Tag: indian wedding

WATCH: Randeep Hooda, Lin Laishram tie knot in traditional Meitei wedding in Imphal

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda tied the knot with his girlfriend, Manipuri model, and actress Lin Laishram, in a traditional Meitei ceremony at Chumthang Sanapung in Imphal, Manipur, on Wednesday, November 29.

#WATCH | Manipur | Actors Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram tie the knot in a traditional Meitei wedding ceremony in Imphal. pic.twitter.com/MsRLUhcCwE

— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023

The wedding saw Hooda donning the customary Manipuri white dhoti (Pheijom), kurta, and turban (Kokyet), while Laishram sported the traditional Manipuri ensemble of Potloi, a vibrant red cylindrical skirt, paired with a dark green blouse adorned with jewelry.

VIDEO | Lin Laishram, the bride, reaches the wedding venue in Imphal where she will tie the knot with Bollywood actor @RandeepHooda shortly. pic.twitter.com/gAoVLVRcXe

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 29, 2023

The couple exchanged vows amidst the rituals of the Meitei tradition, with Laishram circling the seated Hooda seven times and the two exchanging garlands made of jasmine flowers (kundo), much to the cheers of the gathered guests.

The marriage of Hooda and Laishram serves as a unique blend of two worlds, uniting Bollywood glamour with the cultural richness of Manipur.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Wedding insurance can shield your big day from the unexpected: Here’s a look at policies available

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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As the wedding season approaches, the excitement and happiness surrounding these significant events are tangible. The celebration of love and unity among cherished friends and family creates indelible moments. However, the opulence and complexities associated with weddings also involve a considerable financial commitment, underscoring the importance of safeguarding against unforeseen uncertainties that could potentially disrupt these joyous occasions.

This is where the necessity for wedding insurance becomes apparent—a protective measure against financial losses arising from disruptions, cancellations, or postponements of the special day.

Weddings are susceptible to various natural and man-made risks, making it imperative to address these potential challenges. A wedding insurance policy functions as a safety net, providing coverage across a spectrum of potential threats.

According to Policybazaar, an insurance aggregator, the typical policy period spans seven days from the wedding, offering a comprehensive solution to ensure the smooth flow of events during this crucial time.

Understanding the essence of wedding insurance

The significance of wedding insurance lies in its ability to cover major risks that could significantly impact one’s wedding plans. It extends protection against:

Cancellation or postponement: Whether due to natural calamities, property damage, or unforeseen circumstances like theft or burglary, this coverage reimburses expenses incurred from printed cards, advance payments to vendors, travel reservations, and more, according to Bankbazaar.

Property damage: From earthquakes and fires to theft and burglary, coverage extends to decorations, jewellery, appliances, and other specified items.

Liability coverage: The policy also shields against damage or loss to third parties during the event due to accidents or injury.

Personal accident: Wedding insurance covers hospitalisation expenses resulting from accidents during the event.

Understanding exclusions and timelines

While wedding insurance covers a range of risks, there are exclusions:

• Terrorism, civil unrest, or bride/groom kidnapping aren’t covered.
• Delays due to flight issues or sudden unavailability of the venue may not qualify.
• Property damage due to negligence or wear and tear might be excluded.
• ‘Cold Feet’ scenarios aren’t covered.

A look at available wedding insurance policies

(Source: ICICI Lombard plus Future Generali)

The premium of these policies will depend on the size and type of cover opted for and will typically be 0.2-0.4% of the sum insured.

Documents required for the claim process

Essential documents for filing a wedding insurance claim include:

• Claim form
• Policy details
• Details of damaged property
• Invoices or receipts of valuables
• FIR copy (in case of theft)
• Relevant purchase and location details
• Confirmation from an expert for irreparable damage

Wedding insurance claim process

In the unfortunate instance of an incident during the ceremony, the claim process involves:

• Promptly informing the insurance company.
• Fill out the claim form and submit it with the required documents.
• The insurer then assesses the loss or damage.
• If the claim is genuine, compensation is paid out. In case one is dissatisfied with the resolution, legal recourse is an option.

