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The bridal industry :
A boost for rural women
by Elmo Leonard
There is a fast emerging industry which affords employment to many
thousands of young women, often at cottage level, called the bridal
industry. This industry is fast spreading its roots into rural Sri Lanka and
adding to the income of the rural folk. But, unlike the export apparel
industry which mainly calls for the deft hands of young women, the bridal
industry often requires that women display their artistic and innovative
talents.
The industry involves dressing the bride and the bridesmaids, beautycare
and cosmetics, flower making and supplying fresh flowers and all other
products and services that go with weddings.
It also encircles catering, travel (on the day of the wedding) for the
newly weds, honeymoon and the like. However, no survey had been carried out
on how many people this industry employs or the inroads it makes into rural
Sri Lanka each year.
Mushrooming nameboards by the side of the roads speak of services as
sewing bridal clothes, dressing the bride and the like.
There are also shops where such work is undertaken. While it is commonly
thought that there is much money in such a venture, people involved in it
disagree. They point out that it is not only the rich but the poor who get
married, and marriage for most people in our country, is but, once. Further,
because of the rising cost of living, the bride and the bridegroom's party
put down the amount of money they can afford for a wedding.
Recently, there were two exhibitions on the same day, for those involved
in the bridal industry, held at the Exhibition and Convention Centre, near
Lake House, and at the BMICH, Colombo. Most of these exhibitors catered for
the more affluent class.
Visiting the exhibition held at the Convention Centre, there were stalls
which catered to the bride and bridegroom, for low country and Kandyan
Sinhalese and the costumes which go with it and then, for Muslim and Tamil
brides and bridegrooms. There were also astrologers, ayurvedic products
which help make the bride more beautiful, even do-it-yourself acupuncture
therapy, where the bride-to-be could stop falling of hair, herself.
We did not come across aphrodisiacs on sale, but a gel on display, with
claims that its constant use strengthens the muscles of the female
genitalia.
Among a gallaxy of other services offered included, beauty saloons and
therapists, bridal designers, cosmetics, cake decorators and makers of boxes
for cakes, essences, ingredients and cake structure designers, wedding
consultants, electrical appliances, exercise and gym equipment,
holiday/honeymoon destinations, jewellery, photographers and photographic
studios and settings for taking photographs like under floral canopies,
waterfalls, hills and vale, wedding cards, toys and dolls to prevent the
flower girls from crying and many more unimaginable features.
Chamila Kahingala said her saloon, Chami Bridal Wear is located in
Moratuwa.
Her speciality is sewing bridal gowns, she has six girls working for her,
finds the work interesting and in time wants to diversify her industry.
What caught our attention were the girls who were enthralled by the
fashion shows and hundreds of young male and female models who graced the
catwalk. Vocal ads were the order of the day, calling for more male and
female models.
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