prasad1
Active member
June has long been the most popular month of the year for weddings.But with the Asian Indian population now one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in America, venues that have the capacity to host Indian weddings are starting to do some big business.
From brides on rickshaws to Vegas-style floor shows, Indian weddings are part celebration, part spectacle -- and very, very big.
"For us, an average Indian wedding is spending $300,000 to $400,000," says Ani Sandhu, whose company planned a recent event at the Ritz Carlton Tyson's Corner in Washington, D.C. He says with both sets of parents paying and a minimum of 250 guests, the money adds up fast.
"Any business wants to get a piece of that, especially hotels," Sandhu says.
Hundreds of guests attend a wedding celebration at the Ritz Carlton Tyson's Corner in Washington, D.C.
CBS News
Major Washington hotels, including the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons, are actively trying to woo Indian couples. The Willard Intercontinental even has a designated path for grooms to arrive by horse.
"As we see the rise in that population and the spending power, it's something you can't ignore," says Apoorva Ghandi, the vice president of multicultural affairs for Marriott International. In the past three years, his D.C. area hotels have hosted 415 Indian weddings, bringing in $12 million in revenue.
"Everyone wants to keep up with the Joneses, or as we say, the Patels," Ghandi jokes.
U.S. hotels hope to cash in on lavish Indian weddings - CBS News
From brides on rickshaws to Vegas-style floor shows, Indian weddings are part celebration, part spectacle -- and very, very big.
"For us, an average Indian wedding is spending $300,000 to $400,000," says Ani Sandhu, whose company planned a recent event at the Ritz Carlton Tyson's Corner in Washington, D.C. He says with both sets of parents paying and a minimum of 250 guests, the money adds up fast.
"Any business wants to get a piece of that, especially hotels," Sandhu says.
CBS News
Major Washington hotels, including the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons, are actively trying to woo Indian couples. The Willard Intercontinental even has a designated path for grooms to arrive by horse.
"As we see the rise in that population and the spending power, it's something you can't ignore," says Apoorva Ghandi, the vice president of multicultural affairs for Marriott International. In the past three years, his D.C. area hotels have hosted 415 Indian weddings, bringing in $12 million in revenue.
"Everyone wants to keep up with the Joneses, or as we say, the Patels," Ghandi jokes.
U.S. hotels hope to cash in on lavish Indian weddings - CBS News
