CONTENTS
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W E DDI N G PL A N N I N G
A RO U N D T H E WOR L D
8 HAPPENING Turkish Delight: The Multi-Planner Managed Antalya Wedding
4 0 I N FO C U S Floral Touch-The UAE Operations of Ferns N Petals
DE S T I N AT ION S 14 POINT OF VIEW Delightful Destinations Farid Khan, Director, Wedniksha Wedding Planners 16 HAPPENING The Vienna Wedding By WDC 22 HAPPENING A Blissful Bali Wedding
I N D U S T RY WAT C H 2 6 F E AT U R E WOW Awards and Convention Asia 2016 32 HAPPENING Wedding Design Hub (WDH) 2016 by FNP Weddings 34 HAPPENING International Convention Of Wedding Fraternity (ICWF) 2016
DÉ COR & DE S IG N 4 4 C O V E R S TO RY Décor Diktat-By The Best In The Business 5 4 P H O TO F E AT U R E An Ultra-Swish London Wedding by Maadhyam Events 5 6 A L S O F E AT U R E D Dynamic Designers 2016 63 HAPPENING A Wedding in Bilbao by Pomegranate Event Decor 6 8 I N S P I R AT I O N Enchanting Décor in Malta by The Wedding Design Company (WDC)
E N T E R TA I N M E N T 7 2 I N FO C U S Enthralling Entertainment in The Emirates by Tamarind Global
Disclaimer: i. ExCel magazine is published by EVENTFAQS Media. Pvt. Ltd. with RNI Registration MAHENG/2010/35733. ii. Every effort is made to ensure that the magazine’s content is correct. However, the publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. iii. All material published in this magazine is copyright protected. Unauthorised reproduction in part or full is forbidden. iv. The publisher takes no responsibility for content used in advertisements and advertorials. It is assumed the advertiser has rights to use the content. v. The publisher takes no responsibility for photographs and information published in features which comes from external sources such as PR agencies, direct sources, etc. It is assumed that the parties involved have the right to provide the information for publishing purposes. vi. Any dispute/error liable vis-a-vis this magazine is strictly restricted to local jurisdiction in Mumbai only.
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FROM THE
EDITOR
56 F& B 76 P O I N T O F V I E W Bytes from A Gastronomical Guru Varun Tuli, Director, Food Inc 79 TREND Live Hibachi Style Cooking & Sit Down Dining by Food Inc
PHO T O G R A PH Y & F I L M I N G 8 2 P H O TO F E AT U R E A Cruise Wedding Shot By Ram Bherwani 8 4 P H O TO F E AT U R E Hua Hin Extravaganza Captured By Malvika Periwal
R E S O U RC E S 87 HAPPENING Just Deliveries-An Exclusive Delivery Service For High-End Invites & Gifts
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his issue on its own is testimony that there is no destination out of bounds for the extravagant Indian wedding. At the same time, celebrated design and decor specialists of India are no longer bound by geography. In fact, with the world and its specialities becoming accessible, the most unique inspirations have transpired in these destination weddings. The trends in the Indian wedding industry are always set to eradicate limitations. Nothing is out of reach for those families looking to create the most exclusive experience for their guests. While we chase inspiring decor, F&B, destination and venue trends, it's important to acknowledge the immense exposure the industry has had in the last decade. Increasingly, weddings are becoming the platform, even for the very well travelled, to sample what may still be an experience their money's can't buy. And while we speak of no boundaries or limitations, the challenges get only more acute! We're sure this issue showcases many such challenges, overcome with the utmost finesse... Be inspired! karishma@eventfaqs.com
8 8 I N S P I R AT I O N An LSD Themed Invite by YS Design Studio
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EDITOR & HEAD - BRAND & CONTENT KARISHMA HUNDALANI karishma@eventfaqs.com
PUBLISHER & BUSINESS HEAD VISHAL NAGDEV vishal@eventfaqs.com
EDITORIAL LEAD-EXCEL KANIKA MEHTA kanika@eventfaqs.com +91 98100 18658
CFO & DIRECTOR JIMMY CHOUDHARY jimmy@eventfaqs.com +91 9821428197
MANAGER-CONTENT RACHAEL RAJAN rrajan@eventfaqs.com +91 9766 071741
GENERAL MANAGER LIZANN PINTO lizann@eventfaqs.com +91 98339 96461
EDITORIAL TEAM AANCHAL DHAWAN aanchal@eventfaqs.com +91 98716 50137 ISHA GAKHAR edit@eventfaqs.com +91 97111 99 697 RAKHI JERLY rakhi@eventfaqs.com +91 87506 54945 SHANTANU JAIN shantanu@eventfaqs.com +91 99908 81440
MARKETING SERVICES SONAL GUPTA sonal@eventfaqs.com +91 98338 85521 ANUP SHARMA anup@eventfaqs.com +91 99300 89557
CIRCULATION RAMESH PATIL ramesh@eventfaqs.com +91 22 26300673 ADMIN & ACCOUNTS NILESH PAWAR accounts@eventfaqs.com +91 22 26330674 SAMEET ELKAR admin.mumbai@eventfaqs.com +91 9769 306799 AKASH GUPTA admin.delhi@eventfaqs.com +91 99117 55871
MARKETING OPERATIONS KRITI JAIN kriti@eventfaqs.com +91 9911696980 REBECCA FERNANDES rebecca@eventfaqs.com +91 9833993885 CHARMI JANANI charmi@eventfaqs.com +91 99205 74595 ZAFAR KHAN zafar@eventfaqs.com +91 90048 30927
Experiential Celebrations - ExCel is a bi-annual magazine published by EVENTFAQS Media - A multi-channel platform focussed on the events, entertainment and experiential industry. Visit www.eventfaqs.com for more details. For subscription enquiry: info@eventfaqs.com Editor: Karishma Jamnu Hundalani. This issue contains 96 pages including covers.
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GRAPHIC DESIGN VINAYA PRASHANTH vinayaprashanth@gmail.com PRASAD KARAMBAT
Printed & Published by: Vishal Vashulal Nagdev on behalf of (or owned by) EVENTFAQS Media Pvt. Ltd. and printed at VSSU Graphics, Unit # 36, Ideal Industrial Estate Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel-West, Mumbai 400013, Maharashtra, India, and published at EVENTFAQS Media Pvt. Ltd. 112, 1st Floor, Embassy Centre 207, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021, Maharashtra, India.
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WEDDING PLANNING | HAPPENING
Turkish Delight! We bring you glimpses of the much talked about, multi-planner managed Antalya Wedding which took place at Mardan Palace, Antalya, Turkey in April 2016! On April 23, 600 guests from South Africa, UK, India and Dubai flew in to Antalya, Turkey to attend the wedding celebrations of billionaire businessman and politician, Ajay Gupta’s son Kamal Gupta and Delhi-based businessman Ajay Jain’s daughter Palak Jain. One of the biggest weddings to have taken place this year, the much talked about, multi-planner managed Antalya Wedding took place at Mardan Palace in Antalya. Entertainment was handled by Katalyst while Catering was taken care of by the Seasons Group. Photography and Videography were done by some of India’s leading wedding filmers such as Ram Bherwani, among many other professionals roped in to capture the festivities. 08
The ‘Palace of Versailles’ Mehendi: The Mehendi on April 23 was designed and produced by Wedniksha. Since the event was based on the theme of the Palace of Versailles, a red and gold colour combination, with an elegant touch of white was used which complimented the extravagant interiors of the lobby of Mardan Palace. Three stages were created for different aspects of the evening. The main stage was created for the Mehendi performances, and two side stages were produced on either side of the lobby to carry out the auspicious ceremonies of Godh Bharai and Tikka. Large floral tree installations were created along with two magnificent lion head sculptures on either side of the main Mehendi stage.
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W E D D I N G P L A N N I N G | H AP P E NI NG
The ‘Palace of Versailles’ Mehendi
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WEDDING PLANNING | HAPPENING
The Exotic Beachfront Engagement Ace flautist, Paras Nath’s performance was followed by the Mehendi at the main stage. The event was hosted by Neha Dhupia and Manish Paul. Later, performances by the family, bride and groom took place which were choreographed by Shiamak Davar. Energetic performances by actresses Sonal Chauhan and Prachi Desai, and singer Richa Sharma were enjoyed thoroughly by guests. Needless to say, the finale by music maestro, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan took the cake! The Exotic Beachfront Engagement: Designed and produced by E-Factor Entertainment, the setup for this stunning affair on the afternoon of April 24 was built over 30,000 square feet of white sands, and had a unique installation of a translucent marquee all across! The spectacular décor featured umbrellas in white, seemingly suspended mid-air without support, gorgeous citrus centrepieces and more! 10
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W E D D I N G P L A N N I N G | H AP P E NI NG
The Regal Turkish Sangeet The Regal Turkish Sangeet: The evening of April 24 saw the Sangeet take place in the Dolmabahce Ballroom of the hotel. The Ottoman empire of Turkey was taken as inspiration for décor by Wedniksha. The colour combination of blue and gold offered a unique décor option for an Indian wedding. It was nothing short of regal, from the floral chandeliers to the flags displaying the couple’s logo! Elements like lamps and pots with exquisite florals added beautifully to the theme. The evening witnessed enthralling performances, beginning with an opening act by Belly Dancers, Gypsy Dancers, Harem Dancers and local drummers to lend the feel of the host country, Turkey. Performances by Huma Qureshi, Zarine Khan, Shalmali Kholgade, Akriti Kakkar and Honey Singh took the evening to the next level. The event was attended by actors Anil Kapoor and Dia Mirza also.
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WEDDING PLANNING | HAPPENING
The Star-studded Poolside Reception
The Rajput Wedding: On April 25, an afternoon wedding lunch was designed and executed by E-Factor at the Amphitheatre of Mardan Palace. The traditional Rajput wedding took place later, where the groom made his entry in a decorated horse-drawn carriage. An exquisite entrance emulating India Gate was created to welcome the guests. The Star-studded Poolside Reception: Showtime was the agency responsible for designing and executing this glittering evening on April 25 to conclude the wedding celebrations. The event took place at the poolside of the hotel. Bollywood heartthrobs like Hrithik Roshan, Parineeti Chopra and Neha Dhupia gave scintillating performances that left the attendees enthralled!
PHOTOGRAPHY: RAM BHERWANI PRODUCTIONS
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BAAKI BAATEIN
PEENE BAAD
D E S T I N AT I O N S | P ON T of V I E W
Delightful Destinations Farid Khan, Director, Wedniksha tells ExCels why some popular destinations across the world remain top choices for private celebrations, especially Indian weddings, while discussing the pivotal role of tourism authorities in the successful completion of wedding projects. Today, countries like Spain, France, and Italy are especially popular as wedding destinations because of their culture, gorgeous vistas and dramatic flair. The landscape of these countries offers a wide choice of backdrops and there is plenty for the guests to do as well. They are sought after also because they bring along with them an amalgamation of varied cultural rituals making it an extremely unique experience for guests. I feel Italy in particular makes an amazing destination for Indian weddings in Europe. The stunning architecture creates an atmosphere unlike any other. Packed with culture, art and picturesque settings, it is hard to beat this country in old-world charm and historic attractions. There are also many Balkan destinations to look forward to in the coming season. Turkey is another extremely popular destination. The sparkling coastline offers an amazing backdrop and the rich culture of the country makes it a unique spot for weddings. The people of Turkey are warm and hospitable, and we have had a delightful experience working with the vendors and suppliers because they took our needs into account and made sure they were met to the tee. Their level of professionalism was extremely impressive and their expertise ensured that we worked as a great team. There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of weddings in Middle Eastern destinations like Abu Dhabi and Oman because of the luxury these places offer. If one were to compare, I would say Europe is one of the most sought after wedding destinations because of the uniqueness it offers in terms of the view, architecture and locations, while the Middle East is popular because of the warm hospitality it offers, which makes for a memorable experience. It is marked by extravagance and lavish celebrations, which has its own appeal. Asia on the other hand, is closer to home, hence more affordable and easier while working with suppliers and people who understand your sensibilities and where you come from. Speaking of the planning process, once the destination is finalized, we go make a visit to confirm the venue and do several recces to familiarize ourselves with it and plan everything properly. We also get in touch with local vendors to help them understand our work ethic and the designs that we wish to execute. We try to get as well acquainted as possible with the culture, language and other nitty-gritties in order to create a memorable experience for everybody. 14
Farid Khan, Director, Wedniksha
We work with technicians who provide lighting and audiovisual effects, florists, artiste-management companies and production companies. These are all crucial to the success of a project as it is the joint effort of each and every one of these people that helps us create the ultimate destination wedding experience. Having worked in different countries, we now foster very good relationships with suppliers across the globe. They have been pivotal in helping us execute flawless weddings time and again. Tourism authorities can make the whole planning process simpler by connecting us to vendors and suppliers and facilitating meetings with them. They can also help us with venue finalization by marketing popular locations and historical destinations in that country. They have already started opening their doors to Indian weddings by offering lucrative packaged deals for couples and families. An additional thing that they can do is provide visa assistance to smoothen the process of actually getting there and setting things up.
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | P ON T of V I E W
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | I N F O CU S
An Austrian Affair... We bring you a round-up of the recent big fat Indian wedding in Vienna which was designed and executed by The Wedding Design Company.
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he Wedding Design Company planned, designed and managed this 3-day mammoth wedding in Vienna in May 2016. WDC not only managed 1000 guests, but had a crew of more than 800 people from all over the world working on the project. One of the leading wedding planning, management and decor companies of India, The Wedding Design Company is responsible for designing and executing some of the biggest Indian weddings to have ever taken place in Europe. Here’s a round-up of all the celebrations that took place!
A Symphony In Love-The Welcome Dinner
Hosted at the Hofburg Palace, the event was themed ‘Symphony in Love’. A deep blue, cobalt, aqua, teal and purple colour palette with a hint of raspberry looked stunning. The décor was inspired by Vienna, and WDC created 15-foot high violins filled with flowers, graceful ballerinas in white tutus perched on pedestals, a neo-classical style chandelier especially designed for this event, flowers in all shapes and sizes with butterflies and musical notes all over the Hofburg Palace. The grand staircase was lined with larger than life flower installations, candles and images projected on the walls which gave the guests a feeling of romance, love and music! In the dining room, long tables dressed in flowers like calla lilies, hydrangeas, roses and sweet-peas completed the look to perfection. The highlight of the evening was the performance by Enrique Iglesias! He even got the couple on stage and got them to sing along with him, his all-time favourite song ‘Hero’!
