#WMGSurvey: Here's How Coronavirus Has Affected Indian Weddings
BY Sakshi | 24 Apr, 2020 | 396 views | 4 min read
Love in the time of Corona, like other things, is extremely curtailed and very very stressful- yep, as if it already wasn't enough stressful already! For couples who have spent time, sweat and tears arranging their weddings this year, the situation could not have been more stressful. And while weddings have been affected during the lockdown, and possibly will be even after the lockdown is over, the wedding industry has taken a big hit.
Image via Naman Verma Photography
Couples that were to get married in March and April have had to scratch their plans for the wedding and are looking at hosting them when the situation gets better.
So, what's the real scenario?
So WMG did a survey involving over 3000 real couples who had their wedding lined up in the months of the lockdown and even after, and while most of the weddings that were to be held in the next couple of months have been postponed to the later part of the year. 55% couples who were to get married in the second quarter of the year are still in hope of things getting better in the near future and are making little or no change to their plans while the rest 45% have postponed or cancelled their wedding for now.
This trend varies widely across cities. About 38% of the couples in Delhi are hoping to go ahead with their weddings that were to be held between April- June, while 45% of couples in Mumbai and 51% in Bangalore are going ahead with their weddings. Couples from Hyderabad are quite positive that the circumstances would get better and 72% believe they can continue with the celebrations. 66% of the couples in tier 2 cities are expected to host the wedding.
As we can see, during the later part of the year, 72% of the people are assured that weddings planned in between August and November would take place as usual and 28%, on the other hand, are still unsure. Additionally, couples are revising their contracts and including clauses regarding the cancellation and refund.
Impact on Destination Weddings
Destination weddings are hardest hit, with 80% of them already cancelled. As far as international destination weddings are concerned, there has been a considerable dip in numbers and people are opting for hosting weddings for local destinations in the later part of the year.
Real Bride Deepika Ghose says, "We had our wedding scheduled in early march in Thailand. But with Corona growing there we had to take a last minute decision to have a 11 people wedding at my grandmothers home.”
Wedding related vendors are hit hard too. Neha, who runs Foreign Wedding Planners says, “The whole Coronavirus threat is massively affecting the wedding industry. It’s a panic-stricken situation for all. Couples who had saved their dates & made their bookings for the upcoming months, are now postponing it to the next year. However, we’re all in this together and are helping our couples get sufficient support in getting their refunds. While some vendors are being stringent about their contracts, there are hotels like The Marriott group and Dusit Thani who are being extremely supportive in initiating refunds."
Image via Jennie & Roshan
WedMeGood has also specially launched a helpline number, i.e. +(91)-8010-858-858, to ensure smooth & hassle-free wedding planning for all the couples and families who are facing difficulties due to last-minute cancellations and availability of certain vendors.
Looking at the brighter side, this is the time when most of the population is at home, it seems great to do some research and utilise it in planning for the wedding. Now is the time to look for inspiration and find vendors for your dream wedding.
Most importantly, relax! Remember that all of us are in this together and this too shall pass!
