Boom times return for wedding service sector

Every year, a large number of Hindu weddings are scheduled during the auspicious period stretching between November and early March, but the covid outbreak had brought large gatherings to an abrupt halt.

Neha Arora, co-founder of wedding planning company Saffron String said many people had opted for micro-weddings in the past few years, but luxury weddings are making a comeback. “We have also noticed many more people choosing weekend weddings with welcome parties and day-after brunches, which only means that families are expanding the scope of their weddings beyond the traditional events. There has been a drastic change in the way people choose to celebrate occasions,” she said.

Mumbai-based Achint Nag, founder of Krayonz Entertainment & Wedding Planners said big fat weddings are certainly back for now — and hopefully here to stay. The company is facing a deluge of queries for the next season as well, starting November 2023.

According to Nag, wedding costs are up almost 30% from 2019, the last year of expansive Indian weddings before covid struck. “Manpower and logistics costs are at an all-time high. Weddings are more expensive since demand has gone up drastically. There are limited venues for larger gatherings and therefore, the prices of good hotels have also gone up by 30%. It’s purely a demand-supply function,” he said.

FNP Venues and FNP Weddings, owned by Ferns N Petals Pvt. Ltd, said the amount spent on weddings has almost doubled as compared to the pre-pandemic spends. In the first half of the year, its wedding business saw a 20% increase in revenue from 2019. Revenue from weddings constituted 25% of its overall business, which was about ₹650 crore.

In a recent report, wedding planning website WedMeGood said the average booking amounts for vendors has increased by at least 16%. But certain categories are seeing a higher increase — decorators are now charging 20% more — while invitation designers have not noticed any increase due to the popularity of e-invites. The company said there has been a 40% increase in the average guest list from last year’s 180.

Kush Kapoor, CEO, Roseate Hotels & Resorts, a company that has upscale and luxury hotels, said he is looking forward to a very busy wedding season. According to its estimates based on bookings and queries, Roseate Hotels will clock higher revenues from weddings this year as compared to 2019.

“We have witnessed a 30% increase in the number of queries, and expect at least 40% increase in revenues as compared to 2019. Even though now there are no restrictions on the number of guests, people are still preferring intimate weddings and pre-wedding functions, and in turn, are spending more on food menu, drinks and décor by opting for premium offerings,” he said. The hotel has increased its food prices to make up for costlier ingredients.