Editor's Pick: Top 13 Palace Hotels in India For Your Royal Wedding
With some of the most majestic palaces in the world, India redefines the meaning of grandeur and hosts thousands of palace weddings every year. If your dream is to tie the knot in a royal palace that is now a hotel, check out this list.
Photography: Stories by Joseph Radhik
Want your wedding celebration to be nothing less than a royal festivity celebrated with utmost opulence and galore? We have compiled the best palace hotels in India that you can book as your wedding venue. From glistening forts enriched with age-old traditions and stories to beautiful palace-turned-wedding venues, the options for your grand wedding are endless. India is home to rich ancient history, jewels, and royalty. Belonging to a nation of influential monarchies, it’s only appropriate to live the biggest day of your life like a queen. Luxury, elegance, architectural delights, and your prince charming in front of you will all make you forget the Disney fairy tales because you’ll be living a real one.
Below, we present to you some of the most charming palace wedding venues in India that will give your event the touch of sovereignty you always wanted.
Suryagarh Palace, Jaisalmer
Image Credit: Suryagarh
Rajasthan’s ancient and historic city, Jaisalmer, also popularly known as ‘The Golden City', is a world heritage site. The fort and palatial rooms of Suryagarh were built in the 12th century as a fortification against the marauders. Today, this ancient heritage property is a luxury hotel, offering guests a grand staycation and cultural experiences. The palace serves as an entry point to the great Indian desert of Thar and offers unique adventurous safaris, treks across beautiful stretches of sand, and more!
Weddings at Suryagarh: Sprawling open-air and indoor courtyards, beautiful organic and lakeside gardens, a luxurious sundowner patio, a pool-side venue, and a Bawdi are some of the stunning venues the Suryagarh Palace offers for a wedding celebration. The property offers around 83 guest rooms and suites with modern amenities. As one of the biggest palaces in India, Suryagarh hosted the most iconic and viral wedding of Bollywood actors Siddharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani.
Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
Image Credit: WeddingNama
Home of the erstwhile Jodhpur royalty, one of the best palaces in India: Umaid Bhawan Palace is the sixth-larest private residence in the world, nestled in the highest point of Johdpur-Chittar Hill. The palace was constructed between 1928 and 1943 with palm court marble (similar to the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra). Now a heritage palace hotel run by the Taj group of hotels; Umaid Bhawan Palace offers the most stunning views of the Blue City, the sand dunes of Rajasthan, and Mehrangarh Fort.
Weddings at Umaid Bhawan: The Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel is 20 minutes away from the Jodhpur airport. The 5-star palatial hotel offers 70 stunning Art-Deco-style rooms and suites for your guests and boasts authentic Rajasthani and Indian cuisines on the menu. The venue created a stir on social media when Priyanka Chopra and American singer Nick Jonas planned their wedding here.
Rambagh Palace, Jaipur
Image Credit: Remote Lands
One of the largest palaces in India, Rambagh Palace was originally built in 1835 for the queen’s favorite handmaiden. In years to come, the palace served as the royal guesthouse, hunting lodge, and residence of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and his queen, Maharani Gayatri Devi. Today, the Grand Rambagh Palace is one of the most popular hotels in the Taj Group’s chain of hotels. The heritage palace is adorned with hand-carved marble ‘jalis’, cupolas, cenotaphs, sandstone balustrades, and beautiful Mughal gardens.
Weddings at Rambagh Palace: The ancient Maharaja chambers at the Rambagh Palace have now been restored to 78 suites and rooms for your wedding guests. The former palace ballroom, Suvarna Mahal, now offers royal Indian delicacies to guests alongside the Rajput Room, an all-day dining restaurant. Choose from one of the many indoor and outdoor wedding venues at Rambagh Palace or the ultimate Sawai Man Mahal that is ideal for destination weddings.
The Leela Palace, Udaipur
Image Credit: Pinterest
The Leela Palace in Udaipur is a rare gem in India’s hospitality industry that recreates the lifestyle of Maharanas within its walls without having any significant royal history. The route to enter the Leela Palace is via a boat that rows across the glistening Lake Pichola. Dotted with jharokas and hallways adorned with silver figurines, the Leela Palace is revered as one of the most famous palaces in India and offers the finest experience of royalty on its premises.
