BENGALURU: The wedding season was all set to have a grand beginning before the lockdown came into play. But as the government calls for increased relaxations, event venues in the city are gearing up to host weddings again and are vowing to follow all safety precautions and guidelines. The Tamarind Tree on Kanakapura Road has taken new decisions to tighten safety measures. The venue is all set to host its first wedding, after a break of two months, on June 1.
“We will strictly follow the BBMP guideline of allowing only 50 guests. We are still in talks with the family since they have a list of 60 guests,” says Naveen Kumar, a business executive at the venue. The next wedding on their calendar is, as of now, in July, but most events have been rescheduled to the window between September and February.
The five-acre venue is being sanitised regularly, with staff donning protective gear like masks and hand gloves. “The property has 40 staff members and it’s mandatory for them to have a temperature check before entering the premises,” says Kumar. Guests too will have to go through a temperature check and sanitise their hands before entering the mantapa. The contact details of each person will also be noted.
Following similar steps, MLR Convention Centre in JP Nagar, which has been hosting weddings and other events for 13 years, has had a dry run for the last two months. They are now getting ready to make a comeback, after seeing 15-20 cancellations of events that were scheduled to happen between March and July. Prasanna Kumar, the venue’s GM, says his team has planned the process at different levels. “Before the wedding starts, we will sanitise all the equipments, restrooms and the kitchen,” Kumar says.
Temperature checks of guests at the entrance and a one-metre gap between seating will also be put in place. “Following BBMP guidelines, we are planning to keep the AC off till there is change in rules. We have fans and three 12-feet high doors in the hall, so once all of them are open it stays well ventilated,” adds Kumar.
With sanitisation being key, some venues have gone to the extent of coming up with herbal and chemical-free sanitisers. For example, Balan Convention Centre in Arekere is planning to give a concoction of neem, turmeric and lime to its guests. “We are going to boil together these three ingredients, which have natural disinfectant qualities, and the liquid will be given as sanitising lotion. Kids will be coming in and people will be eating food too. That’s why we are planning to go chemical free,” says Suresh Babu, owner of the 1.5-acre venue in the city.