BENGALURU: The quintessential big fat Indian wedding has turned into a sober affair, thanks to the raging pandemic. Planners, make-up artists, caterers, photographers, and others involved in the industry suddenly find themselves scrambling for work. In this situation, Bengaluru-based Zeroin is organising a two-day virtual wedding expo, ‘Espousal’, an event that is aimed at supporting the wedding crew and industry by helping them recover from the impact of Covid-19.
To be held on September 11 and 12, the event will have over 200 online stalls, where ‘visitors’ can directly interact with wedding planners, jewellery designers, photographers, food caterers, venue planners, bridal salons, mehendi artists, florists, skin care professionals etc. “Like many other sectors, the wedding industry has taken a tremendous hit due to Covid-19. From wedding planners, photographers to event spaces, the $50 billion industry is facing a number of challenges due to the pandemic,” says Shikha Nahata, co-founder and partner, Zeroin.
So, how does it work? Virtual visitors can watch video presentations by vendors, participate in virtual tours of products, interact with service providers in separate meeting rooms and can even get samples of products physically delivered. With wedding ceremonies and the wedding industry having undergone tremendous changes over the last few months, the big fat Indian wedding has been replaced by intimate and memorable gatherings, feels Nahata.
She adds, “Though wedding celebrations are now conducted on a much smaller scale, it still requires a whole lot of planning and meticulous execution. If you are one among those planning an intimate wedding or if you are planning to wait it out for your big day, Espousal is a great place to find everything you need.”
Mahendra Gangadharan, founder, Neferrtiti Weddings in the city, says, “Over the last few months, the wedding industry has faced quite a few challenges. An online wedding fair will provide an opportunity
for wedding professionals to interact with prospective customers. On the other hand, for soon-to-wed couples, a platform like this gives them a chance to plan their dream wedding without the hassles of stepping out.”
To help the industry navigate through the challenges, there will be a host of experts from the wedding industry across the globe who will conduct sessions on the future of the global wedding industry and the emerging trends. Some of the prominent speakers are Prasad Bidapa, fashion choreographer and stylist; Samar Shawareb, founder and CEO, Arabia Weddings, Jordan; and Elisa Mocci, founder, Elisa Mocci Events, Italy.
The event will be held on September 11 and 12. For details, call 9008715708.