Celebrity Wedding Venues in Rajasthan: Forts and Palaces Guide

The list of celebrity wedding venues in Rajasthan reads like a map of the state's best-known forts and palaces: a 14th-century fort near Ranthambore, a sandstone resort in the Thar desert, a Jodhpur palace that is still partly a royal home, and lakeside hotels in Udaipur. Over the past several years, well-publicised weddings at these places have turned Rajasthan into the default answer to the question of where to hold a destination wedding in India. This guide sticks to widely reported public facts, who married where and when, what makes each venue distinctive, and what the rest of us can learn if we are planning something on a smaller scale.

A note on method: we have included only weddings that were extensively covered in the mainstream press and confirmed by multiple reports, and we say nothing about private lives beyond the public event itself.

Celebrity weddings in Rajasthan at a glance

• Six Senses Fort Barwara, Sawai Madhopur: Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif, December 2021, with festivities reported from 7 to 10 December.
• Suryagarh, Jaisalmer: Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, February 2023, with the wedding reported on 7 February.
• Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, December 2018, with a Christian ceremony on 1 December and a Hindu ceremony on 2 December.
• The Leela Palace, Udaipur: Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha, September 2023.
• Ranthambore: Katy Perry and Russell Brand, 2010, at the Aman-i-Khas camp.
• Udaipur: badminton player P. V. Sindhu, 22 December 2024.

Six Senses Fort Barwara: the fort near Ranthambore

Few Rajasthan weddings have drawn as much attention as the December 2021 wedding of Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif at Six Senses Fort Barwara in the Sawai Madhopur district. Reports described a four-day programme with mehendi, haldi, sangeet and the wedding itself, a guest list reported at around 120 people, and strict arrangements including vaccination requirements because of the pandemic at the time.

The venue is a fort-palace that dates back to the 14th century according to the hotel's own description, which includes a palace and two temples within its walls, and was once associated with a Rajasthan royal family. It was converted into a resort and sits within reach of Ranthambore National Park, which makes it a rare combination of a wedding venue and a wildlife trip. Reports from the time noted that the location is about 30 minutes or so from the tiger reserve.

For guests, the draw is the sense of enclosure: a fort has walls, courtyards and a single point of entry, which suits events that need privacy. For planners, the practical lesson is that Sawai Madhopur is connected by rail on the Delhi-Mumbai main line and is a few hours from Jaipur, which makes it accessible without being crowded. If you are considering a similar location, bear in mind that a full buyout of a fort property requires booking well ahead, and that wildlife-park closures during the monsoon season affect the safari element of a stay.

Suryagarh Jaisalmer: a desert wedding venue in sandstone

In February 2023, Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani married at Suryagarh in Jaisalmer, one of the most widely covered weddings of that year. Coverage described pre-wedding events such as a mehendi and sangeet, the wedding on 7 February, and a guest list that included members of the film industry. The hotel itself reportedly acknowledged the event on social media before the wedding, and reports noted that rooms at the property start at a rate in the tens of thousands of rupees a night, though rates vary and you should check directly.

What makes Jaisalmer distinctive is the colour and the light. The city is built from honey-coloured sandstone, which turns gold at sunset, and the surrounding Thar desert gives photographers and planners wide horizons. Suryagarh is built in that same sandstone style, laid out as a modern palace complex, which is why it works as a wedding venue: courtyards, a built-in sense of occasion and enough space to host multiple events at once.

If you are planning in Jaisalmer, there are practical points to consider. The best weather for events is from October to March, when days are warm and nights are cool; summers are intensely hot. The city has an airport with limited services, and rail links are slower than the Delhi-Jaipur corridor, so many families budget extra time for guest arrivals. Check current schedules, because flight availability has been changing; our news coverage of the new Mumbai-Jaisalmer route is a useful starting point.

Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur: royal wedding venue India

Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur hosted the 2018 wedding of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, one of the most internationally followed weddings in the state's recent history. Press reports described a Christian ceremony on 1 December followed by a Hindu ceremony on 2 December, after several days of events that included a mehendi, a cricket match and a music night. Receptions followed in Delhi and Mumbai.

The palace is part hotel and part residence of the former royal family of Jodhpur, and is frequently described as one of the largest private residences in the world. Published figures describe an estate of about 26 acres, with a large share of that given over to gardens. The scale of the building, an Art Deco and Indo-Saracenic landmark completed in the 20th century, makes it as much a setting as a venue. For a deeper look at the palace and its unusual origins, see our separate feature on Umaid Bhawan Palace.

