gasp! I need some air, and was searching for it at - of all places- on google, semi-geek that I am, when I came across this website. Not quite what I was looking for, but refreshing nevertheless.

Thursday, June 17, 2004

of marriages and Kolkata

A brief summary of marriage halls and stuff in Kolkata

I am trying to schedule a marriage in Kolkata/ Calcutta in early January next year (2005), and am going through a lot of research and feedback from folks back home - about the various marriage halls available, their pro's and con's, what's available and what not. So I thought, why not put it up here, on my own blog, for easier access for myself (I tend to lose the post-its on which the data is right now) - and for a good starting point for others.

Reading keys:
This is a comparison statistic, such as size, or cost.
Positive feature
Negative feature

Fort William (our choice!)

Location: dead at city center (I think). Can't miss it.
Rs 1 lakh with decorations.
Much, much less for immediate relations of defense personnel.
Defense personnel only - for reservations.
Small marriage room - 25' square approx
Large balcony/ pavilion
Apparently, has the best decorator in Calcutta
Abundant car parking area
Huge, impressive, military maintained quality
Food is considered not worth the high price (Rs 250 per head) by some
Access driveway from the main road is about 1km, dark and scary at night.

Olpadwalla Hall

Rs. 1 lakh with decorations; Rs. 65,000 non-refundable
Close to Birla Planetarium
1 sufficiently large hall, rectangular
Stage on one short side of the hall
Religious rituals allowed
Large balcony on the other short side
Nice glass partition between balcony (rituals) and main hall (reception)
Parking space for 2 cars only
Visitor parking on Chowringhee road, private paid parking
Enclosed space; no greenery. Confined to one central hall.

CSIR Guest House

Available to Directors of CSIR organizations
near Rabindra Sarovar / Anderson Club
1 lawn, approx. 200' x 100'
1 triangular lawn, small, separated from the large lawn by buildings
Adjacent to CSIR Guest House
Adjacent to the lake. Nice greenery. Open space.
Abundant car parking space
"Open Source" - comes with nothing but a huge open area
You have to handle all the paraphernalia - caterers, decorators, etc.

Singhi Park

Located at Gariahat crossing
approx. Rs 1 lakh
2 halls in series - approx 1500 and 2000 sq Ft areas
Approx. dimensions: 60' x 30', 40' x 30'
Fast, easy access location
Huge balcony all along the long edge of the rectangle - 100' x 30'
Balcony has partial awning - approx 15'
About 4 cars allowed inside
Very difficult to find visitor parking

Tolly Club

Members only - for reservation purposes
Awesome location. Greenery and open space.
No religious rituals allowed

Apeejay House

Park Street, behind Park Hotel
1 large hall, approx 75' x 75'
Approx. 1 lakh
Good car parking facilities - at Park Hotel basement car park
Fabulous location - at Park Street
Absolutely no greenery or open space - but that's the Downtown of Calcutta.


*Update: December 26, 2007*

Soma and I got married at Fort William, on November 30, 2004 - and loved the experience. We were a little too tired to enjoy it all, but all our invitees who attended keep mentioning how great the evening was, and how wonderful the venue was. Extras we opted for included a 'phoochkawalla' - pani puri vendor - and the marching band from Fort William. Unfortunately, everyone else heard the band and ate all the phoochkas before the two of us could make it to the lawn.

For photos from our wedding - including a few that show the venue - click here:
http://photos.kundansen.org/wedding/

*Request*

I am no longer in the market for wedding halls in Calcutta - but a number of people seem to have used this information here as a starting point. If you are doing some more research, and can send your data my way, I can keep this entry updated with recent costs, more halls, new modifications that change pros/cons, etc. If possible, please also include some contact information for the venue(s) that you are sending in - reservations, inquiry, etc.

Thanks in advance!

24 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

great job, please keep updating as and when u have more info. about the other halls ,venues like bengal rowing club,agro horti. garden.
Trying to get some info from london, to organise sisters wedding in Jan. next year.
your price comparison was of great help.
know any sites that gives more info. on halls and deco. and catering in kolkata?
thanks

April 18, 2005 2:07 PM

 
Blogger Kundan Sen said...

