MAYILADUTHURAI: With Cyclone Nivar making landfall on a muhurtham day, several weddings were affected. Usually several rituals are conducted the day before the wedding but the heavy downpour and gusty winds played spoilsport.
Though floral decorations and the wedding feast were finished on Wednesday evening, the events hardly got guests. Light music concerts were cancelled at the last minute.
Ramadoss, a relative of a groom in Nagapattinam district said, “Expecting a low turnout, we informed the cook to prepare dinner for a maximum of hundred people. But not even 50 guests turned up. Forget people from distant places, even relatives from nearby villages could not make it." Only those who had cars were able to arrive at the wedding venues braving the incessant rain.
The coastal region suffered power cuts since late Wednesday evening forcing owners of wedding halls to depend on generators. However, the fate of weddings conducted in temples remained uncertain. Some families prepared well for the situation and arranged stay for cooks, photographers and electricians near the wedding venues. Fearing adverse weather on Thursday morning, few even made arrangements for brides, grooms and relatives to stay in rooms attached to the wedding halls.
"I was booked for a wedding at Aaduthurai on Thursday but have not received any calls from the family till 8 pm. I assume they cancelled the evening events. They told me the wedding would be conducted in a simple way and a reception in a grand manner later," said Vicky, a photographer.