Indian and Asian weddings are always very grand affairs, with each family seeming to be trying to outdo the last wedding that they attended. No expense is spared, as parents try to do the very best for their children, and indeed, many will borrow from the bank and go into debt if need be. Every wedding has to be outstanding, as it is a part of our heritage and tradition.
Or at least, it used to be, until Covid-19 came along and upset the apple cart. You can hardly have a traditional Indian wedding when only 30 people are allowed to be present, and that includes the bride and groom, their parents, brothers and sisters, and other close family. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for anyone else.
One result of this has been that, as weddings have been a lot smaller, there has been a considerable cost saving. As a result, many couples have had a much less expensive wedding when the original plan was to hold the big traditional ceremony.
One couple in Mumbai, yoga teachers RasikaKshirsagar and AjinkyaMeher, didn’t want to go the “whole hog” but acceded to their parents’ requests and planned their wedding for March last year at a venue that would hold 700 people. Covid-19 put paid to that idea, and when things got a little easier three months later, they had a small ceremony for just 25 people in total. So, they actually got what they wanted and only spent 20% of their original budget. They had always wanted to travel around the country for a few months teaching yoga, so the savings enabled them to do that.
Other people are conducting wedding hospitality in innovative ways. People have been having sit-down lunches instead of buffets, while others have sent food parcels and/or gifts to people who would otherwise have been present at the wedding.
However, in the UK, the good news is that June 21st is fast approaching and, fingers crossed, Boris will stick to the date, although some of the “scientists” are advising to put the date back a little. Even so, it does seem that you will be safe if you want to go ahead and plan a wedding for a little later in the year. While the idea of a smaller ceremony might appeal to some, it is not likely that the idea will become the new normal.
This is because Indian families keep in constant touch with relatives and extended family not just at times of weddings, but for other things such as religious rituals and festivals. Extended family and kin are an important part of the fabric of Indian society, and so it is only right that they should be included in something as important as a wedding.
The signs are that things are looking up again, as there has been an increase in bookings for hotels and banqueting halls for November and December. Destination weddings are also picking up a little bit, after having been flat for the past year or so, with people looking towards the early part of next year when, hopefully, Portugal – which is a popular destination – will be back on the green list, along with some others such as Malta and Cyprus.
If you are planning a wedding in the UK for later on in the year, or for next year, then at Kenza Creations we are here to help you with your décor. Our team of planners and designers are creative and always ready to embrace new ideas that will make your wedding a day that stands out and will be remembered by everyone who attends.
We have been in the business of wedding décor for many years, and this means that we know a lot of locations very well. If we are not familiar with your venue we will visit and make suggestions to you. Your wedding décor, wedding stage, and wedding centrepieces can be entirely based around your own ideas, or you can do what some people do, and that is leave the décor entirely to our creative artists. Of course, we can also mix and match.
Call us to discuss your wedding plans and to arrange a meeting to sit down together and consider all your choices.