Most salons and make-up studios in the city claim that the brides and even the grooms are spending as high as `50,000 to just get the perfect face make-up at salons in the city apart from opting for expensive bridal packages. Unlike yesteryears when brides and the families chose visiting the local beauty parlours or even doing the make up and draping of the saree at home, young and middle-aged brides are now seemingly frequently flocking into the branded salons and make-up studios in the city more.
“Clients pattern of demands for various services on offer has changed from that of the past. Brides and even grooms have become very specific about getting the right Bollywood look on their wedding day as well as the pre-wedding events. Though, the trend changed in the bigger cities long ago, people here is also soon catching up with the trend. Out of the clients we received last year, there were about 10 brides-to-be who chose the high end services in the pre-bridal packages as well as the makeup sessions that made them pay in the range of `50,000-`1,00,000,” said Deepak Das, Salon Manager, Naturals Unisex Salon and Spa at Kutcherry Road.
Das further explained the trend that is not just restricted to the bride and the bridegroom but even extend to the friends, family and guests. “We also have packages for the friends, sisters, family and the guests that include both men and women of all age groups. They come in for beauty services such as face cleaning, manicure, pedicure, skin polishing, facials, hair trimming and dressing and makeup,” added Das.
Another renowned make-up salon brand in the city said
that there is a clear upward shift in the spending habit of the brides
and grooms-to-be here in the
recent years.
“Now, young girls are deciding their designer and glamorous looks by following the various fashion weeks and such events on the television and the internet and approaching us to get the exact look on their wedding day. The amount of money spent on salons from the end of 2014 till last year has undoubtedly seen a rise of about 40-50 per cent. This includes not only the upper class but even brides from the middle lower income groups do not mind spending such huge amounts to pamper themselves for the big day,” said Shweta Rani, Centre Manager for lakme Re-Invent Salon at Kanke Road.
“Mostly brides opt for the Ruby and Diamond pre-bridal packages that start from `18,000 and can go up to `28,000. This does not include the make up for the different pre-wedding functions and the wedding look that can add up to even above `50,000,” added Shweta.
Makeup artists and beauticians at the leading wellness and beauty services and products brand, VlCC that has been running its centers in the city at six different locations that started off with just one about a decade ago believe that the social media has a crucial role in bringing about this noticeable drift in the trend recently.
“Now, everyone wants to look their best at such extravagant affairs such as wedding, sangeet, mehendi, haldi, receptions and all the time so that the selfies captured randomly posed with friends and family come out to be the best. Earlier, only the brides and the grooms were the center of attraction at their weddings unlike the recent times where pictures are clicked and shared instantly on the social networking sites. This has surmounted the pressure of looking one’s best at
all such ocasssions and thus, the change in the demands,” said
Alka Sinha, Beautician and Assistant Centre Head at VlCC in Kanke Road.
Sinha claimed that the around 30 brides coming in to book their pre-bridal packages and makeup sessions every month at the centre are willing to spend about `40,000-1,50,000 for their special day. “The time spent by the young brides and even grooms have increased in the past ten years by about 50 per cent,” added Sinha.