Panigrahana wedding data · Quarterly · Q3 2026
The South India Wedding Venue Price Index
Across the 508 South Indian wedding venues we track that publish a per-head food rate, the median quote is ₹999 a plate. The city barely moves it — the median opening rate is ₹999 in the Karnataka belt, ₹1,000 in Goa and ₹950 in Kerala. What moves it is the kind of venue: a lawn / banquet hall in the Karnataka belt opens at ₹500, a heritage / palace in Karnataka belt at ₹1,500. That is a 3-fold spread inside the same three states.
Of those 894 venues, 6 carry a rate Panigrahana has itself booked at. Every other figure on this page is a listing reference or a planning band, and each one says which it is.
Q4 2026 actuals: what couples contracted with Panigrahana, and what they were quoted
Across the 173 weddings couples booked with us in 2026 (163 with a value on record), the median contract value with Panigrahana (our planning, design and production scope) is ₹10.8 lakh: ₹10 lakh in Bangalore (95 weddings), ₹15 lakh in Goa (24) and ₹15.1 lakh in Kerala (14), on booking records checked .
The Q3 tables further down price venues from their listings. This section adds what couples agreed with us, what we quoted them and what suppliers quoted for their weddings, all from Panigrahana's own records. A contract value covers our scope, not the whole wedding: the venue, rooms, food and bar are billed by the property.
Every row gives its sample size, its window and its basis. Contract value is the value on our booking record for a won wedding, one the couple has booked with us. Contracted means costed on the sheet of a won wedding: agreed, not yet invoiced. Quoted means a price put in writing that may not have been accepted, including quotes to couples who chose someone else.
Contract value by city
| City | Won weddings (with a value) | Median | Middle half | Window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All cities | 173 (163) | ₹10.8 lakh | ₹6 to ₹20 lakh | booked 15 Jan to 23 Oct 2026 | contract value |
| Bangalore | 96 (95) | ₹10 lakh | ₹5.3 to ₹20 lakh | booked 15 Jan to 21 Oct 2026 | contract value |
| Goa | 24 (24) | ₹15 lakh | ₹11.8 to ₹18.5 lakh | booked 21 Mar to 18 Oct 2026 | contract value |
| Kerala | 14 (14) | ₹15.1 lakh | ₹10 to ₹29.3 lakh | booked 21 Mar to 23 Oct 2026 | contract value |
All cities also counts the weddings outside the three city rows: 33 with no city on the record, 2 in Hyderabad, 1 in Mysuru and 3 marked Others.
Contract value by guest count
| Planned guests | Won weddings (n) | Median | Middle half | Window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 to 299 | 11 | ₹15 lakh | ₹6.5 to ₹18.5 lakh | booked 22 Jun to 21 Oct 2026 | contract value |
| 300 to 499 | 8 | ₹7.5 lakh | ₹4.5 to ₹12.3 lakh | booked 24 Jun to 27 Sep 2026 | contract value |
Only won weddings with a written proposal carry a guest count, and proposals start on 1 July 2026, so 25 of our 2026 weddings have one. Under 150 and 500 and over hold too few weddings to publish. A contract value is the whole scope agreed for one wedding, not a price for decor alone.
Contract value by season
| Wedding month | Won weddings (with a value) | Median | Middle half | Window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November to February | 100 (100) | ₹12 lakh | ₹7 to ₹25 lakh | booked 18 Mar to 23 Oct 2026 | contract value |
| March to October | 73 (63) | ₹8.3 lakh | ₹5.3 to ₹15.5 lakh | booked 15 Jan to 21 Oct 2026 | contract value |
| November to February, Bangalore | 55 (55) | ₹10 lakh | median only | booked 24 Mar to 17 Oct 2026 | contract value |
| March to October, Bangalore | 41 (40) | ₹7.8 lakh | median only | booked 15 Jan to 21 Oct 2026 | contract value |
Season is the wedding date, not the booking date. The split describes our book, not a like-for-like price premium: weddings in the peak months also differ in scope.