If you are considering Jodhpur as a wedding destination, note that the city has a new airport terminal, which makes guest travel easier than in the past. The Blue City's old town and Mehrangarh Fort are strong complements to a wedding, since guests will want to see them. Venues of this level are priced accordingly, so ask for a complete written quote that lists everything included.

Udaipur: lakes, palaces and a wedding capital

Udaipur has become the most popular city in India for high-profile destination weddings, and it has drawn weddings from film stars, sports figures and business families. Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha married at The Leela Palace, a lakeside hotel on Lake Pichola, in September 2023. The badminton champion P. V. Sindhu was married in Udaipur on 22 December 2024. And the city has been a regular venue for large, internationally reported weddings, including events at the Jag Mandir island palace.

The reasons are easy to see. The city has a lake, island palaces, hotels set on the water, an airport that is well connected to major cities, and a large pool of experienced planners, caterers and decorators. The city has also developed an ecosystem of event specialists that can handle large guest lists, which is a practical advantage for families that need to move hundreds of people between venues.

The trade-offs are cost and crowding. Peak wedding dates between November and February can be intensely busy, with hotels booked far in advance, so it makes sense to be flexible on dates. If you want the Udaipur look without the peak-date pressure, consider weekdays or the shoulder months of October and March.

Early adopters and why Rajasthan keeps winning the wedding market

Rajasthan's reputation as a celebrity wedding destination predates the recent wave. In 2010, singer Katy Perry and comedian Russell Brand married in Ranthambore, at the Aman-i-Khas tented camp, in an event widely covered at the time. The camp is modelled on a Mughal-era hunting camp and has only a handful of tents, which makes it an unusually intimate setting, and we have written about it in a separate feature. That event helped show that the state's wildlife and desert landscapes could host a small, private celebration as well as a grand palace affair.

The weddings above share a pattern worth spelling out, because it explains why the trend has lasted. Several factors explain the pull. First, the architecture: the forts and palaces were built for ceremony, with courtyards, terraces and gardens that suit processions and large gatherings. Second, the weather: the cooler months from October to March make outdoor events comfortable. Third, the infrastructure: major cities such as Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur have airports, and the state has a tradition of hospitality businesses that know how to run large events. Fourth, the image: for many families, a Rajasthan wedding offers a ready-made sense of grandeur, with photographs that look the part without heavy decoration.

There is also a cultural reason. For many Indian families, a palace wedding echoes royal tradition, and the idea of marrying in a place built for ceremony has strong appeal. The celebrity weddings did not create that desire, but they made it visible and gave it a template.

Planning a Rajasthan destination wedding: practical lessons

Before the checklist, one honest observation: the celebrity weddings were run by large teams with security, planners and the freedom to book out entire properties for days. Most families will be working with a fraction of that, which is fine, as long as expectations are calibrated early. Decide the guest count before choosing the venue, because the size of the party determines which properties are even realistic.

You do not need a film-star budget to borrow from these examples. Here are the lessons that translate.

• Book the venue first and the date second. Heritage properties have limited availability, and peak dates fill a year or more ahead.
• Choose by logistics, not only by looks. Check the nearest airport, rail link and road time for your guests, and plan accommodation for everyone, not just the couple.
• Understand buyouts. Some properties rent only entire venues; others allow partial bookings. Ask what is included and what is extra.
• Respect local rules. Heritage properties, forts and national parks have restrictions on noise, fireworks, drones and open flames. Confirm what is permitted in writing.
• Plan for weather. Winter evenings in the desert are cold, and summers are punishing, so schedule events with that in mind.
• Hire experienced planners. Local planners know the venues, vendors and permissions, and can save you from avoidable mistakes.
• Be wary of copycat claims. Some businesses advertise themselves as "celebrity wedding venues" with no verifiable basis; check press coverage before you pay a premium.

Is a celebrity-style Rajasthan wedding worth it?

For couples who want a strong sense of place, the answer can be yes: a fort or palace gives you scenery, history and a ready-made backdrop that would cost a great deal to build from scratch. But it is worth being clear-eyed. Destination weddings cost more per guest than local ones once you factor in travel and accommodation, and the logistics are demanding. Smaller guest lists, off-peak dates and flexible planning can bring costs down significantly.

It is also worth remembering that the venues themselves are open to ordinary visitors, whether as hotel guests, diners or day visitors, depending on the property. If you simply want to see what the fuss is about, a stay or a meal at one of them is a cheaper way to find out, and you can come away with ideas for your own plans.