EFFORTLESS ELEGANCE

Founder and Event Planner, Nyla Maharaj-Ramkalawan, talks about the importance of planning an event or a wedding and why the experience of Events by Nyla sets the tone for any event worth talking about.

How long have you been in the business as an Events Coordinator?

Officially for just over 12 years, but I have been assisting friends and some institutions pro-bono before registering Events by Nyla in Denmark. Yes, Events by Nyla was founded in Denmark where I lived for six years before relocating to Doha in 2011. When I started working in Qatar, I operated under the name Balloon Décor & More as I was introducing a totally new concept in balloons which, up until then, Qatar did not yet have the privilege of experiencing. Most other companies only knew of simple balloon arches, columns and helium-inflated balloons either loosely arranged into bouquets or flown to the ceiling. I am often referred to as the Pioneer in WOW Factor Balloon Creations in Doha, and this is a title which I hold with great pride! In order to give equal justice to all the services that I offer, extensive rebranding was undertaken to relaunch Events by Nyla in Doha last December. What factors do you consider when choosing an event venue?

I would say that the event budget is one of the first considerations to take into account! Once this is established, I would then assess feasibility of hosting based on current reputation regarding catering, security especially if there will be many high-profile guests, venue capacity, travel and parking convenience for guests, suitability of the venue for the type of event, current reputation of the venue with regards to their customer service and support. These are just a handful of the factors that I start with. It is extremely important that the event venue matches the tone of the event. As an example, I would most probably never consider hosting a Qatari wedding or a “Black-Tie” function in a hotel or other event hall that has less than a 5-Star rating. You have to set the tone from the very beginning. What are your strategies for dealing with irate clients?

As a professional, I aim to always maintain a level of calm and try to transfer this psyche to my clients. To be brutally honest though, I haven’t had to deal with more than two irate clients during my 12 plus years in this field. There are many possible causes of a client’s anger and I try not to take their comments personally and to be sincerely sympathetic to them. You have to put yourself in their shoes at times. This is their special day and they would like every element of their event to be perfect.

What are some of the ways you measure event success?

The look on my client’s face after I have delivered his/her event is my greatest marker of success! Another significant marker for me is whether I have grown in my professional capabilities from the event in question. Were there challenges that I was able to overcome with ease? Was I able to translate my client’s dream into a reality? If I were able to answer in the affirmative to these two questions following the event, then it was indeed successful, and I can continue soaring to greater heights.

Have you ever planned multiple events at the same time? How did you prioritise your time and resources to meet critical deadlines?

Oh yes, I have done this on several occasions! However, I rarely commit to more than one large-scale event for the same day, as I am always on hand for such events to ensure that each element is being executed with precision and up to the standards of Events by Nyla. Proper planning eases the stress of coordinating multiple events that are taking place on the same day; and this helps significantly with timescheduling to deliver all that has been promised. How many weddings have you participated in?

You’ve taken me back to circa 19 years ago when I planned each and every detail of my very own fairytale wedding! We hosted just about 350 guests and since then I have been considering entering the niche of Wedding Planners! I contributed to the concept for a few weddings but not as the official Wedding Coordinator. Do you have a portfolio of weddings that you’ve recently done that Brides-to-be can browse?

Unfortunately, not at the moment as I am now adding Weddings to my portfolio. Stay tuned as I will soon be creating samples of wedding settings that promises to WOW brides-to-be and take weddings in Doha to the next level. My slogan is ‘Everlasting Moments’ and I pride myself in delivering this to my clients by applying luxury in every intricate detail! How would you describe your design style? (e.g. traditional, modern, rustic, organic)

I would definitely say traditional for my personal style, but at times one may see me as a bit eclectic. I am a bit of a chameleon, adapting easily to meet the needs/tastes of my clients. At the end of the day, I feel that it’s not really about my style but moreover the style of my clients. The organic design style is quite trendy at the moment, and I quite enjoy delivering setups that follow its respective principles.

Which flowers would you recommend based on the time of year/season and colour palette?

The colour palette which are perfect for Spring and Summer weddings comprise of pastel hues of pinks, purples/lilac, orange/coral, green, blue, and yellow. Although roses are still the universal example of the flower which symbolizes “love” and hence, widely used for weddings; I like to combine with other blooms such as hyacinths and orchids as highlighted in today’s setting. My all-time favorite “pick” is still the Calla Lily which I used in my bridal bouquet. There’s just something so graceful about this species! If I gave you a picture of a bouquet and/or centerpiece that I like, can you recreate it? Of course, I can! However, I will discourage you from recreating it exactly as your sample image. I would use it as a guideline but put “my twist’ on it. I like to create unique pieces for all my décor items. Whilst I think that it’s ok to take inspiration from other artists, I sway from supporting exact replicas. With the explosion of social media platforms in recent years, I feel that there’s too much copying of other people’s work. What other décor elements can you provide (aisle runner, candelabras, trees, chuppah, votives, mirrors, etc.)?

Whatever you need in the line of accent décor, I can provide! Events by Nyla handles the A to Z of Events.

Do you create sample arrangements before signing a contract?

Depending on the scale of the event, yes, I do! If it is not feasible, I may show images of similar setups/arrangements.

Will you work with a cake designer if there is a decision to add flowers to the wedding cake?

I am hands-on with each of my vendors and work closely with them to ensure that we are matching all the requests of my clients.

Can you assist with the preservation of the bouquet after the wedding? If not, can you recommend someone?

Yes, we definitely can! I know how important it is to many brides to preserve their wedding bouquets as their personal memento from their special day!

For more information please contact +974 3319 8817 /contact@eventsbynyla.com EventsbyNyla.com