Production build per wedding
| Won weddings | Weddings (n) | Median | Middle half | Window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All cities | 35 | ₹14.2 lakh | ₹6 to ₹23.4 lakh | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 6 Aug 2027 | contracted |
| Bangalore | 19 | ₹12 lakh | ₹6 to ₹24.9 lakh | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 6 Aug 2027 | contracted |
Contracted is costed, not invoiced: most of these weddings are still ahead of us.
Builds per function, as quoted
| Function | Builds (weddings) | Median | Middle half | Window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haldi | 20 (19) | ₹5.1 lakh | ₹1.4 to ₹11.6 lakh | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 14 Jan 2027 | quoted |
| Wedding ceremony | 13 (12) | ₹8.2 lakh | ₹3.8 to ₹10 lakh | functions dated 2 May 2026 to 24 Oct 2027 | quoted |
| Reception | 10 (10) | ₹2.7 lakh | ₹2.2 to ₹7 lakh | functions dated 2 May 2026 to 11 Feb 2027 | quoted |
A build is everything we cost for one function: mandap or stage, florals, lighting, furniture, labour and transport. Haldi builds fall into a small group and a large one, so read the middle half before the median. Sangeet, mehendi, baraat and engagement builds are still too few to publish. Our decor for a wedding starts at ₹5 lakh plus GST.
Decor line medians
| Line | Priced lines (weddings) | Median | Middle half | Window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florals | 122 (19) | ₹28,000 | ₹11,550 to ₹54,000 | functions dated 11 Feb 2026 to 24 Oct 2027 | quoted |
| Structures and props | 222 (26) | ₹19,600 | ₹12,000 to ₹45,000 | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 24 Oct 2027 | quoted |
| Lighting | 74 (20) | ₹15,000 | ₹7,050 to ₹30,000 | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 9 Mar 2027 | quoted |
| Backdrop | 32 (16) | ₹72,500 | median only | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 14 Jan 2027 | quoted |
| Ambience decor | 32 (17) | ₹25,000 | median only | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 24 Oct 2027 | quoted |
| Entry arch | 34 (14) | ₹23,000 | median only | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 14 Jan 2027 | quoted |
| Backdrop platform | 25 (12) | ₹16,200 | median only | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 14 Jan 2027 | quoted |
| Nameboard | 42 (16) | ₹12,000 | median only | functions dated 1 May 2026 to 11 Feb 2027 | quoted |
The first three rows group lines by the words in each line's name and description; the other five match the line name exactly. Only priced lines count.
Photography and film quotes
| Supplier | Quotes (weddings) | Median | Middle half | Window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photography and film, all cities | 44 (24) | ₹3.5 lakh | ₹3.3 to ₹4.6 lakh | quotes received 16 Sep to 23 Oct 2026 | quoted |
Of the 44 quotes, 42 state no unit, so we read each as a package for the wedding's functions; 3 photography quotes priced per day are left out. Ranges come in 33 of the 44 quotes, and we enter each at its midpoint: taken at the low end of every range the median would be ₹3 lakh, and at the high end ₹4 lakh. GST or tax is mentioned in 4 of them. These are prices quoted to us, not amounts paid.
How these numbers were built
Every figure here comes from Panigrahana's own records to . Contract values and the season split come from the booking records of the 173 weddings won in 2026, 163 of them with a value: booked January to October 2026, for weddings dated January 2026 to February 2028. Builds and lines come from our costing sheets: 1,161 costed lines for functions dated February 2026 to October 2027, with a costed build for 35 of the won weddings. Guest counts come from the latest written proposal for each couple. Supplier quotes come from the 317 price quotes our planning team recorded between 10 September and 23 October 2026.
We print medians and the middle half, the 25th to 75th percentile (continuous interpolation). At ₹1 lakh and above they are shown to the nearest ₹10,000; below that, and everywhere in the CSV, to the rupee. A figure is printed only when it rests on at least 8 observations and, for costing lines, builds and quotes, on at least 8 different weddings. Smaller cells are left out of this section and the CSV.
