Business

Brides of Sri Lanka magazine together with Galle Face Hotel hosts ‘Wedding Week 2022’

Published

4 years ago

2022/02/10

The Brides of Sri Lanka magazine together with the Galle Face Hotel presents the most exclusive wedding expo of the year – Wedding Week 2022 – with exciting activities and series of bridal shows on the 19th and 20th of February at the Galle Face Hotel. The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau and Sri Lankan Airlines have partnered with the event to support in view of promoting Destination Weddings in Sri Lanka to India and other prospective target markets.

Four celebrated designers from India and the Maldives will showcase their collections alongside leading Sri Lankan designers at this event which is planned as a fun and interactive event for the couple to enjoy while planning their wedding.

Umang Hutheesing is the President of Hutheesing Design Company, established 1835. Hutheesing Design Company tied up with Tiffany & Co 1881 and won 9 gold medals at the Paris World Expo 1900 as one of the finest design firms in the world. It executed the East Wing of the White House and Durbar Hall of Osborne House at Queen Victoria’s Palace. Umang is a Managing Trustee of Hutheesing Visual Arts Center and the President of Hutheesing Heritage Foundation. He is the 5th generation to head the firm and has been Creative Consultant at American Vogue, Teen Vogue and many international media. He was instrumental in putting together India’s First Fashion Week.

He has collaborated with Holland & Holland, the official outfitters to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, and has showcased at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. He has also done panels for the Roosevelt House of the US. He is the only Indian designer to have shown over 300 of his creations at renowned international museums, and has the honour to create regal costumes for several Royal Families in India and across the world. Umang is expected to showcase ten brides and ten grooms on the 20th of February at Wedding Week 2022.

Nivedita is a national award-winning designer and has marked 20 exciting years in the industry. She has showcased her collections at the London Fashion Week, Paris, Hongkong, South Korea, Malaysia, Colombo, Dubai and major cities in India. She is the Founding Curator for the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum and has been conferred with the prestigious Bharat Gaurav Award for her significant contributions towards impacting life through sustainable and adaptive fashion. Warner Bros. has chosen Nivedita to be their official designer for India for their couture and prêt collections. Nivedita is the only Indian designer to have created bespoke outfits for the first family of Lamborghini. She will showcase ten brides and ten grooms on the 19th February as a show stopper for the first day of the Wedding Week 2022.

Aishath Shamla is a creative and popular fashion designer in the Maldives with extensive experience in orchestrating all aspects of women’s clothing. With over four decades of experience in dress making, the self-made seamstress and designer specialises in a full range of womenswear, from wedding gowns to casual dresses. She also owns and runs her namesake fashion boutique in the heart of Male, called Sham’s Boutique. She has showcased locally and internationally, including at Bangladesh Fashion Week. She will be showcasing ten bridals at Wedding Week 2022.

Aishath Shifza of Shif Couture is a talented and customer-oriented designer in the Maldivian fashion industry. She is popular among the youth, with very creative designs. Shifza has showcased her designs at Bride Fair Maldives 2014, Designers Week Maldives 2015, Bride Fair Maldives 2018, and Maldivian Idol Season 3. Shifza’s designs were worn by the Maldivian Idol Season 3 host and winner, as well as multiple other contestants throughout the season. Today, her brand, Shif Couture caters to brides and fashionistas all over the Maldives and is heralded as a designer bringing in a fresh perspective into the industry. She will showcase ten bridals at Wedding Week 2022.

Wedding Week 2022 will also feature ‘Meet & Greet’ Sessions (some with live demonstrations) with industry experts as follows:

Hair and Makeup Artistes – Ramani Fernando, Dhananjaya Bandara, Johann Peiris and Ramzi Rahman

Bridal Designers – Umang Hutheesing, Nivedita Saboo, Aslam Hussein, Charini Suriyage and Purnima Abeyratne

Groomswear Designers – Fouzul Hameed, Asanka de Mel, PVS Jayaratne and Kingsman Studio

Photographers – One Dulani Photography, Danushka Senadeera, Dimitri Crusz, Pamod Nilru Photography, Dhanuka of Dark Room, Imasha of White Episode, Elia David and Chapter Essence

Florists and Cake Designers – Country Bunches, Pramoda Boyas, Jerome of Fab and Amna Mohideen

Wedding Planners & Hoteliers – Janice from Kairos Weddings, Double Tree by Hilton Weerawila and Galle Face Hotels.

Wedding Week 2022 will also feature host ‘Experiences’ such as in Food Tasting, Wine Tasting, Cake Tasting, Cocktail Tastings, Giveaways, Jewellery Shows and Entertainment Shows and of course the much-awaited Bridal Shows with international and local designers presenting five shows per day. Brides of Sri Lanka magazine has organised this event to create a platform to uplift the Sri Lankan wedding industry and strengthen our foreign relationships. Brides of Sri Lanka magazine is also launching its sister magazine in the Maldives, called ‘Brides of Maldives’.

“We hope to support the wedding industry that has greatly suffered in the last two years due to the global pandemic and also promote wedding tourism, which in turn will help our economy and our nation”, says Nelum Haththella, Founder and Managing Director of Brides of Sri Lanka. “The support from the Galle Face Hotel, Sri Lankan Airlines and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the event partners and sponsors has been tremendous in this regard”, she added.

Wedding Week 2022 is free of charge and open to the public from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm on 19th and 20th February at the Galle Face Hotel.