Tips to optimise the insurance policy

According to Policybazaar, customers should ensure that the sum insured aligns with their expenses. They should understand policy limitations on specific items like jewellery or vendor engagements.

ALSO READ | Decoding wedding gift taxation in India: Know ways to exempt it

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

3.8 million weddings scheduled in 23 days this ‘shaadi’ season

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India’s wedding season is back and how! The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) is expecting businesses to earn ₹4.74 lakh crore of 38 lakh marriages this wedding season, which is the highest ever.

This estimate comes after CAIT expected a whopping 35 lakh weddings to be solemnised in a span of just 23 days between November 23 to December 15, 2023. In its earlier estimation last month, CIAT expecting businesses to earn ₹4.25 lakh crore.

During the same period last year, around 32 lakh weddings took place with total expenses coming up to ₹3.75 lakh crore. Around 3.5 lakh weddings in these 23 days are set to take place in Delhi itself, which is likely to generate business worth nearly ₹1 lakh crore.

CAIT’s Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that sales & queues on Diwali compelled the body to conduct a survey again. He also rubbished the belief of negative impact of inflation on wedding spendings.

“Inflation doesn’t impact wedding season, as people will spend come what may. Not much scope to scale down wedding shopping, some restraint still possible for festive shopping,” he added.

According to Acharya Durgesh Tare, who is the Chairman of CAIT’s Spiritual and Vedic Knowledge Committee, November 23, 24, 27, 28, and 29 are auspicious dates for solemnising marriages, followed by December 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 15. The next phase of the wedding season will begin mid-January of 2024 and go on till July of that year.

The upcoming festive and wedding season will lead to an increase in demand for jewellery, sarees, furniture, readymade garments, footwear, and other accessories, according to CAIT.

Methodology

Giving a sneak peak into the survey methodology, Praveen Khandelwal said the body identified 30 cities which serve as distribution centres for the country. He added collated data was added to inputs from the 600 plus districts CAIT is active in.

The survey is based on favourable & non-favourable circumstances for consumers and lists out verticals which will generate big business. He said local trade bodies have also gathered inputs from consumers.

“Even last year, our data was spot on. The survey is based on ground data and not armchair analysis,” he claimed.

Also Read:Investing for a major life event: Financing your dream wedding

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Wedding industry expects business of Rs 3.75 lakh crore from upcoming season

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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It’s the season for band baaja baraat — that time of the year when families go all out to celebrate the weddings of their sons and daughters. While inflation is making people slash wedding budgets, it surely hasn’t dampened the spirits.

Two years of the pandemic and rising costs have put a lot of pressure on wedding bands and everyone associated with them.

Gopal Sindhi, a band and ghodi supplier, said, “We have started getting work after the pandemic, but income is not as much as it was earlier. Smaller bands and fewer carriages are being booked. Prices of musical instruments, staff attire and animal fodder have risen significantly.”

The number of people choosing destination weddings is going up every year, but most families still want nuptials to take place in their hometown or place of residence. This year, guest lists are becoming smaller, but people are spending a lot of money on decorations and offering a variety of cuisines from India and abroad.

Ramesh Dang, CMD at Seven Seas Hospitality, said the pandemic has increased a preference for destination weddings. “Down from gatherings of thousands, destination weddings usually have 200-300 guests. People have restarted spending after the pandemic. I hope the situation will improve more. Demand for Continental, Mexican, and Asian food has increased in wedding banquets,” Dang said.

Theme parties as part of wedding festivities are also very much in vogue, and wedding planners are fully leveraging this opportunity.

Wedding planner Gayatri Sahdev said, “People are looking for something on international or global level rather than keeping it very Indian or ethnic. Now, people are having, like, a Great Gatsby theme or a Goan theme. They are creating a setup which probably looks like a part of a country or city at their functions.”

