But, he adds, his members have noticed "an increase in the beginning process of wedding planning, on items such as gowns, in the past three months".

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The event design firm of Flowers on Mars provides wedding coordination, flower arrangements and disc jockeys -- more items the couple needed for their wedding.

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Ms Panwar said the items included her wedding and engagement rings, along with her father's watch and jewellery she inherited from her parents and grandparents, all of whom are no longer alive.

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Jewelers -- big and small -- have reported strong sales of engagement and wedding rings, in sharp contrast to slumping demand for other luxury items.

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Hundreds of people visited the fair selling an array of items, including jams, oil-paintings, religious sayings carved in wood and wedding cakes bedecked in decorations.

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It stems from the Syrian tradition for brides-to-be to be given a trousseau of exotic underwear - sometimes dozens of items - usually by girlfriends, aunties and cousins, to add spice to their wedding nights, honeymoons and beyond.

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