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With the intermittent lockdowns, curfews and restrictions hitting the wedding business hard, hoteliers are riding with this tide by proposing thoughtful celebration options to guests

- VINITA BHATIA

Courtyard and Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru ORR traditionally stayed away from social events like the big fat Indian wedding. It was not because the business was not welcome. Rather, the brands were focused on the corporate crowd, business travellers and millennials who sought comfort, quiet, privacy, and unique experiences at its premises.

However, along came the pandemic and upended this tranquil equilibrium. That is when Pranay Verdia, Multi-Property General Manager, Courtyard and Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru ORR hotel realised that weddings can be a key demand driver.

“We see a surge in wedding and wedding-related events, post-Q4 2020. The general sentiment is to conduct all events that could not take place in 2020,” he stated.

Moreover, there is also a conscious mindset to have smaller weddings with intimate bespoke events. This is gaining ground with the second wave of the pandemic sweeping across the country.

“This development put everyone on tenterhooks just as things began to normalise,” Verdia noted. According to him, weddings are yet to peak to pre-pandemic levels, but he expects this business to revert to normal by Q4 2021.

Business hotels and properties located at a city’s outskirts have been the biggest gainers of the scaled-down wedding trend. For starters, most of them had not explored this customer segment earlier. Moreover, since the scale of operation is smaller, they can quickly pivot their processes to cater to this new business stream, as compared to larger hotels. They can also provide a plethora of options across various budgets for guests to choose.

CHANGING NUPTIAL DYNAMICS