Traders and wedding planners say that the wedding season in 2019 pulled in business worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore, while this year’s estimate is around Rs 3.75 lakh crore. The expected surge in business is not just due to destination weddings, but also possibly due to increased spending on exotic themes and decorations and global cuisines, while trimming down the guest list.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India’s largest trader lobby expects 3.2 million weddings in the next month

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The wedding season is here in full glory and after two years of slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrations are expected to be bigger. This is reflected in an estimate drawn up by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which expects over 32 lakh weddings will be solemnised between November 14 till December 14.

The bigger the wedding, the more the expense and keeping this in mind the CAIT estimate sees the wedding market generating trade of about Rs 3.75 lakh crore in this period.

The research shows that in Delhi alone, 3.5 lakh weddings are expected to be solemnised. Meanwhile, around 1.5 lakh weddings are estimated across Rajasthan in November, the highest in over two years, according to news agency PTI.

The boom in the wedding industry this year

According to another survey done by WeddingWire India, the Indian subsidiary of The Knot Worldwide, 42.5 percent of wedding suppliers’ monthly profits will surpass pre-pandemic figures.

The company recently conducted a wedding vendor survey with over 220 vendors. and noted that around 31 percent of vendors have increased their charges this year.

Also read: Weddings and tourism: A growing matrimony in the Indian economy

“Guest list of 100-250 is the new normal for 34 percent of couples and families. Themed and personalized weddings are emerging as the latest trends in the wedding market. Couples are also more gravitated toward sustainable options for their big day,” the survey said.

In its most recent Trend Survey, which was done in October 2022, online wedding platform Weddingz.in has recently identified new trends in the wedding business. With respect to trends, 63 percent of millennials are moving ahead with digitization and planning their weddings online rather than following the traditional route.

In spite of being mainly unorganised, a KPMG analysis titled Market Study of Online Matrimony and Marriage Services in India estimated the size of the Indian wedding market at Rs 3.68 trillion in 2016.

Also read: Rajasthan wedding market sees a boom as 1.5 lakh marriages set to take place in November

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Rajasthan wedding market sees a boom as 1.5 lakh marriages set to take place in November

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Around 1.5 lakh weddings are estimated to be solemnised across Rajasthan in November, the highest in over two years after the coronavirus outbreak.

Wedding planners and all those involved in the industry are upbeat and expecting a full-scale business this time as there are no restrictions like in the past due to the pandemic.

“People are now ready to celebrate weddings on a full-scale like before. As per an estimate, nearly 1.5 marriages will take place across Rajasthan in the month of November. The season begins on November 4, the auspicious occasion of Dev Uthni Gyaras,” said Ravi Jindal, chairman of the Rajasthan Tent Dealers’ Association.

Also Read: Weddings and tourism: A growing matrimony in the Indian economy

“This is the highest number of weddings in two years. Most of the marriage halls and wedding venues are booked for almost the next five months. Apart from wedding halls, hotels, resorts and farmhouses have been booked for wedding functions,” he said.

Jindal said the number of weddings last November was around 40,000 to 50,000.

“In the last two years, there were restrictions on the number of guests attending a function, therefore, marriage functions were limited,” he said.

Jai Bansal, the owner of Nathu Lal Fatehpuria cloth shop at Badi Chaupar, said shopping for weddings started from Navratras and the market is back on track. “The sale of lehenga, sherwani, safas and other wedding attire is on the peak now,” he said.

Another trader, Sohan Sharma of Rangoli Sarees, said their sale is nearly 50 percent higher than the previous year.

Also Read: Honeymoon destinations: Affordable yet exotic alternatives to Maldives in South East Asia

Jaipur-based Manish Samariya, who is going to tie the knot on November 4, said his family preferred not to fix his marriage in the Covid pandemic and waited for things to normalise.

“My family and I wanted to have a full-fledged function so that all of our guests and relatives could attend. This year, there are no restrictions and this is the perfect time for a wedding function,” he said.

There are over 13,000 marriage gardens in the state, including 950 in Jaipur. Apart from the gardens, many weddings are scheduled to be held in hotels and resorts. There are 10 main dates for marriage in the month of November and December this year.

