A Gurgaon-based top executive at a leading telecom company had planned a grand wedding for his daughter early this year, but the second wave of the pandemic scuttled his plans. Now, with COVID-19 cases on the wane, the couple will have a Hindu ceremony later this month, following a court marriage earlier in July in the U.S.
With the increased pace of vaccination, an ebb in infections, and State governments relaxing rules for gatherings, the floodgates for weddings have opened up this winter.
The Confederation of All India Traders recently said in a press statement that approximately 1.5 lakh weddings were expected during the auspicious period of November 14-December 13 in Delhi alone, and as many as 25 lakh weddings could be solemnised across the country.
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“Everyone is getting married left, right and centre and most wedding venues are already booked. It is impossible to find a five star venue anywhere in the country for auspicious dates such as November 27 and November 28. We have bookings for November and December, and several queries for January and February,” says 34-year-old Ahana Choudhury, who runs Naach Gaana Vyaah, a Gurgaon-based wedding planning company.
Through the year, people have been either putting off their wedding plans, or been forced to conduct small events at home or at a club within their residential colonies.
“We have done very small-scale events, involving no more than 20-30 guests, which we never thought we would ever do,” said Ms. Choudhury.
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But while brides, grooms and their families still tread with caution on the guest list, the overall spend remains high.
Astha Jain, 26, a Delhi-based interior designer, is getting married in January. Her family wanted to have a big-fat Indian wedding with 500-800 guests. But it will now be an intimate affair with just 200 guests. However, no expense will be spared which will run into a few crores.
“The size of the wedding may be smaller, but the costs haven't come down. We are in fact paying double the usual amount for hotel bookings which are difficult to get. Decor also costs more as vendors say that restrictions on imports from China for lighting have escalated costs,” says the bride-to-be, who is getting married at the Marriott’s Westin Sohna Resort.
With the size of the weddings shrinking, and only the closest friends and relatives invited, the hosts are now focusing on “detailing and higher customisation, unique offerings and experiential value for those in attendance,” says Surinder Singh, Area Director – Haryana and Dwarka and General Manager, Taj City Centre Gurugram.
As with Ms. Jain, residential weddings, which involve booking rooms and a banquet venue at a hotel or a resort along with safety and convenience assured, are on the rise. This also means increased revenue for hotels, explains Mr. Singh.
For the same reason, there is also preference for destination weddings even for middle-class families with lower budgets, says Ms. Choudhury.
“Our hotels across Goa, Udaipur, Alibaug, Lonavala and Karjat are seeing an uptick in numbers. We are offering immersive guest journeys customised for couples, families and their guest lists with initiatives like speedboat transfers, champagne welcome at resorts,” said Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Vice-President Operations, South Asia of the Radisson Hotel Group.
Weddings also mean families spend big on jewellery, which has meant an extended Diwali for jewellery brands.
“Wedding-related revenues, which accounts for more than 50% of our total revenue, are back on track. The walk-ins are very, very sturdy and the time spent by customers at the store has increased to pre-COVID levels, that is a major point. That means that normalcy is back,” said Ramesh Kalyanraman, Executive Director, Kalyan Jewellers.