their weddings, couples prefer to incorporate different cultures, which makes Malaysia an interesting destination,” he said.

Anind Bhattacharya, founder and director of DestoWedding, a destination wedding planning company, said queries for Malaysia destination weddings by Indians have increased since April 1.

With the next season of Indian weddings starting from October, Malaysia can expect more destination weddings, he said.

Anind shared that Malaysia is a preferred country as we provide a hassle-free experience.

“There are a lot of things to consider when planning a destination wedding, such as the location, ambience, hotel flexibility, logistics, hassle-free visa service and flight tickets,” he said.

“As a representative in India, I used to promote the Lexis Hibiscus hotel to major wedding and event planners in different parts of that country.

“Sunway Resort is also becoming attractive as a wedding location as it has a large number of rooms and is packaged with Asia’s biggest man-made beach.

“This has given the resort an edge for couples who prefer beach weddings closer to the capital city.

“Indians also prefer to have their weddings in Langkawi, but since there are no direct flights, it’s quite difficult for them,” said Anind.

Monthly wedding bookings by DestoWedding in Malaysia were up to five per month before the pandemic, he said, and they had to cancel more than six weddings due to the travel bans.