Grand PALACE WEDDINGS AND BANQUETS

Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

In Urdu, it means the "mirror to the sky". In history, it stands for the decadent and extravagantly beautiful home of the Nizams.

Taj Falaknuma Palace is the palace that was once home to the world-renowned Kohinoor and Jacob diamonds. It is said that the treasure chests of this palace held enough pearls to pave the streets of Piccadilly. As the former residence of the most extravagant of all members of royalty, Taj Falaknuma Palace is a museum of luxury. Chatoyant tapestries made of metallic copper yarn, Venetian and Belgian cut-glass chandeliers, a Jade room, a billiards table that has its duplicate only at the Buckingham Palace – the list could go on and on.

This palace is now lovingly restored under the personal supervision of Her Highness Princess Esra and stands gleaming 2,000 feet above the rest of the city and many feet above the rest of the world. With a banquet on the world's largest dining table and a night at a suite that comes with its own private swimming pool, a wedding here is as much of a glorious journey into the past as it is a celebration of your present.

101 Dining Hall - This fabulous dining room boasts of a table that was built in seven parts and still has the aura of one that groaned under the weight of the Nizam's shikaar. Traditional butlers lead you to a room that gleams with royal silver. And a hundred and one leather-covered chairs invite you to a sit-down meal that's lit by a hundred and one candles.

Not content with having the largest dining table in the world, this room also possesses the largest chandelier in the palace. Chefs swear that the pictorial menus on the walls still inspire them to outdo themselves. Originally built as a table to echo even the quietest whisper and therefore avoid conspiracies, you will now find your guests conspiring to tell each other about how fabulous the authentic six-course traditional Hyderabadi cuisine is. For an unforgettable after-dinner experience head to the Hookah Lounge, where jazz, rare cognacs, single malts and Cuban cigars create the perfect ambience for a game at the Nizam's own billiards table. This, along with the Palace Facade for your cocktails, the Gol Bungalow with its stain-glassed dome, and the 2,000 sq. ft. Durbar Hall that allows for a reception-style gathering, is sure to make your wedding banquet an event as royal as the Nizam's once was.

Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

If you're in the mood for a royal wedding, it's only fitting that you have it in one of the largest living residences in the world. This living, breathing museum of Art Deco is one of the few palaces in the world where royalty still holds fort in style. And you will only be inspired to follow suit.

The Marwar Hall and Baradari Lawns - Legend has it that the Maharajah's private functions at the Marwar Hall, split into one and a half levels, had the Maharani and her retinue sitting above, as the male members of royalty participated in the merry-making below. And, at a banquet, all the guests were given two butlers each, who took care of their slightest whims. In today's times, modern-day royalty can mingle freely in this 4,462 sq. ft. hall that hosts an elaborate buffet of Marwari, Rajasthani, Indian and continental cuisines. Wedding events can extend to the marble Baradari, a lawn that measures 17,820 sq. ft., and a royal tent at the back-lawns that measures up to 450 sq. ft.

Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur

This pristine white palace, built on the equally pristine waters of Lake Pichola, was once the palace for royal parties. You could say its past is untouched as well - after all, its royal butlers are descendants of the original palace retainers. With a view that allows for uninterrupted sunrises and sunsets, this hotel has the reputation of being one of the most romantic in the world.

Banquets - Conventional weddings are held at one palace. Unforgettable weddings at two.

For if you let history plan your wedding, it's only fitting that your guests stay at the summer palace – the Taj Lake Palace – and wine and dine at the pleasure palace – the Jag Mandir.
Let your Sherwani and sari-clad guests enjoy the novel experience of being ferried back and forth over the lake’s pristine waters for every event. What's more, revel with your guests in the unique butler service - where royal butlers are able to discern your every need and anticipate your wants even before you know they exist.
Built on Lake Pichola, Jag Mandir has been everything – from a pleasure palace for parties to an asylum for refugees on two separate occasions. You will, however, only remember the former as you walk by its elephant-flanked façade on to its Verbena-scented gardens for a dazzling wedding reception.

Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

It's a palace that began as a royal hunting lodge and was eventually built into the grand residence of the Maharajah of Jaipur. It's a palace that flaunts in history in absolute style. And it's a palace that makes a breathtaking venue for smaller functions while you experience an authentic royal wedding at Jai Mahal Palace. Walk from room to room amongst rich textures, opulent furnishings and exquisite objects d'art. Step out into expansive, ornamental gardens arranged in brilliant symmetry. Retire to suites that were once the sanctuaries of kings, princes and their guests. Rambagh Palace exudes an unmistakable sense of the past. It's an architectural masterpiece that transcends time.

Have an intimate celebration at Suvarna Mahal, the gilded palace ballroom, where your guests can feast on a lavish spread that's truly fit for a king. Or turn the romance up a notch, and host a dinner in the gardens, under a star-studded desert sky. Rambagh Palace lets you and your guests soak in experiences that resound with the memories, luxuries and extravagances of a bygone era.

Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur

Once upon a princely time, you had to be on the Maharajah's guest list to visit it. Today, a privileged few can choose to have a wedding or reception here.

This palace is not only one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture, it also dates back to 1745 A.D. You can take advantage of its history and its landscaped gardens, all 18 acres of them, as you plan a truly grand wedding for up to 2,500 guests.

18 acres of Mughal gardens show Jaipur in its best avatar, with your guests breathing in the rarefied air of this authentic sandstone palace. You can make the most of Jaipur and take your guests vintage sari shopping, peacock spotting or palace hopping. You can also add a spectacular ghoomar performance to your wedding functions or even make this authentic palace hum with the strains of live instrumental music on your wedding night.

Taj Palace Marrakech

The glorious "Red City" now has a new landmark - a Palace that nestles serenely between palm and olive trees and the magnificent Atlas Mountains, inviting your guests and you for a wedding event like no other. Create the magic of Morocco with acrobats, story-tellers, dancers and musicians. Begin your celebrations with a traditional, fragrant Hammam bath. Let yourself soak in the aroma of exquisite Henna tattoos that decorate your palms. And then be carried to your wedding like true royalty in a 'Naqueefa' or 'Palki'. Imagine a wedding in this 'Painting of Contrasts' hotel that draws inspiration from the noble Berber Kasbahs of Morocco and revels in the splendour of Ottoman architecture, exotic Asian influences and the richness of Indian pageantry. Imagine long nights of revelry under its swaying palms. Truly, a wedding in the Taj Palace Marrakech, promises to be mystical.