Mandara

Mandara sits at Devagere, past Kumbalagodu, about six kilometres in from Mysore Road. There are two lawns rather than one — the larger seats 550, the smaller 350 — so a mehendi and a wedding can run in separate spaces on the same property without either feeling borrowed. A pagoda-roofed pavilion in the grounds takes the ceremony itself.

The lawns are kept well enough that reviewers repeatedly say the same thing: they did not need much decor. Areca and coconut through the grounds, a house in the middle that the bride's party uses to change and that doubles as a quiet room for mothers with babies, a small area for children, and dining for about 150 at a sitting.

You bring your own caterer

Outside catering, not in-house. For a lot of families this is the deciding factor — your own cook, your own menu, your own community's food, rather than a venue kitchen's interpretation of it. Families who have married here mention it unprompted as the reason they chose the place.

Getting there

It is roughly 25 kilometres out, and six of those are off the highway on smaller roads, so it is further than it looks on a map. Challaghatta metro is the nearest station. If a good part of your guest list is elderly or coming from the north of the city, be honest with them about the drive when you send the invitation.