Wedding in Agra – Cost & Services
All about a wonderous Destination wedding in Agra!
(INR 35L* – The minimum budget required to host a destination wedding in Agra with around 100 guests for 2nights – includes stay, F&B, decor for all festivities. This first hand information is for couples who are interested to know the cost of the wedding. Detailed inforamation is shared below. ) Read on…
Agra – One amongst India’s popular tourist destinations, fondly known for the legendary monument The Taj Mahal – one of the seven wonders of the world. Set on the panoramic banks of river Yamuna with a glorified historical background – Agra is India’s pride and now a wedding destination admired by couples from around the world.
A destination wedding in Agra could be wonderous and grand with a unique charm than any palatial destination wedding in India. However, the wedding will not be possible in the Taj Mahal or its surrounding premises, as the monument is a public property (administrated by the Government of India) and any private function/event is not allowed in or around its premises. But couples could still take their wedding vows having the magical monument in the background.
(Have 35Lacs and 100 guests? Go for Goa for a 2day wedding function. For details drop a mail at diwas.celebrations@gmail.com)
This post shall detail the facts of how to plan and execute a wonderous wedding in Agra overlooking the Taj Mahal. Prospective wedding hotels, venues, décor, suppliers that could make up for an eternal wedding in Agra. Read on…
Wedding in Agra: Bride and your group
Hello! Prospective bride, Let’s assume that you are a group of 100, looking for a 2-3day wedding celebration in Agra. Hotel Accommodation, Wedding venue, F&B, Décor, Logistics etc are your primary requirements. However, if you are done with substantial research, but still curious about the basics and the Budget. For your interest here we go…
Getting there
Agra is easily accessible from around the world given to its smart connectivity.
Air:
Agra’s Kheria Airport is located about 12.5 km from the heart of the city. Taxis are easily available from the airport to reach the city. Agra is connected to Varanasi, Delhi and Khajuraho by air.
*TIP: It is best to land at New Delhis IGI Airport and then travel 2 and half hours to Agra by road taking the Delhi – Agra Yamuna expressway.
Rail:
Agra has four main railway stations – the Agra Cantonment, Raja-ki-Mandi, Agra Fort and Idgah Agra Junction. The city is well connected by train services to all the important cities in India. There are many super fast express trains connecting Agra to Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
Road:
Agra can be reached by bus from major cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Gwalior. Idgah Bus Stand, Taj Depot, Ford depot and Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) are some of the major Bus Stands in Agra which connect several other major cities of the country.
Accommodation
Completely depends on the type of the hotel and the budget you are looking at. If your specific is a property overlooking the magical Taj Mahal, here are few guidelines:
Taj Mahal View Property:
There are few luxurious properties in Agra which offer views of the magnificient Taj Mahal from their terrace garden/ lawn/ suite balcony. One such property is the Oberoi Amar Vilas, situated around 600m from the Taj Mahal and offers panoramic view of the glorious monument. This 5star property charges around INR 50K + GST Per night for a deluxe room, keep aside charges and you get a dreamy wedding in Agra, if you have the budget.
Worried about the budget? The good news is, apart from the above mentioned there are few other star properties that are less pricey and also offer views of the Taj Mahal.
Budget of star rated Properties:
- •The per night Cost of a Standard room of a 5 star property is around INR10-15K + GST
- •The per night Cost of a Standard room of a 4 star property is around INR 8-10K + GST
*Tip: You may avail a decent discount in group bookings above 60 rooms
*Another Tip: Invest in a wedding planner for better guidance on selecting hotels, venues and setting up a budget.
VENUE
Each of these properties has venues which could cater to your pre wedding and wedding functions. Venues could be anything like AC Banquet, lawn area, swimming pool area or any special area of the property dedicated for wedding functions.
However the properties may exempt venue charges, if you guarantee the minimum number of rooms for stay. But if there’s a charge, it could be something like below
Here is a basic understanding on venue charges:
- •5 Star Property: Venue Charges may vary from INR 3Lacs + GST Per function (T&C)
- •4 Star Properties: Venue Charges may vary from INR 2Lacs + GST Per function (T&C)
*Tip: For your Destination wedding in Agra, there are popular wedding venues overlooking the Taj Mahal, where you could plan your festivities and arrange the stay in nearby properties, this might be a li’l stressful in terms of logistics, your wedding planner could sort this and save on your hotel costs.
FOOD
Breakfast is included in room tariff in most of the star properties, so you pay for another 2 meals and a snack, i.e. Lunch, Dinner & Hi-Tea respectively. Here is the breakdown on per person basis…
- 5 Star Property: Lunch: INR 2000 + GST onwards, Dinner: INR 2500 + GST onwards, Hi-Tea: INR 700 + GST onwards. Wedding Feast: Lunch or Dinner: INR 3500 + GST onwards.