Regions follow the city on the booking record. Bangalore covers every Bangalore spelling plus one record entered as Karnataka and one as Bangalore/Kerala. The one belt-town wedding on record, in Mysuru, is too few to publish alone.
Builds and costing lines are before GST: our payment terms add GST at 18% when the invoice is raised. Supplier quotes are printed as quoted.
This is one studio's book of business, not a census of South Indian weddings. Contracted is not invoiced, and final bills can move. Quoted figures include couples who went elsewhere, so a quoted and a contracted figure for the same thing can differ. For 28 of the 34 won weddings that have both a costing sheet and a value, the contract value equals the costed build exactly. Guests are the plan on the proposal, not attendance. The season split runs on weddings booked in 2026, so both ends of the calendar are thin: January to March 2026 hold 2 weddings and April 2027 onward hold 8.
Some figures are not in this edition. What venues charge against what they list: our venue-quote register is empty, and 6 booked day rates are too few. What couples paid per plate: only 3 caterer quotes carry a per-plate unit. Weddings in Thailand, Bali and Europe: too few on our 2026 books. Planning fees, couple satisfaction and flower price movement are also left out.
Aggregates only. Every figure here rests on at least 8 weddings, and no couple, venue or supplier is named in this section or in the CSV.
Cite this edition: Panigrahana Weddings (2026). South India Wedding Cost Index, Q4 2026 actuals edition [dataset]. https://panigrahana.com/south-india-wedding-cost-index.html#actuals-2026-q4. Records to . Download the CSV (58 cells, licensed CC BY 4.0). Corrections: info@panigrahana.com.
Per-plate rates by region
Median of the opening rate and median of the top rate each venue publishes, with the quartiles either side. Every figure is a listing reference unless the venue appears in the studio-confirmed table below.
| Region | Venues tracked | In the catering sample (n) | Median band, per plate | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka belt (Bangalore, Nandi Hills, Coorg, Mysore, Chikmagalur) | 413 | 219 | ₹999 – ₹1,199 | ₹550 | ₹2,200 |
| Goa | 252 | 155 | ₹1,000 – ₹1,300 | ₹700 | ₹2,200 |
| Kerala | 229 | 134 | ₹950 – ₹1,150 | ₹600 | ₹1,800 |
Read it as the price of the food, not the price of the wedding. Venue rental, taxes, rooms, decor and production sit on top of every row.
Per-plate rates by venue type
This is the table that matters, and the one no Indian source publishes. A kalyana mantapa, a wedding lawn, a business hotel and a backwater heritage property are four different economies, and averaging them into a single city number hides the only decision a couple actually makes. Cells with fewer than 8 priced venues are printed as suppressed rather than quietly dropped.
| Region | Venue type | Venues | Priced (n) | Median band, per plate | Highest in cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka belt | club | 20 | 12 | ₹1,375 – ₹1,775 | ₹6,000 |
| Karnataka belt | convention centre | 37 | 18 | ₹900 – ₹1,000 | ₹2,380 |
| Karnataka belt | farmhouse / estate | 34 | 14 | ₹1,200 – ₹1,500 | ₹9,000 |
| Karnataka belt | heritage / palace | 25 | 11 | ₹1,500 – ₹1,799 | ₹6,000 |
| Karnataka belt | hotel | 111 | 68 | ₹1,200 – ₹1,450 | ₹5,000 |
| Karnataka belt | kalyana mantapa | 12 | 7 | n<8 — not published | |
| Karnataka belt | lawn / banquet hall | 71 | 34 | ₹500 – ₹775 | ₹4,000 |
| Karnataka belt | other / not classified | 8 | 4 | n<8 — not published | |
| Karnataka belt | resort | 83 | 46 | ₹1,000 – ₹1,200 | ₹12,000 |
| Karnataka belt | villa / boutique | 12 | 5 | n<8 — not published | |
| Goa | club | 4 | 1 | n<8 — not published | |
| Goa | convention centre | 3 | 1 | n<8 — not published | |
| Goa | farmhouse / estate | 5 | 2 | n<8 — not published | |
| Goa | heritage / palace | 24 | 6 | n<8 — not published | |