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Business

SriLankan Airlines Resumes Flights to Riyadh and Dubai

Published

14 hours ago

2026/03/9

Thilina Walpola

09 March 2026; Colombo – SriLankan Airlines would like to inform passengers that it is resuming daily services to Riyadh tonight and Dubai tomorrow, while continuing to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East and prioritising the safety and wellbeing of its passengers and crew.

The following flights are scheduled to operate:

For more information please contact: 1979 (within Sri Lanka); +94 11 777 1979 (international); WhatsApp +94 74 444 1979 (chat only); your travel agent; visit www.srilankan.com; or follow us on social media.

Business

Oil prices jump above $100 for first time in four years

Published

20 hours ago

2026/03/9

Priyan

Oil facilities in Tehran were hit by airstrikes at the weekend

Global oil prices have jumped above $100 (£75.11) a barrel for the first time since 2022 as the escalating US-Israeli war with Iran has fuelled fears of prolonged disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran on Sunday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader, signalling that a week into the conflict hardliners remain in charge of the country.

The US and Israel launched fresh waves of airstrikes across Iran over the weekend, hitting multiple targets including oil depots.

Major disruption to energy supplies from the region threatens to push up prices for consumers and businesses around the world.

Early on Monday in Asia, Brent crude was around 15.5% higher at $107.16, while Nymex light sweet was up by more than 17% at $106.77.

Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region fell sharply in early trading on Monday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 index down by more than 5% and the ASX 200 in Australia more than 3.5% lower.

Many in the markets predicted that oil would hit the $100 a barrel mark this week.

In the event it took about a minute to jump 10%, and then another 15 minutes to rise a further 10% in early Asian trading.

Last week the markets had been relatively relaxed about the seeming nightmare scenario for millions of barrels of crude and liquefied natural gas trapped in the Gulf, unable or unwilling to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

But the escalations over the weekend, alongside scenes of destruction of energy infrastructure both in Iran and across the Gulf, saw the markets take rapid fright.

The question now is where does this go? Some analysts argue that if the shutdown in the strait lasts until the end of March, we could see record oil prices above $150 a barrel.

The existing rise is likely to further increase petrol prices, and those of important derivative products such as jet fuel and vital precursors for fertilisers.

The physical supplies from the Gulf are mainly consumed in Asia.

Already however there are signs that Asian consumers are bidding up prices for US gas, with some tankers originally heading for Europe turning around in the mid-Atlantic.

US President Donald Trump responded to the jump in prices by saying that short term rises were a “small price to pay” for removing Iran’s nuclear threat.

His energy secretary told US broadcasters on Sunday that Israel, not the US, was targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure, amid some concern about rising domestic pump prices caused by the war.

(BBC)

Business

CMTA warns buyers of long-term costs hidden in reconditioned vehicle imports

Published

21 hours ago

2026/03/9

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Motor Traders’ Association (CMTA) has issued a stark cautionary note to prospective vehicle buyers, warning that the initial price advantage of reconditioned imports often masks significant long-term financial risks.

By highlighting a “structural imbalance” in the current duty valuation system – which allows near-identical vehicles to be imported under a 15% automatic depreciation bracket – the CMTA argues that the lack of manufacturer-backed warranties and tropicalised specifications in the grey market could lead to a “reconditioned trap” for unsuspecting consumers. For the savvy buyer, the association suggests that the true cost of ownership is increasingly tilting the scales in favour of brand-new vehicles from authorised agents.

If two identical 2026 models are sitting on different lots, and one is significantly cheaper because it was technically “registered and de-registered” abroad, the frugal buyer’s instinct is to take the discount. But the CMTA argues that this 15% depreciation benefit – intended for genuine used cars – is being leveraged as a loophole for zero-mileage vehicles.

For the savvy buyer, this raises a fundamental question of transparency. If the entry price of a vehicle is built on a “procedural” technicality rather than actual wear and tear, where else is the transparency lacking? Does the lower price reflect a genuine saving passed to the consumer, or does it mask a lack of manufacturer-backed after-sales support?

When a buyer chooses an authorised agent, they are essentially purchasing an insurance policy against the unknown. With a five-year manufacturer warranty, the financial burden of a faulty transmission or a software glitch stays with the global giant that built the car, not the local owner. In an era where vehicles are increasingly “computers on wheels,” the technical specialised tools and genuine parts held by authorised agents are no longer a luxury – they are a necessity for longevity.

The CMTA’s perspective also invites the buyer to look at the “Big Picture.” Every time a vehicle is imported under an under-declared value or an artificial depreciation bracket, it isn’t just a loss for the Treasury; it is a blow to the country’s foreign exchange discipline.

“A savvy buyer today is more informed than ever. They realize that a “cheap” import with no service history and no tropicalised specifications may eventually become a “minus” on the balance sheet. Frequent repairs and lower resale value can quickly evaporate the initial few lakhs saved at the point of purchase. Ultimately, the choice between brand new and used is a choice between certainty and speculation,” the Association says.

The CMTA is advocating for a level playing field where duty is based on true transaction value. Until that day comes, the burden of due diligence rests on the consumer. To be a “savvy buyer” in 2026 means looking past the showroom shine and asking: Who stands behind this car if something goes wrong tomorrow?

In conclusion, CMTA says,” For those seeking long-term peace of mind, the “brand new” path – supported by a transparent duty structure and a solid warranty – remains the gold standard for steering Sri Lanka’s complex automotive landscape.”

Before signing the papers on a reconditioned vehicle, the CMTA suggests buyers evaluate the four “minus” factors against a “brand new” purchase:

By Sanath Nanayakkare