CHENNAI: Alagammal never thought this day would come. She and her family were scouring for Rs 100 and Rs 50 in gift money envelopes on the day of their daughter’s wedding.
Marriages that had the misfortune of being scheduled for November 9 turned out to be a bitter-sweet affair after Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes currently in circulation were demonetised. Lingadurai Nadar and his wife Alagammal, whose daughter got married on Wednesday in the city, said that the catering service and supplier settlements were still on hold.
“The caterers agreed to collect the payment from us tomorrow on the condition that we pay them at least Rs 2,000 today. So we had to remove 100s from the gift envelopes,” said Alagammal. Ever since the announcement was made, the families said that Rs 100 notes, usually taken for granted, assumed a level of significance like never before. Families of brides and grooms were left grappling after the announcement on Tuesday for last-minute purchases and settlements.
Owners of marriage halls are themselves in a fix, according to Moorthy R, manager of Shri Vishnu Mahal in the city. The clients had deposited Rs 50,000 before the wedding. Now that it’s over, they have to refund the amount, deducting water, gas and other expenses in the wedding hall.