A Floral Orchestra At The Mehendi
The afternoon Mehendi took place at Palais Liechtenstein featuring a gorgeous Floral Orchestra theme. Beautiful hues of pink were incorporated. A flower garden was created with rose bushes, tulips, calla lilies, hydrangeas, flocks and many other varieties of exotic flowers. The idea was to make guests feel they were walking into spring, with an
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | I N F O CUS array of colours ranging from blush to the entire family of pinks and lavenders. A central platform was also made, where all the family gathered and performed traditional ‘Garba’. It was a perfect afternoon with the sweet smell of rose, butterflies and pink champagne. Guests were welcomed by the ‘Dhol’ players and ‘Bhangra’ dancers.
The Artsy Sangeet
Art for Art-a working production house where painters, wood-work artists, etc. work year-long to create sets for the Vienna State Opera, was the venue for the Sangeet! The venue is an old building, which is inside an estate of a military arsenal, with high ceilings and slanting glass windows which overlook a park. The venue is different in architecture to the beautiful palaces of Vienna and therefore posed as an ideal location to create the magic of an Indian Sangeet. The event showcased ‘The Sound of Music’ theme with colours like gold, silver, pewter and black with a touch of red. Contemporary, edgy, modern classic, glamorous and vibrant is what this Sangeet was. A black and white entrance, with a shiny floor and LED strips, made the passageway feel like a glamorous night-club! An 80-foot stage with reflective triangles as a backdrop was just the perfect setting for the family performances and the energetic artist for the night — Mika Singh! A shimmery silver floor, a gold bar and the dance floor inspired from a Klimt painting, added more bling to the evening. The dining room came alive with images from various painters and artists of Austria. It was interesting how the moving images added a third dimension to the black and white tables with deep red peonies.
A Celestial Rhapsody-The Wedding
The majestic Belvedere Palace was an ideal setting for the Wedding which was themed ‘Celestial Rhapsody’ and featured colours such as deep pink, red, mango yellow and gold. As far as the eye could see, there were beautiful flowers and lustrous green grass.
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | I N F O CU S The ‘Mandap’ was made of peonies in shades of red and pink, roses, hydrangeas, etc. The setting was magical with the Belvedere Palace being the backdrop to the ‘Mandap’, which was built on the pond, in front of a waterfall! The typical Indian Baraat was led by DJ Van with Punjabi singer Sukhbir and the groom’s friends. The Varmaala pathway was lined with umbrellas in shades of pink and red — these umbrellas resembled the domes that are commonly seen in Vienna. A carpet in the same shades of the wedding colours was especially created and truly uplifted the entire décor. The wedding stood out in its beautiful colours with traditional music, lip smacking Indian food and all the pomp and glamour which befits the Big Fat Indian Wedding! The Reception Dinner at Crystal Marquee saw exquisite chandeliers and floral arrangements adding to the grandeur of the night and making it the perfect ending to this 3-day magical affair!
Versatile Vienna
Speaking of the destination, Vandana Mohan, Director - WDC explains, “Vienna is a city bound by rules. Everyone has to follow all regulations very, very diligently and hence did all our vendors. Our vendors were a mix of Austrians and Italians. It was a learning experience and let’s say made us realize how precise we had to be in our communication. They delivered a 100% and I’m happy to say we made some new friends!” Having designed and executed weddings at various other European destinations as well, she also mentioned how Vienna has more of an old world charm and remains more colonial with its imperial palaces and artistic history.
Planning to Perfection
WDC started by doing a number of reccee rips once the destination was finalized. The agency’s next task was to fix the venues and hotels. Vienna, known for its artistic legacy and imperial palaces, provided WDC a number of options to choose from. Once a suitable venue for each celebration was figured out, 6 hotels were booked which hosted about 1000 guests; local 18
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | I N F O CUS Austria or any other European country has a set of regulations which anybody doing any event would need to adhere to, this is mainly to protect their historical buildings and properties. However, the local authorities and our local vendors were very cooperative and made the process easier. Vandana Mohan
Director, The Wedding Design Company
transportation agencies were employed for the conveyance of guests to and fro the venues. Hospitality desks were set-up at each of the six hotels to help the guest in any way possible and make their stay more comfortable. Speaking of the exquisite venues where each of the events took place, Vandana Mohan said, “We knew we were dealing with historic landmarks as venues and as a result our design concepts and their manifestation had to do justice to both the venue and the client.” She explained how many mood boards and stories were discussed through elaborate meetings and communication with the client. From food to the hospitality to the transport, each team was organized and briefed in depth, with a final team meeting taking place at the WDC office before the team departed for Vienna.
E V E NT PA RTN E R S Wedding Planning and Decor The Wedding Design Company Wedding Management and Logistics The Wedding Design Company Management Agency Bride's Side Motwane Entertainment & Weddings F&B Ritu Dalmia and Marut Sikka Local Co-ordination Inspiria Global Events Enrique Iglesias management Kickstart Entertainment Technicals Concept Solutions Production Guido Cerasuolo Local Transportation Easy Motion Florals Jorg Doll Photography Mili and Sid Ghosh
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | HA PPEN I N G
A Blissful Bali Wedding by Tamarind Global Featuring Gorgeous Décor By Dhun Cordo! Bali as a destination is perfectly suited to large weddings, with a fairly self-sufficient infrastructure to meet the needs of an Indian wedding.
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he picturesque and idyllic Bali backdrop together with the beautiful and expansive Ritz Carlton, formed the perfect setting for this gorgeous wedding celebration. Tamarind Global planned and organized the entire wedding on a turnkey basis, starting with seamlessly transporting 700 guests to Bali with an impeccable arrival experience from the airport to the hotel, ensuring smooth check-ins and guest relations at the venue, event management and execution. Tamarind Global has a vast repertoire of prominent local and destination weddings at locations in Europe, the Middle-East, Thailand, Malaysia, Bali, India and a host of other exotic destinations.
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extravagant weddings in the country, including the Sanjay Hinduja Wedding in Udaipur.
The Spectacular Venue
Dhun Cordo Director, Full Moon Creative Services
The exotic extravaganza was designed by Mumbai-based Full Moon Creative Services by Dhun Cordo, one of India's leading and most sought after wedding design companies. Dhun Cordo has previously designed some of the most
The Ritz-Carlton, Bali is a premier hotel destination for Bali weddings. Immersed in a luxuriant, tropical setting on the Indian Ocean, the hotel’s mesmerizing landscape and stunning surroundings make this luxury resort the perfect destination for a dream wedding experience. From bridal showers and spa pampering to island excursions for guests, the venue offers comprehensive wedding services, dedicated planners and exquisite venues for experiential celebrations.
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | H AP P E NI NG
The Chic Sundowner
The Chic Sundowner
A chic white dress code lent a pristine and magical touch to the beach décor, which showcased beautiful cabanas hung with sheer white fabric, crystals strands and delicately lit chandeliers. Tables dotted the sand, embellished with candles, flowers, starfish motifs and white Chiavari chairs. The dance floor was constructed in front of stage built on the pool for a band to perform. The pathways were lit with hanging lamps, decorated with pale yellow roses. A bar rose from the edge of the beach, decorated with large pieces of driftwood and huge bowls filled with sand and roses. Balinese dancers livened up the evening, along with fire dance performers. The bride and groom made their spectacular entrance against a curtain backdrop of sparklers.
The Mehendi : A Pastel Delight!
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | HA PPEN I N G combination of pink and blue, with drapes standing out dramatically against the blue sky, flowing brightly, interspersed with masses of pink and white flowers. More flowers dotted the entire area in giant white urns. Tables were dressed in pastel pinks and blues, with specially designed table runners. A carnival-like atmosphere was recreated with elements like pin wheels, mason jars, gazebos for Mehendi and pretty stalls of giveaways.
The Elegant Sangeet
The event took place at The Cliff Lawn, in an air conditioned marquee, which was draped in hues of purple and violet. The Elegant Sangeet
The Cliff Lawn is a spacious open-air area on the cliff in front of the Ballroom at The Ritz Carlton and can accommodate upto 600 persons, for a sit-down dinner reception! The décor was more of a dimly lit, very elegant international setting where the main focus was the stage and the bar. The logo designed for the bridal couple made a prominent appearance on the sides of the stage.
The Balinese Wedding Ceremony
Traditional Balinese décor dominated the scene, with graceful, giant fronds leaning in from the sides of the venue, Taman Bhagawan. Almost as if it was especially made for the sanctity and beauty of an Indian wedding! The Pastel Mehendi
E VE NT PARTN E R S Wedding Planning & Management Tamarind Global Event Design & Decor Full Moon Creative Services by Dhun Cordo Artists Amaal & Arman Malik Deepali Banerjee, Adil Hussaini Photography Reels and Frames by Anand Rathi F&B Foodlinks
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D E S T I N AT I O N S | H AP P E NI NG Hotels in Bali are co-operative and amenable to outside catering being fused with their existing food fare and Balinese hospitality and traditions lend themselves well to the high expectations in Indian weddings. From the cost point of view when compared to Thailand, Bali prices are a tad higher, though yet very good value for money. Mahesh Shirodkar MD, Tamarind Global
The world class venue with unrivalled surroundings is equipped with modern facilities, making it one of Bali’s most unique outdoor and indoor function spaces! The mandap was set against the backdrop of a temple-like pagoda with a giant Rama Shinta sculpture, giving it an illusion of height and stature, as well as spiritual beauty. The pillars of the mandap were richly decorated with a crimson and gold carved design, in perfect keeping with the Balinese surroundings. In front of the mandap was a water body, filled with flowers and lit with candles. As evening deepened into night, the fronds were illuminated, making the Taman Bhagawan complex look like a land from another era! The wedding ceremony culminated in a magnificent display of fireworks that adorned and lit up the entire sky, resulting in a stunning spectacle.
The Exotic Destination - BALI
Bali as a destination is perfectly suited to large weddings, with a fairly self-sufficient infrastructure to meet the needs of an Indian wedding. As a wedding destination in the Asia Pac region, Bali in Indonesia is one of the most friendly, trailing second to Thailand. It offers ample infrastructure in terms of the choice of branded and stand-alone hotels, logistics and alignment to Indian sensitivities. Bali’s intrinsic culture has synergies with India, making it a very viable choice as a wedding destination.
The Balinese Wedding
The Indonesian island is well known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs. Speaking about certain limitations of planning a wedding at the destination, Mahesh Shirodkar said, "Bali being a tropical country has constraints on weather where there are only certain times in the year where outdoor functions can be held without much worry of rain and excessive humidity. April to September are considered dry seasons, and the rest of the months are wet. Connectivity from Indian cities is also a concern as it is a long haul from origin to destination with no non-stop or direct flight".
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THE EXCEL SUMMIT:
Taking WOW to the Next Level The first ever Experiential Celebrations Summit (ExCel Summit) took place at the region's largest business and recognition platform for the MICE, Experiential Marketing, Wedding, and Entertainment industry, The WOW Awards and Convention Asia 2016. ExCel Magazine reports on event highlights, session insights, and Award winners in the ExCel Group of the WOW Awards. By: ExCel Bureau
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ll who attended the 8th Edition of the WOW Awards and Convention Asia 2016 really did experience 2.5 days of awesomeness. Buzzing with sessions, workshops, networking lunches, and a lot more, WOW Asia 2016 took place from June 23 to 25, 2016 at JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity and Hotel Pullman New Delhi Aerocity. There was something for absolutely everyone in the experiential business right from agencies to wedding planners, marketing honchos, brand heads and service providers. Weddings and social events have fast evolved into an area of expertise where India plays a leader to other international event markets. With 10 million weddings being organized every year, the wedding and social events industry in the country is reported to be a humongous 25 billiondollar business. To celebrate and recognize the best talent, trends, success stories and insights of this industry, the Experiential Celebrations Summit was organized as part of the WOW Awards and Convention Asia 2016 on June 25 at JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity. Its goal was to engage
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everyone in the business of weddings and social events from wedding planners to designers, photographers, entertainers, vendors and service providers, and so on. With this mandate, it provided an extremely well planned out and enriching knowledge platform, engaging on topics related to the actual business of social events. What really made this Summit stand out was what it offered in terms of concrete ideas and data points that could be used by industry players. The sessions saw speakers and panellists with great experience, acute insights and extensive knowledge participate. Here’s an overview of the sessions and what was shared:
MARKET INSIGHTS Welcome Address and Keynote The keynote session at the summit was delivered by Samit Garg, Director, E-Factor Entertainment. They don’t call it the ‘Big Fat Indian wedding’ for nothing! Samit Garg pointed out, the complexity of rituals, the endless menus, the flamboyant entertainment and other elements in Indian weddings are unmatched anywhere
else in the world. “This makes us one of the most nuanced wedding markets. Governments of nations are looking at India with a renewed interest in a bid to attract tourism. Not only do Indian weddings look promising, but India as a wedding destination is picking up steam as well,” commented Garg. The world loves our expertise, colour, culture and flavour. India leads in bespoke destinations, hospitality as well as culinary experiences, making it attractive to foreigners looking for a wedding with a difference. A distinct advantage is that Indian wedding companies offer turnkey services that include all aspects -invitations, décor, hospitality, food, entertainment and more. This is a far cry from western markets where families have different people they have to be in touch with for florals, catering, and so on. The Six Degrees of Separation in the Indian Wedding Industry The succeeding session at the summit talked about the six degrees of separation in the Indian Wedding Industry and how collaborations are the new mantra of success. The panel discussion chaired
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Experts Dissecting The Destination Weddings Of The Year
Sumant Jayakrishnan, Louay Mardam Bek & Samit Garg discussing The Six Degrees Of Separation in The Indian Wedding Industry
Geeta Samuel, Arun Samuel & Rituraj Khanna
Governments of nations are looking at India with a renewed interest in a bid to attract tourism. Not only do Indian weddings look promising, but India as a wedding destination is picking up steam as well. Samit Garg
Director, E-Factor Entertainment.
by Samit Garg, Director, E-Factor Entertainment; Sumant Jayakrishnan, Director, Scenografia Sumant; and Louay Mardam Bek, Founder, LMB Event Planning was moderated by Karishma Hundalani, Editor, ExCel Magazine. The discussion drew the following insights: Clients are very well travelled, and as wedding briefs get increasingly more challenging, it becomes impossible for even the biggest agencies to deliver relying solely on internal capabilities. This has resulted in a rise in collaborations among the brightest minds and the most creative brains in the industry. As the panel pointed
out, the first collaboration is between the project owner and the client – after all, understanding the brief completely is half the battle won. A collaborative format needs to be handled delicately by the wedding company, and this becomes more critical when it is a destination wedding with contributors and alliances forged across countries or even continents! The ground reality is that wedding companies often end up working with partners other than their first choice due to budget or availability constraints and that’s when collaborations are truly put to test. Experts feel that the best J U LY – D EC E M B E R 2 01 6 | E x C e l
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I N D U S T R Y WATC H | HA P P E N I N G alliances are often forged with partners who may not be the biggest names in the business, but are the best fit for the particular brief or whose functionality impresses. Partners who value and respect time and have the courage of conviction are often the best team players. Over the last few years’ collaborations have yielded breath-taking results. As they say, you have a voice as a team and the impossible often becomes possible. Indian wedding planners have created marvels through collaborations, made rotating stages of over 80’, customised the iconic Cirque du Soleil and achieved more than we could have imagined a decade ago. The journey of legendary wedding décor designer: Geeta Samuel Also present at the summit was legendary wedding décor designer Geeta Samuel, joined by Arun Samuel and Rituraj Khanna, Directors, Q Events by Geeta Samuel who shared with the attendees her magical journey in the industry. When she started off four decades ago, wedding planning wasn’t even an industry. She went on to become a trailblazer and inspired many after her to take Indian wedding planning forward and reach the elite position in which it is today. In all these years, she says it is the creative process that keeps her going and that makes every project excitingly different. She has seen it all over the years, and has come to realise that as expectations and competition have gone up, the one thing that has stayed constant is the critical aspect of research and preparation. The wedding industry is a big and serious business to be in today, and we need to be able to look beyond the glamour and stay true to our ideas and creativity. Working within Client Budgets: The Art of Creating Inspirational but Inexpensive Social Events This workshop by Louay Mardam Bek, CEO & Founder, LMB Events was built around a unique story of how a 16-year old client of LMB Events had given the team a budget of 1000 USD to plan her graduation party. Louay highlighted how even a small budget can be taken up as a unique challenge, allowing for creative ideas to flow. He also presented unique décor concepts his team had produced given the challenge of a very small budget.
