<p>Bengaluru: The conflict in West Asia has brought with it a long list of problems that are hampering the business of wedding planners and disrupting the smooth operations of the wedding season in the city this year. As the costs of decorative items and raw materials continue to rise, big fat Indian weddings are not so “big” anymore.</p>.<p>As a direct impact of the rising costs, wedding guest lists and the number of events have dwindled, said Nimesh Chhag, co-founder of an event management company.</p>.<p>“Wedding costs are up by at least 30%. Adding to the rising costs is the problem of a labour shortage. Because of the elections, we were severely short of labour. As a result, we had to pull back on events that we could otherwise have taken up,” he told <span class="italic">DH</span>, adding that similar trends were noticeable in both medium-scale and large-scale weddings in the city.</p>.<p>The luxury wedding market has been specifically hit by the dearth of imported florals and decor items, pushing customers to opt for more local and indigenous options.</p>.<p>“With businesses across the world suffering, our clients are walking a tight budget. A wedding with seven events in Bengaluru, which we had started planning more than a year in advance, had to be shortened, as the costs were exceeding 40% over what was initially budgeted,” shared the representative of a Mumbai-based wedding agency.</p>.<p>Food seems to be the most impacted, but despite the rising prices, clients refuse to cut down on the food menu, wedding planners said.</p>.<p>“Food is integral to an Indian wedding. People are opting to cut down in other areas, but are paying an increased rate for the food. Many caterers and hotels are also providing replacements for items that otherwise require high gas consumption,” said Aamina Azhar, proprietor of an event management company.</p>.<p>Winter weddings are likely to face a greater impact if the conflict continues, she said.</p>.<p>“Currently, because there is sufficient stock, sellers of decor items in the city have not exponentially hiked prices. But if imports do not resume, then as the stock depletes, one will see a much greater price hike during the winter wedding season,” she added.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The conflict in West Asia has brought with it a long list of problems that are hampering the business of wedding planners and disrupting the smooth operations of the wedding season in the city this year. As the costs of decorative items and raw materials continue to rise, big fat Indian weddings are not so “big” anymore.</p>.<p>As a direct impact of the rising costs, wedding guest lists and the number of events have dwindled, said Nimesh Chhag, co-founder of an event management company.</p>.<p>“Wedding costs are up by at least 30%. Adding to the rising costs is the problem of a labour shortage. Because of the elections, we were severely short of labour. As a result, we had to pull back on events that we could otherwise have taken up,” he told <span class="italic">DH</span>, adding that similar trends were noticeable in both medium-scale and large-scale weddings in the city.</p>.<p>The luxury wedding market has been specifically hit by the dearth of imported florals and decor items, pushing customers to opt for more local and indigenous options.</p>.<p>“With businesses across the world suffering, our clients are walking a tight budget. A wedding with seven events in Bengaluru, which we had started planning more than a year in advance, had to be shortened, as the costs were exceeding 40% over what was initially budgeted,” shared the representative of a Mumbai-based wedding agency.</p>.<p>Food seems to be the most impacted, but despite the rising prices, clients refuse to cut down on the food menu, wedding planners said.</p>.<p>“Food is integral to an Indian wedding. People are opting to cut down in other areas, but are paying an increased rate for the food. Many caterers and hotels are also providing replacements for items that otherwise require high gas consumption,” said Aamina Azhar, proprietor of an event management company.</p>.<p>Winter weddings are likely to face a greater impact if the conflict continues, she said.</p>.<p>“Currently, because there is sufficient stock, sellers of decor items in the city have not exponentially hiked prices. But if imports do not resume, then as the stock depletes, one will see a much greater price hike during the winter wedding season,” she added.</p>