Crores spent on weddings this season, the meltdown notwithstanding.
The city wedding industry is in the pink of its health, pink slips and global recession notwithstanding. From gold studded return gifts to pool side bachelor’s party — the city is witnessing lavish weddings, their budgets running into crores of rupees. Planners peg the industry’s worth for this season alone at a “modest’’ Rs 10 billion, with no signs of the economic downturn affecting it.
High-end weddings this season are being planned at a princely sum of Rs 9 to Rs 11 crore, the spending twice as much as last year when budgets hovered around Rs.5 crore for a premium shaadi. “This (amount) is only the spending on the key wedding functions and does not include the expenses incurred on jewels and other assets purchased for the bride and the groom,” says a planner.
With venues ranging from palaces to open air resorts and star hotels for these majestic marriages this time, the decor is being given significance to add to the effect and people are spending anything between Rs.1 and Rs.4.5 lakh for it. If brides swore by orchids until last year, they are passe now. Tender coconuts are apparently a big style quotient these days with the Indonesian style of flower arrangement becoming hugely popular for decorating the marriage venue. “A client got 11 tonnes of flower from Bangkok to get every inch of the reception hall covered with them,” says the banquet manager of a star hotel adding that the use of fine fabric is also in this season.
Another concept that is fast becoming popular among opulent weddings is the use of a theme. While some are adding the ‘Hollowman effect’ to their marriage many others are going the Jodha Akbar way, displaying grandeur with expensive silks and marigolds.
“The meltdown has not had an impact on weddings at all. People still think that they are once in a lifetime event and cannot let the recession affect their memories for life,” says Priyanka Ganeriwal Allahabadi, wedding planner and owner of Weddings and More, adding that the number of marriage ceremonies may have dropped from five to six until last year to about three now, “but families are making these three events exquisitely special”.
That the food at these weddings now comprises cuisines from across the globe and beverages include a spread of all premium brands only confirms Allahabadi’s claim. “People are flying in chefs from different parts of the country and abroad only to make a particular dish for the event,” says another banquet manager of a star hotel, adding that caviar, pink champagne and single malt (costing almost Rs.1 lakh per bottle) are the beverages doing the rounds at such weddings this time.
“Guests are being served over 20 welcome drinks and 20 different varieties of starters this season,” says Sashikant Reddy, banquet manager of Jalavihar, which is priced at Rs. 3 lakh for a single day and has hosted 22 wedding bookings in November and is booked for 20 in December. While an average vegetarian plate is priced at Rs.1200 this time a non-vegetarian plate can cost one a good Rs.2,000-Rs.2,2000.
Though people are blowing up almost 60 per cent of their budgets on the food and beverage alone, there has been no compromise made on how the bride or groom looks, their wedding clothes and the return gifts that the guest take back with them.
Rabita Leisangthem, manager of Taj Deccan Beauty Salon is clearly upset about the 30 per cent drop in business this year she still seems to have a handful of contracts that would fetch her a handsome Rs.2 lakh for two days. “I charge Rs.10,000 for bridal make-up at the salon, but that would only include styling her hair, touching up her face and draping her dress. But if I go to the venue I charge much more,” says the beautician.
With other salons also complaining of a significant dip in business it looks like the brides t h i s t i m e are going easy on their looks but are surely not compromising on their clothes. Bridal designer Fatima Irfan says that the demand for weddingwear is in fact better than last years’. “They are mainly going for three main dresses, one for the reception, one for sangeet and one for the wedding,’’ she says, adding that the cost of three comes to around Rs 1.25 lakh. After all, the khara duppata alone, the elaborate wedding ensemble worn by Muslim brides, costs a minimum of Rs.25,000.
As if this was not enough spending, people are also opting for elaborate return gifts for the guests this time round.
“For sangeet, artificial jewels in designer boxes, mobile phone covers and clutches are in wherein for a mehendi a return gift could be a designer jewel box,” says Allahabadi.
STARTERS & MORE
- High end weddings this season priced at Rs 9 to Rs 11 crore
- Caviar, pink champagne and single malt being served
- 20 welcome drinks, 20 starters
- Bridal wear for main events at a minimum of Rs 1.25 lakh
THE DECEMBER RUSH: DECEMBER 3 BLOCKBUSTER: 10,000 WEDDINGS
The year 2008 has fewer marriage muhurats as against other years, but December would still witness thousands of weddings being performed in the city. Appointment diaries of pundits are overflowing with requests particularly between December 2 and 15, with the most auspicious dates to tie the knot falling in this duration. December 3, they say, will see the city witness close to 10,000 weddings.
The city’s strength of 3,000 marriage halls, function halls and colony community halls are being forced to work in shifts, leasing out their premises to two to three wedding parties per day. “Our dates till December 8 are fully packed with three marriages lined up for one day which even goes to four on certain heavy days,’’ says Dheeraj Kumar from Maruti Gardens.
