ISLAMABAD: The demand for rental wedding dresses has increased manifold in the twin-cities amid the bustling wedding season due to the rising prices of bridal and groom attires. Many a rental shops have gone out of stock as people prefer renting a dress rather than buying one. The wedding season generally commences from October and lasts up to the end of May, informed the Manager of Afshan Zari House, adding that it had become very difficult for us to meet the burgeoning demand for rental gowns and maxis. “I do not think that investing a huge sum of money on bridal dress is a wise decision, as we wear it only once in a lifetime. I am selecting a rental Lehnga for my own wedding to save some money for our honeymoon,” said a young lady who was wandering at Purana Qila in search of a better deal for rental bridal dresses.
A rental broker in Raja Bazaar told reporter that the price for rental wedding dresses typically starts from about Rs.3,000. However, he said, the price depends on the dress and rental shop. For example, the rent of a designer Lehnga can go anywhere from Rs.15,000 to Rs.30,000 which is a fraction of its purchase price, he reckoned.
Another customer at a bridal house in Aabpara market said that saving money was not the only motive that pushed her to go for a rental maxi. “Rental dresses are higher in quality than those up for sale. Had the option of rental dress was not available, I would never be able to wear such a fine maxi on my special day,” she added.
Nonetheless, not every customer wanted to hire a dress for their wedding. “I want to purchase a high quality bridal dress that not only could I wear on my wedding day but also my daughter could put the same on her wedding ceremony,” said a customer at F-11 Market.
The designers and shopkeepers were also against renting out dresses owing to the huge production cost involved in making wedding dresses. Besides the low profits, they also cite the likeliness of spreading Coronavirus through rental dresses as another reason for not renting out wedding dresses.