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Dissecting the Destination Weddings of the Year: Florence, Vienna, Malta! Powered by Tuscany for Weddings, the final session of the day was centred on Destination Weddings. On the panel were expert Destination Wedding specialists Aditya Motwane, Motwane Entertainment and Weddings; Nitin Mathur, VP, Wedding Design Company; Tobia Salvadori, Marketing Manager, Convention Bureau Italia; Jaideep Venugopal, Director, BlueMarble Destinations; and Bunyat Ozpak, MD, Inventum Weddings Turkey. The discussion revolved around local partnerships opening doors in international destinations when it comes to Indian Weddings, and how the trend of hosting Indian weddings in exotic, international destinations is now getting governments and tourism boards to recognise the value of this business and extend more support.
Move aside Destination Weddings, here come the Home-grown specials! Moderated by Sushil Shamlal Wadhwa, and featuring speakers Manoj Gopalani, Director, 7TY7 Entertainment, 9TY9 Travel, Var Vadhu; Raj K. Batra, Founder, Director and CEO, Golden Vibes Event and Weddings; Gagan Takyar, Managing Director, INvision Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.; and Aarti Matoo, Director, Momentum, this session provided attendants lessons in managing glorious, off-beat and iconic ‘Home-town Weddings’ in an era where many planners and families are looking for an ‘escape’ with a destination.
THE KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE The ExCel Summit also included a Knowledge Exchange featuring a couple of sessions that began post-lunch, while the ‘Market Insights’ sessions reached their end. Brand New trends in Décor: Every concept revealed! The session highlighted how the ‘maasi’ has been replaced by the Indian wedding planner and how they are now looked upon as artists beyond just vendors. Weddings are now about class and upmanship where people are now aspirational and want to better the other. When it comes to new trends in wedding décor, what’s crucial is how we translate ideas into physical reality and how well we understand the client’s mentality. It is important to have your own signature style and find an equilibrium between class and the client’s whims and fancy. This session was moderated by Devika Narain, Director, Devika Narain & Company, and speakers included Swati Pandya Sood, Director, Ferns N Petal; Priti Sidhwani, Director, Dreamzkraft; Sumant Jayakrishnan, Director, Scenografia Sumant; and Punit Jasuja, Creative Director, Second Floor Studio & Punit Jasuja Productions.
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THE WOW AWARDS 2016 – EXCEL GROUP The WOW Awards and Convention 2016 concluded with two dazzling award ceremonies on June 24 & 25 at the Pullman Aerocity New Delhi where the best experiential campaigns in Asia were recognized. The award ceremonies were hosted by Riaz Basha and Gitikka Ganju Dhar on Day 1 & Day 2, respectively and saw a total of 226 metals (70 Gold, 81 Silver and 75 Bronze) presented across category groups of Business/MICE Events, Experiential Marketing, Event Intellectual Properties, Experiential Celebrations and Experiential Management. In the Experiential Celebrations Group D, a total of 37 metals were given away including 12 Gold, 14 Silver and 11 Bronze. Maximum Gold honours (4) and maximum metals (5) in the group category were won by Motwane Entertainment and Weddings.
E-Factor Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
YS Design Studio
Fountainhead Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
M E DA L S
C AT E G O RY
WINNERS
Gold
Entertainment Design For A Pre-Wedding Event
E-Factor Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Silver
Entertainment Design For A Pre-Wedding Event
Wedniksha Wedding Planners Pvt. Ltd.
Bronze
Entertainment Design For A Pre-Wedding Event
Studio Neelabh
Gold
Entertainment Design For A Wedding Event
Motwane Entertainment & Weddings
Gold
Entertainment Design For A Milestone Event
Fountainhead Entertainment Pvt. Ltd
Silver
Entertainment Design For A Milestone Event
Fountainhead Entertainment Pvt. Ltd
Bronze
Entertainment Design For A Milestone Event
Action Impact
Silver
F&B Experience-Concept, Design, Presentation
Rakhee Jain
Gold
Decor/Ambient Design At A Pre-Wedding Event
Poojan Decor
Silver
Decor/Ambient Design At A Pre-Wedding Event
R2s Events & Rohit Bal Luxury Weddings
Bronze
Decor/Ambient Design At A Pre-Wedding Event
Dreamzkraft
Gold
Decor/Ambient Design At A Pre-Wedding Event
R2S Events & Entertainment
Silver
Decor/Ambient Design At A Pre-Wedding Event
Fnp Weddings & Events (I) Pvt. Ltd.
Bronze
Decor/Ambient Design At A Pre-Wedding Event
R2s Events & Rohit Bal Luxury Weddings
Silver
Decor/Ambient Design At A Pre-Wedding Event
Abhishek Arora Design Pvt. Ltd
Gold
Photography Of A Social/Wedding Event
Stories By Joseph Radhik
Silver
Photography Of A Social/Wedding Event
Stories By Joseph Radhik
Bronze
Photography Of A Social/Wedding Event
Jodi Clickers
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Motwane Entertainment & Weddings
Poojan Decor
R2S Events & Entertainment
Stories By Joseph Radhik
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M E DA L S
C AT E G O RY
WINNERS
Gold
Videography Of A Social/Wedding Event
The Wedding Filmer
Silver
Videography Of A Social/Wedding Event
Recall Pictures
Bronze
Videography Of A Social/Wedding Event
Ram Bherwani Productions
Gold
Invitation/Merchandise For A Social/Wedding Event
YS Design Studio
Silver
Invitation/Merchandise For A Social/Wedding Event
YS Design Studio
Bronze
Invitation/Merchandise For A Social/Wedding Event
The Wedding House
Gold
Use/Integration Of Destination For A Social/Wedding Event
Motwane Entertainment & Weddings
Silver
Use/Integration Of Destination For A Social/Wedding Event
Motwane Entertainment & Weddings
Bronze
Use/Integration Of Destination For A Social/Wedding Event
Percept D Mark, A Division Of Percept Limited
Gold
Use Of Experiential/Non-Traditional Venue For A Social/Wedding Event
Motwane Entertainment & Weddings
Silver
Use Of Experiential/Non-Traditional Venue For A Social/Wedding Event
Percept D Mark, A Division Of Percept Limited
Bronze
Use Of Experiential/Non-Traditional Venue For A Social/Wedding Event
Gandhi Corporation
Gold
Integrated Experience (Theme Integration Through All Aspects)
Motwane Entertainment & Weddings & The Wedding Design Company
Silver
Integrated Experience (Theme Integration Through All Aspects)
R2S Events & Entertainment
Silver
Integrated Experience (Theme Integration Through All Aspects)
E-Factor Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Bronze
Integrated Experience (Theme Integration Through All Aspects)
Percept D Mark, A Division Of Percept Limited
Gold
Overall Social Event Of The Year
Wedniksha Wedding Planners Pvt. Ltd.
Silver
Overall Social Event Of The Year
Percept D Mark, A Division Of Percept Limited
Bronze
Overall Social Event Of The Year
Ankita Chugh Weddings
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The Wedding Fraternity Witnesses Breathtaking Décor Setups and Unique Props @ WDH Expo A spectacular display of designs, layouts, wedding setups, designer props and accessories were showcased at the event which was organised at Shagun Farms, New Delhi.
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edding Design Hub (WDH), an initiative launched in 2014, had its third edition this year. WDH was born with the objective of creating an ultramodern platform which could serve as a one-stop production house for wedding vendors.
flowers, imported vases, and much more. An appealing product line was tailor made to exhibit the exclusive décor props along with premium quality production and unmatched finish of various colour combinations.
A spectacular display of designs, layouts, wedding setups, designer props and accessories were showcased at the WDH Expo 2016, organised at Shagun Farms, New Delhi. The range included unique carvings, chandeliers, props, wall and mirror frames, pillars, thematic furniture, candelabras, cages, accessories, artificial 32
Wedding designer, Shikha Thareja and veteran decor professional, Kusum Suri
After their respective glorious journeys in the Indian wedding industry, Vikaas Gutgutia, Founder and MD, Ferns N Petals; renowned wedding designer, Shikha Thareja; and veteran decor professional, Kusum Suri, came together to produce this state-of-the-art B2B platform for their fellow wedding decorators. The showcase was followed by cocktails and dinner.
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Being the oldest in the industry, this is another significant aspect of our business. WDH Expo 2016, is a firstof-its-kind experiential platform for the wedding fraternity where they could buy or even book readymade décor solutions specially customized to showcase the upcoming trends. I am really delighted with the overwhelming response from our fellow patrons. Vikaas Gutgutia
Founder & Managing Director Ferns N Petals
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The Ultimate Stop for Wedding Planners: ICWF 2016
The International Convention of the Wedding Fraternity 2016 featured the Great Indian Wedding Awards, plus 3 days of networking events and great sessions on wedding planning and management, design, wedding photography and videography, and more! In case you missed it, read on to know about all that happened at the quintessential convention of the wedding planning industry.
T
he International Convention of the Wedding Fraternity 2016 featured the Great Indian Wedding Awards, plus 3 days of networking events and great sessions on wedding planning and management, design, wedding photography and videography, and more! In case you missed it, read on to know about all that happened at the quintessential convention of the wedding planning industry. In addition to the Great Indian Wedding Awards (GIWA), ICWF featured 3 days of high octane sessions, beautifully crafted networking events and entertainment evenings that offered something to all who attended. Delegates at ICWF included wedding and event planners, venue owners, entertainers, and vendors including caterers, florists, make-up artists and others in the wedding planning ecosystem. The Awards recognised the work of wedding planners, venues and vendors in 27 categories for exemplary work in the last year. Remarking upon the success of this year’s event, Samit Garg, Founder-Director, E-Factor & SkyWaltz said, “We are glad that ICWF 2016 was effectively able to establish a bond of solidarity amongst the industry members. We had people from over 12 countries and we were proudly able to present a wonderful India - full of creativity, enthusiasm and hospitality. The presence of all the industry peers was an absolute delight and the content curated was hugely appreciated by all across.”
The Entertainment The entertainment at each evening was top-notch and featured Shilpa Rao, the Vyas Brothers, Harshdeep Kaur, Hard Kaur, Akhi Sachdeva, Jyotsna and Santosh, among others.
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Day One began with a networking evening, ‘Sundower’, at Nahargarh Fort, followed by dinner at the recently opened Gulmohar by Taluka Tents. 7 Entertainment, a Mumbai-based artist coordination company was associated with ICWF 2016 as their talent partner for the second time in a row, and made sure the guests were entertained with powerpacked performances. With Shilpa Rao’s enchanting performance with her band on the first night, the guests couldn’t get enough of her and she was asked to come back for an encore. She performed songs including her hits like Khuda Jaane, Malang, Man Marziya, Yaarian, and more. The GIWA awards that took place on the last day of the event had another act managed by 7 Entertainment. Jyotsna Radhakrishnan rocked, singing songs like Adele’s Skyfall, Hume Tumse Pyaar Kitna and even a Spanish song as her closing act. Santosh Chandran made sure everyone grooved, and one of his acts included a Flamenco guitar solo with a pen, while Ralfin Stephen showed his tremendous versatility on the keyboard. On associating with ICWF 2016, Sidhartha Todi, Founder, 7 Entertainment said, "This was the second time in a row that we have been associated with ICWF as their Talent Partner. It was an absolute pleasure meeting the best wedding planners under one roof. All the acts managed by 7 Entertainment were highly appreciated by the audience." Jaideep Singh, Team ICWF & GIWA added, "This was the second consecutive year when 7 Entertainment was talent partner of ICWF & GIWA. Sidharth Todi has been really helpful and supportive by bringing us the talent we were looking for. A big thank you to the entire team and we look forward to seeing you guys again next year to complete the hatrick!"
Sessions and Panel Discussions Hosted by Geetika Ganju Dhar, the sessions at ICWF delved deep into the business of wedding planning, while also showcasing key developments in design, flower arrangement, destination weddings and more. Day Two featured sessions all day by eminent speakers, beginning with the Keynote by Sabbas Joseph, President, EEMA in which he spoke at length about the wedding planning industry and its growth in recent years, also commending ICWF on providing a great platform for the industry. He said, “Sometimes, an event can have multiple planners working on it, and we need to collaborate in order to innovate. We need to also become more organised. Platforms like ICWF allow you to network and explore new opportunities”. The next session ‘Designing the Social Space’ was moderated by Samit Garg, Founder Director, E-Factor & Skywaltz and saw speakers Geeta Samuel of Q Events by Geeta Samuel; Sanjeev Shankar, Founder, Studio Sanjeev Shankar; and set designer Sumant Jayakrishnan elaborated profusely on what different social events demand from design. Each speaker showcased examples of their work that best brought to light what’s at the heart of each of their design philosophies. “Personally, I find small very beautiful, but there are a lot of people who want larger than life décor. It’s important to ensure that your vision matches what the client wants.” Geeta Samuel Q Events by Geeta Samuel “Sustainability is very relevant to the wedding industry. We also need to draw from traditional knowledge when innovating. Further, we should implement ideas and use tools that set a new threshold in the industry like with innovative architectural setups.” Sanjeev Shankar, Founder Studio Sanjeev Shankar
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L to R-Anna Montorsi, Carla Marques, Roshan Abbas
L to R-Badal Jain, Ashish Chawla, Sephi Bergerson
Session on the Effective Use of Social Media
L to R-David Lee Beahm and Sumant Jayakrishnan
L to R-Samit Garg, Geeta Samuel, Sumant Jayakrishnan and Sanjeev Shankar
L to R-Brian Tellis and Veronique Dussault
“Every space has different types of geometry including invisible geometry and obvious geometry. The space should be planned taking into consideration where you need to pull people and where you need to push them. The flow of the event, the concept and the lighting should come together in the event.” Sumant Jayakrishnan Set Designer The session titled ‘The Effective Use of Social Media in the Space Private Social
Events’ was moderated by Roshan Abbas, Managing Director, Geometry Global Encompass Network where speakers Siddharth Bapna, Founder, WedTalk and Ginny Kohli, Founder and CEO, WedWise emphasised the potential of social media to generate positive word of mouth about an event, while providing wedding planners a platform to grow their business. The session also briefly covered elements of a good social media strategy, listing some of the things planners can do to get the most out of their channels.
Post lunch, Veronique Dussault and Brian Tellis, Director, Fountainhead Promotions and Events spoke on ‘More to Bite – India’s Increasing Appetite for International Entertainment’, where some recent events which have brought down large international acts were in focus, while the speakers also spoke more broadly upon the Indian market for these acts at social events, highlighting opportunities as well as challenges faced.
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I N D U S T R Y WATC H | HA P P E N I N G “If we blend Indian and international talent, there is a great opportunity to tell stories that are global in nature.” Brian Tellis, Director Fountainhead Promotions and Events “Indians make things happen and India has a lot of potential. We can take this to a global level by clubbing together different cultures and formats. There is also scope for the expertise of international players in the Indian market. Nearly everything we are producing is relevant to the Indian wedding industry.” Veronique Dussault Creative Content Designer, Cirque ‘The New World of Destination Weddings’, again moderated by Samit Garg, saw speakers Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Aditya Motwane, Director, Motwane Entertainment and Weddings and wedding and social event planner Satish Ramnani share on key developments in destination weddings, including new destinations and the attractions they offer. “India has so many venues that are now more functional. With dedication, we will also make heritage properties more accessible. With destination weddings, a lot of business is going out. We need to explore India more.” Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar “Prague, Bucharest and Baku will be the hot wedding destinations for the next few years. The facilities and offerings here are attractive to clients and planners.” Satish Ramnani “My preferred destination for a wedding is Europe, though it is an expensive proposition and has a limited clientele. Tourism boards in these countries are also promoting wedding tourism more now.” Aditya Motwane, Director Motwane Entertainment Day Three began with a session by the celebrated David Lee Beahm, David Beahm Experiences, who in ‘Planning for Perfection: The Business of Wedding Design’, spoke about the ‘6 C’s’ of Wedding Design, focussing specifically on what planners must do and what they must deliver from a business point of view. The 6 C’s that make up the process of delivering great design are Collect, Curate, Conceptualise, Compose and Create. “People want to feel important. You need to find out what story your client wants to tell.
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Find out who is sitting across from you and be total present.” David Lee Beahm David Beahm Experiences In ‘Nostalgia of Lenses’ featuring photographers Sephi Bergerson and Ashish Chawla, two very different approaches to wedding photography were presented. Candid photography focusing on special moments as captured by the photographer were contrasted with highly staged photography that’s akin to modelling photo shoots. The strengths of each were discussed, while the well-known photographers also shared about what they wanted from planners and what can be done to strengthen the relationship between planners and photographers. “The job of a wedding photographer is not only to make the client/couple happy. Beyond that, a photographer needs to shoot for himself as well, because this is how you create your own style and make a name for yourself. In India, photographers need to be making a more interesting body of work”. Sephi Bergerson, Owner Sephi Bergerson Photography “Today, wedding photography is more fun, and the setup is more interesting to a photographer. Earlier Bollywood gave to the wedding industry. Now the wedding industry is giving back to Bollywood. When doing wedding shoots, why not get people to enact that fantasy while they’re already putting everything together!” Ashish Chawla Fashion Photographer Aarti Matto, Chairperson, Momentum Group moderated the session ‘From the Winners Table’, where she first spoke to Vijay Arora, Touchwood Weddings on Delhi as the next big wedding destination, and then to the photographer Ram on what’s new in photography as well as what budgets planners should keep in mind for photographers and videographers. “Delhi has a lot to offer and is the next big destination for weddings. With the kind of venues (more than 250) and costing, it beats other destinations. Today, destinations are all about venues and hotels, no matter the location. What costs 7 to 8 crores for a wedding in Goa will cost you around 3.5 crores in Delhi.” Vijay Arora, Director Touchwood Group
“What’s new in wedding photography is 4K cameras and also 3D filming. The cost implication of shooting a 3-day wedding with this technology for around 400 to 500 guests is 12 lakh.” Ram Bherwani Wedding Photographer ‘India @ Large’ had speakers representing South India, Gujarat and West Bengal, who spoke about the nuances of wedding planning in their respective regions and states. Speakers included Rajesh Gopinath, Founder, Wish Tree Weddings and Rakhi Kankaria, Founder and Director, Rachnoutsav Events representing South India – they spoke about key elements of South Indian weddings and what’s changing. Florist Baisakhi Ghosh, and Avinash Singhania, Director, Encore Events waxed poetic on Indian heritage and using design to bring out emotions at weddings in Calcutta. Finally, Keyur Patel, Prasang Events and Jaydeep Mehta, CMD, World Wide Weddings went over Gujarati hospitality at weddings, the business of wedding planning in Gujarat and what elements make up for the absence of alcohol. “Kerala is a very conservative market. They don’t want to show off their money, and elegance is valued more than flamboyance. Food is an important aspect of any event, even more so than décor. Kerala has got a very distinct antiquity, and there’s a lot of folklore which we try to bring into our designs. We also use jute and a lot of other inexpensive elements to give a clean look.” Rajesh Gopinath, Founder Wish Tree Weddings “South India has very good large venues. Traditional weddings are best held indoors, as spiritual aspects are very important. Dominant flowers used in wedding are Jasmine, Chameli and Rajnigandha. Weddings easily see 15,000 to 50,000 guests, and even a small wedding does not have fewer than 5000 guests.” Rakhi Kankaria, Founder and Director Rachnoutsav Events “We are very grateful to be recognised for our work on this platform. Through our designs, we try to bring out Indian culture and history.” Baisakhi Ghosh Florist
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I N D U S T R Y WATC H | H AP P E NI NG This year ICWF was grand. Grand in its selection of venue, grand in its choice of speakers, grand in its engagement with the delegates, grand in its hospitality and most definitely grand were its after- parties. Fairmont Jaipur is beautiful. It was the main venue for the conference and The Great Indian Wedding Awards. It does not need to do much, just sit there looking regal. But the team rose to the occasion and rolled out a mounted version of fair hospitality. Speakers such as David Beahm, Geeta Samuel, Sumant Jaykrishnan, Veronique Dussault, Maharaj Kumar Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Toni Abou Ghazaly and Carla Marques brought a juicy meatiness to the knowledge spread of the conference. The Great Indian Wedding Awards once again served as a barometer of excellence of players in the local, Indian wedding planning and management industry. Swarovski came on board as GIWA Trophy Sponsor.
Host Geetika Ganju Dhar with Mandeep Malhotra of The Five Guys Project
A View from the Stage By Gitikka Ganju Dhar, host at ICWF 2016 A few days before ICWF 2016 opened its doors, I was at Wagah Border watching the Beating Retreat Ceremony, a practice jointly conducted by the security forces of both India and Pakistan. As I sat there enjoying the experiential spectacle, a celebration of military rivalry, it struck me that in a few days I was heading into a celebration of love. This was a summit whose delegates were executors of celebrations of love and players in a $24 Billion industry – the social space in India. This was the International Convention for Wedding Fraternity (ICWF), ‘fraternity’ being the key word. I have observed that the joy of being a fraternity is what stands out at such platform events.
The after-parties refused to end, with performers such as Hard Kaur, Sandeep and Sanjeev Vyas, Akhil Sachdeva and Nasha, Shilpa Roy, Harshdeep Kaur and Talent Square doing well and striking a chord with the audience. Industry Captains like Sabbas Joseph, Brian Tellis, Roshan Abbas made sure they marked the summit with their presence and participation. Wedding industry stakeholders including Vijay Arora, Rajiv Jain, Aditya Motwane, Badal Jain, Sephi Berguson, Rakhi Kankaria, Aarti Mattoo, Ram Bherwani, Ashish Chawla, Baisakhi Ghosh, Rajesh Gopinathan, Rajesh Ravani, Jaideep Mehta, Keyur Patel, Satish Ramnani, Ginny Kohli and Siddharth Bapna came, spoke and engaged. If I were to pick two elements that shone the brightest at ICWF 2016, they would be the bouquet of international speakers and the lavish spread of cuisine — both superlative in quality. Being host for the last two editions of ICWF, I am privy to the vision that the core team is nurturing. The core team at ICWF is aiming at establishing a larger global footprint next year. If you, who are a part of the Indian wedding planning and management industry, choose not to attend ICWF, you will miss something. So pencil the 2017 dates into your calendar. I have, too. See you next year at The International Convention of the Wedding Fraternity.
“The nuclear family setup, the desire to spend, keenness to experiment and the market for destination weddings all promise a future for us in Calcutta.” Avinash Singhania, Director Encore Events
‘Hosting Hospitality and Inurement’ saw Toni Abou Ghazaly of The Agenda Beirut talk about how hospitality can make or break an event. He also spoke about what his institute does to inculcate a practical understanding of hospitality at events.
“Gujarat is known for its elaborate food and warmth. This makes up for the absence of alcohol at weddings.” Jaydeep Mehta, CMD World Wide Weddings
“Our core mission is teaching the practical side rather than the theoretical side. We’re combining hospitality and PR. A small mistake in hospitality at a big wedding can create bad publicity. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Toni Abou Ghazaly, Founder The Agenda Beirut
Finally, the ‘Big Bang Events’ featured Carla Marques of Filmmaster Events share on story telling at events and crafting the unexpectedly beautiful at events.
Partners at ICWF 2016 Partners and sponsors at ICWF this year included Rixos Hotels, EMF, Swarovski, EY, Kurl-on, Gulmohar by Taluka’s, Taluka Tent Decorators, Camas, Everything Experiential and EEMA.
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GIWA AWARDS The GIWA Awards which followed the last day’s sessions were a tremendous success and saw awards given out in categories including Wedding of the Year, Best Wedding Reception, Best Destination Wedding of the Year (International), Best Destination Wedding of the Year (India), Best Wedding Moments, Best Infrastructure Provider, Best Wedding Invites and more. On GIWA, Garg added, “GIWA 2016 saw mostly all the relevant companies participate with full zest and the sparkle of the new Swarovski trophies got smiles on all faces who eventually possessed them. The level of competition has scaled up in many ways and we are sure that 2017 would be a year of new reckonings. God Willing!”
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GOLD WINNERS MEDAL
CATEGORY
TITLE
COMPANY
GOLD
WEDDING OF THE YEAR (OVER ALL)
SAKARIYA WEDDING
ANKITA CHUGH WEDDINGS & EVENTS PVT LTD
GOLD
BEST WEDDING RECEPTION
ZAVERI WEDDING
PRASANG EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT PVT LTD.
GOLD
BEST DESTINATION WEDDING (INTERNATIONAL)
GROVER & KHILNANI'S VENETIAN WEDDING
MOTWANE ENTERTAINMENT & WEDDINGS AND WEDDING DESIGN COMPANY
GOLD
BEST DESTINATION WEDDING (INDIA)
SAKARIYA WEDDING
ANKITA CHUGH WEDDINGS & EVENTS PVT LTD
GOLD
BEST ENGAGEMENT/RING CEREMONY
MAITRI WEDS ROHIT
STUDIO NEELABH
GOLD
BEST SANGEET CEREMONY
BON VOYAGE TO LOVELAND
UTSSAV
GOLD
BEST MEHENDI CEREMONY
HEARTBEATS
POOJAN DECOR
GOLD
BEST DESIGN AND SPACE DÉCOR
RECEPTION-MAGIC
Q EVENTS BY GEETA SAMUEL
GOLD
BEST USE OF FLOWERS
ETERNAL LOVE
POOJAN DECOR
GOLD
BEST BRIDE AND GROOM ENTRY
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD
TOUCHWOOD GROUP
GOLD
BEST FOOD ART AND DISPLAY
AGGARWAL WEDDING TURKEY
LE CHAAT FACTORY
GOLD
BEST WEDDING MOMENTS (STILL)
THE VOYAGERS
SHUTTERDOWN & LEVITATION LOVE CUPCAKE PRODUCTIONS
GOLD
BEST WEDDING MOMENTS (VIDEO)
JUST GONNA HOLD YOU
WEDDINGNAMA
GOLD
BEST ENTERTAINMENT DESIGN & EXECUTION
THE ROYAL EPITOME
TOUCHWOOD GROUP
GOLD
BEST INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDER FOR WEDDINGS
GAATHA...EK PREM KATHA
Q EVENTS INDIA LTD
GOLD
BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY
LEVITATION LOVE
CUPCAKE PRODUCTIONS
GOLD
BEST WEDDING HOTEL (INDIA)
FATEH PRAKASH PALACE, THE CITY PALACE, UDAIPUR
HRH GROUP OF HOTELS
GOLD
BEST WEDDING VENUE BANQUET/BACKYARD
LUXMI VILAS PALACE, BARODA
SHREELABH DECORATOR
GOLD
BEST WEDDING INVITES
FLORAL WASH PERSONAL STATIONARY
YS DESIGN STUDIO
GOLD
BEST WEDDING MAKE UP ARTIST
ASIN & RAHUL SHARMA'S WEDDING
VIPUL BHAGAT, T-ZONE
GOLD
BEST TROUSSUE PACKAGING FOR A WEDDING
LADY WITH LOTUS TROUS TRUNK
PUNEET GUPTA INVITATION
GOLD
BEST FAMILY SANGEET CHOREOGRAPHY
GOENKA AND JHUNJHUNWALA
SILVER BEES ENTERTAINMENT PVT LTD
GOLD
BEST WEDDING CAKE DESIGN
FAIRYTALE
ECLAIRS BAKERY
GOLD
BEST UPCOMING WEDDING PLANNER
ENCHANTED FLORAL FAIRYTALE
THE DREAM THEME
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A R O U N D T H E W O R L D | I N F OC U S
Bringing the Floral Touch to the UAE In this piece, ExCel interviews Ferns N Petals’ very own Chaitanya Boobna, who tells us about the company’s operations in the UAE, the wedding business in the region and more. Also, keep reading for details on the elaborately themed wedding of a London-based Indian couple at the Park Hyatt, Abu Dhabi.
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he journey of Ferns N Petals, much like flowers, which are at the very heart of its business, has been an organic one. With its inception as a single store in 1994 in Delhi, a brain child of entrepreneur Vikaas Gutgutia, the brand has established a new edge to the flower gifting culture in the country. With his determined efforts and desire to create an extraordinary brand, FNP has grown with its core emphasis reflecting on customer delight and constant aspiration to deliver exclusivity. Today, FNP leads the floral and gifting industry with 225 outlets in 85 cities, PAN India. Further, the company has also expanded its operations to the UAE, delivering flowers, chocolates and gifts to prime locations in the region. While the company’s UAE office is at AI Quoz, Dubai, it extends its services throughout the UAE to cities including Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaima, Um Al Quwain and more. Two decades have passed since its origin, with Ferns N Petals deepening its roots in the floral and gifting business; and though business opportunities are flooding with prosperous aspects, FNP tends to stay committed to its consumers and associates. Today, Ferns N Petals Group encompasses FNP Retail & Franchising, FNP E-commerce - India & UAE, FNP Weddings & Events, Floral Touch - India & UAE, FNP Gardens, FNP Select, The Flagship Store by Ferns N Petals, WDH (Wedding Design Hub), and GBM (giftsbymeeta.com). The brand provides solutions for everybody’s floral needs, be it buying flowers for occasions, conjuring floral décor for weddings or parties or just delivering fresh flowers not only in India but across the globe. ExCel conducted an interview with Chaitanya Boobna, Partner, Floral Touch Dubai (a unit of FNP) to understand more about FNP’s UAE business, as well as the challenges faced in and opportunities offered by the market.
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The wedding industry in the UAE is unique in many ways, and my honest opinion is that wedding suppliers should sometimes ignore the traditional marketing and advertising advice aimed at other industries. Chaitanya Boobna Partner, Floral Touch Dubai What can FNP provide wedding planners in the UAE market? Timeless and beautiful weddings are the result of careful collaboration, efficient organization and meticulous attention to detail. Our flexible wedding décor & designing services brings a calm and reassuring quality to every element of the wedding day to ensure absolute perfection. From decoration of the stage, lounge backdrops, bar décor, private dining décor to table centre appointments, venue layout, and every other tiny element that will enhance the opulence and ambience of the wedding venue, we cater everything. We are a décor organization that provides delivery, setup, transfers and end-of-night teardowns. It is not just about hanging up some accessories and lighting up candles in vases – the right planning and execution is essential. We are here with our top wedding décor team to help and advise them on creating awe-striking weddings.
Please elaborate on how FNP, Dubai is exceptional compared to other suppliers? Through many years of experience, designing enormous weddings throughout, we have become experts in wedding design. We love designing weddings and would like to make the wedding day extraordinary. We strive to create a wedding that reflects the personality, style and taste of the couple and family within the confines of a budget. The essence of FNP Floral Touch lies in its enthusiastic team. It has the crème of management, a dedicated team of the finest professionals and skilled manpower working for it. The team works with utmost commitment, exuberating passion in making every wedding an affair to remember! FNP also has the largest repertoire of International Designers. Our approach is simple — to provide amazing wedding designs, at a great value, with outstanding deliverables. And most of all, FNP Floral Touch is about our ultimate love for flowers and executing beyond your expectations using our design aesthetics. What do you feel about working in partnership with planners? I feel partnering with planners and other wedding supplier is the key, as “couples get married once, but the industry will always be there.” There should be a mutual understanding between the people partnering for a venture. The benefit of mutual alliances includes referrals from key industry people, chances of increasing profits, and marketing your products with other companies. There are numerous identical business owners, pitching for the very same market, but not all of them are direct competitors. Working together with other companies opens doors to all kinds of opportunities that can be beneficial to all parties involved. What are some projects that FNP has already been involved with in the UAE market?
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A R O U N D T H E W O R L D | I N F O CUS We have been doing a good amount of weddings and other social & corporate events every year. Some of events we have been involved in are Masala Awards 2015; Grazia Awards 2016 held at the Waldorf Astoria in Palm Jumeirah; the IIFA celebrations event UAE 2016 at Hyatt Regency Creek Heights, Araaish since 2015; and many more. We have provided designs for weddings and events at almost all five-star properties in the region, including the Atlantis, Ritz Carlton, Emirates Palace, Madinat Jumeirah, The Address, St. Regis, Raffles, etc. What are the unique challenges in this market and how has FNP overcome these? The wedding industry in the UAE is unique in many ways, and my honest opinion is that wedding suppliers should sometimes ignore the traditional marketing and advertising advice aimed at other industries.
The Moghul-Themed Mehendi
The market is overwhelmed with inexperienced, untrained individuals who charge very low fees and provide less than stellar service. This poses a challenge for really talented, experienced professionals looking to charge fees in accordance with their offerings when clients are constantly comparing apples to oranges. To overcome this, it is necessary to show that professional knowledge and experience is an asset. The best way to out show yourself is by raising the bar so high that clients cannot imagine doing business with anyone else. The UAE wedding market is also marked by constantly changing wedding trends, making it very necessary to keep up with them. People in the UAE can never have enough of the glam and glitz that goes into planning wedding décor. So, it is important to stay updated about the market. CASE STUDY: Themes and Dreams–a Wedding at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi FNP UAE recently provided décor and creative solutions for a London-based couple, who chose the beautiful Park Hyatt on the Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi as the destination for their August wedding. The Moghul-Themed Mehendi The celebrations commenced from August 5 to 8, 2016, and kick-started with a Moghul-themed Mehendi event. J U LY – D EC E M B E R 2 01 6 | E x C e l
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A R O U N D T H E W O R L D | I N F OC U S It was the bride's wish to have a distinct theme for each occasion. The Moghul theme was implemented bearing the greatest detailing, with three meeting rooms at the Park Hyatt being taken up to create a Maharaja & Maharani kaksh (groom and bride’s chamber). The bride's chamber had been installed with elaborate dressing areas. Built on the lines of a Moghul empress’s private room, the low seating and flower-adorned framework, all contributed to the perfect setting for the ceremony of henna application.
The Arabic-Majlis-Themed Sangeet
The groom's chamber, on the other hand, was built on a more formal note comprising of a dining area, a bar, and high-tea counter. The pre-function area between both chambers was further integrated into the theme, by making it resemble a common area between chambers of an actual Moghul palace. Heavy gold frames and candelabras adorned the passageways and corners, completing the look to the tee. The Arabic-Majlis-Themed Sangeet The evening Sangeet on the same day paid ode to a completely different theme—an Arabic Majlis. Celebratory hues of purple and royal blue transformed the ballroom at the Park Hyatt. An elaborate central bar was created, with an Arabic-design cut base and a custom-created central element that resembled a chandelier, with a cascading Arabian-design, gold cut outs that bore the touch of the blue and purple theme colours. The backdrop to the stage was also adorned thematically, with an extension of the design elements in alternating cut-out panels and flex print. The opulence of a real Arabic Majlis was lent by both the venue (the Park Hyatt Ballroom) as well as by the most elaborate lantern, vase and flower table centre-pieces.
The Temple-Inspired Ceremony
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The Ceremony Inspired by Indian Temples The day that followed started off with customary rituals at 'The Residence' of the Park Hyatt. Another unique feature of this hotel, which lends itself perfectly to a destination wedding, is The Residence, built on the lines of a lavish mansion that encompasses numerous venues, which provided the perfect setting for small prayers and ceremonies, held by the families of both the bride and the groom. The Residence also served as a dedicated, and exclusive space for the wedding guests, and was replete with
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A R O U N D T H E W O R L D | I N F O CUS snacks and beverages through all the days of the wedding. It was also through the Residence that wedding guests could check-in through a dedicated desk and an elaborate lounge area. The pre-function area of the Park Hyatt ballroom has the unique combination of spaciousness, grandeur and lighting, which enabled it to provide the perfect aura for the late afternoon wedding ceremony. Indian temples inspired the theme for the pheras. Gold bells formed an integral part of the golden and bright red decor, with close to 200 actual temple bells being used to decorate the mandap. These bells were blessed during the ceremony and were then gifted to the wedding guests, thereby allowing them to take a blessed token of the wedding back to their homes.
The Black-Tie Reception
The Black-Tie Reception The evening was host to a formal wedding reception, back in the ballroom of the Park Hyatt, but of course, with a totally transformed setting that distinguished itself from that of the previous evening. The reception was themed on the western culture - black-ties, suits and a formal sit-down dinner. The theme livened up to the expectations of everyone by keeping the visuals elegant with clean whites, a backdrop for the couple, and a highlight only through elegant chandeliers. The most exotic of all flowers were used in the elaborate centrepieces that comprised of white and pink flowers. A pristine cherry blossom tree enhanced one corner of the venue, and accounted for the perfect backdrop for pictures of the guests. The Honeymoon Brunch The third day played host to the Honeymoon Brunch, where the couple and their families got to see off their guests in style. The Park Grill, an uber chic restaurant with live cooking counters and grills, was synonymous with an appropriate relaxed setting, allowing the guests to focus on the great food and also bid final good-byes. The décor, this time only to enhance the already busy setting of the Park Grill, brought in the jolly essence of beach and out-door settings into the restaurant. Sand-filled jars, and vases adorned with shells, provided a perfect reminder of a weekend well spent on the heavenly shores of the picturesque Saadiyaat Island! The Honeymoon Brunch
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Décor Diktat BY THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS
ExCel gets a hold of the TOP players in the Indian wedding décor business, and gathers from them valuable insights about various aspects of design and décor, along with glimpses of mind-blowing masterpieces created by them!
Stick to your core strength. However, if you are not sure about any aspect of this business reach out and collaborate. It is always good to work with experts in any field. Each one brings the best to the table, which only helps you and your reputation in the end. Vandana Mohan Director, The Wedding Design Company
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écor is the most crucial aspect of weddings and all private events, more so because it is the décor and ambience of an event which sets the tone for what’s in store. An attendee experiences the décor before everything else; the food, entertainment and performances and any other offering are experienced only later. As one walks into a wedding venue, he/she is engulfed in the ambience that is created by these masters. Therefore, it can safely be said, that Décor rules a private event, especially an Indian wedding. ExCel gets a hold of the TOP players in the Indian wedding décor business, and gathers from them valuable insights about various aspects of design and décor, along with glimpses of mind-blowing masterpieces created by them!
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FLOWER POWER Flowers are possibly the oldest décor accessory at weddings, especially Indian weddings. But is old really gold? Speaking of how important flowers are, Dhun Cordo, Director, Full Moon Creative Services states, “To me, flowers are the most beautiful asset available, especially for the actual wedding ceremony. Sangeets and parties can be made stunning with lighting, installations, effects, etc., but a wedding for me needs to be floral.” On the other hand, Sumant Jayakrishnan, Director, Scenografia Sumant feels that it is absolutely possible to create experiences without the extensive use of flowers (especially pre-wedding events). He elaborates, “In fact there are a couple of thematic events I have done with not a single flower in the decor. Flowers are usually only critical for
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the actual wedding ceremony. Unless the client specifically requires you to use a lot of flowers for the other events, it is not necessary. Flowers must not become your prop that you cannot do without.” According to Gurleen M Puri, Director, Weddings by Gurleen Puri, flowers evoke instant joy and good cheer. They attract the visual senses, as well as create a meadowy atmosphere in the wedding venue. However, she explains how an expert wedding designer can use a plethora of mediums to make a venue look stunning. She says, “At our events, we have used flowers, fabrics, candles, lights, mirrors, crystals, various artifacts, stunning pieces of art, statement pieces, installations, kitsch accent and much more. In addition, we don't stop at the traditional mediums. We have used music, water, and spatial set-ups to transform a simple wedding venue, into a wonderland.”
Flowers are irreplaceable. Events with huge magnanimous structures and larger than life spaces look incomplete without florals, in spite of having huge installations and props. Geeta Samuel Director, Q Events by Geeta Samuel
Speaking along the same lines, Vandana Mohan, Director, The Wedding Design Company (WDC) explains how flowers are an essential accessory; however they don't always have to be the attention piece. She explains, “One can work with so much else to create a look such as fun props, colourful furniture, projections, mirrors, amazing lighting, textures, metal and so much more! The good thing with flowers is that they add the soft touch.” While, Geeta Samuel, MD, Q Events by Geeta Samuel feels that flowers are most vital and undoubtedly add glory to any event while also adding value to every bit of detailing. She elaborates, “For instance, even the simplest of props are made to look stunning and beautiful with the use of flowers. Also a lot of it depends on the theme your event is centred around. Events with huge magnanimous structures and larger
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than life spaces look incomplete without florals, in spite of having huge installations and props. Florals are definitely irreplaceable.” RAGING DÉCOR TRENDS: WHAT’S HOT & WHAT’S NOT Sumant Jayakrishnan mentions, “Contemporary and Minimal Ideas are a new trend in wedding decor this season. Though the scale can still be large, a simple idea in repeat is something most clients are responding to.” In recent years we have seen brides rush to recreate their version of a royal wedding or something straight off the internet. But today the trend has noticed an invariable change. Geeta Samuel feels that couples today are more interested in going down the aisle their own way. They want a wedding that showcases who they are and gives guests a fun, never seen before experience. She adds, “In terms of patterns and colours people are looking more into modern, luxe and clean colour palates with bolder accents. One recent event that comes to my mind is a Delhi reception for which we had created a magical theme.” For this magical themed experience, a 100 feet long and 30 feet high ice castle was created and used as the stage backdrop which became the highlight of the event. The indigenously fabricated water tank with mermaids served as a bar backdrop in the main area which left the guests awestruck. Another high point in the event was the culinary excellence that was displayed in four world famous restaurants recreated by the agency. Starting from the upholstery to the furniture to the main interiors, everything was just as one would see in the actual restaurants. Gurleen Puri mentions that European Vintage and English Garden styled looks are very popular, this year.
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She explains, “These looks utilize spring blooms, pastel shades, timeless pieces and dainty florals. The looks are further embellished with antiques, butterflies, bird cages and spring accents. This theme works very well for an Engagement party or a Mehndi lunch.” On the other hand, Vandana Mohan says, “Watch fashion trends, trending colours and any international trendweddings do pick something from there.” Being more specific she goes on to say, “Fantasy and theatrical productions are inspirations for décor at private events. Additionally, the trend of pure and authentic designs for weddings is BIG today. What’s trending is décor that is Indiainspired and truly Indian in colour, motifs, fabrics and structures.”
To lend authenticity to any event, the decor and ambience must reflect the couple's personal style, rather than simply following trends. Gurleen M Puri Director, Weddings by Gurleen Puri
Interestingly, Dhun Cordo says, “I don't believe in trends. If you blindly follow a trend, most events will tend to look the same. A wedding is a very private individual affair. It requires to be tailored to create a personal experience. It cannot be a cookiecutter version of the current trend.” INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE On being asked whether international trends influence Indian weddings, Gurleen M Puri says, “Absolutely! Today's world is extremely connected. Thanks to the internet, social media and pop culture, people across the world are being exposed to the same trends. Consequently, brides and grooms in India are as aware of international trends, as are couples across the world.” However, she strongly feels that Indian weddings are truly Indian and blend the modern, with the traditional. “Indian families span many generations, and we must pay homage to each of those generations by incorporating age-old family traditions and customs, with the fun, new-age wedding elements,” she adds.
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Speaking on similar lines, Geeta Samuel agrees that international décor trends are influencing Indian weddings significantly and people’s awareness of international trends is enriching the trends in Indian weddings. Therefore, she feels that we are witnessing a drift towards global trends, which takes into account a complementary fusion of global and local. She says, “The horizon has widened and therefore newer, ‘never seen before’ concepts are coming in.” Sumant Jayakrishnan explains how it is the international trends in florals and floral design which were primarily influential. "Decor professionals have always been inspired by the likes of Preston Bailey, Jeff Leatham, Daniel Ost etc. However, recently awareness about international decor companies like Design Lab have also become part of a clients vocabulary and search." he adds. Looking at weddings more holistically, Vandana Mohan is of the opinion that the vibe at international events influences Indian weddings; if technology is big in fashion or exhibitions or clubs, we see a big use of that in our weddings. She explains, “We adapt to our needs. In entertainment we like to be right on top, so if any band, performer, artiste is a rage in the world, we try and work with them. Of course, I must add that Indian weddings are also influencing international weddings. Today one can see an Indian inspiration at musical evenings, parties and décor, even food at international weddings.” Interestingly, Dhun Cordo explains the extent to which international trends should ideally influence Indian weddings. She states, “Pinterest is a boon and a bane. It is a great idea source, but it needs to be just that — a source, not the solution.”
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CUSTOMIZING, INNOVATION & PERSONAL PREFERENCES OF THE CLIENT Vandana Mohan reiterates that the personal taste of the client is of prime importance; however the designer’s creative bent should also be taken into account. She elaborates, “I normally show a bunch of pictures and get an idea of what they are leaning towards and then plan the concept. We normally create what works for the client and me. If they don't have an idea which they MUST HAVE, then I work with the venue, its architecture and any other feature, then I do colour and work my way around to an idea which matches their expectation and satisfies my creative urge!”
Pinterest a boon and a bane. It is a great idea source, but it needs to be just that -a source, not the solution. Dhun Cordo Director, Full Moon Creative Services
Dhun Cordo explains that although all clients want something new, it is not always possible to create a full totally new look. She adds, “For instance, if their taste is classical then my job is to take inspiration from the classics and try to give it a personal touch. Sometimes your taste clashes with that of your client's. It is usually possible to convince them to amend their ideas and create a harmonious balance. In very rare cases the client has demanded an absurd element– and because ultimately it is their event, you need to make small adjustments but still make it work cohesively.” Reinforcing the importance of innovation, Geeta Samuel says, “Keeping up on current trends in fashion, new books, movies or music can often be a source of inspiration. With new décor companies emerging each day with several innovative themes and concepts, it is one has to continuously strive to innovate and bring fresh ideas to the table in order to have an edge over competitors. The main factors we consider while zeroing on a theme are time constraints and practical feasibility. Our experience over many years of practice is one large advantage which enables us to produce almost everything.”
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Adding more about where one needs to draw the line as far as the client's personal preferences are concerned, she adds, “We do consider the client’s personal preferences unless there are good reasons not to! If the client wants something very inappropriate or in bad taste, we do put our foot down and take a stand, because being tasteful, reflecting traditions, values and sophistication is of utmost importance.” Sumant Jayakrishnan states, “It is entirely possible to create something new for each client. If you tune in to who the client is and start with their personality, you will invariably end up with something quite specific and particular which is of and from them. Then you add some of your vocabulary to build up the whole; and there you have something new and specific.” Agreeing, Gurleen M Puri mentions, “In our eyes, every client deserves something different, because every client is different. For every wedding, we curate a complete different experience that is reflective of the couple getting married and their individual families. Therefore, every wedding has its own sense of uniqueness and warmth, driven by the happy couple and close-knit families.” “As Wedding Designers, we start our planning process by getting to know the couple and their families. We spend a lot of time with them, learning their dreams and visions, figuring out their needs in terms of ceremonies, guests, location, budget, etc. Then we create a personalized design and plan to complement the bride, groom and family. This method has always worked for us, because it focuses on the bliss of the couple and the family as opposed to a recycled cookie-cutter theme,” she adds. POPULAR PROPS Speaking of popular props, Sumant Jayakrishan says, “Flower Walls are
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the current Rage and Norm! I started them with Eric Chauvin for a wedding in Chennai three years ago.” According to Vandana Mohan, photoop corners, fun, thematic, glamorous, colourful and oversized props are BIG this season. She also adds, “Show pieces or dramatic installations are working wonders as are large paper flowers!” Dhun Cordo states, “We don't follow trends and therefore, no prop is used because it is a rage. Props cannot look like they are forced. They are used only if they fit into and enhance the decor and not because they are in vogue.”
It is entirely possible to create something new for each client. If you tune in to who the client is and start with their personality, you will invariably end up with something quite specific and particular which is of and from them. Then you add some of your vocabulary to build up the whole; and there you have something new and specific. Sumant Jayakrishnan
Taking a somewhat similar stand, Gurleen M Puri agrees that many creative touches become super popular during wedding season, each year. It could be bird cages, mirrors, crystals, candles, florals, themes inspired by Morocco, Spain, Cuba and much more. “However, to lend authenticity to any event, the decor and ambience must reflect the couple's personal style, rather than simply following trends. A carefully selected theme, meaningful to the happy couple will add personality and panache to a vibrant wedding,” she adds. A PIECE OF ADVICE Sumant Jayakrishnan stresses on the importance of understanding the client. He says, “Listen to your client and find a way to communicate with them. Let them know you care. That is half the battle won.”
event, and one of the most important ones in their lives. Enhance their experience, don't impose your sensibilities and guide them towards a more aesthetic outcome. Trends come and go. Your work should be something you would be proud to see in your portfolio many years from now.” Gurleen M Puri strongly feels that experience is key! She explains how as a veteran in this field, she has gained knowledge from doing and experimenting. She also believes that there is no substitute for hard work. She goes on to say, “Jump at the opportunity to create, design and execute as much as possible. Embrace feedback and keep striving for better. Finally, it is crucial to expose yourself to world cultures, art, travel, popular trends and design gurus. Take time to do research and develop new themes.” While highlighting the importance of collaborating, Vandana Mohan advises, “Stick to your core strength. However, if you are not sure about any aspect of this business reach out and collaborate. It is always good to work with experts in any field. Each one brings the best to the table, which only helps you and your reputation in the end.” She adds, “Innovation, an open mind and an honest approach to your work, to your clients is what works. Never be afraid to say that you made a mistake but make sure you have a solution at hand always! We are not called crisis managers for nothing!”
Director, Scenografia
Geeta Samuel reinforces the importance of deadlines saying, “Plan ahead and plan well. Beautiful designs are more often than not very simple! Do remember that deadlines are a very important part of the design process.” Dhun Cordo stresses on being individual, yet listening to what the client wants. She states, “It is their 52
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An Ultra-Swish Sangeet in London Soaked in Peacock Colours! By Maadhyam Events Interestingly, unlike almost every event with a Peacock theme, this extravaganza saw absolutely no peacock installations!
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teal some decor ideas from this absolutely exquisite Sangeet by Maadhyam Events, which took place in July 2016 at The Hyatt Andaz, London.
Tulips, yellow Dutch Cymbidium, pink, white and yellow Dutch Cailla, green, pink and white Disbuds and red Leucospermum! You cannot miss the printed Turkish ottomans and the rest of the furniture with upholstery in only peacock colours! Also, take a look at the overall colour scheme. What a delight!
Interestingly, unlike almost every Peacock themed event, this extravaganza saw absolutely no peacock installations! You will have to agree that Peacock installations have been done to death at weddings in the last few years. We later found out that although the London based Indian bride loves peacockthemed shades, she too wanted to avoid peacock props. Therefore, Maadhyam Events decided to play with the bird's colours instead. So hues of Teal and Purple became the predominant colours with Dupian silk drapes and exotic flowers like Dutch Hydrangea, pink, white, orange Dutch 54
See how Turkish lamps accessorized with flora and fauna beautified the ceiling!
Bindya Chabbra Director, Maadhyam Events
Absolutely clean, gold chair backs with nothing but a solid teal cushion not only looked super classy but also allowed the elaborate, multi-coloured table arrangement to be the highlight! Check out this ultra chic show windowthis is what they call a Photo-Op in London!
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n an industry where new décor professionals are born each day, from the interior design student to the high society housewife turned wedding designer, there are those that consistently innovate in terms of designs and concepts and incorporate new, never seen before elements in order to stay on top of the game. Here are 3 such dynamic designers whose unique décor ideas and concepts won our hearts! Take a look.
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DY NA MIC DESIGNER S These 3 promising décor designers that are fast climbing the charts and are here to stay!
De v ik a Na r a in & Com pa n y Profile: A literature major from Lady Shri Ram College, Devika Narain has spent almost a decade at the forefront of luxury wedding design. Over the past years, she has left her indelible mark all over the world from Italy and Austria to Oman and Mauritius. Known as the definitive destination wedding designer in India, she is known for her international aesthetic, imbibed from working with the likes of Shane Connolly, Rob Van Helden, Kevin Lee, Vandana Mohan, Aditya Motwane and Chetan Vohra. Today, Devika Narain is celebrated for her eclectic style and impeccable taste in design, that tells personal stories through spaces with lots of attention to detail. From intimate weddings with 100 guests in Thailand and grand 3000-guest weddings in Rajasthan-she is known to create events that personify subtle luxury. In a span of 2 years, she has evolved from a one-man army to creating Devika Narain & Company, a niche design house based out of Delhi which brings together full time textile designers, architects, event producers, graphic artists and client management experts that make sure that her designs are executed to the utmost detail. Devika is known for bringing together personal stories and combining them with history and art to manifest in grandiose concept inspired settings.
A Wedding In Alishaan Bagh! ‘Alishaan Bagh’ is Persian for Royal gardens. Working around the theme of miniature paintings, the idea was to create a setting inspired from the palace gardens of India. The motifs used were sights one commonly sees-Champa Trees, peacocks, fountains – in palaces. 56
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Devika chose to work with a minimal green and white palette infused with a heavy dose of indigo (inspired by Jodhpur). A large marble fountain stood in the centre of the performance area with large floral peacocks-a sight reminiscent of royal gardens. The most interesting element was the bar-the mirror mosaic pattern was inspired by a panel in the fort and handcrafted by artisans, set against a giant mirror peacock. Devika’s signature ‘jaali’ details were used to craft large seating spaces that surrounded the central fountain. The dinner tables evoked the French heritage of the groom with French chitz patterns which also followed through on the napkins and customized menu. J U LY – D EC E M B E R 2 01 6 | E x C e l
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D E C O R & D E S I G N | A L S O FE ATURE D The Garden of Eden This stunning ring ceremony by Wedding Duo evolved from the theme ‘Garden of Eden’. The event took place at the client's privately owned farmhouse in New Delhi. Two large hangars were set up across two adjacent lawns, the first as a social and entertainment venue and the second for dining. Covering an area of around 15,000 square feet, the entire space was platformed and carpeted to make for an even and cushioned walk. This entire setup started a week in advance at the private farm of the client. Twenty feet long carpeted steps were built to step down from the driveway to enter the celebration area. The ‘Garden of Eden’ brought in all the trees of the lawns and was open from the sides, draped gently with white curtains having lace trimmings. This element was carefully carried forward across to the cushions and the dressing of the ottomans in the social area, as well as the table runners and chair covers in the dining area. A 10-feet high white orchid peacock perched on a golden cage filled with tall pillar candles, welcomed the guests as they walked through a gate that was beautifully treated with creepers and garden flowers. Inside the beautiful white hangars were several more white peacocks.
Wedding Duo Profile: Vishal Chand Mehra, an alumni of Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London has lavishly played with colours, textures and forms surpassing boundaries. From designing shows and styling fashion shoots in London to working with Bridal Asia and conceptualising bespoke events, art was purely an extension of his personality. His micro-designing and ability to create a feast by bringing together varied elements evoking supreme visual appeal has created many memories for his clients! He used to look after the events and promotions for his family’s award winning heritage boutique spa haveli, Ranjit’s SVAASA in Amritsar, Punjab. Aliya Vij, a psychology graduate from Jesus & Mary College finished with a Masters in Organisational Behaviour from Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom. Post a professional stint in UK she migrated to the Big Fours of the Advisory world, to work as a consultant. It was here that she realised that she was not cut out for a desk job. It pushed Aliya out of her comfort zone to follow her heart to create and invent. Being a planner by nature and with an intense eye for detail, she easily stepped into the world of social events, co-founding Wedding Duo. In barely two seasons, Wedding Duo has painted some path-breaking designs for weddings across India.
An all-white story symbolizing purity saw the draping of rhythmic scallops at a height of 24 feet from which hung lovely clear crystal chandeliers. As the bride and groom were both young lawyers and had an immense love for books, the entire stage backdrop were rows of old books enveloped by a lovely thick border of hydrangeas, brassica, daisies and more. Lots of foliage was interspersed in this huge backdrop giving the books that touch of green. The seating in the social area was a nice melange of beige and white with tall lanterns pocketed around. A nice wide tree with several branches became the Wish Tree where hung crystals, lace, candles and tags shaped as jars, allowing guests to write a note for the couple. On the other end of this hangar was a very long running mirror bar with wooden parquet flooring hosting bar tables and high chairs. Exotic orchids in water with floating candles dressed these bar tables. The ‘Garden of Eden’ echoed across niches and corners weaving a beautiful story. Lovely pockets of anti-pasti and live stations of international cuisine were created in this hangar to service the numerous guests as they mingled and enjoyed the series of entertainment planned. The dining was the most surreal part of this white garden. Suspended from the top came strategically hung cymbidium orchids right till the center of the rows of rectangular tables. The detailing took the audience by storm where one saw a river of orchids flowing mid-air as one stepped into the dining area. The tables were kept minimal with jute and lace runners, jute to give that feel of naturelle with pairs of pillar candles in glass.
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D E C O R & D E S I G N | A L S O FE ATURE D A Mumbai Reception featuring offbeat chandeliers and floral delights! A recent wedding reception planned by Motwane Entertainment and Weddings(MEW) at NSCI Dome, Mumbai saw stunning decor which was designed and produced by Sakshi Jerath. The 2500 attendees at this event comprised of many politicians, bollywood stars and society bigwigs. The entire concept for the decor for this event was to focus on the reception stage and the central bar installation. The installation was a larger than life chandelier. This chandelier comprised of 12 rings that were angled at different heights. They were attached together with strings and crystals. The crystals used were carefully selected by the team to ensure the highest amount of refraction. There were more than 2 lakh crystals for this 30 feet high chandelier. As a result of the venue being a stadium, the ceiling of which is not very attractive for a social function, Sakshi decided to treat the ceiling in such a manner that it creates a mystical mood. Thus, the idea of creating a chandelier was an effective treatment idea by using various kinds of crystals and bulbs to enhance the lighting effect.
Designs By Sa k shi Jer at h Profile: Motivated to create magnanimous yet elegant weddings, Sakshi Jerath started her career in fashion designing. Ideas, concepts, planning and executing remained her loved words since then, confidently leading her to mould her career in the more fascinating path of wedding design. She has been in the wedding decor business for 6 years now which began with a stint at The Wedding Design Company (WDC).
The unique colour story used was shades of purples with hues of grey! Floral installations were seen across the venue. The table setting featured different kind of vases with mint green floral pots.
Presently working from Mumbai, she has spread her charisma in the wedding scene so much that she is now based in Delhi and Goa too. Her pride lies in drawing from her experiences while working in a variety of destinations and venues, ranging from the plantations in Colombo, to iconic venues in Cannes. She has worked with wedding planners like MEW and Cineyug Celebrations among many other prominent names. Interestingly, Designs by Sakshi Jerath has collaborated with Concept Solutions, Vienna and is the one point contact for any agency/planner in India looking for solutions for an event in Europe while also offering design services for these events. She has also designed the weddings of reputed families like the Kadam family (Ravi Kadam and Mridula Kadam, lawyers) Kishore Bajaj (the owner of Bada Sahib) and Diamontina 5th year celebration amongst various other eminent clients.
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Spanish Fiesta! Pomegranate Event Decor designs and executes a gorgeous 4-day wedding in Bilbao, Spain.
The Destination-Bewitching Bilbao! An excellent option for a destination wedding, Bilbao, in the Basque country, is a prime example of urban restructuring, having transitioned from an industrial city to a city of services and culture. Owing to its history and location, Bilbao is a magnificent cocktail where architecture, tradition, sea and mountain, character and history are blended to offer the visitor endless leisure and cultural opportunities. The Botxo (Hole), as it is fondly known to its inhabitants, has now matured into its role of a major European art centre. However, in doing so, it has not forgotten its past; at heart, it remains a hard-working town with a real character. It’s this down-to-earth soul that’s the real attraction of the vital, exciting and cultured city of Bilbao.
In June 2016, Pomegranate Event Decor planned, designed and executed a 4-day destination wedding in Bilbao, Spain. The creative brain behind the agency is well known Wedding Designer Gayatri Sekhri. The wedding venues were located both in the city centre and the countryside. The Welcome Party At Guggenheim Museum: Wedding guests mingled in the Guggenheim Atrium with music, drinks and typical Basque region food. This was the perfect start to this Spanish extravaganza. Guests were enthralled by Spanish music and tango dancers. Additionally, they enjoyed the art on display by some of the most famous artists from around the world. The Sangeet and Mehendi At Loizaga Tower Gardens: The venue was a truly stunning location for the Moroccan and Indian inspired décor that was created! Beautiful arches adorned the performance stage with LED screens and intelligent lighting. Moroccan tents in orange, red and white were set up for the two bars. A Jali courtyard was created for lounging and dancing
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tulips, etc. A Gujarati folk singer sang melodious folk songs in the background.
in front of the performance stage. Two giant floral walls made with fresh flowers served as the backdrop to the party.
Three hundred guests sat to watch the traditional wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, they enjoyed a fabulous buffet of Traditional Gujarati food, all catered by Josh Arora, of Pink Turban, London.
A buffet dinner was displayed in the tower with Moroccan hangings and stunning florals that combined fresh fruits and flowers. Exotic authentic Spanish food such as paella and roasts lamb was served as starters, followed by typical Indian Punjabi fare. The very talented Kanika Kapoor enthralled the guests with her popular Bollywood tracks along with famed DJ Raj from London. The Hindu Wedding At Loizaga Tower: This beautiful Hindu wedding took place inside the castle. The aisle was adorned with arches, florals and crystal candelabras. The bride walked under these arches to reach the mandap that was decorated in delicate pastel colours with exotic fresh flowers such as chrysanthemums, orchids, English roses,
Tourism authorities can help with production assistance, maybe have tie ups with bigger suppliers of furniture and production equipment from bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona. There is always a need for suppliers, as Indian weddings are at a much bigger scale than what Bilbao is used to. Gayatri Sekhri
The Civil Ceremony & Champagne Reception and Sit Down Dinner At Loizaga Tower: The bride and groom started the evening with a registry/ civil ceremony in the tower. The backdrop was a white wall of flowers, while exotic flowers were sprinkled all across the aisle. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a champagne reception in the Rolls Royce Museum where they took in the vast collection of vintage cars and their history. The guests were then escorted to the huge dining rooms, where they enjoyed a 5-course meal, all catered by Michelin starred Spanish chefs!
Creative Head, Pomegranate Design J U LY – D EC E M B E R 2 01 6 | E x C e l
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The tables were laid out with crisp white linen and black lace runners. Big floral vases with ostrich feathers and exotic fresh flowers decorated the tables. Crystal candelabras and candles were displayed on the tables to add to the Great Gatsby theme. The Ballroom was decorated with a white floating tree with florals and crystals. The stage with an Art Deco print served as the backdrop. Luxurious white sofas were used to create lounges. The dance floor featured a very special art-deco print on glass, illuminating from the intelligent lighting in the ballroom. Here the bride and groom enjoyed their first dance and cut the wedding cake. DJ Raj entertained the guests along with a jazz band and Charleston dancers in flapper dresses.
From the Planner’s Perspective Speaking of the planning process from the start, Gayatri Sekhri explains, “We met with people from the Municipality of Bilbao, who directed us towards the right venues and hotels for the various parties
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planned. They then helped with various paperwork and permissions required for holding a big scale event in each of these locations.” Further, they assisted the agency with a hospitality desk at the airport and the guests’ baggage was delivered directly to their rooms in various hotels. The municipality also assisted with shopping coupons, maps and tourism related hampers for each guest.
Supplier Support Pomegranate Event Decor used multiple suppliers, ranging from trussing, stage, light, sound and furniture vendors and professionals. A myriad of things were brought together for the wedding functions.
is always a need for suppliers, as Indian weddings are at a much bigger scale than what Bilbao is used to”, added Sekhri.
The Must-Visit Hot Spots Beyond Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum, there’s really too much to explore! Sekhri remarked, “Our top picks would be Pintxos Galore, Michelin-Star restaurants, medieval streets and enticing shops, the beaches in Getxo, Sopelana, Gorliz and Plentzia. Moving on, the modern architecture and sculptures in Bilbao’s city centre, the riverside walk in Bilbao, the vineyards in Rioja, the countryside and mountains surrounding the city centre, the gastronomy in San Sebastián (worth spending a night here if you have the time) and so much more!”
“To make a planner's ride smoother, I feel tourism authorities can help with production assistance, maybe have tie-ups with bigger suppliers of furniture and production equipment from bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona. There
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Get Enchanted The Wedding Design Company (WDC) uses interactive décor, offbeat themes, never seen before installations and unique props at pre-wedding celebrations in Malta!
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The Wedding Design Company (WDC) planned, designed, managed and executed the pre-wedding celebrations of a high profile client in Malta, from March 22 to 24, 2016. The agency headed by Vandana Mohan is known for designing and producing some of the biggest Indian weddings across the world, especially in Europe!
The Perfect Start A Dinner & Dance evening took place on March 22 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC). The décor was in tones of purples and blues with lots of lighting, colour and projections.
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D E CO R & D E S I G N | I N SPI R AT I ON The Gorgeous Vintage Tea Party The following day, a gorgeous vintage tea party took place at the Saluting Battery. Check out the stunning props and décor elements that are absolutely WOW!
The Chic Sufi Night The same evening, a Sufi Night was held at the Grand Hotel Excelsior.
The Fantastic Finale On March 24, a Gala Dinner took place at the same venue. It was a magical evening filled with mystique and the décor had many elements taken from the burlesque and casinos, while life-size characters of Alice in Wonderland walked around!
The vendors in Malta were professional and international in standard.They were very up to date in terms of technology, lighting and production. Our florist was truly a delight to work with! Vandana Mohan
Director, The Wedding Design Company
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D E C O R & D E S I G N | I N SP I RATI O N The main highlight of the night was the Lio Act which made for the perfect dramatic end to this gala affair.
Magical Malta Speaking of her experience while working in Malta, Vandana Mohan explains, "Malta was a revelation! It is in the heart of Europe and an island country unlike any other I have visited. It is a throwback to medieval times." "The architecture is grand and theatrical. You can imagine the Knights of the Round Table in the city! The silent city in Malta is quaint, unbelievable and fairytale like. Yet on the other side, it offers a rocking nightlife like any other island in Europe," she adds.
The Very Forthcoming Local Authorities The local authorities were very forthcoming and informative. The agency’s local partners Blue Marble facilitated everything. Mohan remarks, “However, we wanted a public road to be blocked out for 4 to 5 hours, the reason being that the theme needed a street over-looking the water to create a café feel along with some street artists. And guess what! We did not have to ask twice once the reason was understood! It was done.”
E VE NT PARTN E R S Planning, Décor, Entertainment The Wedding Design Company DMC Blue Marble Destinations, Malta Florals Alister, Malta Photography Bipin Shah (Mumbai) F&B Popular Caterers (Mumbai) Chef Jay Shah
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Enthralling Entertainment in the Emirates… Tamarind Global produced this Sangeet in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE where everything was conceptualized around a desert theme, and a completely barren landscape was transformed into something straight out of the Arabian Nights! This Sangeet in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE was designed and executed by Tamarind Global and saw over 400 guests. The event took place at Baasatta Desert Village, which is a 30-minute drive from Hotel Waldorf Astoria where the guests were staying. The evening was planned around a desert theme, and a completely barren landscape was transformed into something out of the Arabian Nights! The whole area was carpeted, huge LED arches and minarets were created and existing trees were illuminated. Mashaals lit up a pathway to the seating area, which was decorated with Arabic touches. A large high-tech stage and dance floor were created in the middle of the dessert! As the guests arrived, they were greeted by Arabic Dabka dancers playing pumping drumbeats. The Dabka is an Arab folk dance native to the Levant that traditionally combines circle dancing and line dancing, and is widely performed at weddings and other joyous occasions. Camels stood by for those who were adventurous enough to want a moonlit ride along the sand dunes which were lit up magically
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for the evening. The entertainment kicked off with a svelte belly dancer performing on stage, enthralling the guests with her supple, fluid movements. Following, a Tannoura dancer in his colourful skirts performed his dynamic, centrifugal dance in the style of the Sufi whirling dervishes. This surreal act set the tone for the rest of the entertainment. Tannoura is a fascinating dance performance; the various roundabouts symbolize the succession of the four seasons. When the dancer raises his right arm up and points his left arm down, this represents the joining of earth and heaven together. When he turns himself around, it is said that he enters a trance-like state, trying to become light and go up to heaven. The dancer unties and removes four different skirts during the finale. Pritam and his troupe including Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant provided the pulsating Bollywood element to the evening, and guests danced till the wee hours of the morning while the troupe belted out one hit number after another. The serene desert location was transformed into a rocking party venue, with lights, sound and action! A lot of the action was centred on the raised bar, where 10 flairology and mixology professionals who were brought down from Dubai to man the massive setup, mixed some of the most exotic cocktails in flamboyant style!
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BANDA BAHADUR, IG STADIUM , NEW DELHI 2016
MY GOV, IG STADUM, NEW DELHI 2016
BRICS, JAIPUR 2016
F-27/5, Okhla Inustrial Area, Phase-2, New Delhi-110020, website : www.mssworld.com E-mail : info@mssworld.com, davinder@mssworld.com, pratik@mssworld.com
AMAR JAWAN JYOTI, JAIPUR 2016
EXPERIENCE | INNOVATION | VALUE | DEPENDABLILTY | CONSISTENCY
F& B | P ON T of V I E W
BYTES FROM A
Gastronomical Guru Celebrated culinary expert and an ace player in the catering business, Varun Tuli, Director, Food Inc throws light on the evolution of F&B and raging trends at private events, while explaining what goes into dishing out impeccable dining experiences for royalty, bureaucrats and the crème de la crème of society.
Today, menus are getting smaller, wastage of food is not accepted; neither is ridiculous displays of wealth. Menus are to the point. The globe-trotting client is exposed to the best cuisines that the world has to offer. A client may ask us to serve only Peruvian, Japanese, French and modern Indian! That’s all. All the traditional Indian, Chinese, pasta, etc. are being left out. Moreover, the idea of restaurant style and sit down dining is catching up which minimizes the menu but changes the serving style. High End Intimate Dinners, Power Lunches and Super Sunday Brunches are replacing gigantic gatherings with innumerable cuisines. In fact, that is how Food Inc was born. When Heads of State of foreign countries visit your country, intimate dinners is the need of the hour. We are the only private caterer to cater regularly in the Lok Sabha, while most industry meets like YPO, EO, etc. are done by us. The concept of intimate dinners continues, with many of our guests choosing to divide their guest list into 3-4 dinners of a smaller size rather than one gigantic gathering. Speaking of cuisines, regional Indian, modern Indian, Peruvian, Japanese, organic, gluten-free and modern American are the top choices as far as the well-travelled client is concerned. In terms of buffet - we are focusing on island-style serving where the food is in the centre and the guests sit around. 76
Varun Tuli, Director, Food Inc
In terms of serving style - sit down dining is the next big thing. As 80% of guests focus on snacks, having lots of counters for live starters and a restaurant style dining area (with glass kitchens) or hibachi style chef tables is the future. Interestingly, everything these days is being served pre plated and served in miniatures, like Baby Chhole Bhature and main course is being served in starters such as Pao Bhaji Fondue, Baby Truffle Kulchas with Daal, Truffle Chai, Phulka Tacos, etc. However, most importantly, I feel that the style in which food is served is the most
important. A piping hot bowl of yellow daal prepared fresh and served in individual containers to guests by a seasoned chef will beat out any con(fusion) dish. Another winning mantra at weddings and social events is integrating the theme and feel of the event in the F&B. For instance, when Ferns and Petals launched their venue Ritz, we did the launch event where everything was French and palatial. Following the launch, the wedding of Varinder Kandhari (Enrich Agro, Coca Cola) took place, which was also based on a French theme. Therefore, everything was silver plated with astro
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turf, micro greens, white cages, birds and flowers - to give the feeling of a French palace complete with gardens. For the same client’s Mehendi we did a Moroccan theme where everything was served in copper. Another interesting event was the wedding of Ajay and Poonam Sood (Eros Group, Shangri-la Hotel, Delhi), where Sumant Jayakrishnan had created a Great Gatsby/1920’s theme. Everything we did from the flowers, dishes and display was black, purple and gold; even the menus and fonts were done to match the theme. For an all Japanese affair where the starters to dessert were all Japanese, the entire dining area was focused on benches, sakura with only chopsticks and sake cups with square plates as the table setting. Soon we will be doing an event based on the Mughal era where the menu will be served emulating how each Mughal emperor was served at his court! Speaking of molecular gastronomy, at Food Inc, we do not believe in molecular gastronomy that is overdone. We use molecular gastronomy to serve a purpose. For instance, we use liquid nitrogen to set kulfi instantly, spherification for serving vegetarian versions of caviar at vegetarian events, modernizing chaat - to create smaller, lighter portions that pop in your mouth, hot and cold techniques being served in the same cup and sous vide cooking for super moist and tender meats.
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F& B | T R E N D
Live Hibachi Style Cooking & An Immaculate Sit Down Dining by Food Inc It doesn’t get better than this! The idea was to let the guests experience sit down dining - often seen internationally, however, serving Indian food to 70% guests and either Asian or European to 30%! A name that the swish set of society swear by and a name that is synonymous with ultra-luxury dining — Food Inc, spearheaded by Varun Tuli is possibly amongst the top 3 catering companies of the country today and the most sought after when it comes to high-end, intimate affairs. Food Inc designed and executed a flawless, awe-inspiring F&B experience for a recent high profile wedding in New Delhi which was attended by over 1000 guests. The entire F&B theme for this event was designed around the concept of live hibachi style cooking — small menus on order with food cooked as per a guest's choice. The idea was to let the guests experience sit down dining - often seen internationally, however, serving Indian food to 70% guests and either Asian or European to 30%! Every guest was seated and the chefs cooked each dish to order. The theme was straight line and tons of wood was used. The focus was on the food and the table setting. Since the décor theme was white, white and silver or white and gold table settings were used. Lots of counters for pre-dinner appetizers and small plates, also served by chefs were seen. Modern European, Modern Indian, South American and Modern Asian were the cuisines served in the pre dinner areas, and for the sit-down dinner Food Inc had Asian and Indian islands.
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F& B | TR END
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F& B | TRE ND
Food Inc engaged cuisine experts like Chef Vicky Ratnani and Chef James Lakie from the UK to do specialty modern European counters and Chef Tanveer Kwatra do modern Indian delicacies. Speaking of the primary challenge faced in catering for this event, Varun Tuli, Director, Food Inc said, “The challenge was executing a sit-down for large numbers (1000+) as in India most people do not sit at the same time, they eat as and when they want to. Also serving Indian food, sit-down style is always a challenge as the guests demand piping hot food. The hibachi concept is an idea that allows us to serve directly and piping hot.” Another challenge Tuli discussed was that the client did not want a single guest to go to a buffet or walk around with a plate! Food Inc had to serve approximately 1200 guests - all sitting down! Very importantly, each guest needed to be given an identical experience. Although, keeping part buffet, part restaurant style dining is a concept that has been done before; for such a large crowd an all hibachi style, sit-down is practically impossible.
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P H OTO G R A P H Y & F I L M I N G | P H OTO F E AT U R E
Ram Bherwani Captures Fabulous 4-Day Cruise Wedding from Germany to Austria! The wedding in July 2016 was a 4-day cruise down the Danube River, from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria, and back with stops along the way!
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ake a look at this absolutely fantastic wedding of Delhi based groom, Vidur Mathur with New York based bride, Anjuli Pradhan. The wedding in July 2016 was a 4-day cruise down the Danube River, from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria, and back with stops along the way! The cruise used was MS Amadeus Silver II, which is an exhilarating experience offering the best of hospitality, catering and entertainment services for private events like this one. The fleet features a unique combination of modern elegance and comforts with 12 spacious suites, 72 staterooms, spacious public areas such as the classical ‘Café Vienna’ the outdoor glass-shielded ‘River Terrace’ and popular Amadeus amenities such as a PanoramaBar with lounge, Amadeus Club, Sun Deck with Lido-Bar, Fitness Room, Hair Salon and Massage Room. On July 13, guests arrived in Munich, Germany and were transported to Passau Port (the starting point of the cruise) which is about 30 minutes from the Munich Airport.
The Welcome Dinner at The Panorama Bar To begin the celebrations, a Welcome Dinner was hosted at The Panorama Bar. The party continued until the wee hours of the morning.
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A Planned Excursion in Melk, Austria and The Mehendi On arriving at Melk at around 9 am, a guided excursion was organized for the guests in order for them to explore the picturesque little town at leisure. It takes only around 20 minutes to cross from one end of town to the other! A Must See Spot-The massive Benedictine Abbey-a 900 year old monastery. At around 1 pm on the same day, the Mehendi took place.
The Wedding in Vienna, Austria On arriving in Vienna, guests were given the choice of a City Tour or a Schonbrunn Palace Tour. At around 6.30 pm, the wedding ceremony took place at Belvedere Palace.
A City Walk Tour in Durnstein, Austria A City Walk Tour was organized for guests to experience Durnstein, one of the best towns in the Wachau Valley wine region. Guests walked through the town and had glasses of wine at every local vineyard. There are over 20 vineyards here, which makes this the perfect stop to sample some of the Wachau's crisp wine.
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P H OTO G R A P H Y & F I L M I N G | P H OTO F E ATURE
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P H OTO G R A P H Y & F I L M I N G | P H OTO F E AT U R E
A 3-Day Hua Hin Extravaganza, captured by Malvika Periwal Photography The wedding celebrations took place at Dusit Thani, Hua Hin, Thailand and were managed by Dream Indian Weddings, the wedding division of For You International Group.
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ake a look at how young and upcoming photographer Malvika Periwal captured stunning moments of this 3-day extravaganza at Dusit Thani Hua Hin, Thailand managed by Dream Indian Weddings, the wedding division of For You International Group. Overlooking an idyllic beach on the Gulf of Thailand and surrounded by lush greenery, Dusit Thani, Hua Hin is an ideal Indian wedding venue as it provides the ultimate resort experience in a historic destination steeped in Thai royal heritage.
The Punjabi Mehendi Malvika Periwal
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The wedding commenced with a Punjabi-themed Mehendi Lunch at Ban Benjarong, an outdoor cum indoor venue at the hotel.
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P H OTO G R A P H Y & F I L M I N G | P H OTO F E ATURE
The Moulin Rouge Welcome Dinner Lots of feathers and hues of red were used to create the Moulin Rouge theme for this event.
The Playboy Inspired Youngster Night The Welcome Dinner was followed by a Playboy-themed Youngsters’ Night at Black, one of the most popular nightclubs at The Sheraton in Hua Hin.
An Afterparty In A Casino! Simultaneously, a Casino-themed after-party was organized for the elders at Dusit Thani. The event saw Tiffany Show Girls entertaining the guests.
The Hawaiian Beach Party A Hawaiian-themed Pool Party took place at the beachside of the hotel. The event saw vibrant hues in fabrics and décor elements, while interactive artists were present to bring out the Hawaiian theme.
An Arabian Affair In Thailand The same evening, a gorgeous Arabian-themed Sangeet was held featuring stunning décor in the hotel's ballroom. Royal Dusit Grand Ballroom has a capacity of up to 1,000 guests and is divisible into two smaller rooms. It is an architectural masterpiece, where classic period features subtly combine with Thai interior design. Silk wall panelling and delicate white woodcarvings accentuate the elegance of the ballroom. J U LY – D EC E M B E R 2 01 6 | E x C e l
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P H OTO G R A P H Y & F I L M I N G | P H OTO F E AT U R E
The All-White Christian Wedding This event featured an All White theme that took place at the Rim Talay Bar & Grill, overlooking the ocean. With its beachside location, panoramic view of the Gulf of Thailand and selection of gourmet dishes, Rim Talay Bar & Grill was the perfect venue for a romantic soiree like this Wine & Cheese affair.
A Traditional Indian Wedding With A Thai Twist! Although the Indian Wedding was kept traditional in most ways, interesting Thai elements were used such as the Fire Lion during the Baraat! The bride entered in a boat with dry ice creating a foggy mystical effect to the entry! The Varmaala took place on a floating platform at the Lagoon Jetty.
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RESOURCES | HAPPENING
Mansi Khambata Founder, Just Deliveries
Just Deliveries An Exclusive Service for High-End Invites & Gift Deliveries
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rom being just a printed card stuffed inside an envelope which was sent by snail mail or through couriers, wedding invitations have come a long way. Just Deliveries is the answer when it comes to high-end invites and gift deliveries of everything from floral bouquets, designer treats to perishable food hampers packaged with the invites, be it for weddings, corporate events or launches. Just Deliveries allows Mumbai-based customers to outsource their delivery requirements in a timely and professional manner. Currently, there is no courier service that enables the same day delivery of delicate gifts. As a result, clients need to block their own cars for deliveries and go through the tiresome process of scheduling deliveries, explaining addresses and dispatching gifts safely. Further, drivers struggle with traffic and parking problems.
With Just Deliveries, clients simply email the address list and indicate where the gifts can be picked up from – the rest is all managed by the Just Deliveries team. Presentable and uniformed staff pick up the gifts in multiple air-conditioned vans and deliver them door-to-door in perfect condition – taking acknowledgements at each location. Upto 150 gifts can be dispatched in a single day in perfect condition. Just Deliveries services are trusted by over 400 business partners including Mumbai’s leading hotels such as The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Colaba, The Oberoi Hotel and The Trident at BKC, luxury brands, bakers, wedding planners and event managers.
Well-known event management companies such as Percept Limited and Magnanimous Events also hired Just Deliveries to deliver macaroons and balloon hampers for the launch invitations of a global brand’s retail store. “We identified a huge gap in the delivery of delicate and perishable goods in Mumbai and developed a solution to solve this challenge. Today, Just Deliveries is the trusted delivery choice for a range of institutional and private customers for those special occasions that are close to their heart. So clients can get as creative as they wish with their packaging and gifts as Just Deliveries ensures they will reach in a pristine condition,” says Mansi Khambata, Founder, Just Deliveries.
Just Deliveries have also delivered wedding invites for noted leading business families such as the Ruias, and for the recent Jindal-Jassani wedding in Vienna. They even delivered elaborate floral arrangements on marble platters for the Hiranandanis! J U LY – D EC E M B E R 2 01 6 | E x C e l
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R E S O U R C E S | I N S P I R AT I ON
An LSD Themed Invite By YS Design Studio YS Design Studio created this absolutely innovative invite for the Youngsters for Parth Jindal for the 3-day nonstop ‘extreme’ party event at Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur which was followed by the much talked about wedding in Vienna.
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colours’ and ‘seeing sounds’. An aggressive flash of colours and fire patterns were used to bring out the theme.
he events were a series of mind-blowing surreal parties, each different from the other, yet woven together with a common thread; one of euphoria and frenzy. Therefore each insert of this fabulous invite exuded a different vibe!
The initials L, S and D were ingeniously employed for various collaterals and effects, carrying forward the concept at every stage.
Research and findings gave the design studio various combinations and versions of LSD and its other common names, and a complete analysis of the visual distortion and effects of each type of the drug – Yellow Sunshine, Zig Zag Man, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Back-Breaker, etc. The cover with the dots was iconic, as dots is another word for LSD! It was made to produce a 3D illusion effect. The first insert was made for a bright and effusive ‘kitsch carnival’ affair with global and Indian retro bands playing, evoking nostalgia. Therefore the insert was themed The Yellow Sunshine (an original ‘happy’ daytime LSD dose) which is marked by vivid colours, distorted reality, flashbacks and tingling in the fingers and toes. Bright oranges, reds and yellows with kitsch motifs and forms were used for this insert. The second insert was for an evening soiree and was inspired by Zig Zag Man (the most hallucinogenic LSD). Itwas characterized by illusionary spirals, wave interference and bizarre graphic patterns. Hence elements used by YS Studio included bold graphical patterns and forms, blacks and whites, with a tinge of crimson.
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Yogesh & Suraksha Gajwani Directors, YS Design Studio
The third insert for a chilled out daytime poolside event was inspired by Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, (a ‘slow motion’ short-lived dose of LSD) exhibiting sudden 'moments of eternity' and timelessness and a sense of being drifted weightlessly. Interestingly, soft aquas, with hot air balloons, forms and clouds in a vintage inspired design were used to create a dreamy look. The last insert was for an event inspired by the ‘Burning Man’ festival in Nevada, the most overwhelmingly insane yet dreamlike psychedelic experience, with fire players.
Let's Save the Date (1st invite) Losing your Senses Daily (main invite for 3 days) Long Spoonfuls of Detox (for spa pamphlet at the hotel) Libido Strip Deck (strip poker, Black jack, card room) Lethal Shots Down (signage at the bar at the events) Last Seen Decent (signage at the bar at the events) Laugh Sing Dance (for the karaoke corner) Love Scooped Drink (champagne, bellinis and mimosas) The Look is Stoned Drunk (dress code for the entire event) Lunacy in Small Doses (for the refreshments in the in-room hamper) Life Saving/Supporting DNA’s (the name for all friends)
Therefore, Back Breaker (the most potent and long lasting LSD) was taken as inspiration. This version of drug induces a nonstop psychedelic experience of hysterical patterns and bursts of light, as if in a swirling motion, a feeling of ‘hearing
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Mumbai hr@coconutmediabox.in
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