Hi anonymous,

I got married last November, and that ended my search for the halls. I missed saying in the write-up that the hall was for my wedding :)

I chose Fort William, and it was spectacular. Think wide open spaces in the heart of Calcutta. Think high speed access roads. Think armed forces security. Think abundant parking. Plus, a 35-item buffet dinner, marvellous!

April 18, 2005 8:52 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great Job done!!!!

April 18, 2006 8:49 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i know this is a very old post but this was the only place where I could find relevant info on the pros and cons of renting fort william for wedding purposes. my very quality concious bro-in-law (who grew up in the States) is getting married in Cal next year and the burden of arranging a venue is on his kolkata raised sis-in-law(me)! i want to do my best.we only have one afternoon meal to arrange close to a gurudwara. can u advise on how fort william will compare to Hotel Hindustan International, in terms of location and presentation.Did you rent Sangam hall by any chance? Any information/detail would be highly appreciated.

June 21, 2006 11:30 PM

 
Blogger Gundelibuzz said...

Great job, I am searching for a hall myself now and this site's really been a help!

June 20, 2007 9:16 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey i am planning to arrange my wedding in fort william next december, i work outside kolkata and dont think i will be able to visit till end next year.my family recommends fort william what do you have to say about the same..... also if u dont mind can u uploads some snaps of the venue for future reference. Your information is very usueful and i truely appreciate it

December 13, 2007 4:09 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey i'm lukin for a venue for my marriage. venue would be preferable in central kolkata and it shud have a hall as well as a lawn...some suggestions needed...catering to be done purely by me...

August 27, 2008 2:40 AM

 
Blogger Kundan Sen said...

To all who have requested for comments - sorry for not checking your comments earlier.

I highly recommend Fort William (Sangam Hall)- that was, after all, our choice after all this research.

I had not seen the hall when I wrote this up - saw it at the wedding itself - big, airy, with a large lawn, and lots of places for people to get together in groups and have a nice time. The hall itself is large enough for those wanting to see the ceremony.

I have people who attended our marriage come to me even to day to say how they enjoyed the wedding at Fort William - and that makes me think it was definitely the right choice!

August 27, 2008 5:45 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Try out CONTINENTAL CATERING SERVICES of 39 BALLYGUNJ gARDENS kOLKATA - 700019, THE BEST CATERER OF Kolkata. Continental catering services is run by Renowned food columnist, food stylist RONGON NEOGI.Their specialities are : 1)Innovative menus never offered by any caterers.
2 )Best crockeries used.
3 ) Flawless service by Smart Hotel Management students.
4) Interactive stalls.
5 ) Fusion food.
Contact : RONGON NEOGI CELL PHONE # 9830183353.
OFFICE # 24408006 / 1556 , 2460-0504.
WEBSITE ; http://www.continentalcatering.co.in
Email : rongonneogi@continentalcatering.co.in

November 03, 2008 12:20 PM

 
Blogger Imagine said...

Continental offers a jazzy website and provides comprehensive menu options. What however is startling is though the ingredients are sufficient the cooking is often not found to be of the correct standard. Make sure you check the cooks while placing the order. The other surprising discovery you would make is while you choose dishes, it is better to cross check ingredients. I would give a simple example. All restaurants and fast food centres generally provide chicken, egg and prawn as ingredients for mixed chowmein or mixed fried rice but out famous caterers of 20 years of experience do not agree that prawn is a natural ingredient. Also seems they run a service known for its loudness over the top

November 15, 2009 10:28 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi,

I'm getting married in Kolkata next year and was thinking of Sangam Hall as the venue and was hoping that you could help me.

What is the capacity of the hall? Did you get your own decorators and caterers, or did you go with theirs? Is there any information or pictures of the hall available on the web?

January 14, 2010 11:42 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hi...kundan...i was also looking out for halls..open ground for marriage..My sis is getting married to a mauritius guy soo they want a good marriage here in india and def kolkata.,..so as my brothr getting married to a chinky..so u can well imagine...we require quite good place to conduct the reception..so if u have any idea..doo blog it up here...
thanks..

January 21, 2010 7:11 AM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

If you are looking for a marriage hall near Dunlop,just try Umar Swapna.

