Post-covid wedding planning

 

Wedding planners' packages starting at Rs 1.5 lakh, with designer masks, thermal scanners, sanitisation stations... the new normal

The shift from grandeur to safety is changing the look of post-lockdown weddings. The once-lavish affair has reduced to 50 guests, but so have the costs. For instance, at Rs 1.5 lakh, one can now get bridal makeup, specially designed e-invites, photography, mehendi, mandap, vegetarian food for 50 people, DJ music and a decorated car coupled with other elements to ensure safety of attendees. These include masks of different colours for the bride’s side and the groom’s, ultraviolet (UV) hand sanitisation stations, thermal screening for guests, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits for bandwallahs and caterers and venue sanitisation before the event.

Planners TOI spoke to said they are able to provide packages at a fraction of the earlier cost by looking for cheaper alternatives. Cloth and thermocol decorations have replaced expensive floral arrangements and instead of a group of photographers and videographers taking candid shots, there is now just one person taking a specific number of photos.

Everyone at a post-Covid wedding wears a mask

Cost of lighting has also reduced since weddings are taking place during the day due to travel curbs at night. “Makeup artists and mehendi artists are also willing to offer their services at half their rates since their jobs have been affected by lockdown. This is helping us provide cheaper packages,” said Jayant Joshi, a wedding planner in Dehradun, who said about a dozen people have made inquiries for weddings in June.
Founder of Delhi-based ShaadiSaga, Himanshu Kapsime, told TOI that a smaller guest list means that packages for even those looking for a luxe wedding with better quality of services are available for under Rs 5 lakh.

Flower decorations have made way for more frugal decor, especially since most people are getting married at home

Venue costs are not included in packages because many couples are likely to prefer getting married at home like they did during the lockdown period, said planners. For instance, Riti, a graphic designer, got married to Amrit Kochhar at her house in Delhi’s New Friends Colony in May. “Everyone had to wear a mask and use sanitisers and they were seated far apart,” said Amrit.
A retired government official in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar recently hosted his daughter’s wedding at the family’s two-storey residence with 26 people in attendance. “As soon as the lockdown was relaxed, we decided to go ahead with a small event. I had dreamed about this day for years; it’s nothing like how I had imagined,” he said.

Wedding guests are welcomed with sanitisers instead of the traditional 'tilak' on the forehead

According to planners in Bengaluru, wedding budgets have been cut down by as much as 80%. “The biggest factor is the cap on the number of guests and helpers; the total cannot exceed 50. So, big venues are not required and the catering order is also smaller. There are no elaborate decorations as you don’t have too many guests to impress,” said Anita Makharia, founder of Shubhkamnaye, an event management company.
Most planners said safety is not an aspect they would compromise with. While Joshi’s company has purchased UV sanitisation machines and is also providing stations with shower curtains where people can hug each other, Anukriti Batra, another wedding planner, will have everyone — from bandwallahs to photographers and caterers — decked in PPE kits when she ties the knot later this month.

Safety is top priority. A pundit wears a face shield while conducting a wedding ceremony

Isha Sharma, a Delhi-based fashion consultant, whose wedding was recently planned with the help of ShaadiWish, said she initially had safety concerns but they were allayed once she was told about precautions that would be taken.
Divyata and Tanveer Shergill, founders of ShaadiWish told TOI that from designer lehengas to decorations, everything is available at a nominal price since providers have unsold inventory and are ready to give better prices.
While planners said that lockdown relaxations mean they are getting more inquiries now for weddings, some still want to wait it out. Like Rahul Khanna, an optimistic groom-to-be, who has already postponed his wedding twice due to the ongoing pandemic. “I have now scheduled the wedding for next year since I’m hoping things will be normal by then. This is a special event and I don’t want anyone in my family to feel left out,” said the 28-year-old from Delhi’s Karol Bagh.

