Hilton has unveiled The Marcus Portrush, a Tapestry Collection hotel, marking the debut of this upscale brand in Northern Ireland. The property features 80 elegantly designed rooms and is located along the stunning North Atlantic coastline in Portrush. Housed in a beautifully restored Victorian building that dates back to 1895—once a hotel and artisan bakery—the £11 million ($15 million) renovation has carefully preserved historical elements such as original mosaic signage and floor mosaics. The hotel’s opening is strategically aligned with the 153rd Open Championship, scheduled to be held at the nearby Royal Portrush Golf Club from 13–20 July 2025. This prestigious golf event returns to Northern Ireland for the first time since 2019, expected to draw a significant influx of international visitors. Stephen Cassidy, Senior Vice President for Hilton UK & Ireland, said, “Northern Ireland has seen a strong rise in tourism in recent years, drawing travellers from around the world to experience its unique charm. As the only internationally branded hotel in Portrush, The Marcus Portrush offers high-quality accommodation with an authentic local touch, making it the perfect base for visitors eager to explore all that Northern Ireland has to offer.” The development stems from a franchise agreement with Andras House, Northern Ireland’s largest hotel group. The new hotel is projected to contribute around £1.1 million annually through visitor spending and create more than 40 permanent local jobs, reinforcing Portrush’s position as a key tourism hub. Earlier this year, Hilton also announced a partnership with Loughview Leisure Group to bring a DoubleTree by Hilton to Belfast City Centre, further strengthening its footprint in Northern Ireland’s hospitality market.

Weddings in India have always been grand, but now, they’re literally taking off. For couples dreaming of a sky-high celebration or a dramatic bridal entry that sets Instagram ablaze, private jet charters have become the newest way to elevate wedding festivities. From flying your family in sheer luxury to transforming an aircraft into a mid-air mehendi venue, these private charter companies are helping couples create unforgettable, cloud-kissed memories. Here are four luxury private jet companies in India making destination weddings more opulent—and airborne—than ever before. KlasJet: European Elegance Meets Indian Wedding Flair If you want to blend European sophistication with big-fat-Indian-wedding spirit, KlasJet is a name to remember. Led by CEO Justinas Bulka, KlasJet has already made its mark across Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S., and is now quickly soaring into Asia. Backed by the global aviation powerhouse Avia Solutions Group, this boutique private charter airline is renowned for its ultra-luxe interiors, bespoke services, and exclusive in-flight experiences. For KlasJet, it’s not just about getting from point A to B—it’s about turning the journey itself into part of your celebration. Picture a bridal party enjoying cocktails mid-air or a romantic post-wedding getaway complete with champagne at 30,000 feet. With experience serving royalty, celebrities, and business elites, KlasJet is now perfectly positioned to tap into India’s booming destination wedding market. Taj Air: Heritage Hospitality, Now Above the Clouds For over two decades, Taj Air has brought the elegance and meticulous detail the Taj brand is known for—this time, at 40,000 feet. Taj Air delivers seamless, stylish travel for wedding couples, families, and VIP guests, flying them privately between top Indian destinations. From gourmet Taj-catered meals served on board to discreet check-ins and luxurious ground transfers, every touchpoint reflects India’s finest hospitality traditions. It’s the ideal choice for couples seeking trusted luxury, flawless logistics, and the comfort of a brand with deep Indian roots that understands how to make weddings truly memorable. JetSetGo: The ‘Uber of the Skies’ for India’s Elite JetSetGo, founded by Kanika Tekriwal, has transformed the concept of luxury air travel in India. Dubbed the ‘Uber of the skies,’ it’s become synonymous with flying high-net-worth individuals, from Bollywood stars and business tycoons to international wedding parties. Its expansive fleet includes private jets, helicopters, and even air ambulances, with everything tailored—from in-flight gourmet experiences to interiors styled to match your wedding theme. Whether it’s ferrying your entire bridal squad from Delhi to Udaipur or orchestrating a surprise sky-high proposal en route to the Maldives, JetSetGo combines luxury, efficiency, and personalisation like no other. Their round-the-clock concierge service and elite partnerships also make them a favourite with wedding planners who want that extra “wow” factor. BookMyCharters: Where Tech Meets Tiaras If you need speed alongside luxury, BookMyCharters is the answer. Their tech-driven platform provides real-time availability and instant bookings across a fleet of over 25 aircraft. From flying your bridal party from Mumbai to Jaipur to whisking the couple off to a secluded island honeymoon, BookMyCharters makes the process seamless. Each flight comes with concierge support, gourmet catering, and experiences curated for celebrations. This blend of modern tech convenience with classic luxury makes them perfect for time-sensitive, high-budget wedding logistics—bridging the gap between traditional aviation and contemporary demands. Whether it’s a mehendi in the clouds, a post-wedding escape, or simply flying your nearest and dearest in ultimate comfort, these private charter companies are turning destination weddings in India into something truly sky-high.

