Wedding planners offer ‘corona-proof’ packages from Rs 1.5L
Bhubaneswar: With the wedding season almost here, city-based wedding planners have come up with attractive packages for clients, keeping in mind existing restrictions, especially the cap on the number of guests.
These packages range from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh and include services like photo shoots, basic sound and lighting arrangements, socially distanced seating arrangements, e-invitations, standard menu with starters, main course and desserts, and limited videography.
“We have revised our package rate keeping in mind the restrictions imposed by the government because of the current pandemic. We are offering a starter package of Rs 1.5 lakh, which will take care of almost everything. Only the venue has to be finalised by the client,” Durgajeet Patnaik of Flymoon Events said.
The wedding business has been badly hit by the lockdown and by large-scale cancellations in April and May. The upcoming Hindu wedding season will begin from June 16 and last for about a month.
Patnaik’s firm has two bookings, one for for June and the other for July. Both clients have chosen the Rs 1.5 lakh package.
“The government has limited the number of wedding guests to 50 people. We have designed our package keeping this in mind. Clients are requested not to violate the rules by increasing guests,” he said.
The packages offered by the city-based wedding planners include services centred around virus protection, including thermal screening of guests, setting up of hand-wash stations at venue entrances, provision of hand sanitiser and mask for all 50 guests and registration of participants.
A few wedding planners, however, have chosen to consult their clients and customise packages according to their desires. Samarendra Satpathy of Aayojan Event and Wedding Planner said he was not offering set packages but was designing them according to the client’s needs. “Many of our bookings are pending,” he said.
Satpathy explained that several families had pushed back weddings to the end of this year because of the ongoing situation. “The restricted guest list is not feasible for many clients. They have decided to push back the ceremony,” the wedding planner added.