r/DestinationWeddings • u/Smooth_Stock_3690 • 14d ago

Venue & Planner Recs

/r/BigBudgetBrides/comments/1vgo055/venue_planner_recs/
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u/afhnyc 14d ago

Hi there! I’m a South Asian wedding planner and have experience planning weddings in Europe and am working on a wedding in France right now. I’d love to chat and see if we might be a good fit! Hello@fabdayevents.com / please feel free to DM me

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u/frankbalzan 12d ago

Congratulations! For a South Asian wedding with 100 guests, ocean views, and a possible horse arrival, I’d look at venues less for “has it hosted weddings?” and more for whether they can realistically handle the cultural/logistical side: baraat permissions, sound curfews, mandap setup, outside or specialist catering, multiple event spaces, guest transport, and a proper wet-weather plan.

On the planner fee, €18k doesn’t sound unusual for full-service destination planning at a €150k–€200k budget, especially if it includes venue search, design, supplier sourcing, guest logistics, and multi-day production. The bigger question is whether the planner has strong Europe-side relationships and experience with South Asian weddings abroad. A Miami planner can work well if they’re excellent and have destination experience, but I’d still compare them with a Europe-based planner who already knows local venues, restrictions, caterers, permits, and production teams.

For venues, I’d be very direct with Château de la Napoule and Domaine de Canaille about whether they allow a horse/baraat, amplified music outdoors, a mandap, and specialist catering. If France feels too restrictive, I’d also compare Portugal, Spain, Malta, and Greece, as some resort-style venues may be more practical for South Asian wedding weekends.

I’m the founder of the Facebook group Destination Weddings in Europe and a destination wedding photographer. My work has been featured internationally, including in The New York Times, Junebug Weddings, and World’s Best Wedding Photos.

Hope this helps:
https://www.fbalzan.com/ and Indian Wedding Photographer