In a city where tradition and transformation often collide, Art Junction at The Lalit New Delhi has carved out a unique identity as one of the capital’s most inclusive cultural spaces. This June, it strengthens that reputation with Unboxed, a bold Pride Month exhibition celebrating queer art and voices from across India. Curated by Praveen Mahta, Unboxed is more than just an art show — it’s an intimate, unapologetic journey into the identities, struggles, and triumphs of LGBTQIA+ artists. Running through June, the exhibition gives centre stage to works that too often remain on the fringes. As Mahta says, “This is not just about art, this is about being allowed to take up space.” The show features a diverse mix of emotionally charged canvases, surreal depictions of love and loss, and raw reflections on gender fluidity — each piece radiating honesty and urgency. Taking things further, Padma Shri awardee Naresh Kapuria led a special workshop for participating queer artists, helping them refine their techniques and deepen their creative confidence, underscoring Art Junction’s mission to nurture talent, not just display it. The impact is already visible. Several artworks have found buyers through the platform — a breakthrough moment for many of these emerging artists. In a remarkable gesture, The Lalit has chosen not to take any commission from these sales. As Akshay Tyagi, DEI Head at The Lalit, put it, “It’s about giving these artists a stage they’re so often denied. It’s a living, breathing tribute to our philosophy of #PureLove — where diversity isn’t a theme, but a daily practice.” Art Junction has long championed inclusive and accessible curation. From showcasing women artists and neurodiverse creators to supporting rural artisans and survivors of marginalisation, the gallery has consistently offered more than just wall space — it provides visibility, validation, and a voice. This vision is deeply supported by Keshav Suri, Executive Director of The Lalit and Founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation, who continues to steer the brand as a beacon of LGBTQIA+ inclusion in hospitality. As India steadily builds its dialogue around dignity, identity, and rights, Art Junction remains a vital space — not only for art, but for authenticity and hope. Unboxed runs until June 30, 2025, at Art Junction, The Lalit New Delhi. Entry is free. Come for the art. Stay for the revolution.

Pawan Gupta is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Wedding Company, a brand that's redefining how dream weddings come to life. Known for blending creativity with breathtaking destinations, Pawan and his team design unforgettable celebrations that truly stand out. What started as “Weddings by Betterhalf” has now rebranded into The Wedding Company, a move that reflects their growing vision and premium service offering. With an impressive 10X growth in just a year and a bold goal to scale to $10 million in services by 2025, the platform is making wedding planning more convenient, transparent, and luxurious than ever before. In this conversation, Pawan opens up about the journey of TheWeddingCompany.com, its operations, and what goes into making every wedding truly memorable. 1. As a tech entrepreneur transitioning into luxury wedding planning, what inspired the creation of TheWeddingCompany.com, and how do you see technology fundamentally reshaping the hospitality and wedding ecosystem in India? While building our earlier matchmaking platform, Betterhalf, which grew to over 5–10 lakh monthly users, we noticed something interesting. Many of our users who found their partners on the platform started asking for reliable recommendations for wedding planning. That’s when the idea for The Wedding Company really began to take shape. We started by organizing weddings locally in Bangalore, and quickly saw a bigger gap in the industry. Traditional wedding planners weren’t always affordable or accessible to middle and upper-middle-class families. Yet, these customers still wanted dependable, transparent, and hassle-free services. India is now going through a big shift, moving from a mostly offline, fragmented wedding planning process to a more organized, tech-driven experience. We see this in three main stages: Pre-wedding planning, with tools like automated proposals and budgeting, Wedding planning, powered by a user-friendly product and solid operational control and Event fulfilment, with experienced on-ground teams guided by centralized planning. Technology is truly at the heart of all this. It brings consistency, scale, and personalization in a way that traditional wedding planning just can’t match. 2. With a 10X growth trajectory and $10M in services projected, how are you building operational excellence and service consistency across 50+ Indian cities and international destinations like Bali and Phuket?  