Lucknow, April 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) The ongoing pandemic has claimed another casualty - the printing business.
With Covid restrictions on movement and gatherings getting firmer by the day, people have almost stopped getting wedding cards printed and sent out in the traditional way.
Families where weddings are taking place are now opting for digital wedding invitations that can be mailed or sent through WhatsApp.
"When the number of guests has been restricted to 50, what is the point of getting expensive cards printed? Besides, there is a problem of sending cards across because of lockdown in several cities. We are getting digital invites which are inexpensive and convenient. Instead, we have decided to give return gift boxes to the guests who will be attending the wedding," said Ujjwal Swaroop, whose son is getting married next month.
Most of the digital invites have photographs of the groom and the bride and the text is also different from the traditional cards.
"We had to choose only 50 and you are among them. The wedding may be small but your presence will make it big," read one such digital card.
For those in the printing business, however, the second wave of the pandemic has spelt doom.
"We have almost no business in this season. Why would anyone print 50 cards for a wedding and why should we keep the business open when it is not economically feasible," said Ravi Khanna, who own a printing business and specialises in hand-crafted cards.
His printing press has been closed and the staff has gone home. "I do not know when I will restart business," he said.
Samir Chaddha, a graphic designer, however, is much in demand.
"I am designing wedding cards and more and more people are appreciating it. They are even willing to experiment with cartoons and quirky sketches - something that was unacceptable for weddings till last year. My hands are full at the moment," he said.
Ujjwal Swaroop said that since his son preferred cartoon sketches in the card, he was fine with it.
"Since these are not normal times, why not add a smile with something that is unusual?" he asked.
Source: IANS
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