AHMEDABAD: Just after Dev Diwali concluded, the wedding season has started on a high note! Estimates by wedding planners and pandits suggest that at least 1,000 weddings are scheduled to be organised in Ahmedabad alone over the next ten days i.e. till November 29.
With good number of muhurats, Covid-19 cases remaining under control and a pent-up demand that cropped up as various weddings which were planned for last year were deferred, this wedding season is set to give good business to caterers, florists as well as decorators and venue-owners.
Kandarp Shastri, a pandit who performs the wedding ritual, said, “It is peak wedding season from November 20-29 and every day I have to perform the rituals for at least one wedding. There are a lot of good muhurats till December 13, after which the kamurta period sets in as per the Hindu calendar, which is considered inauspicious o hold weddings.”
Due to Covid-19, over the past year and half, barely a few weddings have taken place and therefore, all the families which had deferred occasions from last year are now organising them.
Dhiren Shastri, another pandit from Ahmedabad, said, “Over the next fortnight or so, there are a lot of auspicious muhurats during which various weddings are scheduled to be held in the city. I was also approached with numerous inquiries however, I was compelled to pass it on to others due to frail health. On November 29, I have already made commitments for two weddings, which I will fulfil.”
Venues across the city including hotels and party-plots are running on high occupancy levels given the weddings that have been planned. “The coming ten days of November as well as the first couple of weeks of December is a busy time for the hotel as several weddings are scheduled to take place at the hotel. Couple of weddings which were deferred due to the Covid situation previously are also taking place this time. The number of occasions is surely better as compared to the last year and half and people are cautiously optimistic,” said Neelabh Chug, general manager, Renaissance Ahmedabad Hotel.
With more weddings taking place, event managers, florists as well as caterers are doing brisk business. Pintoo Dandwala, owner of an Ahmedabad-based event management firm, said, “Farm house weddings is the new trend this year and we have a lot of private farm houses along Ranchharda Road and Shilaj being hired for wedding occasions.”
The cap on the number of guests allowed at weddings as part of the Covid-19 guidelines has now been raised to 400. This is also making people more optimistic. Bharat Paliwal, an Ahmedabad-based caterer said, “People are optimistic, and I have a good number of catering orders this time around. The business has picked up well and I hope the trend remains.”
Flower prices have increased significantly. Joita Ram, a wholesale florist operating from the Jamalpur flower market, said, “Roses are expensive this time. Due to winter, the supply has dropped. Moreover, the demand is high due to the wedding season and to meet this, we have to procure roses from other states, which is adding to the cost, taking it as high a Rs 160 a kg.”