| Goa | hotel | 27 | 20 | ₹1,350 – ₹1,600 | ₹5,000 |
| Goa | lawn / banquet hall | 54 | 36 | ₹600 – ₹750 | ₹2,500 |
| Goa | resort | 118 | 82 | ₹1,000 – ₹1,250 | ₹14,999 |
| Goa | villa / boutique | 15 | 6 | n<8 — not published | |
| Kerala | convention centre | 12 | 5 | n<8 — not published | |
| Kerala | farmhouse / estate | 4 | 1 | n<8 — not published | |
| Kerala | heritage / palace | 15 | 5 | n<8 — not published | |
| Kerala | hotel | 59 | 40 | ₹1,000 – ₹1,225 | ₹6,500 |
| Kerala | lawn / banquet hall | 44 | 27 | ₹600 – ₹750 | ₹3,200 |
| Kerala | resort | 83 | 51 | ₹1,000 – ₹1,250 | ₹5,500 |
| Kerala | villa / boutique | 8 | 2 | n<8 — not published | |
Venue type is the free-text type field on each venue record folded into a controlled vocabulary — the file is committed at scripts/data/data-reports/venue-type-vocabulary.json, so a misclassification is a data correction, not a code change.
Does a bigger venue cost more per plate?
A little, and less than most couples expect. Grouping the priced sample by the maximum guest count each venue lists, the median opening rate moves from ₹800 in the smallest band to ₹1,200 in the largest. Capacity buys you room, not a cheaper plate.
| Listed maximum capacity | Priced venues (n) | Median band, per plate | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| under 200 | 105 | ₹800 – ₹1,000 | ₹1,799 |
| 200–349 | 88 | ₹900 – ₹1,100 | ₹1,525 |
| 350–599 | 80 | ₹975 – ₹1,199 | ₹1,724 |
| 600 and over | 235 | ₹1,200 – ₹1,400 | ₹3,000 |
Rooms, capacity and venue rental
The first question a couple with family flying in asks is not the plate rate — it is how many of them can sleep on site. Median listed guest rooms, median listed maximum capacity and, where we hold enough records, the median venue rental per day.
| Region | Median guest rooms | Median listed capacity | Median rental per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka belt (Bangalore, Nandi Hills, Coorg, Mysore, Chikmagalur) | 35 (n=244) | 800 guests | ₹10 lakh per day |
| Goa | 40 (n=183) | 300 guests | n<8 — not published (2 records) |
| Kerala | 36 (n=173) | 375 guests | n<8 — not published (0 records) |
Venue rental is the thinnest data in the index: 14 of 894 venues record one at all, because most South Indian venues quote a plate rate and fold the space into it. We publish the Karnataka figure and suppress the rest rather than average across three records.
Evidence tiers: what each number actually is
This is the part of the index that is worth more than the numbers. Every figure carries one of three tiers, computed from the record rather than assigned by hand. studio-confirmed means Panigrahana has booked at that rate. listing-reference means the number comes from the venue's own public listing on the date shown and has not been re-verified by us. studio-estimate means it is our planning band and not a venue quote. Of 894 venues, 6 are studio-confirmed, 432 are listing references, 120 are studio estimates and 336 carry no price at all.
| Region | studio-confirmed | listing-reference | studio-estimate | no price recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka belt (Bangalore, Nandi Hills, Coorg, Mysore, Chikmagalur) | 6 | 215 | 46 | 146 |
| Goa | 0 | 120 | 37 | 95 |
| Kerala | 0 | 97 | 37 | 95 |
The 6 venues we can price from our own bookings
| Venue | Region | Rental we have booked at |
|---|---|---|
| Amita Rasa | Karnataka belt | ₹16–17 lakh per day |
| Moongate Events Venue | Karnataka belt | ₹12 lakh per day |
| Royalton Leisure | Karnataka belt | ₹4.5 lakh per day for the smaller lawn, ₹7 lakh per day for the larger |
| Samavana | Karnataka belt | ₹9 lakh per day |
| Samaya | Karnataka belt | ₹7.5 lakh per day |
| Utsavaa | Karnataka belt | ₹2 lakh to ₹15 lakh per day |
Seven out of 894 is a small number and we would rather print it than round it up. It is also the number no competitor can print at all.
