Busy Brides, Here Are 6 Essential Tips To Make Wedding Planning Easier

If you're currently a bride-to-be, chances are you're trying to get your big day planned while juggling a hectic work life. Since you spend most of your time in office, you've probably been using all that computer time to do your research and frantically make a Pinterest board, but this crazy busy balancing between work and wedding can't be beneficial to either of the two causes. Maybe these time-saving tips will help you #BusyBrides out...

Rely on a wedding planner you can trust
Involving a wedding planner is a decision that both you and your spouse-to-be need to be onboard with, but in a situation where both of you have busy working lives and are able to afford it, it might be the best option. This doesn't mean you are any less involved in your wedding. It just means that there's someone else to take all the maddening stress instead of you. You still get the final say, you get to choose everything from start to finish, but more than anything, you have someone to help carry out your vision. So finding a wedding planner who shares your wedding style and vision, and someone you can trust, might ease your lives unimaginably. Just make sure you're as clear as can be about what you want from the very beginning. This also brings us to the aspect of delegation: delegate tasks to your bridal party or your family or anyone who has previously committed to helping you out without feeling bad; we're sure you would do the same when it came to them.

Inform your boss and colleagues about possible time off you might need
Like we said earlier, planning a wedding while being bogged down with work is one hell of a task. You obviously can't quit your job and just commit your life to planning the occasion (because to be real, it'll be over faster than you know it). You can, and might even have to, take a few days or weeks off in the middle to get some major wedding planning-related tasks out of the way. Once you've got your wedding dates down, make it a point to inform your boss and everyone concerned at work of the possibility of you requiring a few days off here and there, closer to the wedding date.

Keep yourself organised and make the maximum use of your phone
Get yourself a wedding binder or a specific calendar to help keep to your wedding timeline; they will definitely help you get organised without losing your mind. Also, we're assuming you have a smartphone (if not, how are you doing anything wedding-related?), so it should be easier for you to keep track of planning-related information over email and group chats. Plus, you could also try using apps like Google docs and sheets to keep you updated on any progress and help you plan better.

Take inspiration from your work and life for the kind of wedding you want/can have

While most of us possibly dream of having the grandest, most fairytale-like wedding ever, it's not very feasible. Especially if you and your partner are working professionals with hectic lives, it might not make the most sense depending on your schedules. So when it comes to envisioning your wedding, keep your fantasies aside for a bit and try and come to something that works for you guys, while keeping your ideal wedding in mind as well. Keeping all of this in mind, it might also be more possible for you now to create wedding timelines that work for you and not against you. As much as your wedding is supposed to be that one-of-a-kind occasion in your life, it's also not supposed to leave you broke and insane by the end of it.

Use your time well
Whether this means using your lunch break to make some calls or your commute to and from work to cram in some extra research, make sure you use your time well. We're not saying you have to dedicate every ounce of free time you have to planning unless you want to, just use whatever time you have effectively. That could also mean taking a short nap in between, because who knows how much sleep you've been getting between work and all that planning!

Keep an open mind
We understand that it's definitely easier said than done when it comes to keeping an open mind and stressing out minimally during the planning of your wedding. But when you're already busy enough as it is, it might be your only option to maintain your sanity till your big day. It might prove harder every day, but try and keep an open mind when it comes to certain wedding details; don't lose it if there's a slight change or something can't be exactly the way you want it.

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Celebrity wedding planner who worked Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie found dead at her home in Italy

Eleonora Rioda, a celebrity wedding and party planner, was found unconscious in her Venice, Italy residence on Easter Sunday and could not be revived by responding paramedics

A well-known celebrity wedding and party planner who has worked with several Hollywood A-listers including Angelina Jolie, Tom Hanks, and Will Smith, was reportedly found dead at her home in Italy.

Law enforcement in Italy found 37-year-old Eleonora Rioda, unconscious at her Venice apartment on Easter Sunday, before responding paramedics were unable to revive her, according to a report by Italian newspaper Corriere del Veneto.

Rioda founded Venice First, an events company that organized the wedding of Real Madrid star Alvaro Morata and Alice Campello in 2017. While she had recently suffered from health problems, the specifics are still unclear.


The glamorous entrepreneur began her illustrious career working with luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent and soon moved to the Netherlands to join an event organizer called DMC. In 2009, Rioda founded her own company after returning to Venice. She soon rose to prominence and came to be known as the best VIP wedding planner in the city.

Then again in 2011, she made international headlines after she was roped in to organize the wedding of one of India's wealthiest daughters, Ritika Agarwal, who tied the knot with Rohan Mehta.