Weddings at Leela Palace, Udaipur: Let me paint a picture of a wedding at the Leela Palace, Udaipur, for you. Arrive at your wedding venue in traditionally decorated boats. Choose an accommodation for your guests from the 80 grand heritage rooms and luxury suites available at the venue. Plan your wedding ceremony in the sprawling inner and outer courtyard, guava garden, or croquet lawn. Offer destination dining experiences to your guests at the sunset, spa alcove, or Amrut Mahal, and surround yourself in traditional Rajasthani vibes and royalty for your wedding event.
Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur
Image Credit: Taj hotels
The Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur was originally constructed between 1743 and 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II, the 62nd custodian of the House of Mewar. Known as Jag Niwas, this old Indian palace was used as a summer retreat by the royal family of Mewar until Maharana Bhagwat Singh, the Mewar of Udaipur, converted this palace into a heritage hotel in 1963. The palace, nestled on an island in the middle of Lake Pichola, draws inspiration from Mughal architecture and is entirely made of marble.
Weddings at Taj Lake Palace: Host your dream wedding with the most breathtaking landscape views all around you. Located on an island surrounded by a glistening lake, the Taj Lake Palace offers breathtaking views of the Aravalli Hills, the City Palace of Udaipur, Jag Mandir, and Machla Magra Hills. The hotel has 65 grand rooms and 18 luxurious suites to accommodate your guests. The hotel also garners praise for its delectable cuisine offerings and signature specialty restaurants like Neel Kamal for authentic Rajasthani dishes and an open-air Bhairo for European cuisines.
Chomu Palace, Jaipur
Image Credit: Chomu Palace Hotel
Originally known as Chomugarh Fort, this heritage building was built by Rao Gopalji, the fourth son of Raja Prithviraj Singh, 1st of Jaipur, in 1550, to house the chiefs and armies in a collateral branch of the Samode fiefdom. Influenced by the reigning monarchies of the Rajput and Mughal dynasties over the years, this building was transformed into a palace by the late 18th century. The Chomu Palace is known to be one of the heritage hotels that retains its original traditional architectural interiors while also blending modern facilities for its guests.
Weddings at Chomu Palace: Located on National Highway 11 at a distance of 255 km from the capital city of India, Chomu Palace is a perfect destination wedding venue for couples who wish to plan a palatial wedding. The hotel has 70 grand suites, like the Royal Suite, Palace Suite, Historic Suite, Maharaja Suite, and Maharani Suite, to choose from. The rooms are constructed with marble and equipped with royal antique furniture, offering the most luxurious old-world royalty to your guests.
Chunda Palace, Udaipur
Image Credit: Chunda Palace
Owned by one of the noble houses in the Mewar kingdom, the grand Chunda Palace was conceived by Th. Ghyanshyam Singhji of Thana. It took 16 years to build this old Indian palace, which is imbued with the rich heritage of the Mewar region with handpainted walls, intricate paintings, and bone-inlay artwork.
Weddings at Chunda Palace: The Chunda Palace delights guests with palace rooms that have walls painted with decorative art, royal imperial suites, unique historic suites with the city palace or Aravali hills in the backdrop, and the grand historic suites that are considered the gem of Chunda Palace. Book this one-of-a-kind heritage palace for your wedding and host the dreamiest destination wedding in India.
Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad
Image Credit: Brad A. Johnson
Constructed in 1894, the Taj Fakanuma Palace in Hyderabad is the former abode of the Nizam, who was known as the richest man in the world at the time. A horse-drawn carriage escorts you to the gates of the palace, which is spread across 32 acres of land. The grand staircase, designed with inspiration from European royalty, connects you to the heart of the palace. Many famous celebrities have tied the knot at this very venue, like actor Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj, singer Neeti Mohan with Nihar Pandya, and actors Nithiin and Shalini to name a few.
