KARACHI, Nov 18: A three-day exhibition Wedding Extravaganza organized by the Dawn Group of Newspapers began on Friday with 41 exhibitors having set up stalls.

The exhibition is on till Sunday from 11am to 10pm and has been arranged keeping in mind the wedding season that is picking up pace after Ramazan. The venue, done up entirely in white, is divided into stalls with the exhibitors ranging from event planners, jewellers, designers, photographers, beauticians, garment manufacturers, interior decorators, etc.

A general air of exuberance and sophistication was noticed at the exhibition venue, which attracted people, mostly women, from all walks of life. Some working women said that they were on an extended lunch break from their offices so that they could check out the bargains available on the first day.

Most of the participants have gone to great lengths and taken pains to make their stalls visually appealing. A wedding photographer has arranged for on-the-spot portraits which is extremely popular with visitors while other exhibitors offer special discounts. However, most of the designers are only showing at the exhibition and book orders with no on-the-spot sales on offer.

One designer said what she especially liked about the exhibition was that it catered to all age groups.

A lady busy preparing for her daughter’s trousseau said that she had been eagerly waiting for the exhibition to get underway because being a heart patient she could not cope with the stress of visiting the shopping malls. Another group of young women said that they wanted to shop for designer wear and jewellery under pleasant conditions and get good bargains.

Keeping in mind the crowds that the venue attracted, many said that they faced a lot of difficulties in parking their cars in wake of the recent bomb blast nearby due to which the traffic police had made the entire area a no-parking zone. The only place left to park was at the Baradari parking lot that was already filled to capacity.