The concept of ‘happily quarantined together’ has taken off

Simran S Kohli, founder of Occasion Alley Productions in Delhi, said it would be a while before business would pick up. “Most weddings between April and June have been postponed indefinitely.”
PR Rao, managing director of RRR and Sons in Gandhinagar, said before Covid-19, a client paid around Rs 5 lakh. The figure has now dropped to Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh. “Cash in hand has become extremely important for people in these times,” he said.
Makharia also said that some of her clients had postponed destination weddings, while some had opted for court marriage. “There are no shaguns, return gifts, band baja or big baraats,” she said. “These weddings may be less lavish, but the focus is on people who matter — the bride, groom and close relatives. In a way, these moments are more special than before,” she added.

Kolkata: Downsizing takes cheer out of weddings

  Covid has cut the big fat Indian wedding to size, literally, taking the cheer out of celebrations. Limited guests, smaller venues and sanitized rituals are leaving the bride, groom and their families craving for more and an army of service providers — wedding planners, event managers, caterers, banquet owners, photographers, DJs and choreographers — ruing the loss of business. However, some well-heeled families, still keen on making the wedding an affair to remember, are skirting pandemic restrictions by spreading out the celebrations over several days and inviting guests in batches while a few others are going for custom-made packages inside “bio bubbles” at star hotels and resorts.

The ministry of home affairs guidelines, applicable from October 15, has capped the number of wedding guests at 200 and made wearing of masks mandatory. Besides, there should be strict adherence to social-distancing norms and provisions for thermal scanning, sanitizing and hand-washing at the wedding venue.

“Business has taken a huge hit as weddings are being scaled down drastically. Earlier, we would have separate theme parties for mehendi, sangeet and other occasions apart from the main wedding and reception. But now, several of these events are being clubbed together,” said Preksha Chhajer Choudhary, a city-based wedding planner.

Banquet owners are among the worst-hit with large-scale cancellations or re-scheduling of bookings, either due to an infection in the bride or groom’s family or because their wary relatives are not too keen on attending crowded events. “While cancellations and cutting down on function days mean loss of business, expenses have increased manifold due to sanitization drives,” said the banquet manager of a popular city hotel.

Actor Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj are tying the knot at Hyderabad's Ramanaidu Studios

 

Actor Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj are tying the knot at Hyderabad's Ramanaidu Studios with just 30 people in attendance. The couple will take their vows as per both both Telugu and Marwari traditions.

On Saturday morning, the groom took to social media to share a picture with his father Suresh Babu and uncle Venkatesh Daggubati, captioning it, "Ready."

The families have been hosting pre-wedding festivities for the couple, pictures of which are winning the Internet.

For the mehendi ceremony, Bajaj wore a raspberry-pink, hand embroidered jacket and lehenga by designer Arpita Mehta, while the 'Baahubali' star opted for an ivory kurta by Kunal Rawal.

The photographers for the event, Reels & Frames - who also covered Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja's wedding, have also been sharing pictures from the celebrations.

Actress Samantha Akkineni, who was among the few guests in attendance, also shared a post with the groom, writing, "It’s time to celebrate you @ranadaggubati our rock star."

Earlier on Thursday, for the couple's Haldi ceremony, Daggubati opted for a white kurta and dhoti, while Bajaj looked stunning in a yellow lehenga paired with sea-shell jewellery.

Don Arun Gawli's younger daughter will get married to Marathi actor amid lockdown

 Former don Arun Gawli's daughter Yogita will marry Marathi actor Akshay Waghmare in a simple home ceremony at Dagadi Chawl in central Mumbai on Friday amid the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Thursday.

The family has informed the Agripada police about the ceremony and only three to four guests each from both families were expected to attend, the official said.

The families have assured the police that they will follow the lockdown rules, he said.

The wedding was earlier scheduled to take place on March 29, but was postponed due to the lockdown, a source from the family said.

Gawli, who is serving a life sentence in the 2007 Kamlakar Jamsandekar murder case, is now out on parole.

Watch: HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil ties knot with Revathi flouting social distancing norms

Even as weddings and cultural events across the country got cancelled owing to nationwide lockdown amid coronavirus pandemic, one high-profile matrimonial ceremony went as per schedule at the behest of district officials in Karnataka’s Ramanagara. Former Karnataka chief minister and sitting Ramanagara legislator HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil exchanged vows with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress state minister M Krishnappa on Friday. All norms lockdown norms of social distancing which the family said it will strictly adhered to were flouted during the grand ceremony at a farmhouse in the district.