Our ability to scale comes down to one core strength, our proprietary software infrastructure at The Wedding Company. It’s been built specifically to serve three key groups: our customers, our internal operations team, and our supplier network. This system helps us streamline workflows, maintain quality standards, and cut down on repetitive, manual tasks. We’re also investing in curated supplier catalogues to offer standardized service experiences, while still leaving room for customization and personal touches. For customers, this means access to trusted vendors, great value deals, and real-time updates throughout their planning journey. For our vendor partners, it brings steady business and a reliable demand pipeline and for our internal teams, it provides the operational strength to deliver smooth and high-quality experiences, whether it's in a bustling metro or a destination like Bali or Phuket. 3. Weddings are deeply emotional and culturally rooted, how does TheWeddingCompany.com strike the right balance between standardization through technology and personalization at scale? We’ve designed the experience with both structure and soul in mind. It works through two layers: First, we have a centralized customer experience system. This part ensures everything runs smoothly and consistently, from transparent pricing and digital contracts to planning checklists and milestone tracking. It brings reliability and clarity to the process. Then comes the local planning and fulfilment team, which adds the human touch. These teams are familiar with regional cultures, languages, rituals  and even the little things that vary from venue to venue. They help personalize the celebration in ways technology alone can’t. Together, this approach helps us stay efficient and scalable while still making every wedding unique, emotional, and true to the couple’s traditions. 4. What role does hospitality play in curating seamless experiences not just for the couple, but also for guests, families, and vendors across multi-day destination events? Hospitality is at the heart of everything we do. In Indian weddings, especially destination ones, the guest experience is absolutely crucial. It can truly make or break the entire event. That’s why we train our teams not just in execution, but in thinking hospitality-first. From the moment guests arrive, every detail matters, welcome kits, airport pickups, smooth room allocations, personalized itineraries,  we try to make each touchpoint feel special. This mindset also extends to our vendor partners. We treat them like collaborators, not just service providers. When they feel valued and supported, it reflects in the quality and warmth of the overall experience. 5. What strategic considerations went into rebranding from Weddings by Betterhalf to TheWeddingCompany.com, and how has it impacted your positioning in the luxury wedding market? The rebranding was a thoughtful, strategic move to boost brand recall and appeal to a wider audience. While “Weddings by Betterhalf” made sense as an extension of our matchmaking brand, it didn’t fully connect with luxury clients or key influencers like parents and relatives who often play a big role in wedding decisions. “The Wedding Company” felt like the right evolution, it’s simple to say, easy to share, and carries a premium yet approachable tone. It also positions us as a category-defining brand in the tech-enabled wedding space. This new identity has helped us engage both middle-class and luxury clients more effectively and establish a stronger foothold in the market.  6. How are you leveraging data and AI to enhance vendor matchmaking, guest management, and real-time planning efficiencies—especially in comparison to traditional wedding planners? We’ve built AI-driven tools that make the entire planning process smarter, faster, and more personalized. For example, our venue booking system matches wedding dates with live venue availability and pricing trends. This helps couples make quick, informed decisions without all the back-and-forth. Our Wedding Ideabook uses image clustering and machine learning to recommend decor ideas that align with each couple’s style, budget, and regional preferences and for vendor matchmaking, we analyze past reviews, timelines, and areas of expertise to pair clients with the most suitable partners, making the entire process smoother and more reliable. Unlike traditional planners who depend on intuition or small networks, our approach is powered by data. That means better fit, faster planning, and a much more seamless experience for everyone involved. 7. With increasing demand for global wedding destinations, how is TheWeddingCompany.com fostering partnerships with international hotels and hospitality brands to deliver authentic yet localized Indian wedding experiences abroad? We’re already seeing strong momentum in destinations like Thailand, Bali, and Phuket. The key to success abroad lies in building reliable networks with suppliers who truly understand Indian weddings, from décor and food to rituals and music. We work closely with these partners and even arrange on-ground recce visits with our customers. This helps ensure everything, from picking the venue to finalizing the décor goes smoothly and stays true to Indian traditions. Since many of our clients are based in Indian metro cities, we start with local planning support and then bridge the gap by coordinating with execution partners abroad. This approach creates a seamless, end-to-end experience that feels both global and deeply personal.