So what is so special about these December muhurats? December 3 is panchami, considered very auspicious for tying the knot. “Since it falls on a Wednesday, it makes it all the more auspicious,’’ says a priest. Priests note that December 5, 6 and 10 are ‘saptami’, ‘astami’ and ‘triyadashi’ days (as per the lunar calendar) and thus are most suitable days to get married. December 8 is ekadashi which again is very auspicious. Other priests also point out that the period from December 5 to December 15 is auspicious for weddings as it falls under ‘brahmayoga’, generally considered favourable for marriage season.
Predictably, there is a mad rush to tie the knot on these days. “People think it is good to go as per nakshatras before getting married as it is an important lifetime decision. Families in hundreds are thronging to ascertain which day from this period will suit them the best,’’ says Pandit Vijayanand Swamy. Pandit Hanumat Shastri who is strapped for time says he has to solemnise more than two weddings per day. For each appointment, he charges anywhere from Rs.5,000 to Rs.15,000 depending on a family’s interest in fulfilling the number of rituals.
Knowing the rush for weddings, people booked banquet, function and community halls and even open spaces for weddings months in advance. “Around 20,000 weddings are lined up for December 3 in AP, a good 10,000 of which would be in Hyderabad,’’ says Sanjay Sapkal from Sonhira Flower Mart.
Families started booking halls well in advance in fear of falling short of venues. “We have different halls whose rentals range from 2 lakhs to 5 lakhs and advance vary from Rs 30, 000 to Rs 50, 000,’’ says manager of Crystal Gardens. “Almost our entire month of December is packed with wedding bookings, especially in the evenings. All our halls are jam packed and there is hardly any space to accommodate more,’’ says Sayed Haseeb manager of Shah Marriage Function Hall.
KNOTTY AFFAIR
- 10,000 weddings on Dec 3
- Maximum weddings between Dec 5 to 15
- 3,000 function halls to accomodate 2-4 weddings per day
- Priests charge Rs 5,000 to 15,000 per wedding
THE GOLD RUSH
This wedding season, all that’s glittering seems to be gold. With the marriage season in full swing, relatively lower gold prices and the effect of slowdown which has made gold a sound investment, the demand of gold seems to have leaped to an all time high.
And studies conducted on consumption patterns show that 70 per cent of the overall gold sales is towards weddings this time of the year, says Madhumita Dutta, marketing head, World Gold Council (WGC), India. “And gold is in demand now not only for adornment purposes but also for investment,” she adds.
Jewellers in the city agree that people are indeed spending quite a lot and the slowdown hasn’t had an impact on the sales of gold jewellery. They say that weddings are once in a lifetime occasions and people do not wish to compromise on the most important marriage purchase.
In addition, stores such as Mangatrai note that broad necklaces and bangles with stones such as diamonds, rubies and emeralds, kundan sets, antique designs, chandelier earrings and jhumkas are being worn for weddings. “People are buying jewellery which they can use in the future too,” says Anuradha Gupta, co proprietor of Mangatrai Jewellers.
WGC, meanwhile, notes that it is improvising on the gold jewellery designs making them suitable for various ceremonies. “Gold jewellery is being purchased not only for the main wedding but also for peripheral events like the mehendi and sangeet. So while for the bridal trousseau heavy, traditional jewellery is in, light and contemporary jewellery is being worn for the other ceremonies,” explains Dutta, adding that WGC has now tied up with D’damas to give customers a wider range of designs. But given the slowdown, gold purchase is making investment sense as well. “There has been a 25 to 30 per cent rise in the sale of gold since October also because it is a good investment option,” says Rahul Nigam, director (marketing), Meena Jewellers. “Investors have lost faith in shares and currency and are diverting their resources to gold. Sales have increased by almost 35 per cent and we expect it to rise further in the next few months as this is the festival and marriage season,” says Pavan Mor from Mor Jewellers. According to WGC reports, retailers across the country have taken initiatives to increase consumption by offering consumers gold accumulation plans (EMI) and developing new designs to cater to the evolving consumer tastes. In its recently released report, the WGC has recorded a 66 per cent increase in gold sales in quarter three of this year as compared to the same period last year. In its Gold Demand Trend report, the gold council noted that the demand for gold jewellery in India reached 178 tonnes, a rise of 27 per cent in tonnage over the same period in 2007. Retailers sold gold bars and coins to the tune of 71 tonnes, a rise of 36 per cent from 2007.
ALL THAT GLITTERS
- Demand for gold at an all time high this wedding season
- Increase in both demand for jewellery and coins and bars
- 70 per cent of the overall gold sales for weddings
- 66 per cent increase in Q3 2008 against Q3 2007
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