Wedding events’ honeymoon time ends in Gujarat

 Within hours of the Supreme Court demanding an action-taken report from four states including Gujarat on the Covid-19 situation amid a fresh surge in cases, the state government revised its guidelines for weddings and social gatherings.

According to the new guidelines, only 100 guests will be allowed at weddings, effective Tuesday midnight. The government halved the permitted number of guests from the earlier 200.
The decision has left brides, grooms and their families grappling with added uncertainties for their special days.

Wedding organisers, hotel chains and other stakeholders are trying to avoid a rush on auspicious dates to ensure that weddings do not contribute to the spread of COVID

 Across the country, most wedding venues are booked on all auspicious dates till February, as many prefer getting married on these days. However, to ensure availability of venues and services and to avoid a rush on auspicious dates – especially amid the pandemic – wedding organisers, hotel chains and other stakeholders have collaborated on the ‘Har Din Shubh Hai’ campaign, to ensure that weddings remain a happy occasion and not contribute to the spread of COVID.

‘Choose other dates to get better price’
Every year, wedding planners, hotel operators, caterers, and travel agencies struggle to accommodate bookings on auspicious days, and end up turning away clients. While these days see a record number of bookings, on other days, there are hardly any bookings.


Don’t need a perfect date to marry: Wedding planners The wedding industry has been over-dependent on auspicious wedding dates, which planners are trying to change. Dakshna Moorthy N Naidu, MD, Dakshna Weddings, says, “Limited wedding dates mean a shortage of services, and companies have to turn away requests even after upping manpower. So, it’s better to select other days, which is the purpose of this movement. It’s the mindset we’re trying to change.” A wedding planner says, “Ceremonies last for three-four hours, and people don’t always wear masks indoors. Earlier, we handled multiple weddings in a day, which isn’t possible this year. So, to ensure everyone’s safety, such a concept is needed.”

Rajeev Jain, Director, Rashi Entertainment, which plans weddings, says, “Wedding planners and stakeholders have collaborated on this campaign to tell people it’s high time we get over this idea of a perfect wedding date. You don’t need a perfect date to get a perfect match. Shubh kaam karne ke liye har din shubh hai. While we won’t get immediate results, we want to normalise choosing other wedding dates in the post-COVID world, too.”

Dinesh Jhunjhwala, whose friend’s children are getting married soon, says, “One of my close friend’s daughter got married recently and they were looking to book a venue on the auspicious days, but couldn’t find the pricing they wanted.” He adds, “They discussed with the hotel and got a much better deal for the wedding on a regular date. Things are changing; this year, more couples are opting for dates other than the auspicious ones. I know several people who are choosing wedding dates according to the convenience of their friends and family, and not perfect planetary position.”

Shampa Dhali, Area Director, National Sales, Marriott Hotels India, says, “It has always been our endeavour to appeal people to opt for other dates besides the auspicious ones, but now amid the pandemic, more people are opting for these dates. We’re seeing a demand for weddings on dates other than the auspicious dates, too. For December, February and March, hotels are booked for the special dates. We’re telling families to select our available dates so that they can get a rate that suits them.”

Rohit Chopra, spokesperson and Regional Director, sales and distribution, India and south Asia, Accor, says, “We’ve seen in this wedding season that customers are hosting weddings on regular dates, too. This has helped them get the best possible packages, and hotels have been able to plug in their free dates. Hotels have responded well, and the message has been echoed across the industry with a positive impact.”

‘Many couples are getting married in next the two months without considering the auspicious dates’

Pradeep Sureka, Director, Indian Chamber of Commerce, says he knows many couples who are getting married without considering whether the day is auspicious or not. He says, “Getting married on a regular day isn’t a new concept. In fact, it is popular among NRIs or in families where kids have settled abroad, because they get leaves only during Dec-Jan, and hence there’s no other option but to organise a wedding in this period. This year, due to the pandemic, this concept is being promoted. In fact, I know a lot of couples in my family and friends circle who are getting married in the next two months without considering auspicious dates.”