MONDAY, MAY 06, 2024
Ajit John
It was the dream destination. Couples of all shades flocked to Goa to get married on a beautiful beach or in one of the fancier five-star properties. It was not unusual for groups comprising forty-five to fifty guests staying over at the property for three days eating and drinking and racking up hefty bills. The couple and guests return home with fond memories and the wedding planner and others involved in organising the wedding go happy to the bank. According to conservative estimates, the Indian wedding industry was expected to reach Rs. 45,000 crore this year. Now Goa is a very important part of the industry and with the virus going berserk, the business has collapsed. The industry has several streams that contribute to it becoming a very important part of the state's economy.
Emcees are spending eventless days
Everyone in the industry has suffered hugely. Ayesha Barreto, popular RJ, and emcee said it was not unusual for her to do around ten weddings in a month during the season and this could go up to twenty and above. Now everything had been reduced to zero. Ayesha said, “I know of people in the industry who have lost all their bookings, I have just been told that it's postponed and they will revert at the appropriate time”. An emcee can earn about Rs 15,000 per wedding and the more experienced ones can ask as much as Rs. 30,000-35,000 per assignment.
Another emcee who did not want to come on record said he had a secure job and this was something that he did on the side. He said he had the option of choosing his jobs since it was a hobby for him. He said this money was used to fuel his travel to various international sporting events. He , however, added his heart went out to the various musicians who were now twiddling their thumbs because of the lockdown in the industry. He felt the reopening would be very gradual since the virus was very much around.
The fires are not burning for lavish wedding spreads
Good food is an important part of any wedding celebration. Ramson Fernandes of Josheela Caterers based in Loutolim said as of today, he had nothing on his books. In a regular season, he revealed it was not unusual to cater to at least two weddings on certain days of the season. On the whole, he said he would do around 125-130 weddings in a season. Now he was reduced to selling takeaways because he had a staff to take care of. Another caterer Jimmy Cota of Jimson Caterers felt the game had now changed completely. His dates, he said had now changed and it would happen possibly next year. Jimmy said “I will now have to work with a smaller menu and more importantly a smaller crowd. That changes the logistics completely. I will have to train my staff in maintaining hygiene standards. This changes the costing completely. We would charge anywhere between Rs. 375 to Rs. 600 plus per plate depending on the menu”. He revealed that he had taken an advance from the parties and had given them three options in the new situation. They could swap dates with another party, or have it next year or the year after or have a small event for the same price.
All venues are available but no one’s coming..
Weddings have to be held in some place and Gavin Valladares of Quinta de Valadares has a property that can host 2000 guests. He said there were a lot of cancellations and postponements and some weddings he said would now be held two years later. During the season, it was not unusual to host anywhere between 65-85 weddings during the season, and now it had all now come down to zero. Gavin said that as along there were restrictions on people gathering in public, he would not be able to predict as to when the situation would return to normal.
..and no one’s decking up themselves…
Another important aspect of attending a wedding is personal grooming. Mehendi is an important part of the experience. Anushka of Anushka Mehendi said she did anywhere between 15-20 weddings with each design costing anywhere between Rs. 150 per design and going up to Rs. 1000. Now, she said all that had come to a stop and she was dependent on the odd customer who walked into her outlet.
…..or venues
Alex D Cunha a decorator said he was now spending his time sitting at home doing nothing. During the season he said he would decorate around 40 wedding destinations but now it had all come crashing down.
No cake to cut so no cake to bake….
The wedding cake takes pride of place and there are now many bakers sitting at home not knowing what the future would hold for them. Beverly D’ Souza based in Borda said she would make around fifty cakes for weddings during the season but now that had come down to a perfect zero. The situation she said was very dicey. Each cake she said could cost anywhere between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 16,000 depending on the mix. She recently made a small cake for a wedding held at home which was depressing. She hoped things would get better soon.
…. And no dresses to make
Another segment suffering badly are those making bridal outfits. Nicholas Pereira of Sofia bridal studio said they had spent their time returning advances. He said “last season we made anywhere between Rs 8 -10 lakhs but now it is zero. I think probably there will be some movement in November. I am hoping for the best”.
Starry nights, but silent nights
Music is a very important part of any wedding. A-26 is a very popular band that plays at weddings in India and the rest of the world. Lester Rodrigues said “We are waiting and watching. In the past four years, we have done more shows in the offseason. During the season we would do around 13 weddings. We would charge Rs. 2.75 lakhs and it was fine. Now I am sitting at home and about to start practising with the band online”.
Perhaps the final word should go to a wedding planner. Manjit Khandeparker of 7 Events said he had 13 weddings scheduled this year and all had been cancelled. In the previous season, he had done 37 big and small weddings. Now with the business having reopened, he was trying to get quotations from hotels. He said “There are a lot of agencies in the state who have now begun to underquote each other and the hotels are not even bothering to negotiate. They have set a rate and are sticking to it. They may compromise on the décor and nothing else. This is the situation on the ground.”
The appeal of Goa is still strong but the new reality will mean smaller wedding parties and increased costs which could result in a correction in the market. Time will tell.
