The same old venues, flashy lights, infamous traffic, and the “I’m-just-here-for-the-kacchi” crowd –these are what comes to mind when us city-dwellers think of a wedding. It is this monotony that has driven many couples to begin planning destination weddings in an effort to get away from the city and add some spontaneity to the wedding.

A geographically blessed country, Bangladesh embraces sunny beaches and lush hills with natural elegance. In the following paragraphs however, we will be exploring the bounty that Sylhet has to offer in terms of hosting a memorable destination wedding. 

Following Dhaka and Chittagong, Sylhet is one of the nation’s important economic hubs and thus has much of the modern amenities one might expect from sprawling cities. Sylhet’s subtropical climate, lush highlands and abundant tea gardens lend it unparalleled natural beauty and makes it a great choice to host an event.

There are many things you have to keep in mind before organizing the perfect destination wedding: the venue, the number of guests plus their accommodation and travel arrangements, the caterer and decorators. Of course, if you have already hired an event planner, these steps shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.

First things first: you have to decide on the perfect venue for you. This is dependent on the scale of your wedding and the number of guests. Your wedding party may consist of children and the elderly, so it is very important to keep their needs in mind when selecting a venue. Your venue should be relatively easy to access and have something to entertain everyone.

Located in Moulvi Bazar, Grand Sultan Tea Resort is located on a 4-hour drive from Dhaka and offers state-of-the-art modern facilities and breath-taking views of expansive tea gardens. The resort boasts 135 rooms, outdoor and indoor recreational facilities, a spa, a gym and temperature-controlled swimming pools and Jacuzzi.

The resort is also only minutes away from the Srimangal Tea Resort and Museum, which offers a more affordable accommodation for your guests.

Grand Sultan boasts two banquet halls: Rashni Mahal and Nowmi Manzil. Seating upto 500 people, Roshni Mahal soars above the tea gardens and hilltop golf course with a 19.5 feet high ceiling. Nowmi Manzil, on the other hand, is located on the ground floor and seats upto 200 guests. Perfect for a lavish wedding! Both restaurants offer buffet-style Continental, Thai, Chinese, Indian and Bengali cuisine and its services can be availed as-per booking. 

The scale of your wedding depends largely on the number of guests you’re having. Most destination weddings tend to have about 50-150 guests in attendance so plan according to the number of expected guests. Make sure to invite them at least 1-2 months in advance so they can prepare adequately. Since Sylhet has an airport, your guests won’t need to worry about 5-hours of travel by road.

Decide if you will be paying for travel or accommodation for friends and family. Paying for everyone can get quite expensive so decide if you will be paying for everyone, a select few or no one at all. Keep track of where all your guests are staying, even if you are not paying for them, and try to arrange transportation to and from the wedding venue and their accommodation.

The Palace Luxury Resort is another fantastic option for a venue. Located in Habiganj, it offers a regal experience amongst the sprawling greenery. Its Grand Banquet Hall has the capacity of seating upto 450 people while its outdoor amphitheatre is perfect for sangeet and holud programs.

The Palace also has a breath-taking Fountain View Lawn, perfect for wowing your guests with lavish barbeque dinners and unique sceneries.

Sylhet also has a variety of restaurants available for your guests to dine in when they are not attending the festivities. From Paanshi serving local favorites to Chapslee serving Bengali Chinese, all the way to KFC serving our favourite fried chicken, your guests will never have to worry about a meal!

Dusai Resort and Spa is another luxury destination in Moulvibazar, perfect for intimate wedding ceremonies. It is the epitome of picturesque perfection, nestled within a forest and bordered by a serpentine lake. The resort has its very own Cineplex and canoeing facilities. 

Its intimate villas and lush greenery offer a nice respite from the hustle of the city and is perfect for a small wedding with just close friends and family. Even so, this one is not the most budget friendly option!

Destination weddings can cost an estimated 10-20 lakhs, so make sure you have a budget prepared beforehand and stick to it religiously! The greater the venue, the greater the number of your guests and the more the expenses. So be sure to get price quotations from selected venues and caterers while creating your budget!

Other than these 5-star options, Sylhet also has other venues like Kushiara International Convention Hall, Aman Ullah Convention Centre and Moyurkunjo Convention Hall. These grand venues can entirely transform the tone of your wedding.

To add more fun to the festivities, you can arrange for reserved buses to take your wedding party to Sylhet. This way you can be assured your guests have reached the destination safe and sound, and have loads of fun on the way. Who doesn’t love road trips, right? Ensure that all your guests know the location of the venues –that is, if their accommodations aren’t already located there- and make them aware of any safety issues that may arise. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

So, what do you think? Are you ready to ditch the Big Fat Bengali Wedding for an intimate getaway to the hills?

Let us know in the comments below!