A joyous wedding celebration turned into an absolute nightmare for two families in Kottayam district after a catering service failed to deliver food for the receptions. Left with no other choice, the desperate families had to scramble at the last minute, ordering meals from nearby hotels to feed hundreds of hungry guests who had arrived for the ceremonies.

The shocking incidents took place at wedding venues in Mundakkayam Chotty and Kottayam Kanjikuzhy. Following the incident, the families of the brides filed complaints at the Mundakkayam and Kottayam East police stations against a Kanjirappally-based catering service and the individual who collected the payments.

Last-minute excuses and unkept promises
For the wedding held in Kanjikuzhy, the bride’s family had signed a ₹1 lakh contract covering the catering, stage decoration, and sound system. While the caterer outsourced the stage and sound setups to another party, they completely failed on the food front. Guests arrived, but there was no sign of the welcome drinks or the main feast. When frantically contacted, the caterer initially claimed that the delivery vehicle carrying food from Erattupetta had met with an accident but promised another vehicle was on its way. However, during subsequent phone calls, the contractor casually admitted that the food had not even been cooked.

Not even drinking water provided
A similar ordeal unfolded at the wedding venue in Mundakkayam Chotty. The bride’s family, hailing from Panakkachira, had entered into a ₹1.4 lakh contract with the same catering firm. This agreement also included catering for the wedding eve, which was delivered without issue. However, on the main wedding day, the caterer failed to provide even drinking water at the venue. When the anxious family repeatedly phoned the catering team, they were repeatedly told that the delivery staff would arrive shortly. By afternoon, the caterers stopped answering the phone altogether.

Note: The name of the catering establishment has been withheld as the police are yet to register an official case.