Wedding cost in MP rise by ₹5–6 lakh:Gold up ₹60,000, silver ₹1.5 lakh in a year; LPG shortage adds to woes

More than 20,000 weddings will take place in Madhya Pradesh over the next two-and-a-half months. Markets are crowded, but inflation has disrupted budgets. Gold and silver jewellery, along with electronic items, have become more expensive. A shortage of LPG cylinders has forced caterers to increase meal plate rates by up to ₹100. The impact has been felt most by middle-class families. Such families are now spending ₹5 lakh to ₹6 lakh more on weddings. How inflation is affecting the cost of one wedding A middle-class family’s experience explains how sharply inflation is affecting wedding expenses. Pankaj Yadav, a resident of Karond in Bhopal, recently attended his brother’s wedding and is now preparing for his cousin sister’s marriage. He said several items had to be cut from the budget. Rising gold and silver prices have upset financial planning. After the wedding venue and catering, jewellery has become the biggest expense. He said his brother’s wedding budget had risen by nearly ₹5 lakh. Most trouble due to cylinders Pankaj said they somehow arranged cylinders for his brother’s wedding, but cylinders are now unavailable for his sister’s wedding preparations. As a backup, wood-fired stoves have also been arranged so food can be cooked if needed. Caterer Rinku Bhateja said the shortage of cylinders has created difficulties, while several grocery items have also become costlier. Old bookings are being honoured at previous rates, but new bookings are being made at revised prices. The rate per plate for a reception is now between ₹800 and ₹1,000, an increase of up to ₹100. For a reception of 500 guests, this means an additional expense of ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh. Due to the shortage of cylinders, many people are now getting food prepared on large wood-fired furnaces. Gold up by ₹60,000, silver by ₹1.5 lakh in 1 year Bhopal jeweller Navneet Agrawal said middle-class families are the backbone of the market, and they have been hit the hardest by rising prices. Over the past year, gold and silver rates have risen sharply. Gold has become costlier by nearly ₹60,000, while silver prices have risen by up to ₹1.5 lakh. This has pushed the jewellery budget for weddings up by nearly ₹5 lakh. Electronic appliances have also become around 5% more expensive. Understanding the budget math Agrawal said that earlier, ₹5 lakh could buy 2 tolas of gold and 1 kg of silver. Now, the same amount buys only 1 tola of gold and half a kilogram of silver. To increase the quantity, families are having to spend an additional ₹5 lakh. Many people are now getting jewellery made within their existing budgets by reducing weight. Wedding Season in Full Swing, Break from May 14 After the end of Kharmas, the wedding season has picked up across the state. Thousands of marriages were held on Akshaya Tritiya on 20 April. Weddings are also being held on 26 April. After that, auspicious dates for marriages will remain from 5 May to 14 May, following which there will be a one-month break in wedding ceremonies. The wedding season will resume from 19 June to 7 July. This means marriage ceremonies will continue across the state for the next two-and-a-half months. Auspicious dates are also available for housewarming ceremonies, thread ceremonies and mundan rituals.