Kottayam (Kerala): A catering agency has sparked widespread outrage in Kottayam after taking money and failing to supply food for two separate wedding receptions, leaving families scrambling at the last minute.

Sreelal, a native of Kanjikuzhy, lodged an official complaint against Vishnu, the proprietor of Kanjirappally-based ‘Udayam Catering’, after the firm absconded without providing meals for his sister's wedding. A second wedding in Mundakayam also suffered the same fate on the same day.

Sreelal, an NRI working in the UK, revealed that he discovered the wedding planners through social media while searching for agencies specialising in intimate wedding arrangements.

“I work in the UK and my sister is based in Canada, so we do not have many contacts locally,” Sreelal explained. “I shortlisted Udayam Wedding Planners after seeing their Instagram reels. Since it was a Sunday, many caterers were fully booked. I contacted them, paid an advance, and even visited one of their ongoing events after reaching Kerala to test the food. Everything seemed good at the time.”

However, the arrangement crumbled on the day of the ceremony. The firm failed to provide basic refreshments, forcing the family to order biryani from a local cafe in Manganam and arrange emergency ‘sadya’ meals from a nearby hotel.

“They didn't even prepare welcome drinks on the wedding day. Whenever we called, they claimed they were on their way before turning off their phones. We had ordered food for 250 guests and paid them over ₹1 lakh. Many of our relatives had to leave without eating. It was a total embarrassment,” Sreelal added.

The catering firm pulled off an identical scam in Mundakayam on the same day. Udayam Catering had contracted to supply food for a wedding reception there as well, but the catering crew did not turn up when it was time to serve the meal.
The owner of the catering firm remains unreachable, with his phone switched off. Police are investigating the complaint.