Destination wedding planning startup Awayddings made a notable appearance on Shark Tank India Season 5, Episode 17, where it successfully secured an investment from entrepreneur and investor Aman Gupta, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of boAt, albeit under unconventional terms.
Founded in 2021, Awayddings positions itself as a curated, end-to-end destination wedding planning platform aimed at couples seeking premium wedding experiences at controlled budgets. The company focuses on organising weddings across popular destinations such as Goa, Jaipur, and emerging spiritual wedding hubs like Varanasi and Rishikesh.
Founders and Business Overview
Awayddings was founded by Ashish Godghate, who previously worked with Weddingz.in (an OYO-backed venture), and Vijay Kumar, whom Godghate met during professional engagements in Goa. Drawing from firsthand experience in wedding operations, the founders identified a gap in the largely unorganised Indian wedding planning ecosystem, particularly in destination weddings that balance experience, scale, and affordability.
The company operates as a one-stop solution, handling venue selection, décor, hospitality, catering, guest logistics, and on-ground coordination. Packages reportedly begin at approximately ₹10–15 lakh for mid-sized weddings and extend up to ₹2 crore for premium celebrations.
The Pitch: Valuation and Financials
During their pitch on the show, the founders sought ₹2 crore for 5% equity, valuing the company at ₹40 crore.
Key financial metrics shared during the episode included:
- Founder investment of approximately ₹42 lakh
- Reported revenue of around ₹1.95 crore in FY 2024–25
- EBITDA margins in the range of 10–12%
- Projected revenue of ₹3.6 crore for FY 2025–26
- A pipeline of over 70 weddings
- Roughly 30% of business generated through referrals and word-of-mouth
The founders highlighted increasing demand from millennial and Gen-Z couples, who view weddings as immersive experiences rather than single-day events.
Sharks’ Feedback and Concerns
While the concept received interest, several Sharks raised concerns around scalability and operational complexity.
- Anupam Mittal, founder and CEO of Shaadi.com, questioned the company’s earlier equity structure and described the business as operations-heavy.
- Kunal Bahl, co-founder of Snapdeal, highlighted the difficulty of scaling service-led businesses that require extensive on-ground execution.
- Namita Thapar, Executive Director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals, pointed to seasonality in the wedding business and execution bandwidth as potential growth constraints.
- Mohit Yadav, co-founder of Lenskart, acknowledged the market opportunity but expressed reservations about the operational risks involved.
As a result, most Sharks chose to opt out of the deal.
The Deal
Aman Gupta emerged as the sole investor to make an offer. His proposal included:
- ₹1 crore for 10% equity
- ₹1 crore as debt, carrying 10% interest, repayable over two years
However, the offer came with a notable condition: Gupta requested that his name not be publicly associated with the brand. He cited previous professional experiences in similar categories as the reason for maintaining anonymity at the brand level.
After deliberation, the founders accepted the offer.
Industry Context and Outlook
India’s wedding industry is estimated to be worth over ₹5–6 lakh crore, with destination weddings forming a fast-growing segment. Despite its scale, the market remains fragmented, offering opportunities for organised players that can streamline operations without compromising on experience.
With fresh capital and strategic guidance, Awayddings aims to expand its destination portfolio and strengthen execution capabilities. The Shark Tank investment marks a significant milestone for the company as it navigates the challenges of scaling a service-intensive business in a competitive market.
