JAIPUR: Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar’s fairytale wedding in Jodhpur in 2007 continued to be the talk of the town for years, thanks to the sizzling extravagance.

British comedian Russell Brand’s marriage with US singer Katy Perry at the Aman-e-Khas luxury resort outside the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in 2010 was also an example of Rajasthan’s dominance in attracting tourists.

Despite being one of the favourite wedding hotspots, Rajasthan is going to witness almost a 50 per cent dip in

this winter, thanks to the economic slowdown which has forced clients of wedding planners to downsize their guest list or cancel it.

The picturesque locales of the state complete with forts, palaces amid a vibrant and colourful backdrop had made Rajasthan a dream wedding destination. There was a time when NRIs and Rajasthanis, who live abroad, often planned weddings of their kin in cities like Jodhpur,Udaipur,

Jaisalmer

and Jaipur.

“Some of the clients from USA and the UK who had first enquired on the budget and facilities have now cancelled their wedding plans which were slated to be held in Jaipur, Jodhpur and

Udaipur

. Clients, who had earlier come up with a list of 1,000 to 1,500 guests, have downsized and reworked their final list,” Mohit Sand, a Jaipur-based wedding planner told TOI.

Wedding planners also said the lavish ceremonies, which are generally spread over three to four days, have now been cut short to a day-long affair. “They are requesting us to dumping extra bandwagon including elephants and camels. This year’s bookings suggest that we have lost almost 50 per cent of our clients,” said Sand.

Wedding planners also said whoever had booked for the weddings have now given specifications to downsize their budget. “ Normally it takes between Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore to arrange a 4-day wedding celebration having a guest list of 1,000 to 1,500. But this time around, they have requested us to remove firecrackers, large bands and have made some suggestions on food catering to make it a Rs 50 lakh to Rs 70 lakh affair,” said Sand.

Likewise, wedding planners are also disturbed with abrupt cancellations. “Those who had earlier enquired and had booked, are now cancelling itr,” said Sidhartha Mehta, a wedding planner.