Indian weddings are known for their opulence, and despite the government’s effort to limit the money spent on high profile Indian weddings, we doubt anything is going to change. Marriage is the once-in-a-lifetime-spend-it-all moment and the about-to-get-married couples and their families are looking for better ways to make the wedding bigger and more pompous.
The money spent on food and catering forms a significant part of the wedding budget and as hosts, couples want to impress their wedding guests with delectable food, drinks and sweets. It is said that one thing that your guests will always remember and talk about is how good (or bad) the food was at your wedding.
The New Trend: Branded Food Chain Counters at Wedding Receptions
Traditionally, the wedding food was taken care of by reputed caterers in the city or those specializing in certain delicacies, hailing from various places in the country. Now, to add a dash of glitz to the wedding food, famous food and ice cream brands are being contracted to set up their own unique counter at the wedding reception. Now, who doesn’t like CCD’s coffee, Domino’s pizza, Haldiram’s kulfi, Kailash Parbat’s chaat, Tewari’s sweets, Gelato’s ice cream desserts and Birdy’s cakes and brownies?
These are just an example of how you can add extra dose of lavishness to your wedding food menu with branded food chain bars and counters. These are already amongst the most happening wedding trends in the country and I for one am eagerly looking forward to a friend’s wedding where a separate counter of Lindt chocolates is planning to be set up (just trying to figure out ways to keep people like me from hoarding those chocolates…let me know if you have ideas to ensure that)
Why these Brands Target Weddings?
One question that arises is: despite being already to famous, why these brands agree to cater at the weddings, sometimes even giving customization and personalization options to the clients, as Gelato and confectionary brands do?
The answer is pretty much obvious: by being present at the proverbial big, fat, Indian weddings, these food brands enhance their visibility without investing any additional amount in advertising or marketing. In fact, they are assured of a certain minimum units of sale as a part of the catering contract. More and more people are likely to contract these branded food chains once they attend a wedding where they were present.
A simple Tip: Do not Cluster your Reception with Brands
I’d give a simple advice to the to-be-married couples who are toying with the idea of contracting a specialty food brand such as Pizza Hut, McDonalds or Mad Over Donuts. Keep it limited to one or a maximum of two brands. Do not go over the top with this and line your entire food counter with the known names in the food industry. Not all people may like to eat the genre of food sold by these companies. Therefore, keeping them as highlight of the wedding reception will make your reception menu a hit amongst the guests.