From Mewar-inspired design and immersive celebrations to destination hospitality and creative collaborations, the partners behind the 17th edition of DWP Congress are bringing different perspectives to one global gathering of the wedding industry.
What makes a destination wedding memorable is rarely just the location. It is the way its character is translated into design, how an evening unfolds, the atmosphere created through music and lighting, and the details that make an experience feel personal. At the heart of every such celebration is a network of specialists whose individual contributions come together to create something cohesive.
This October, that collective expertise will take centre stage as QnA International brings the Destination Wedding Planners (DWP) Congress to India for the first time. Taking place from 6–8 October 2026 at Fairmont Udaipur Palace in Rajasthan, the 17th edition will welcome more than 350 wedding planners, suppliers, hoteliers and tourism boards from across the world. Beyond the meetings and industry conversations, the Congress will offer a closer look at the creative thinking, technical expertise and partnerships that shape contemporary luxury weddings.
Bringing Mewar’s Design Language to the Global Stage
In Udaipur, the setting offers a natural starting point for the experience. Its architectural heritage and visual identity provide a distinct creative language, one that The Wedding Design Company, the Conference Creative Partner, is translating into the conference stage through chhatri domes, jharokhas, jaalis, and ornate railings.
For founder Vandana Mohan, the intention is to create a connection between the destination and the people gathering there. “It was important that people coming to DWP don’t just attend a conference in India, but actually feel a sense of where they are,” says founder Vandana Mohan. “The people and the conversations remain the focus, while the design quietly brings the destination into the experience.”
The relationship between place and experience will continue into the Congress’s evening celebrations. As the Closing Cocktail Event Partner, Absolute Events is planning a finale that moves from royal heritage towards a more contemporary expression of India. Kaival Patel, Director of Absolute Events, envisions a royal welcome at the City Palace jetty, followed by a boat journey across Lake Pichola before the celebrations move to Jagmandir Island Palace.
“Our hope is simple,” he says, “that when delegates look back on DWP Udaipur 2026, this is the night they will still be talking about.”
The production behind these moments is equally important. For Mohit Dodeja and Prateek Singhal, founders of The Production Factory, creating an impact does not necessarily mean adding more. Their approach reflects a considered understanding of what deserves the spotlight: “Modern luxury is increasingly about discernment — knowing what to include, what to leave out, and what deserves to be remembered.”
The Art of Creating an Atmosphere
A celebration is experienced through more than what guests see. Photography, music, materials, and live experiences influence how a moment feels and how it is remembered.
Pervez Taufiq of PTaufiq Photography approaches the Congress as an opportunity to interpret its character visually rather than simply record the proceedings. “We don’t want to come to Udaipur and simply document DWP. We want to visually interpret it.”
That emphasis on storytelling also informs the approach of Adithya P Jain, Founder of Amôre Moments and Showcase Partner, who believes the destination itself should be “a character in the story, not merely a backdrop.”
Music brings another dimension to the experience. Damien Eldridge, Director of Musicians League, describes it as “one of the most personal elements of a wedding,” built around musicians “who can read the room and respond in the moment.”
The physical elements of an event matter just as much. Hitesh Agarwal of Event Fabric Supplier LLP sees India’s role in the global wedding industry through the lens of its creative and production capabilities, calling the country “both our foundation and a global showcase of what Indian creativity, manufacturing, and execution can achieve.”
Each discipline contributes to the overall experience in a different way. When visual storytelling, sound, materials, and production are considered together, they help create celebrations that feel connected to their setting rather than assembled from individual elements.
Hospitality With a Sense of Identity
For destination venues, the opportunity lies in offering couples more than a beautiful backdrop. Architecture, landscape, guest experiences, and a property’s distinctive character can all influence how a wedding unfolds over several days.
At Alila Fort Bishangarh, a 236-year-old warrior fort set in the Aravalli landscape, the focus is on creating experiences that encourage guests to connect with their surroundings. Director Aman Kapur describes the next chapter of Indian weddings as “less about simply creating a spectacular setting and more about creating a sense of discovery and belonging,” while Director of Sales & Marketing Digvijay Singh points to the business conversations that followed the property’s experience at DWP Privé.
At Wynn Al Marjan Island in the UAE, the approach centres on bringing entertainment and hospitality together within one destination. David Loiseau, Vice President of Sales, explains the concept through the resort’s integrated offering: “At most venues, entertainment is brought into the building. Here, it is built in.”
For Rasha Al Khaldi of Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla, the defining principle is more understated. “For us, luxury is about creating a true sense of place.”
Meanwhile, Finca Mas Solers in Barcelona sees the Congress as an opportunity to strengthen its relationship with a growing international audience. Cristina Muñoz Laguna and Marina Palau Nuñez describe Udaipur as a chance to “strengthen relationships with the Indian wedding community directly,” having welcomed a growing number of Indian celebrations to Catalonia.
Although each property brings a different perspective, their approaches point to the same consideration: how a venue can shape the guest experience through its setting, character and offering, while giving couples the freedom to create celebrations that reflect their own stories.
Rethinking the Relationships Behind Luxury Weddings
The creative vision for a wedding rarely belongs to one person or business. Planners, designers, hospitality teams and specialist suppliers increasingly work across traditional boundaries, contributing ideas that influence everything from the overall concept to the smallest details.
Bhavnesh Sawhney, Co-Founder of FB Celebrations, sees luxury brands “becoming co-creators” of a couple’s story, from bespoke fragrances to couture-inspired décor.
Mahesh Shirodkar, Managing Director of Tamarind Global Services, expresses a similar view of the industry’s direction: “I believe the next chapter of luxury weddings will be defined by partnerships, not suppliers.”
These perspectives highlight how collaboration can extend the creative possibilities of a celebration. Rather than operating as separate service providers, different specialists can contribute to a shared vision, allowing the final experience to feel more considered and connected.
For a global gathering such as DWP Congress, these relationships are also central to the conversations that take place beyond the celebrations themselves. Bringing professionals from different markets and disciplines together creates opportunities to exchange ideas, understand emerging approaches, and build relationships that continue long after the event.
A Collective Vision for DWP Congress Udaipur
For Sidh N.C., Director of QnA International, the significance of these partnerships lies in how individual contributions come together to create a complete experience.
“A great destination wedding is never one great idea. It is a hundred exacting details, from the stage and the lighting to the music, the fabric and the welcome, all landing as one. The partners joining us in Udaipur are the ones who make that happen, and DWP Congress is where the industry gets to see how it’s done.”, says Sidh N.C., Director, QnA International, who believes delegates will leave Udaipur with new contacts and new ideas. He believes they will also have watched, in real time, what it takes to make a place feel entirely like itself. And this is the power of the DWP Congress and what it is all about.
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As the global wedding community meets in Udaipur, the Congress will bring together a range of perspectives on what it takes to create meaningful luxury experiences. From the first design decisions to the final moments of a celebration, the partners involved demonstrate how creative vision, destination identity, and industry collaboration intersect.
Ultimately, DWP Congress is about more than bringing the wedding industry into one room. It is about connecting the people behind the work, creating space for new collaborations and showing how a shared vision can take shape when different areas of expertise come together.