Neetu weds Guddu. Event sponsored by XYZ

A more recent case featured in the NYT described how a 22-year-old financial broker rustled up 15 local businessmen to supply free goods and services including a $250 wedding gown, a $200 cake and $400 matching bands plus an engagement ring. She had them agree to fund/supply all this in return for the privilege of advertising (discreetly and in good taste of course) at and after the wedding. How did they manage this delicate balance? Not by setting up intrusive banners across the alter, but by listing the sponsors names on the invitation cards, thanking them on the programme, featuring them on the couple’s Web Site, placing 4" x 6" banners next to their products. Company brochures were displayed at the wedding and, not to be forgotten, the sponsors were all invited to the ceremony. The underlying motivation for pioneering this, some might say crass, sponsorship is the need to mount increasingly expensive and lavish weddings, so subtly promoted by various bridal magazines. The US wedding business isestimated to be a $70 billion annual affair. I would hazard a guess that the size of the Indian marriage business is even larger!

So does it make sense to promote the idea of sponsored marriages? Are local conditions, of mounting ever more lavish affairs, supportive of such an innovation? Would our business folk be sufficiently responsive? Just think through these questions and I am certain you will come to the same answers as I have: Yes! Oh Yes! Oh Yes! It is very likely that we will be more than able to meet the personal criteria that our young lady broker spelt out for those seeking to enter the Sponsored Marriage game: “…they have to be thick skinned and treat it like a business endeavour.” In a funny way we already allow the suppliers of our marriage paraphernalia to display — often very crudely and loudly — their company names. XYZ Band, ABC Caterers, RST Tent House and so forth are blazoned across in a most indelicate fashion. The question now is: Why should these worthies be charging us for their services when they are getting so much free publicity? Surely, the time has come to cut a deal!

Before we all go rushing out to tie up sponsors for the next wedding in the family, pause for just a moment and ask yourself this question: What can we give them in return — how much publicity and among whom? Maybe, you need the expert services of enterprising event management guys!