The bill for the lavish event which saw three days of celebrations and reportedly cost over £7million ($9 million) was footed by Ritika's business tycoon father Pramod Agarwal. It was a star-studded affair requiring over five hundred staff to keep the guests happy. Popular rock troop Florence and the Machine also performed for the newlywed couple.

In 2017, Rioda organized events for Alvaro Morata as he took the holy vows with fashion blogger Alice Campello. The grandiose function, which had over 400 guests, saw the couple take separate boats to the Basilica del Redentore, where they eventually met and tied the knot. The lovers then took a tour of the dreamy city's famous canals.

The celebrated event planner also arranged for a stunning five-tier cake and a Cinderella-style carriage made from fairy lights for their wedding reception. What's more? An assorted collection of Cuban cigars were also presented to guests on the house.

According to Rioda's website, she had worked with several household names including Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr, Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Ben Stiller, and Jamie Foxx, reported Daily Mail.

wedding Planners in Chennai 

Barcelona Bridal Week 2019 affirms position as central hub for global bridal sector

Barcelona - If you are an industry professional who has not yet had the opportunity to attend the Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week (VBBFW), consider saving the date for next year. Not only because of the appeal of the multifaceted city of Barcelona, a city associated with culture and art, but also in order to experience this unique trade event dedicated to bridal fashion. The high standards set by this impeccably organized event and the high level of international brands participating in it, allow visitors to enter into a dream world, a world of luxury and style.

The 2019 edition of VBBFW was held at Fira de Barcelona's Montjuïc venue, located in Plaza de España and featured 429 participating brands, 74 percent of which were international ones. A total of 35 leading brands exhibited their wedding dresses, groom wear, cocktail dresses and eveningwear on the catwalk. The main strength of the event lies in its ‘twin offer’, which combines catwalk shows with a professional trade fair, thus attracting both sector professionals and also end customers.

This year, the Swiss cosmetic firm Valmont, which signed a three-year contract with the event, reinforced the image of beauty, quality and exclusivity projected by the Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week 2019. Julien Michoud, CEO of Valmont for South & Middle Europe, told journalists: "This alliance represents a milestone for us. It reinforces our commitment to be renowned for innovation in the beauty sector worldwide. The whole Valmont Group family is proud to be part of an important event such as the Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week in which women play a central role."

Marchesa, The Atelier by Jimmy Choo and Zac Posen notable among the innovations presented during this edition of Barcelona Bridal Week

Marchesa, the U.S. brand by designer duo Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, played the starring role during the opening night of the event with a fashion show in the Pedralbes Gardens, surrounded by hundred-year-old trees and accompanied by an open-air cocktail party. It was their first visit to the city of Barcelona, where they presented their 2020 bridal collection, consisting of 32 wedding dresses.

Other brands were also first-timers to the event this year, such as The Atelier Couture, from Malaysia, which presented its new collection signed by its creative director, Jimmy Choo, and American brands Maggie Sottero and Mori Lee, the Israelian brand Flora, the Spanish companies Aire Barcelona, Fely Campo, Beba's Closet, and Sedomir Rodriguez de la Sierra, as well as María Salas, Jacques Beauhamais, and the Bulgarian firm Julia Kontogruni.

Also hailing from Spain, old-timers Jesús Peiró, Pronovias and Rosa Clará, Cristina Tamborero; Sophie et Voilà; Carlo Pignatelli; Isabel Sanchís; Marylise & Rembo Styling; Inmaculada García; Isabel Zapardiez; Ana Torres; Esther Noriega, Cymbeline; Marco & María; Yolancris; Ramón Sanjurjo, Carla Ruiz; Sonia Peña and Demetrios returned to the bridal trade fair with great enthusiasm.

This edition of the VBBFW, organized by Fira de Barcelona, surpassed its own records, attracting an audience that numbered over 22,000 visitors from 88 countries, almost 2,000 visitors more than in 2018. More than 1,300 key buyers, directly contacted by the event organization, attended the trade show. Of these, 86 percent were international buyers, mainly from Italy, Germany, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and Brazil – all of them countries that have been 'targeted' by the trade show in its internationalisation process.

According to Estermaria Laruccia, director of the Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, "after its 29th edition – the 5th organized by Fira de Barcelona – we can affirm that the VBBFW is already the leading international event for bridal wear and eveningwear, providing a stage for brands to present new trends in the sector, and the place for national and global stakeholders from the bridal industry to come together. In the future, we want to continue inspiring people and sharing the passion we feel for this project with the firms, the buyers, the industry and the fashion world in general."

The VBBFW 2019 catwalk also staged the "New Talent Show" featuring the creations of young designers such as Olga Maciá from Spain, Chiffon Atelier, Mireia Balaguer and Lorena Panea, and the Italian brands Simone Marulli and Poesie Sposa.

The ELLE International Bridal Awards 2019, organized in collaboration with VBBFW, were presented in the Paraninfo room of the University of Barcelona. The bridal designer and star of the television program "Say yes to the dress", Randy Fenoli, was the one tasked with hosting the awards, which was attended by over 500 guests. The directors of the 10 international editions of ELLE magazine and the director of the VBBFW, Estermaria Laruccia, made up the jury that selected the winners among the firms nominated by the ELLE editions from around the world: Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

This year the awards, which recognise talent and excellence in various areas of the bridal industry, honoured the Spanish firms Rosa Clará with the Lifetime Achievement award, and Yolancris with the award for Best Bridal Fashion Show. The Italian designer Peter Langner received the award for Best Wedding Dress, for his Janet Dress, while the award for Best Bridal Gown Collection was jointly awarded to Antonio Riva, for his Petals Collection, and Elie Saab, for his Bridal Springs 2019. For his part, Tom Ford was awarded Best Groom Collection for his Spring/Summer 2019 creations, and the English designer Stella McCartney won two awards: one for Best Ad Campaign, and the second for Best Bridal New Talent. Finally, Tiffany & Co. was recognized as the Best Wedding Jewelry Collection for its Tiffany True ring collection; Il Pellicano Hotel in Porto Ercole (Italy) as the Best Honeymoon Resort, and the Italian Anna Frascisco as the Best Wedding Planner.

The week dedicated to bridal gowns and grooms' attire, evening wear and accessories already has a date set for next year. It will return from April 20 to April 26, 2020 at the Fira de Barcelona to present the 2021 collections of the leading bridal fashion brands worldwide.

wedding Planners in Chennai 

A Wedding Planner's Modern Mountaintop Wedding in Vail, Colorado

Karli Jones was planning weddings before she even knew her husband-to-be. In July 2013, she was interning for a wedding planner when she first met Matthew Spangler as a student at Texas Christian University. The couple fell in love, graduated, and settled down in Dallas, where Karli opened her own wedding planning company: Ivory & Vine Event Co..
After four years of dating, Matthew told Karli that they were attending his coworker's wedding, so she got ready—but was surprised when a limo showed up at her house. Of course, the limo was not intended as wedding transportation. Instead, it took Karli on a tour of her and Matthew's favorite places throughout Dallas. "At each location, one of my best girlfriends was hiding and waiting to give me the next clue," she recalls. "They'd all flown in to surprise me!" Once she'd picked up all of her friends, the limo took her to her final destination: Flippen Park, where Matthew was waiting to propose.
The bride grew up in Colorado, and wanted to share the beauty of the mountains in the summer with their 110 guests. "It was the perfect excuse for an escape to Vail with our nearest and dearest," she says. The couple filled their wedding weekend with adventure, from white water rafting and dinner on a working ranch to a mountaintop ceremony. "All I'd envisioned before we got engaged was marrying Matthew, and I kept that feeling in my heart as our big day approached," says the bride. Of course, as a pro she knew her way around the process: "I knew exactly which vendors I wanted to have by my side on my wedding day," she admits. "Matthew and I weren't afraid to buck tradition and make the day our own!" That said, Karli turned to Grit & Gold Event Co. to take over the details the month of, executing everything Karli had planned so that she and Matthew could embrace the weekend and all the feelings that came along with it.

Keep reading to see everything this wedding planner dreamed up for her mountaintop wedding on July 28, 2018. The photos by Stephanie Brazzle are sure to impress you, below!

Every destination wedding needs a great welcome box, and Karli and Matthew welcomed their friends and family with water, canned prosecco, and a selection of their favorite treats.

Karli's wedding gown was custom-made by Yasmine Layani. "We put together elements from some of the favorite gowns I'd seen," says the bride. "I wanted something classic, with a slight nod to vintage gown design." The final creation paired a bateau neckline with sheer sleeves, a chiffon wrap skirt, and a high-low hem that was perfect for showing off her lace Joy Proctor for Bella Belle booties! Karli's bridesmaids all wore gray, with each 'maid choosing a dress (or jumpsuit!) that fit her own personal style.

Matthew wore a navy suit for the mountaintop ceremony, and could barely contain his emotions when he spotted Karli walking down the aisle toward him. "I had both my father and my stepfather walk me down the aisle together," says the bride of the special shared moment.

The couple's venue, the Vail Wedding Deck, flaunts spectacular views of the surrounding peaks, so Karli and Matthew kept their ceremony decor simple. "We had a few wild and organic arrangements set in a semicircle on the ground," she says.

After exchanging personalized vows, Matthew and Karli's officiant invited their parents and grandparents up to the altar to join them. As another nod to their families coming together, Karli gave Matthew her grandfather's wedding band.

"One of my favorite memories of our wedding day was the time we got to spend together as newlyweds," says Karli. "We got to explore the scenery while taking pictures with our photographer. The pressure was off, we could just have fun, and we were finally married!"

Meanwhile, guests headed to the reception area: a clear-top tent set on the square outside of the Arrabelle at Vail Square. "On our RSVPs, we asked our guests to choose one of three cocktails: a grapefruit margarita, lavender lemonade, and a spicy old fashioned," Karli says. "We placed drink stirrers customized with each guest's name and table number in their drink of choice so they could have a sip while they found their seats."

The reception design—including the aspen branches suspended from the tent—was inspired by one of the couple's favorite restaurants in Positano, Italy. Long bare farm tables were topped with taper candles and garlands of greenery.

On the head table, a navy runner wove between floral arrangements and gold-rimmed glassware. Lush creations combined pink roses, lisianthus, tea roses, and sprawling branches. Each place setting featured soft gray plates, modern gold flatware, and linen napkins embroidered with each guest's name.

The wedding's Italian influence continued with the dinner menu as guests enjoyed a gnocchi bar. The newlyweds also stepped away to visit the gelato shop across the square for a sweet treat.

Karli changed into a chic white pantsuit for the party, then she and Matthew headed to the dessert table to slice into blueberry, apple, and Colorado peach pies all made by the bride's grandmother. "We also brought out a cake for my grandparents to slice, since the next day was their anniversary," adds the bride.
Though she's planned countless weddings professionally, Karli says she got new insight into her job when planning her own wedding. "I have much more appreciation for brides struggling to stick to their budget," she says. "Matthew and I did our best to focus on what really is important: marrying one another, and the fact that all of these people will never be in the same place again. We did our best to take advantage of the time we got with everyone that weekend!"

wedding Planners in Chennai 

Wedding planner platform The Knot Worldwide to create 100 Galway jobs

Digital marketing marries romance as Galway proves to be a good catch for The Knot Worldwide.

Global wedding planner platform The Knot Worldwide is to create 100 jobs at a new operations centre in Galway.

Led by CEO Tim Chi, The Knot Worldwide delivers leading wedding marketplaces, wedding websites, planning tools, registry services and more for free to more than 20m monthly unique visitors in 15 countries across the globe.

‘We’ve been extremely impressed with the talent from this city, are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the IDA and the city of Galway, and are excited for the invaluable work this team will do’

The new roles will include content writers, community forum support and customer support staff.

Get hitched, Galway style
Through its global wedding planning brands The Knot, WeddingWire and Bodas, The Knot Worldwide has more than 40 years of experience combined and has helped more than 40m couples plan their weddings.

Engaged couples worldwide will plan and celebrate their special day using the company’s content, registry services, free wedding planning tools and access to more than 700,000 local vendors with 7m global reviews.

Wedding professionals, retailers and national brands also benefit from enhanced advertising and marketing reach to the expansive global wedding audience, as well as industry-leading tools and analytics to help grow their businesses.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to expand our global footprint with a new office in Galway,” said Jessica Finnefrock, executive vice-president for global operations at The Knot Worldwide.

“We’ve been extremely impressed with the talent from this city, are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the IDA and the city of Galway, and are excited for the invaluable work this team will do to help our local wedding business professionals better connect with couples and ultimately grow their businesses.”

IDA Ireland executive director Mary Buckley said: “This decision by The Knot Worldwide to establish its international operations centre in Galway to serve its global markets is a welcome and significant investment for the west region, offering some 100 new roles that will enhance the skillsets base around digital marketing and content writing in the region.

“I believe Galway, with its vibrant and growing technology ecosystem, will be a great fit for The Knot Worldwide. I wish the company every success with its operations here.”

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12 wedding planning apps every bride-to-be needs on her smartphone

Vogue curates some of the handiest apps for everything from budgeting to photo sharing to ensure your wedding planning woes are a thing of the past

We’ve all heard of that infamous bridezilla. You know, the type of bride who’s likely to go berserk when the colour of blooms on the table’s centrepieces don’t match the floral installations at her wedding, or whose demands from her wedding planner have him playing her personal assistant. But chances are that even bridechillas (read: brides who are super easy to work with) may find themselves inching towards this category at some point during their wedding planning. It’s easy to understand why, of course, considering weddings often come with unanticipated financial considerations, complicated family dynamics, and many more unforeseen problems, and need someone to be on top of everything.

Since there is no such a thing as being too relaxed as a bride (or groom), we’ve curated a list of the best wedding planning apps that’ll make the lead-up to your big day that much easier and even segregated them according to the type of assistance they provide. All you need to do now is find them in your app store and hit download.

1) To help the bride who doesn’t know where to start: Wedding Wire
Consider this app your online wedding directory, embedded with thousands of vendors across categories like decorists, wedding planners, hair and makeup artists, venues and much more. Originally a website (which is still functional), WeddingWire.in came up with their own smartphone application to allow their users to plan their wedding from anywhere at any time. Download the app to shortlist your favourite wedding specialists under one tab and even create checklists. Available on iOS and Android

2) To create your wedding moodboards: Pinterest
While the platform doesn’t need much introduction, Pinterest’s mobile app is the perfect place to get all the wedding inspiration you need—from your bridal lehenga and makeup to table settings and everything in between. Touted as the best web-based pin board, this one lets you discover visual references for every wedding-related category and bookmark the images others have posted. Available on iOS and Android

3) To plan your wedding without a planner: WedMeGood
The WedMeGood app lets you customise your wedding checklist, zero down on vendors and even contact them through the platform. The best part is the collaborative feature that lets you invite your vendors, fiancé and even family to plan your wedding together, while checking off tasks from the list. Available on iOS and Android

4) To decide your wedding’s colour scheme: myPantone™ and Pantone Studio
Who better to create your wedding’s overall palette than the most definitive voice for colours in the world? With the myPantone™ and Pantone Studio apps, you’ll have access to over 13,000 Pantone® Colors, and will also be able to create colour palettes for inspiration that you can then share with your fiancé, family and your design and decor specialist. myPantone™ is available on iOS, and Pantone Studio works for Android phones

5) To keep a track of everything: WeddingHappy
On this clever wedding planning app, you can pretty much do anything. Want to create a wedding day countdown? Check. Want to keep a track of payments? Check. Want to review the planning progress? Check. The bonus? You can use this one offline too. Double check! Available on iOS and Android

6) To keep all your wedding planning files together: Google Drive
Create, upload, track, store and share Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs and photos on the Google Drive app for seamless and offline viewing. What’s more, anyone with a Gmail account can edit and comment on your files, and the app’s hub also links Google Calendar, so no one can lose track of time. Available on iOS and Android

7. To include guests who cannot make it to your wedding: WebWed Mobile
A revolutionary cross-platform mobile application for your wedding, WebWed Mobile let you send an invite to your guests who can’t make it to your big day. Its unique technology gives them a 360 degree view of the whole day right on their phones. Available on iOS and Android

8) To make your wedding album and share your photos: Eversnap
Sure, your wedding hashtag will help round up the pictures from your wedding day, but Instagram doesn’t let you save those precious moments on your phone. Enter Eversnap. The app (previously known as Wedding Snap) allows you to create a customised digital wedding album, and gives you a custom code that you can then share with your guests. Using this code, your friends and family can upload their photos and videos of the celebration too. Available on iOS and Android

9) To make guest lists and create digital invites: Appy Couple
Need to create paperless invitations, thank you notes and reminders? Appy Couple is the one for you. In fact, it’ll even let you manage your guest lists and RSVPs. You can share your wedding itinerary with this app, and your guests can read it, message you directly, and even share photos with other guests after the wedding. Available on iOS and Android

10) To track your wedding expenditure: Goodbudget: Budget & Finance
An easy-to-use budgeting app, this one works like a personal finance manager to help you stay on top of your wedding-related spends. You can not only create budgets and reports here, but also share them with your fiancé and family members. Available on iOS and Android

11) To curate your sangeet playlist: Spotify
While most music apps allow you to create playlists, Spotify lets you share them with your DJ, making it the perfect platform to curate the songs you want played at your sangeet. Available on iOS and Android

12) To keep you calm: Calm – Meditate, Sleep, Relax
The perfect mindfulness app for everyone, Calm includes hundreds of programs for beginners, intermediate and advanced users. And it comes embedded with guided meditation sessions across various durations (starting from three minutes) to fit with your schedule. Available on iOS and Android

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wedding Planners in Chennai

Veena and Sudarshana, who run the Two’s Company, ensured zero waste was generated before and after the former’s wedding.

Big fat Indian weddings are an enormous spectacle, where crores are spent on extravagant settings and elaborate events, often as a badge of honour. Themes run the gamut from in-house weddings to destination weddings. But breaking away from these exorbitant customs that burn a hole in one’s pocket, a new crop of couples have started factoring in the impact such big weddings can have on our carbon footprint and are instead opting for a complete organic wedding, thus making it a personalised affair.

The latest is an attempt by two Chennai women in their early 20s, who ensured one of their weddings produced so little trash that it could be collected in a tiny carton box. Veena Balakrishnan and Sudarshana Pai, who run the Two’s Company, decided to lead the way by organising the former’s wedding in a way that would produce zero waste.

From plastic-free decorations to handwritten thank-you notes on seed papers, the wedding was the duo’s effort at spreading a green message beyond the venue and sustaining happiness even after the day ended.

“We decided to involve our guests throughout the process, including planning the wedding. To reduce the use of paper, we sent out an e-invite. We annotated the invite with a message on how an invitation card would have a more adverse impact on our environment,” Veena tells TNM.

The two also sent the guests a survey form, asking them for suggestions to make the wedding more sustainable.

“For example, in the survey, we asked them if they preferred beddings over wooden chairs as we did not want to use plastic chairs although they are reusable. A majority of them voted for beddings, and our entire wedding venue had beddings for the guests to sit. This way, we made sure the guests had a fair idea about the event before they arrived at the venue,” Veena explains.

Veena and Sudarshana are National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) graduates and the duo set up Two’s Company in April this year after they realised their common passion for sustainable forms of fashion.

“Being fashion technology students, we realised how we hoarded our wardrobes with new clothes and wore each one just five to six times in a year. When Veena decided to get married, we thought to ourselves – we want to change how weddings function in India, without actually altering its core essence,” Sudarshana says.

Veena says it was not hard to convince her husband Vignesh and his family on compromising with some of the traditional ways of conducting a Tamil wedding.

“In fact, I realised that people are always willing to do their part in maintaining sustainability, except that, they do not know how to begin or whom to approach. Although we decided to do away with certain unnecessary wedding traditions, we made sure its sanctity was not lost,” explains Veena.

The wedding, which was held at the Rinas Avenue in Chennai, consisted of one short ceremony, unlike the traditional three-day Hindu wedding events.

Veena says the rituals also made use of minimum disposable items. “To begin with, we made decorations completely plastic-free and used only seasonal flowers sourced from farmers markets. We ensured the flowers were tied together using thengai naaru (coconut fibre) and not plastic ropes or threads,” she says.

Through a prior notice on the e-invite, the couple made sure they did not receive any boxed gifts, and that the gifts were sent as cash to select charitable institutions.

While women spend a fortune on their wedding attire from branded labels, Veena proudly says that her wedding saree was handed down to her by her family - a magenta drape that was worn by her grandmother almost 50 years ago.

Vignesh also made sure he picked a shirt for the wedding from his existing wardrobe and did not buy anything new. We also cut down cost by not buying any additional gold jewellery and wore the ones handed down to me by my mother,” Veena adds.

The wedding meals were served on a banana leaf, with payasam served on areca cups. The couple insisted that no plastic cups were used to serve water and steel tumblers were used instead. “We had extra manpower to ensure that tumblers were washed properly after each use so that it could be reused,” Veena says.

Instead of throwing away the leftover food, Veena got in touch with the Robinhood Army, who packed and supplied it to nearby orphanages. “Our caterer was really excited when he learnt about our plan. He agreed to join hands and volunteered to cook extra food along with the excess food to be distributed.”

The leftover flowers, which were used for decoration, were given to nearby colonies as garden fertilisers and the waste from dining was dumped into a compost pit that converts into manure.

The small amount of trash that was collected at the end of the ceremony was put in a carton box and sold off to a scrap dealer.

Veena and Sudarshana say the highlight of the event was the coffee scrub packets given away to the guests as return gifts.

“We short-listed a few cafes nearby that served really good coffee and collected the spent coffee ground left behind in the cup after drinking. We sun-dried them and prepared coffee scrub, which was packed using old papers and brown bags. We pinned the bags using a toothpick instead of glue or pins,” she elucidates.

For the thank-you notes to the guests, the duo used seed paper that sprouts into a plant. Several guests, in fact, a month later, sent them pictures of the sprouted saplings.

While the whole idea of going organic is often associated with the urban elites, Veena says that organising an organic, trash-free wedding is not a cumbersome affair and instead helps one cut down all unnecessary expenditure.

“By going waste-free, we did not compromise on the sanctity, fun or happiness shared during the wedding. By adopting simple mindful choices, we created a day that would be remembered for being compassionate towards our society,” she adds.

wedding Planners in Chennai 

‘More gold’: What it’s really like to be a wedding planner in Delhi

How accurate is the popular web series, Made in Heaven? Well, over-the-top is the flavour of every season, say planners, and you do have to be a counsellor, confidante, fire-fighter and guide.

In the eighth episode of the Amazon Prime series, Made in Heaven, a bride demands that a music video be made starring her. “Let’s do something fun, na,” she says. Even to her wedding planners, the protagonists Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala) and Karan (Arjun Mathur), this is outlandish. But such is the nature of high-profile weddings in India.

The big fat Indian wedding has only gotten bigger and fatter, with no request, no impulse now considered as odd as it might have been a few years ago. Made in Heaven carefully deconstructs this culture of excess and grandeur that has become the new normal for a layer of society that seeks new boundaries to push.

Naturally then, planning weddings has become as challenging a business as it is lucrative.

Delhi is known for its crazy wedding culture, an aspect explored in the Prime series. “In the last three or four years, every other kid with a laptop has started to think he can plan a wedding. But the truth is that for really high-profile weddings, the client still only trusts three or four vendors in Delhi-NCR,” says Rituraj Khanna, CEO of Q Events, one of the region’s oldest planning firms. Khanna oversees 30 to 35 destination weddings a year. “Most of our clients are well-travelled youngsters or NRIs. They want their wedding to have a little tradition but a lot of the Western influence.”

Khanna employs about 300 unskilled workers supervised a core team of about 20, who lead design, technology etc. “It takes us about six months to plan and execute a wedding. And no matter how old you are in the business, you are always nervous till the last moment,” says Khanna, who has been doing this for 13 years.

In Made in Heaven, both Tara and Karan get up-close and personal with their clients, advising them, morally critiquing them and at times even manipulating them. Where Khanna says “a lot” of that pre-wedding drama is exaggerated or sensationalised, Ankiit Malhotra of Comme Sogno Vero (Italian for Dream Come True) says he agrees with series’ portrayal.

“I have planned a lot of weddings where I am in some way or the other related or known to the people. Then, I am often the person who talks to the bride or groom on behalf of the elders. So it happens. It happens a lot,” Malhotra says. “I had to once coax a bride when a marriage was about to be cancelled two days before the ceremony. It was just ego between the two sides.”

Of the many aspects of planning shown in the series, both Khanna and Malhotra agree, the logistics, the near-chaos of last-minute arrangements, is largely missing. “I would never have the time to stand around and take it all in. We are constantly running around, checking on things,” Khanna says.

Malhotra adds that another major factor not shown is the general interference of people in plans. “The biggest problem is that every relative comes up with a suggestion. Handling such situations, while you are literally consumed by chaos, is the most frustrating part. No matter how high-profile the wedding, the general influence of everyone with an opinion has not changed,” he says.

Of the unremarkable tasks, the thing that almost always go wrong, Khanna says, is transport. “I have been at a wedding where I dyed napkins at the last moment, because my table covers had not arrived on time. I have run around cities, at the last moment, looking for some particular fabric that never arrived. Transport is almost always the biggest challenge.”

Made in Heaven is of course dramatised, but the level of detail in the design and the pitches, both believe is close to accurate. “The gift of the gab is now as big as anything in this industry. You can have the best designers, the biggest team, the ideal resources, but if you cannot sell your idea, or communicate with people what you are thinking or imagining for their big day, you are as good as finished,” Khanna says.

Malhotra, whose firm handled the Shahid Kapoor-Mira Rajput wedding, points to the flipside of getting the big-name gigs. “Once you’ve done a name like Shahid, a lot of middle-class clients won’t even approach you, because they think you’re too big for them. That is a sort of problem as well,” he says.

At any rate the show’s professionalism is a nod to a business that is increasingly becoming more organised and more sophisticated. This month alone, Khanna has been part of two wedding conventions. The next is one he is curating in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu. “Over the last three years the industry has become more streamlined, more serious if you like. At these conventions, there are planners from all over the world. We share ideas, trends and everything else, like it were art. Which planning is really,” he says.

There are now wedding-planner awards, and websites like WedMeGood.com that list, rate and review firms. The financials remain opaque. Khanna won’t share details, the company’s brochure doesn’t quote prices either. Malhotra roughly defines the range of a high-profile wedding anywhere between Rs 1 crore and Rs 10 crore.

“Everyone’s demand to us is that they want something different. That is the challenge. They just want different, be it the décor, the location, the lighting,” says Khanna. “We handled a wedding where we used 100 projectors to do a mapping of the venue. For one ceremony we created a stage out of ice, because the client wanted that experience of snow.”

Is there anything else to this glitter than the sense of vanity? “It depends on the family at times. I have a handled a lot of high-profile weddings where the display doesn’t matter to the couple, all they want is grace and class. There are those as well, but, yes, most of it is pretty vain,” Malhotra says. Khanna adds, “It is an exhibit. Nothing surprises us anymore. There are weddings that are much smaller that are more endearing and likeable. But the big ones are mostly show-offs.”

wedding Planners in Chennai 

The serious business of managing weddings

CHENNAI : Of all the places I have worked, no one does weddings like in India,” said Preston Bailey, the global czar of floral installation and wedding decor. She was the chief guest at the inauguration of Wedding Vows Connect or WV Connect 2019 on April 15. The wedding extravaganza that is being held at the Radisson Blu Temple Bay Resort, Mamallapuram, saw the global icon, Bailey, school the audience on everything from how to build a brand to how to handle high profile clients.

“Working on the Ambani wedding was a humbling and enriching experience because I had to collaborate with other designers and I learned so much from them,” he said. “Nita Ambani is a genius and knows exactly what she wants... I was in a state of panic because I didn’t think the installations would be done in time but if there is one thing I have learned, it is that Indians love their last-minute work! In two hours, everything was done.

I’ve realised that one just needs to go with the flow and it will eventually get done.”
He went on to add that when it comes to handling high profile clients, the most important thing to understand is that ‘no’ is not an option. “Always be open to last-minute changes, but don’t do it for free! Give your client multiple options that they can choose from and be prepared to partner with other designers. Most importantly, be accessible to your client 24×7 because you are not just a designer but also a friend and therapist sometimes!”

He also unveiled a signature installation that was designed by him.
“We had a big dream and it was to bring the wedding fraternity under one roof,” said Dakshna Moorthy, founder of Wedding Vows. “The dream is now one step closer to reality. My vision has been to create a platform where wedding vendors including planners, photographers, caterers, make-up artists, bridal wear designers, travel and tourism boards, hoteliers, decorators and experts can come together to share their knowledge with each other and build their network through one another. It is important that all those in the wedding industry recognise the value of working together and celebrate each other. WV Connect is the perfect global, inclusive and relevant platform for this.”

The keynote speaker was Sabbas Joseph, the co-founder and director of Wizcraft International Entertainment and Wedniksha and Global Wedding Academy. “This is an event that signifies how important we are,” he said. “Accountability and business are right up front, as it should be because we are part of a global industry valued at 330 billion dollars.

Today, 50% of a hotel’s revenue comes from events and weddings. Suddenly, weddings have become a part of tourism and are acting as catalysts for growth.”Today, on the final day of the conference, there will be panel discussions in addition to a decor and styling workshop, a bridal runway show and an award ceremony in the evening.

wedding Planners in Chennai 

Mpire Events Triumphs at DWP Ace Planner Awards

All things royal and regal, the DWP Gala Night on March 29th, 2019, saw handpicked winners from a distinguished list of international wedding planners. The Destination Wedding Planners (DWP) Congress is the world’s biggest Business-to-Business Platform with a focus on destination weddings. The DWP ACE Awards highlights outstanding talent and recognizes the hard work of those in the luxury sector and destination wedding industry. The extravaganza took place at the stunning Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai.

Mpire Events, known to be one of the leading luxury wedding planners stood tall and proud from the Indian sub-continent region as they received the award as the Ace Wedding Planner for the aforementioned continent. Mpire was also nominated for the Globetrotter and the Social Buzz awards for their International & social media reach respectively.

Nominated amongst leading Indian and global wedding planners, Mpire Events won this prestigious award for their widespread body of work across India, viz. Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Kerala, Alibaug, Nashik, Bangalore, Chennai, Mussoorie, Delhi, Lucknow, and Goa. They covered a record 20 destination weddings in this fiscal year!

India and beyond, Mpire operates the world over, with their set up and staff spanning across Hawaii, Florida, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Middle East, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. The Mpire team of skilled planners specializes in luxury soirées and untapped destinations.

Starting with out-of-the-box destination weddings in India, they have now grown from a domestic to the international market, creating a niche spot for themselves as trendsetters and innovators. All of this, coupled with their knack of giving attention to details has helped them firmly position themselves as India’s leading wedding planners.

Under the umbrella of unique, beautiful weddings curated by Mpire comes the highly acclaimed wedding of the year and the first of its kind - ‘The #JRoDisney Wedding’ which was a modern-day fairytale orchestrated in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida for clients Jennie and Roshan! Besides that, 2018 -19 saw them convert a beach at Rayong, Thailand into a White Paradise for the Dubai couple Richa and Mohit, and a Game of Thrones Sangeet and Star Wars Reception entry for their clients Menaka and Gaurav.

Elated at being presented the award, Founder of Mpire Events Vikram Mehta said, “I’ve always felt there are no shortcuts to success. Winning this award was a token of appreciation at a global level for the company and its journey over the past 5 years. I took the bold decision of following my passion at a very young age. This award is dedicated to everyone who dares to dream!”

wedding Planners in Chennai