Coronavirus Lockdown: Weddings-Parties Shelved, Furniture-Furnishing Orders Postponed

FDT Bureau

Saurabh, a software engineer living in Punjabi Bagh area of North-West Delhi, and Nidhi, working in an MNC based in Gurgaon, were to tie the knot on April 13, but due to the coronavirus pandemic led three week long lockdown across the country, has now been postponed their wedding for indefinite time. Both the families, including Saurabh and Nidhi, had to take this decision with a broken heart. In such a situation all the orders and bookings made for the wedding had to be cancelled. The sudden changed circumstances due to COVID-19 have forced many families and couples in the country to take such decisions, just like the example of Sourav and Nidhi. Due to postponement of events like wedding, a large number of orders for furniture, furnishing, lighting, decoration, photography, designing, wedding planning and related services are also being cancelled or postponed.

The auspicious time of weddings is starting in the country from the coming April month. The special and auspicious day for wedding is mainly starting from April 13, which will continue till the end of the month. Many couples across the country were planned to married during this auspicious time frame. But three-week lock-down across the country, from midnight of 24th March to 14th April midnight, has put wedding events in uncertainty. The families whose marriage was fixed after April 15 are also unable to decide the wedding at planned time. Because of the epidemic of Corona, it is too soon to finalize any kind of plan.

Due to the postponed of weddings, other people who have been affected extensively, apart from the families concerned, are associated with industries and services such as luxury products, furniture, furnishing, lighting and sound, decorative, designing, etc. A furniture manufacturer and showroom owner of Kirtinagar furniture market, the country's largest furniture hub, says the furniture industry is suffering huge due to the lockdown and wedding postponed due to the Corona outbreak. Orders already booked are also more likely to get out of hand. Although all industries are suffering due to Corona, but for the furniture industry, wedding seasons are considered very important from a business point of view. Every furniture traders expect a lot from weddings but its very hard time for all. It also includes Out Doors furniture. Due to postponement of marriages, old orders may be completely cancelled.

Decorators from across the country have also been affected due to the postponement of weddings and they are also suffering big losses in term of revenue and earnings. Apart from this, people of such areas offering services and product, suppliers related to marriage and weddings have also been badly affected. 

Apart from above, the light and sound industry has also suffered big losses. According to a report by Times of India, there has been a huge revenue loss for all the wedding professionals. According to the report, many professionals in Mumbai were ordered by clients in November for wedding. As per to the orders, many products including furniture have been reached out doors, which have also been paid. But now orders have been cancelled by clients due to sudden lockdown across the country. In the report, Manuel Dias, member of the Audio Lighting Association committee, said that due to the corona epidemic, about 9000 events including weddings, concerts, parties and various kind of get to gather are being cancelled every week in Mumbai.