Boom time for small & big businesses | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: From caterers, bands, florists, lights, photographers and videographers, to guesthouses and beauty parlours, all are booked, garnering huge business during the wedding season in the past one month. Apart from this, for small vendors like potters, bamboo craftsmen and utensil sellers, the demand has skyrocketed, providing a much-needed economic boost.
With 250 wedding venues across Odisha, including hotels, kalyan mandaps, community halls, banquet halls, farmhouses and open grounds, around 5,500 weddings were conducted in the period from Nov 15 to Dec 15 in Bhubaneswar, according to a rough estimate by wedding planners.
“Budget of weddings ranges from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore. A wide range of vendors and retailers get business during any wedding giving a boost to the market. Influenced by social media posts, middle-class people are also spending a huge amount on weddings,” said Guru Charan Das, a wedding planner.
Services of caterers and decorators are the most in demand. “We are fully booked for the entire month. Wedding menus have become more elaborate, and families aren’t holding back on spending. We’ve had to hire additional staff to keep up with orders,” said Sushant Dash, a prominent caterer in the city. “The range of food served in feasts has become varied, starting from low-calorie food and sugar-free sweets to continental and authentic Odia food,” Dash said.
Similarly, bands and light decorators have also seen a surge in bookings. “As the govt imposed a ban on DJs, we were apprehensive of a drop in business, but we catered to the demand with traditional bands. To our surprise, this was our busiest season. With back-to-back weddings, we often have to juggle multiple events in a single day,” said Iswar Rao, who owns a light and sound rental business.
Florists are another category reaping the benefits. “Fresh flower prices have nearly doubled because of high demand, but customers are still willing to pay for intricate designs and exotic arrangements,” said Prabhat Jena, a florist.
It’s not just the big players; small vendors and artists also witnessed an increase in business. Mehendi artists, painters, potters and bamboo craftsmen have become major service providers. “People are buying clay pots and bamboo artefacts in bulk to use as wedding décor or return gifts. This season helped us earn what we often can’t throughout the year,” said Gokulananda Swain, a puja material shop owner in Unit I market.
Beauty parlours and makeup artists have seen their schedules completely booked. “Brides and their families have high expectations these days. From pre-wedding shoots to the big day, they want flawless looks, which keeps us extremely busy. They are booking makeup artists for other family members too, helping us earn more,” said Tanya, a makeup artist.
With 250 wedding venues across Odisha, including hotels, kalyan mandaps, community halls, banquet halls, farmhouses and open grounds, around 5,500 weddings were conducted in the period from Nov 15 to Dec 15 in Bhubaneswar, according to a rough estimate by wedding planners.
“Budget of weddings ranges from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore. A wide range of vendors and retailers get business during any wedding giving a boost to the market. Influenced by social media posts, middle-class people are also spending a huge amount on weddings,” said Guru Charan Das, a wedding planner.
Services of caterers and decorators are the most in demand. “We are fully booked for the entire month. Wedding menus have become more elaborate, and families aren’t holding back on spending. We’ve had to hire additional staff to keep up with orders,” said Sushant Dash, a prominent caterer in the city. “The range of food served in feasts has become varied, starting from low-calorie food and sugar-free sweets to continental and authentic Odia food,” Dash said.
Similarly, bands and light decorators have also seen a surge in bookings. “As the govt imposed a ban on DJs, we were apprehensive of a drop in business, but we catered to the demand with traditional bands. To our surprise, this was our busiest season. With back-to-back weddings, we often have to juggle multiple events in a single day,” said Iswar Rao, who owns a light and sound rental business.
Florists are another category reaping the benefits. “Fresh flower prices have nearly doubled because of high demand, but customers are still willing to pay for intricate designs and exotic arrangements,” said Prabhat Jena, a florist.
It’s not just the big players; small vendors and artists also witnessed an increase in business. Mehendi artists, painters, potters and bamboo craftsmen have become major service providers. “People are buying clay pots and bamboo artefacts in bulk to use as wedding décor or return gifts. This season helped us earn what we often can’t throughout the year,” said Gokulananda Swain, a puja material shop owner in Unit I market.
Beauty parlours and makeup artists have seen their schedules completely booked. “Brides and their families have high expectations these days. From pre-wedding shoots to the big day, they want flawless looks, which keeps us extremely busy. They are booking makeup artists for other family members too, helping us earn more,” said Tanya, a makeup artist.
