[ad_1]
If you have a wedding to attend in Delhi-NCR this month, do cross-check with the hosts who might be considering to postpone their plans. The LPG shortage due to the Middle East crisis is not just affecting homes, restaurants and kitchens across NCR, but has also begun to impact weddings in the Capital as per some wedding planners and caterers. Struggle to organise events owing to the shortage, they share how many weddings are being postponed, and how they are finding it difficult to secure caterers who can manage food for large gatherings. Reason: Not enough LPG cylinders to prepare food in large quantities.
Among them is Gurugram-based entrepreneur Priya Raj Khatri, whose wedding was scheduled for March 18: “We are now postponing it as there isn’t any better option seeing the situation. We had invited close to 700 guests, and if we have the wedding now then it would be a huge compromise to cut down on the guest list. Most people who are attending a wedding are excited for the grand spread of food, so my fiancé and my family don’t want our friends and relatives to go back without experiencing that.”
Another Delhiite, Angad Khurana, a real estate professional, shares that his March 16 wedding is also being postponed: “My partner and I had decided an in-depth menu almost a year in advance. We want to have a spread with over 10 cuisines, which doesn’t look possible now. Our wedding planners were honest with us that what we wanted could not be delivered owing to the LPG crisis.”
Caterers in a fix
While some wedding caterers have started incorporating induction cooking, they say it’s still not enough to meet the demands of large wedding functions. Raj Pal, from Rathi Caterers in west Delhi, says, “There are no gas pipeline facilities at the wedding venues. Also, coal and wood are not viable options for the different types of cuisines we need to provide. So far, we have had to cancel 4 bookings for the next two weeks and are hoping we can get back on track after that. Yes, some food can be prepared using induction cook tops, ovens and other electric appliances but not shaadi ka khaana. There are live counters for chaats, pasta etc that need gas. If we are promising a certain quality of food, then we cannot provide food made solely in ovens and induction plates.”
City based wedding caterers say their challenges go far beyond simply cooking and serving food since large wedding functions require extensive coordination, planning and a steady supply of fuel to prepare meals for hundreds of guests. “We used to buy commercial cylinders for ₹1,456, and now we are not able to source these. So we are compelled to buy the smaller domestic cylinders, that too with a lot of difficulty. We need to use two of these a day and are buying them for ₹2,500 each. But we can only use these domestic cylinders in our kitchens as banquet halls only allow commercial cylinders; or we are have to pay a fine,” says Shahid from AN Caterers, adding: “Because the diesel rates have also gone up, the transportation cost of raw materials has also increased and vegetables have become more expensive. We are trying to still manage our existing bookings with whatever we can, but have stopped taking new bookings which is sure going to impact our profits if things stay the same for a long time. We will need to increase the prices soon.”
Wedding planners take a hit
Several wedding planners across NCR share how they have little option but to inform their clients that their bookings may need to be postponed until the issue is resolved. “We had 5 weddings booked for March, but have had to tell our clients that we cannot organise them till the LPG crisis is solved. We cannot find caterers who can provide large quantity of food for our functions. Our profit margins have been hit by 30-35% already, but this is not in our control,” says Rahul Kumar from Noida-based Perfect Events.
Ranjot, from Shaadi Waale, adds, “For all other types of events, we can manage. But for a wedding, which relies heavily on the food spread, agar khaana hi dhang se nahi serve kar sakein to shaadi kaise organize kardein. We had two bookings for next week, which we are going ahead with but we have told the clients that if they can find caterers then we can help with everything else. At this point we can’t guarantee catering to these two as well.”
For more, follow HT City Delhi Junction
[ad_2]
Source link