- 4 Star Property:Lunch INR 1800 + GST onwards, Dinner: INR 2000 + GST onwards, Hi-Tea: INR 600 + GST onwards. Wedding Feast: Lunch or Dinner: INR 2500 + GST onwards
The cost mentioned above would be applicable for veg/non-veg meals. The cost per person of wedding feast may depend on the elaborate menu. You may also request DIY snack stalls or BBQ by paying extra charges.
You could calculate the cost of stay & food along with GST in the 5*/4*/3* properties on a per person basis.
LIQUOR
Corkage is not allowed at most of the properties, so you may have to buy liquor from hotel. You may have options of packages and payment. You may have to pay INR 2500 + GST onwards per person for IMFL Liquor served for 3-4 Hours. For foreign liquor or any other special requests, you may have to pay in advance to the hotel.
DÉCOR
The cost of décor for destination wedding in Agra may depend on your demand and availability of resources. For example: If you are looking out to decorate your functions with materials which could be locally sourced from that destination, then the costs are on the standard level.
But then if you are looking out for something specific which would have to be imported, then décor costs may increase accordingly. Also costs may somewhat depend on your décor designer or planner (Please, I am not speaking of any flower decorator here), as they are likely to charge more or less depending on their creativity standards.
However there is a standard cost for standard décor for wedding in Agra, India. Here is a general observation of décor for functions comprising 100 guests…
- •Pre Wedding Function: Engagement, Sangeet, Mehendi or any similar function: Décor starts from INR 2.5L + GST per function, this cost may include décor of structures, drapes, florals, lights, related props, also furniture to some extent.
- •Wedding Function: Wedding day function followed by Reception: Décor starts from INR 3.5L + GST per function, this cost may include décor of several structures, drapes, florals, lights, related props, also furniture to some extent.
- •Theme Party: Mughal Theme decor for Mehendi/sangeet, Bollywood sangeet, Masquerade themed reception are a few ideas of theme parties you could arrange to engage your guests, these have particular décor sets which may cost you from INR 2.5L + GST per theme.
Tip: Choose from locally sourced elements for wedding in Agra. Locally sourced elements would make the décor come to life.
Tip: Décor of Vibrant colored drapes, Traditional props, elegant lighting – would make your wedding in Agra, a spectacular one.
You could calculate the cost according to the number functions you are likely to host and divide the total cost on per person basis.
ENTERTAINMENT
PRE WEDDING FUNCTION
Sangeet/ Mehendi or any other similar function following could be typical requirements:
- •Agra Favorite: Most interesting will be hiring a troupe of Hindustani classical music, reflects the glory of Mughal patronage. Folk dance troupe with mix blend of mughal and brij culture, sufi singers troupe very local to Agra and arrange awe sufi sangeet nights would be mesmerizing. These troupes may charge INR 30K + GST onwards.
- •DJ with music console: A standard local DJ charges around INR 30K + GST onwards. However there endless limits if you want o spend, you can hire celebrity DJ who plays for high class parties, night clubs and savvy events at INR 80K+ GST onwards.
- •Male/Female Anchor: To engage your guests, you have to hire good looking and appealing hosts. So the need of a standard Anchor/Male comes at a cost of INR 10K + GST onwards. However you may hire celebrity Anchor/Male who hosts fashion events, bollywood events at a cost of INR 30K + Taxes onwards. Female/Anchors are expensive you may have to shell out INR 15K + GST onwards for a standard and INR 40K + GST onwards for celebrity anchors. Also, you may note that you may have to bear the expenses of travel/food/stay of these artists, if they are not sourced locally.
- •Mehendi Artiste: So, this is the most important service for any mehendi function and costs may vary. For bridal henna full hands/legs costs starts from INR 10K + GST onwards, whereas for individual guests cost starts from INR 2K + GST onwards, per guest.
- •Lady singers with Dholki: A group of 6 ladies may come at a cost of around INR 25K + GST onwards
WEDDING FUNCTION
- •Groom Procession in horse/vintage car: Groom entry shall be the highlight of the wedding. Nothing could be more enchanting than a groom procession in a decorated horse along with a carriage, just like the Mughal warriors. A vintage car entry along with spectacular dhol players would be another delightful entry of the groom as the emperor. This service may cost INR 50K + GST onwards.
- • Bride Entry in Palanquin with traditional folk dance: A bride may enter the wedding venue in a decorated palanquin followed by a folk dance performance specially choreographed for the entry. Could cost around INR 45K + GST onwards.
- •Jaimala: A decorated Stage with confetti showers, 2 flower garlands, along with back ground music may cost around INR 30K + GST. If you wish for some more effects like a hydraulic stage with cold showers, fireworks etc then costs may start from INR 50K + GST onwards.
PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEOGRAPHY
Certainly! This is one of the major aspects while comprehending the services cost of destination wedding in Agra However the cost for this service depends upon the fame & quality of the photographer, but generally it could range from anything in the following:
- •Candid Photography Stills: INR 75K + GST onwards Per Function
- •Traditional Photography Stills: INR 45K + GST onwards Per Function
- •Traditional Videography: INR 60K + GST onwards Per Function
- •Cinematography/ Wedding Film: INR 1Lac + GST onwards Per Function
- •Pre Wedding shoot: INR 25K + GST onwards for 8hours shoot
- •Pre Wedding Video: INR 40K + GST onwards for teaser & film.
Travel/food/stay of these artists will be an additional cost, if they are not sourced locally. Guess you would not like to compromise and would need all the above mentioned photography services, so calculate your budget accordingly.
MAKE UP ARTISTE
This is the most important service NOT ONLY for the brides but for the grooms as well. But then, the charming service which helps you doll up for your bid day comes with a price tag! Now let’s evaluate the cost for this service:
- •Bridal Make up & Hair do: INR 20K + GST onwards for the bride on her wedding day, includes, make up, hair do, draping etc.
- •Pre Wedding Function Make up for Bride: INR 15K + GST onwards per pre wedding function includes, make up, hair do, draping etc.
- •Groom Make up + Draping: INR 15K + GST onwards for the bride on her wedding day, includes, make up, hair do, draping etc
- •Pre Wedding Function Make up for Groom: INR 8K + GST onwards per pre wedding function includes, make up, hair do, draping etc.
- •Make Up/ Touch up, per guest: INR 2.5K + GST onwards for per pre wedding/ wedding function includes, make up, hair do, draping etc.
Also, you may note that you may have to bear the expenses of travel/food/stay of these artists, if they are not sourced locally.
LOGISTICS
An important aspect which cannot be overlooked while comprehending the cost of destination wedding in Agra. Travel to the destination is generally paid by the guests themselves so I would skip this part.Travel within the destination which could be anything like airport/ station transfers, hotel to venue travel or going sightseeing. So the costs would be somewhat around the following:
- •Luxury Bus, 49 seater: INR 25K + GST onwards for 8hours, cost may not depend on KMs in this case.
- •AC coaches, 12 seater: INR 10K + GST onwards for 8hours, cost may depend on KMs or Hours, whichever is greater.
- •AC Car 5-8 seater: INR 3K + GST onwards for 8hours, cost may depend on KMs or Hours, whichever is greater
- •Vintage Car: INR 10K + GST onwards for 5hours maximum.
So technically, you pay depending on your schedule and requirement.
MORE SERVICES MORE COSTS
Apart from the essentials, if you wish for some extra services, you would have to set your budget accordingly. You could add any of the following or other services of your choice to your requirement and budget list. Say…
Puppet shows, Folk music players, Caricature artists, live bangle makers, fire jugglers, tattoo artists, comedian and the list is endless.
All of the above mentioned services could be hired at definite prices; you could set your budget accordingly.
Isn’t planning everything above and that too in at a right Budget a Hectic Task?
Worry Not! Let me introduce you to your fairy god mother, who will set everything right for your Big Day…
WEDDING PLANNER
Now that you know that without a Wedding Planner, planning a destination wedding is almost impossible, you should also know that Wedding Planning is a Service and your wedding planner with team add up to your wedding budget.
So let’s now comprehend the cost of a wedding planner.
So a wedding planner may charge you any one of the two ways:
- •Percentage (%) of Wedding Budget: A planner may charge a certain percentage of amount as their fee depending on the size of the wedding budget. Likely to be around 10-25% of the total wedding budget.
- •Fixed Fee: Most common fee structure of startup wedding planning ventures, they charge a fixed fee depending on the services and the responsibilities they undertake to make your Big Day special.
The choice completely depends on you and your capacity of expenditures.
So, looking at the breakup cost the minimum Lump sum budget that you require to host a wedding in Agra is around INR 35L + GST onwards
(Inclusion: 2N & 3D, 100 guests, Stay in classic properties, F&B, Décor for 2Functions, Entertainment for 2Functions, MUA for bride and groom for all functions, airport transfers)
Hope the above information helps to understand the destinations and cost of wedding in Agra.
Thank you for reading Have you any suggestions, please write to us at diwas.celebrations@gmail.com
Wedding Planner Fee (t&c) Read details here
Helpful Links
Exclusive Wedding Planning Package in Goa under INR 18K+*.See Inclusions
Follow us for more updates and helpful tips on Destination Weddings.
Talk to Us
Real Sri Lanka Destination Wedding:
Rujuta and Raunak in Mount Laviniya Hotel Colombo
Sohini and Satyajit in Mount Laviniya Hotel Colombo
interested in knowing wedding in Agra cost and other details