Jindal said close to 6 lakh people are directly and indirectly engaged in the industry, from tent dealers to catering service providers, florists, band parties, event planners and choreographers.

“It was a tough time in 2020 and 2021 because a limited number of wedding functions were held. This time, bookings are higher,” said Mukesh Cheepa, owner of a garden used for marriages.

People are also preferring luxury dharmshalas in destinations like Khatu town, where the famous temple of Khatu Shyamji is situated.

Also Read: Financial compatibility an important aspect in marriage – here’s why

While the per day expense of a marriage garden is from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10-12 lakh depending upon location and size, there are dharmshalas with 25-40 rooms with good facilities which are available for around 2 lakh per day.

Rajasthan is also famous for destination weddings at places like Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Sawaimadhopur and Kumbhalgarh, where businessmen and celebrities have tied the knot in the past.

“Delicious Rajasthani cuisine, attractive attire, unmatched hospitality and heritage sites are the key factors why Rajasthan is famous for destination weddings,” said Amit Kothari, a hospitality sector expert.

“Many people from places like Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Goa are showing great interest in planning wedding functions in Rajasthan,” he said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Weddings and tourism: A growing matrimony in the Indian economy

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Who does not want a dreamy hilltop wedding in Italy, or a reception along the banks of a river and a dreamy beach honeymoon? Everyone does. Destination weddings are twofold:

Indians with affluent families get married in foreign lands, while others choose exotic locations in India as their wedding destination. Both these weddings impact the economy and the article here speaks about it. Keep reading to find out more.

The fad of international weddings

International weddings have become very popular among affluent Indians, as it gives an enthralling effect to the whole wedding experience. Thailand has become one of the most sought-after locations for weddings and for honeymoons this year, which, by year-end will have boosted Thailand’s economy between 600 billion-700 billion baht. Close friends, relatives, the entire wedding crew, exclusive decorations made and huge baggage will have to be shipped to the countries, increasing the spending on the wedding families. Since this is a memorable trip with family and friends, people also prefer staying for an extended period, to explore the place, beyond the wedding venue. Popular preferences for international weddings are Mauritius, Paris, Italy, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Morocco, Greece and Spain.

India as a preferred wedding destination

With the growing influence of social media, more people are getting acquainted with beautiful, unheard places in India that are heavenly and ideal to host a wedding in. For people who wish to have a dreamy wedding but cannot afford an international wedding,

Indian destination weddings are a fitting alternative. Among numerous scenic locations in India, the ones most preferred for destination weddings are:

Goa: The party town provides an ideal place for a seashore wedding and after-party.

Udaipur: The perfect royal setting for a majestic and pompous wedding.

Kerala: The quiet and scenic backwaters and hills make for a beautiful intimate wedding.

 Rishikesh and Kashmir: With hills resonating the wedding chants and vows, they are the ultimate dream destinations for a wedding.

Agra: Where else to get married other than the greatest monument of love itself?

Also read: Weekend itinerary for Goa: Let’s go backpacking

Since these destinations are plentiful in a beautiful country like ours, wedding tourism is expected to reach Rs 50,000 crores in a few years.

More places are being explored, while these are a few common favourites for Indians. For any family to fix a destination, the main factors are cost, accessibility, availability of supplies required near the wedding spot, activities for friends and family to engage in before and after the wedding and the facilities, the place offers for the attendees to have a pleasant experience in. Usually, these places get a chunk of travellers during vacation times, but the revenue offered by wedding tourists is of a different level.

Also read: Explorer’s Utopia: Five hidden jewels to uncover in Delhi

Right from the hotels for accommodation, local transportation, household help to assist in the wedding preparations, local food stalls to refresh during sightseeing, markets to shop utilities for the wedding, local souvenirs for attendees, last-minute shopping etc. provide significantly huge revenue to the locals and boost the economy of the region. It is a win-win for both families and the economy, as the awe-inspiring experience of getting married in a picturesque location with the people you love around you is a core memory that will forever be cherished.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow