The Wedding Planner
Gone are the days when couples posed for pictures, when trumpets crooned as background music in wedding videos and when the groom entered the shamiyana on a horse! SIMPLY MUMBAI tells you what’s in vogue in the wedding circuit.
SIMPLY MUMBAI tells you what’s in vogue in the city’s wedding circut.
Weddings have undergone a complete overhaul with new themes, vintage cars, royal destinations and personalised mementos that people can take home!
In the theme of things
Wedding planners are flooded with requests to jazz up and personalise weddings based on the couple’s preferences in pop culture. Whether it is movies, colours or even out-of-the-box artwork, the bride and the groom are not afraid to experiment. White as snow: White is the current favourite for pre-wedding functions. The clean, gleaming white décor is perfect to make a simple yet opulent statement. Ask your guests to dress according to the theme and opt for a ubiquitous silver or gold embellishment to accompany the ambience. It prepares the guests for other vibrant and colourful functions that will follow. Artism: Up your hipster cred by choosing an art theme for your décor, which can include life-size flower installations, 10-feet tall glass vases and what have you. These elements not only make for fun photo ops, but add a dash of wow into any function.
“I have done a wedding where I have made a grid entirely of ribbons,” says Aditya Karandikar of the renowned Red Box Productions, a Mumbai-based organisation of wedding consultants, which provides personalised endto-end wedding solutions. The Great Gatsby: Get on a time
Whether it is movie- based themes, quirky colours, or even out- of- the- box artwork, the bride and the groom are not afraid to experiment
machine and let your hair down in flamboyant parties like they did in 1920s America. “This is elegant, classy and can also include a lot of fun elements,” says Candice Pereira of Marry Me Weddings, a company that focuses on one wedding at a time. Vintage props like candelabras, pearls, crystals, lush blooms, sequin and rich brocade fabrics and tassels are must-haves for this theme. “The photo op can include a theme-based dress code that should include pearls, feather
headbands, bows, suspenders and top hats!” Pereira advises. Maharaja Magic: Royal families are known for their grand weddings. Except now, you too can create the royal ambience with the help of wedding organisers. If you want to go beyond the regular elements like embellished royal chhatris and Rajasthani styled décor, companies like Red Box Productions can help you get a designer or an artist to design a signature wedding theme. Pyjama Party: After parties make
After parties make for a perfect break if you are tired of heavy lehengas and gaudy jewellery. Most wedding celebrations today are followed by a continuation party for the younger invitees.
for a perfect break if you are tired of heavy lehengas and gaudy jewellery. Most wedding celebrations today are followed by a continuation party for the younger invitees. Pereira of Marry Me Weddings says that a fun option for these affairs is the good old pyjama party. It’s comfortable, carefree and an interesting contrast to the rest of the functions.
Picture Perfect
The D-day snaps: “There are essentially two kinds of requests from couples for photographs: one is the extremely dramatic larger-than-life variety and the other is the candid variety,” says Joseph Radhik, a sought-after wedding photographer who has shot weddings across the world. The former is the traditional kind, which you have seen in every wedding album. The latter, however, is the current rage. Radhik claims the photographers are invited to
For couple shoots, the latest trend is to do a photoshoot a few days before and/or after the wedding. Make sure you get plenty of sleep and trust your photographer to know the right angles.
the wedding and told to blend in with the crowd to capture people and their moods without them knowing. “It is like having a friend at the ceremony with a professional camera,” he says. Before and after: For couple shots, the latest trend is to do a photoshoot a few days before and/or after the wedding. For these shoots, make sure you get enough sleep and trust your photographer, since he knows your angles the best. The ideal time for a shoot like this in Mumbai is early morning and at sunset. The photographers believe this is when the roads are empty and the city looks best. “I prefer to take shots of the couple in minimal make up, with hardly any poses. I try to capture them just doing their thing; maybe just going for a walk on Marine Drive,” says Radhik. Reel life: Wedding video styles have also changed in several ways. Instead of pre-recorded shehnai tunes as the background score, you can now get the latest Bollywood tracks depending on your personality and preference. You can have a pre-recorded video diary, black and white slow-mo shots of the bride getting her makeup done, or a candid film of eveyrone dancing at the wedding. From arty tight shots of mehndi on the bride’s hands to out of focus shots of the couple in a loving embrace, photos can come together beautifully if you hire companies like The Wedding Filmer, set up last year by a group of 20somethings, which are mixing the contemporary and the traditional to make videos that fit the clients’ story, background and kinks.
Style file
Colour crazy: While most brides are still leaning towards red as their main choice for the big day, outfits for other functions are undergoing a serious revolution. “I can now call ‘unconventional’ a trend in bridal wear,” says ace
If you want to get the traditional look, get a spin on it by wearing a half-length lehenga combined with a fulllength lehenga inside. Go fashion forward at your wedding!
fashion designer Payal Singhal, who, with studios and boutiques in Mumbai and New York, has dressed the likes of Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai. For the sangeet ceremony, cocktail and reception, don’t shy away from colours like purple, coral, peacock blue, pastels, metallic or ivory with some accents. Silhouette sagas: Go fashion forward at your wedding by adopting different styles and silhouettes. Even if you want to go with a traditional look, get a spin on it by wearing a halflength lehenga with a full-length lehenga inside. “The lehenga- sari is another huge trend. While a sari makes you look mature, a lehengasari is trendy and adds a young touch,” says Singhal. Gown town: “People have started including gowns in their wardrobe for cocktails and destination weddings,” Singhal says. A simple lehenga-choli outfit could be fused together to make a stunning gown and can be heavily embellished with embroidery to keep it traditional. Local favourites: You can rarely go wrong with a 5-star hotel. The popular picks for wedding season in
Everything in place
the city are the Taj in Colaba, The Hyatt in Vakola and if you are looking at a smaller guest list then go for The Taj Vivanta in Fort. If you are slightly more accommodating and are inviting over 2,000 people, choose open grounds like Turf Club or CCI. But if you want to go truly traditional, the planners at Red Box Productions even organise weddings at Iskon Temple. Off-beat locales: Wedding in Mumbai are no longers obvious. They are getting more off-beat and intimate. “We have had some beautiful weddings planned at old colonial bungalows,” says Pereira of Marry Me Weddings. In case your budget does not allow you an elaborate beach wedding in Goa, Pereira can get you a private villa with a patio overlooking the sea to give you a similar serene ambience, minus the smell of dried fish.
Destination dilemmas
Typically yours: Recently, bother of Bhavesh Chellani, founder of Monks Media Works, got married in Goa in an extensive three-day affair. The functions included a beach party, a rain dance event and unique hospitality elements for guests such as massage lounges. “A destination wedding should have a slice of the culture of the area. People want the atmosphere,” says Chellani. For Goa, music by local bands, fenny bars and souvenirs like a shell necklace for each guest is typical and fun. Country corners: “In India, the most sought after destinations are Goa and Rajasthan. Both work in different price points and also appeal to clients based on what they are looking for—a fun beach wedding or an elegant, palace or fort wedding,” says Pereira. You could also ask Pereira to organise a wedding at a spot that is increasingly gaining popularity: the Falakunama Palace in Hyderabad. She can set up a reception dinner on a 100-seater table and can ensure all the guests are treated like royalty. Fly away: “Thailand and Mauritius are still popular international destinations for weddings,” says Neha Goyal of Marigold Events, a website that provides latest trends, scoops
“In India, the most sough-after destinations are Goa and Rajasthan. Both work in different price points and also appeal to clients based on what they are looking for.
on celebrity weddings and couple profiles to inspire those planning their weddings. Koh Samui in Thailand, Dubai and Italy are also favourites. “I once shot a wedding in which 15 people were on a cruise, and the wedding ceremony was conducted once the ship reached Santorini in Greece,” says photographer Radhik. Destination weddings can be difficult to arrange by oneself, so do call up a wedding planner to help you with the logistics.
Entry point
Quit horsing around: The trend these days is to replace the ghodi with a swanky vintage car. Cruise into your wedding in style as your baraat follows in a Buick. “Cars from before the 1940’s are very popular and most clients have an affinity to convertibles,” says Abhishek Singh of Vintage Hires. Prices are negotiable based on the car, the location and availability.