What do Panigrahana's own 2026 booking records show, and what will the next edition of this index add?
Across the 173 won weddings on Panigrahana's books in 2026 (163 with a contract value, booking records to 24 October 2026), the median contract value with Panigrahana (our planning, design and production scope) is ₹10.8 lakh, ₹10 lakh in Bangalore (95 weddings), ₹15 lakh in Goa (24) and ₹15.1 lakh in Kerala (14), a first-party series the Q3 edition of 19 September 2026 does not carry.
This is the studio-confirmed tier at wedding level rather than venue level: the contract value families signed with us for our planning, design and production scope, not the whole wedding and not the venue's bill. The middle half runs ₹6 lakh to ₹20 lakh across all cities, ₹5.3 lakh to ₹20 lakh in Bangalore, ₹11.8 lakh to ₹18.5 lakh in Goa and ₹10 lakh to ₹29.3 lakh in Kerala. Thirty-three won weddings have no city on the record and are left out of the city rows until the field is backfilled.
The Q4 2026 actuals edition above now prints this series and the decor builds, with n, window and basis on every row and cell ids in its CSV.
| Region | Won weddings (with a value) | Median contract value | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| All cities | 173 (163) | ₹10.8 lakh | ₹6 to ₹20 lakh |
| Bangalore | 96 (95) | ₹10 lakh | ₹5.3 to ₹20 lakh |
| Goa | 24 (24) | ₹15 lakh | ₹11.8 to ₹18.5 lakh |
| Kerala | 14 (14) | ₹15.1 lakh | ₹10 to ₹29.3 lakh |
| City not recorded | 33 (24) | not published until the field is backfilled | not published |
Source: Panigrahana booking records, won weddings on our 2026 books, computed .
Have these medians checked against your own date and guest count
Methodology
The Index is computed from the Panigrahana venue registry — every venue with a public page on panigrahana.com — by scripts/wedding-cost-index.js, re-run each quarter. A venue enters the catering sample only when its record carries an explicit per-head food rate in rupees; venue rentals, property buyouts, package totals and non-rupee figures are excluded, because averaging them into a per-plate band is the easiest way to publish a number that cannot be defended. Each figure carries its evidence tier: studio-confirmed means Panigrahana has booked at that rate; listing-reference means the number comes from the venue's own public listing on the date shown and has not been re-verified by us; studio-estimate means it is our planning band and not a venue quote. Cells with fewer than 8 venues are not published. This is one studio's roster, not a census of South Indian venues. Taxes, rentals, rooms and decor are additional everywhere. Corrections: info@panigrahana.com.
This edition changed one thing materially. The parser that reads price references used to accept only an explicit "₹A–₹B per plate" range, so single rates ("₹950 per plate"), veg/non-veg splits and listing sentences were discarded: 486 rows named a per-head rate and 156 parsed. The rewritten parser reads all of those grammars with the same exclusions, and the sample is now 508 venues (149 from flagship venue records, 2 from studio cost facts, 357 from the published price reference). The medians fell as a result, because the old sample was biased towards the five-star hotels that publish tidy ranges. The lower figures are the more honest ones. The index sample (508) is slightly larger than the registry's parsed-plate count, because the index also reads integer rates from flagship venue records and from studio cost facts where the published price string carries none.
What do Panigrahana's 2026 records show about wedding seasons, lengths, guest lists and how early couples book?
On records checked 24 October 2026, 58% of the 173 weddings couples booked with Panigrahana in 2026 fall between November and February, 56% of 124 run two calendar days, proposals plan a median of 178 guests and four functions, and half of couples first enquired 141 days or less before the wedding.
These are the calendar and size cells of the Q4 2026 actuals edition above that the CSV, which carries rupee values only, leaves out. Each rests on at least eight weddings or proposals, and each has its own window: wedding dates for the season, proposals written July to October 2026 for guests and functions, and the enquiry record date for the lead time, which is a lower bound.
