Tuesday

01


January , 2019
Behind-the-screen players of wedding ceremonies
16:44 pm

B.E. Bureau


Indian weddings provide a plethora of business opportunities wedding venue, food catering, jewellery, clothes, photography, makeover, make-up, event decoration and many more. According to a BBC report, there are over 10 million weddings in India every year, estimated to be worth over $25 billion, and growing at 30% annually. BE spoke to some leading wedding service providers to glean trends of the industry.

Deepika Sabharwal Tewari, Associate Vice President, Marketing, Jewellery Division, Titan Company Limited (Tanishq), told BE, “We are aware that the last couple of years have been very important for the Indian economy with key measures like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation coming into effect. Such measures had a significant impact on all industries, especially the organised retail jewellery sector. But in the last one year, the market has witnessed a steady growth and Tanishq saw good amount of store walk-ins. For the wedding season, as gold is an integral part of Indian weddings, it is a much awaited time for the sector. Like the previous years, Tanishq experienced a great traction this time. It has quite a few collections lined up for the wedding category. Our heritage collections like Utsava and Lavanyam blend age-old traditions with a touch of modernity.  We also have an entire sub-brand called Rivaah that focuses purely on wedding jewellery.”

The Padma Shri Award winning iconic beautician Shahnaz Husain spoke to BE regarding wedding makeover.

She informed, “A salon makeover for brides is the order of the day. Bookings are made well in advance. Today, it is all about getting professionals to take care of the bride’s top-to-toe grooming. Bridal makeover has become a specialised skill, combining tradition with modern techniques. Make-up artists and hair stylists have the professional knowhow to achieve the best look, in keeping with individual needs. Make-up artists, for example, are trained in using make-up to accentuate the plus points and camouflage the flaws. They also know how to provide long-lasting make-up and hairstyles. On the most important day of her life, the bride must feel confident. Today’s fairytale weddings are meticulously planned extravaganzas and the bridal look is also designed and crafted by professionals who take care of the minutest details. Wedding makeovers are here to stay.”

Aniruddha Chakladar is a name to reckon with in eastern India when it comes to wedding make-up. He told BE, “Wedding make-up is now an integral feature of Indian weddings. Weddings are now well-planned affairs. When it comes to make-up, it is not only the bride but also guests attending weddings, who seek professional help to present them beautifully. Nowadays, there are different style options when it comes to make-up like high definitional, air-brush, glossy and others. But many still prefer the conventional style. The style of make-up depends on perspectives and various other factors. The profession of wedding make-up is now flourishing. When I came into this profession 25 years back, it was not a popular career choice but all that has changed. Today, one can start earning in this profession from day one.”

Weddings are incomplete without a good spread of delicacies. Aniruddha Barik, Director, Bijoli Grill, a popular wedding catering chain told BE, “As wedding is a traditional event, the food catering for Indian weddings are an extravagant affair involving celebrations, decorations and much more. Wedding catering is always created keeping in mind the respective families’ culture and tradition and their outlook and perspectives. The seasonal elements are also important factors for the food menu. We address this very important concern by serving happiness in each platter with our luscious dishes.”

New Town, the planned township on the eastern fringes of Kolkata is fast emerging as a popular wedding destination. Debashis Sen, IAS, Chairman and Managing Director, West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) Ltd. and New Town, Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) spoke to BE. He said, “Marrying in an island in Kolkata’s New Town is the new rage. Two exquisite lawns, a glass banquet hall and 22 cottages each of which face the 100 acre lake are booked a year in advance for organising theme weddings in the Eco Park, New Town. Mistika Banquet with a huge hall, attached lawn and adjoining car parking facility is also a popular wedding destination in the Eco Park, New Town. The recently opened two large air conditioned banquet halls with attached kiosks and lawn near the Golf Range of the Eco Park are also drawing attention. The banquet hall in Seniors’ Park, New Town with a big lawn and an air-conditioned banquet hall is another popular wedding venue in New Town. The poolside lawn in New Town Business Club and the community hall in the NKDA market are also emerging as popular wedding destinations in New Town, Kolkata.” Nitin Kohli, Whole Time Director, Ambuja Neotia Hospitality said, “Royal Bengal Room is an ideal space to create enduring moments and make a difference by fashioning dreams into reality. Situated inside City Centre,

Salt Lake, the extensive area of The Royal Bengal Room is 6500 square feet and comprises of a dining hall, a pre-function area, a roof top personalised bar, a separate kitchen area and also a private bridal suite. Innovative cuisine and commendable service certainly makes this one of the coveted wedding venues in and around Kolkata.”

Raju Sultania, Director, Studio Sultania is one of the most successful wedding photographers in eastern India. He told BE, “Over the last couple of years, the wedding photography industry has witnessed tremendous growth. The knowledge, need and awareness about the field have increased. Wedding photography now provides lucrative returns and many young photographers have joined the industry. However, recent economic policies and the related downturn have caused a reduction in the assignment fees of photographers.”

Sabir Siddhartha Ghaffar, Director, Global Bridge Events spoke to BE regarding the decoration trends associated with the wedding industry. He said, “The wedding decor business has gone through some uncertainty following demonetisation and the implementation of the GST. The client’s budgets have gone down considerably and materials costs have risen due to GST. Tough conditions demand innovation. We are trying to give the best to our clients by cutting down on our margins and by using alternative decor materials. Labour wages have also risen. Clients have also become conscious environmentally and the advent of social media platforms has linked them to global trends. Theme-based destination weddings and creating destination themes are in vogue.”

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