Season guide
Winter Weddings: 8 Simple Ways to Keep Guests Warm at Night
In Haryana the biggest wedding season runs from November to February, right through winter. Days are pleasant, but at night the cold and dew can trouble guests during the pheras, dinner and vidaai, especially the elderly and children. We at Bharat Tent & Light House, Khorra have been setting up home weddings in villages since 1995. These 8 simple ways to beat the cold come from our everyday work, and for each one we explain what we bring and set up at your home.
1. A closed pandal instead of an open shamiyana
An open shamiyana isn't right for a winter night. So in winter we set up a pandal enclosed on all sides with kanat (side walls) in your courtyard, street or the open space outside your home. The kanat keeps cold wind out and the inside noticeably warmer. We leave only one or two openings for coming and going, so there is less draught. More on pandals: wedding tent and pandal.
2. Waterproof tent against dew
Winter nights bring heavy dew, which can soak an ordinary cloth tent until it drips. For this we put up a waterproof tent or pandal, so guests, food and items stay dry. Winter rain also happens sometimes, and the same pandal handles it. When booking, tell us the wedding is in December or January and we bring the goods accordingly.
3. Carpets and durries on the ground
Most of the cold comes from the ground. So we lay thick durries and carpets across the whole pandal, especially at the mandap for the pheras, in front of the stage and in the seating areas. We place the chairs and tables on the durries too, so guests' feet are not on cold ground.
4. Time the main events well
After 11 pm the cold rises sharply. If the muhurat allows, hold the varmala and dinner earlier and keep late-night programmes short. Tell us your programme timings in advance and we will have the tent, stage and lights ready early, so everything can start as soon as evening falls.
5. Hot food and hot drinks
At a winter wedding, hot food is the biggest comfort. Our halwai cooks set up the bhatti at your home and cook fresh, hot food, and you choose the menu. You can add hot milk, tea, soup or gajar halwa. We set up the food counters inside the pandal so guests don't have to step out into the cold, and we bring bone china crockery too. See: halwai and catering.
6. Good lighting and generator
It gets dark early in winter. So we put up jhalar and LED lights across the pandal, path and street before evening, and we bring a generator as well, so a power cut doesn't leave guests sitting in the cold and dark. See: light decoration and generator.
7. Look after elders and children
When we lay out the pandal, we keep seating for elders and children in the middle of the pandal, away from doors and draughts. Serve them hot drinks first. For relatives staying overnight, or for the baraat's janwasa, we provide gadde, rajai and dari (mattresses, quilts and durries) on rent, which are most needed in winter.
8. If you use your own heater or angithi, be careful
We don't provide heaters or angithi, but if you bring your own, take safety seriously: keep it away from tent fabric, kanat, drapes and decoration, in an open area, under a responsible person's watch. Smoke from an angithi in an enclosed space can be dangerous. Tell us beforehand and we will leave a separate open spot for it when we set up the pandal.
Complete winter wedding setup, for the amount you tell us
We bring the goods in our own vehicle, set everything up at your home and take it all back after the function. If you like, visit us in Khorra to see our goods and pandal and stage designs. Tell us your budget and we will do the whole job to your satisfaction for that amount. For the rate, call or WhatsApp: 99918 64283.
FAQ
Which tent is right for a winter wedding?
A pandal closed with kanat, plus a waterproof tent against dew, with thick durries and carpets. Bharat Tent & Light House, Khorra brings all of these together, sets them up at your home and takes them back after the function.
Do you provide heaters?
No, Bharat Tent & Light House, Khorra does not provide heaters or angithi. We provide a closed pandal with kanat, carpets and durries, and hot food from our halwai, which reduce the cold a lot. If you use your own heater, keep it away from tent fabric.
How do we protect guests from dew and cold wind at a winter wedding?
Have the pandal closed on all sides with kanat and keep a waterproof roof so the night dew doesn't drip through. Lay thick durries and carpets, and serve food hot inside the pandal. For relatives staying over and the baraat's janwasa, Bharat Tent & Light House, Khorra also provides gadde, rajai and dari. (We don't provide heaters or angithi.)