"Umar Swapna" is a 3 storied (3000sqft each floor) full AC Wedding Venue with a beautiful rooftop garden.
It is also rent out for Conference, Seminars, Corporate Meeting, Birthday Party, DJ night ,Shooting location.

Their specialities are :Valet Car Parking, Uninterrupted Water and Power supply, standby Sweeper, Electrician and Managerial staff.Its stunning interior as well as exterior decoration will make any event more gorgeous. It is just 25 mins. from Kolkata Airport and 10 nis. from Dunlop.
The best part is its reasonable price.

Address:-
33, Old Nimta Road, RaniPark, Belgharia, Kolkata – 700056.

Email Id: - umarswapna@gmail.com
URL :- http://www.calcuttayellowpages.com/adver/108574.html

Contact no :- +91 9830383302 /+91 9874040830

Capacity :- Up to 1000 guests

April 10, 2010 2:22 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hii....

i thnk you have mentioned it already in your post, but would like to clarify is the Fort Williams wedding hall open to people not related to army in any way? .. please do let me know....

Thanks, Sud

April 10, 2010 2:48 AM

 
Blogger Medha said...

hii kundan!!cud u plzz tell me bout d food arrangement of sangam hall & wud it b allowed if we book our own caterers...just for food!!!!also upload some pics.

June 03, 2010 11:27 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hi. am looking out for a venue for a hindu wedding to happen in kolkata in the month of nov. (29th to be precise). the boy is from a bengali family and the girl from a marwadi family.
no. of people to attend : 150 -200 people.
pl suggest venues for wedding halls, hotels etc.

April 08, 2011 12:20 PM

 
Anonymous long island wedding said...

Scouting for the right location is an important wedding plan.

May 27, 2011 5:29 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sir can u let me know how can I book Fort william for my marriage. thanks nidhi

June 03, 2011 4:12 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hi. i really found your blog very informative. i would like to get a general idea about the price of all top wedding venues which are available to the general public. can you please put up a list of venues, their area and price especially venues like railway grounds or p c chandra green projects etc. thanks!

July 08, 2011 1:33 AM

 
Blogger srilaxmi said...

sir can u plz let me what is the price and how to book foot william for my marriage on 28january2012

July 14, 2011 1:07 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

PC CHANDRA GROUNDS , 4A SHORT ST , 27 BALLUGUNGE PARK ROAD, NALBAN , NICCO PARK BIG LAWN ,

July 22, 2011 10:32 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

is sangam hall in fort william open for non army personnels...? plz let me know

February 06, 2012 6:54 AM

 
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June 11, 2013 8:07 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Because someone here mentioned Continental Catering Services, let me post my recent bad experience with them. Please avoid them at all cost.

We used Continental Catering for my sister's wedding in Kolkata in April 2014. Their overall contract included breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was ok; some dishes were actually tasty. However appetizers and drinks were sub par. The main reason for this poor review is their extremely poor and unprofessional service. When you are in the middle of conducting a once in a lifetime event like a family wedding, the last thing you need is a caterer who needs to constantly be reminded of what to do and the staff and manager behave rudely with hosts and guests. They have grown so big that they are conducting many events (sometimes 4-5) on the same day and you will not get the attention that you deserve. 

Their planning for food quantity was poor (ran out of food during breakfast halfway through the supposed headcount). Their servers (mostly hotel mgmt students) have a poor attitude towards guests and we got reports that they were rationing the main dishes halfway through dinner. They were fighting amongst themselves (in front of guests) on occasion. The appetizers and drinks were not circulated well amongst guests. They did not honor repeated requests to not put cashews in the food since a family member is deadly allergic to cashews and could have caused a tragic accident. And this isn't even all of the operational issues with their arrangements.

One of their owners, Suman Neogi behaved rudely with and insulted several family members when they expressed their frustration with the service. On an occasion such as a wedding with emotions running high, such lack of professionalism from the manager is inexcusable since the rest of the team will follow his lead. Clearly they have been successful and have made a lot of money, but it is also clear that they don't care about you or take pride in their work. The only time their behavior was impeccable was when it came to asking for money. It left a blemish on what should have been a happy event for us and I sincerely hope that others don't fall into their trap (their prices are slightly cheaper) and look elsewhere.

April 28, 2014 12:03 AM

 

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