Weddings at Taj Falaknuma: Acclaimed as the best five-star luxury palace hotel in Hyderabad, Taj Falaknuma, offers 60 luxurious rooms and grand suites that were restored by Nizam’s Turkish wife, Her Highness Princess Esra. Each of these rooms offers breathtaking views of the palace courtyard and the 433-year-old city of Hyderabad. The palace offers a grand Durbar Hall, the Jade Room and a 101-seater dining hall to host your wedding feast. You could also plan your pre-wedding ceremonies in one of the assorted gardens and unique terraces of the hotel. Adding to your guests’ experience, you could also get tours arranged for them for spectacular landmarks in Hyderabad like Mecca Masjid, Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace, Golconda Fort and Ramoji Film City.
Samode Palace, Jaipur
Image Credit: Samode Haveli
Want to bring your wedding dreams to life in a 475-year-old palace? A splendid example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, Samode Palace in Jaipur combines the ethereal beauty of Indian and Mughal styles and is well known as one of the most beautiful palace in India.
Weddings at Samode Palace: Your dream wedding mandap is set up in a beautiful courtyard as the entire palace lights up for your wedding day. Royal feasts are served by gourmet chefs at an opulent Darbar hall and grand terrace set-up. The rooms at Samode Palace are steeped in age-old traditions and offer the royal experience your guests will love and cherish for life.
Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur
Image Credit: Taj Hotels
Sprawling across 18 acres of Mughal gardens, Jai Mahal Palace has an Indo-Saracenic architectural design that celebrates Rajasthan’s heritage with every brick and stone. The palace was originally built in 1745 by royalty and has also served as the official residence of three Prime Ministers of the princely state of Jaipur. The palace was restored as a luxury 5-star property by the Taj group of hotels and can be booked for your dream big fat wedding.
Weddings at Jai Mahal Palace: The palace offers 94 rooms and 6 grand suites to accommodate your wedding guests and is only a 30-minute drive from the Jaipur airport. The Jai Mahal Palace kitchen is renowned for its specialty restaurants Cinnamon that serves royal Indian cuisines drawing the best flavors from the four princely states, and Giardino, a fine Italian contemporary restaurant. The Palace lawns with all its heritage beauty can accommodate upto 2500 guests for your dream wedding ceremony.
Woodville Palace, Shimla
Image Credit: Woodville Palace
Standing tall in the lap of the Himalayas, the Woodville Palace offers state-of-the-art hospitality, luxury appeal, and the bounty of nature to its guests. Since 1866, this palace has been the official summer residence of many imperials from the British Army and has served as a tranquil escape for many esteemed Major Generals of India post-independence. In 1938, Raja Rana of Jubbal State took ownership of the Woodville Palace and demolished it to turn this once-Victorian building into a summer palace. His grandson, Raj Kumar Uday Singh, converted the palace into a heritage hotel in 1977, and it has been a prime hotel in Shimla ever since!
Weddings at Woodville Palace, Shimla: This heritage property with years and years of royalty and historical anecdotes resting on its walls can now be your wedding venue! Host your guests in this 1930s art deco-inspired palace hotel that spans 4 acres of greenery and is adorned with deodar forest trees on both sides.
Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Oberoi Udaivilas is an unforgettable wedding space that millennials have given their hearts to ever since we all watched the dream wedding sequence in Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. If you are looking for a big, fat Indian wedding (irrespective of the size of the guest list), Oberoi Udaivilas can be the destination for your unique palace wedding in India. Overlooking the Aravallis with beautiful pools and fountains inside the property, the venue tends to augment the entire wedding ceremony to a fairytale wedding of the queen and the king. Recreate your royal fairytale at Oberoi Udaivilas, and do not forget to plan the seating arrangement well.
The Leela Palace, Jaipur
Image Courtesy: TripAdvisor
Looking for a gorgeous venue to give you a royal feel for your big day and a perfect destination wedding in Jaipur? Take a look at the stunning Leela Palace Jaipur. Occupying a palatial building set on 3 hectares of landscaped gardens, this sophisticated hotel is 10 km from Amer Fort and 30 km from Jaipur International Airport, making it a perfect pick for a palace wedding venue in Rajasthan.
When you go for luxury, why not enjoy the royal regality that the palaces of India offer? Fulfill your childhood dreams by having a magical palace wedding. The royal theme will come out perfectly at one of these wedding venues. So which of these are you planning to book?