Guests are planned headcounts, not attendance.
| Measure | All cities | Bangalore | Goa | Kerala |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weddings dated November to February | 100 of 173 (58%) | 55 of 96 (57%) | 20 of 24 (83%) | 10 of 14 (71%) |
| Weddings dated in December | 32 of 173 (18.5%) | not split | not split | not split |
| Planned guests, median (proposals) | 178 (66) | 250 (28) | 150 (14) | not published (7) |
| Functions, median (proposals) | 4 (85) | 3 (34) | 5 (16) | 2.5 (10) |
| Calendar days of functions | two for 70 of 124, three for 33 | not split | two for 15 of 22 | not split |
| First enquiry to wedding, median | 141 days (171 weddings) | not split | not split | not split |
Sources: Panigrahana booking records, weddings booked in 2026, computed ; Panigrahana proposal records, July to October 2026, computed ; Panigrahana booking records, weddings booked in 2026, computed .
Have your own date, guest list and timeline checked against these
Questions about this dataset
What is the median per-plate wedding venue rate in South India?
Across the 508 venues in this index that publish a per-head food rate, the median opening rate is ₹999 a plate. It is ₹999 in the Karnataka belt, ₹1,000 in Goa and ₹950 in Kerala — the city barely moves it. The kind of venue moves it about 3-fold, from ₹500 at a lawn / banquet hall to ₹1,500 at a heritage / palace.
Are these prices confirmed with the venues?
Mostly not, and the index says so on every figure. Of 894 venues, 6 carry a rate Panigrahana has booked at, 432 are listing references taken from the venue's own public listing on the date shown, 120 are our own planning bands, and 336 carry no price at all. Confirm any figure in a written quote for your date before you rely on it.
Does the per-plate rate include the venue rental and taxes?
No. The per-plate rate is the price of the food. Venue rental, taxes, service charges, guest rooms, decor and production are additional at every venue in this index. Only 14 of 894 venues record a rental at all, because most South Indian venues quote a plate rate and fold the space into it.
Why are some cells in the tables marked "not published"?
Because they hold fewer than 8 priced venues. A median over three or four venues is noise dressed as data, so the cell is printed as suppressed rather than quietly dropped — you can see exactly which comparisons this roster cannot yet support.
Can I reuse this data?
Yes. The Index is published under CC BY 4.0 with a CSV and a JSON download. Credit "Panigrahana South India Wedding Venue Price Index Q3 2026, panigrahana.com" and link back where the medium allows. Corrections go to info@panigrahana.com.
What do Panigrahana's 2026 records show about wedding seasons, lengths, guest lists and how early couples book?
On records checked 24 October 2026, 58% of the 173 weddings couples booked with Panigrahana in 2026 fall between November and February, 56% of 124 run two calendar days, proposals plan a median of 178 guests and four functions, and half of couples first enquired 141 days or less before the wedding.
What do Panigrahana's own 2026 booking records show, and what will the next edition of this index add?
Across the 173 won weddings on Panigrahana's books in 2026 (163 with a contract value, booking records to 24 October 2026), the median contract value with Panigrahana (our planning, design and production scope) is ₹10.8 lakh, ₹10 lakh in Bangalore (95 weddings), ₹15 lakh in Goa (24) and ₹15.1 lakh in Kerala (14), a first-party series the Q3 edition of 19 September 2026 does not carry.
Cite this
Everything here is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Copy it, adapt it, chart it, sell something built on it — the only condition is a credit and, where the medium allows, a link.
Suggested citation: Panigrahana Weddings (2026). South India Wedding Venue Price Index, Q3 2026 [dataset]. https://panigrahana.com/south-india-wedding-cost-index.html · Corrections and data requests: info@panigrahana.com. Press contact: Panigrahana Weddings, info@panigrahana.com, +91 77669 40021.
Planning a wedding, not writing about one?
Tell us the month you are circling and the guest count you expect, and we will come back with which venues are open on it and what the plate rate on this page turns into for your actual guest list.