Weddings made easy in Antalya?
While Antalya makes for a great wedding destination, language and styles need to be balanced
Asking the right questions
The moderator for the session, Joseph put forth the following questions to panellists, most of who had organised weddings in Turkey: How easy is it to organise an Indian wedding in Turkey; what have been the main advantages and challenges; what areas do they suggest for improvement and what direction do they want to set for the future? "In any country, challenges must be overcome for the better," he said.
What are the CHALLENGES and
ADVANTAGES of organising an Indian wedding in Turkey?
An ideal wedding destination
There are hurdles and there will be many more as people from two countries work together, but we have to keep on improving. I only have one suggestion, which is to have transparency in the rates for service providers in case Indian companies want that. The kind of services and hospitality on offer in Antalya is unprecedented and Antalya, Turkey, is certainly coming up as the most vouched for wedding destination for Indians.
There must be TRANSPARENCY in the rates given by service providers, if Indian companies want that
Unmatched infrastructure
I have done six weddings in Turkey, including some in Bodrum and Antalya. Though the infrastructure and hospitality in this part of the world is unmatched, it can be expensive for many. However, not many can offer the quality and facilities available here at this price. I have faced challenges in terms of food and in terms of compatibility and working styles of hotels and Indian catering companies that we bring with a wedding group.
There are challenges in terms of food as well as COMPATIBILITY and working styles of hotels and Indian catering companies
A wedding planner's haven
I have done one wedding in Antalya and one in Bodrum. According to me, apart from India, the best hospitality on offer across the world is in Turkey. All wedding planners love the culture, food, facilities and the quality of service in this country. In terms of suggestions for the future, we would need more clarity and faster communication from the team here as that would help speed up processes, in turn helping us serve the client better. In terms of rates, we want to be a bit independent in checking the rates with the vendors, especially when the client is asking for it in order to see the market trend. Also, they should have a list of best rates ready for various services like entertainment, acts, décor and whatever we can offer to the client, so that they know we have the best agency in terms of rates.
There should be more INDEPENDENCE in checking rates with the vendors, especially when the client wants it
A receptive team
We have done two weddings in Antalya recently, and thanks to the team here, they were a huge success. Getting the first wedding here was difficult as we had to keep client expectations in mind, but after we finalised the venue, it was smooth sailing. We organised the weddings at Maxx Royal, which was new for Indian weddings and hence we had to face a few issues, especially in terms of using the space in a certain way and the food as well. In fact, we hired the same catering company—Foodlink, for both the weddings to avoid any overlap. The team here is open and receptive, hence they take initiatives and that's why such successful Indian weddings are happening in Turkey.
We faced some issues in terms of
USING the SPACE a certain way and with regard to food as well
Accommodation stands out
I am a big fan of Antalya as a destination and what they have done so far in terms of executing Indian weddings. Although I haven't organised a single wedding here yet, I would love to bring one to Turkey. My company has dealt with many celebrity weddings, and I am really impressed with the luxurious hotels available here that offer a class and quality that is unmatched.
I am really impressed with the luxurious hotels available here that offer a quality that is UNMATCHED
Maintaining profit margins
Our company has worked in Turkey before, and we organised a milestone wedding in February this year at Antalya. According to me, it was the best coordinated team effort put up by both our teams and it was great to work with them. In terms of execution, we have the best partner we could have in Turkey. We are all in this business to make profit, and till the clients can afford it we can keep the cost high. While there is a debate on transparency between the two parties, let's work on getting the profitability higher.
While there is a debate on transparency, we must work towards higher PROFITABILITY
Simplification is key
The problem is not pricing, but the execution which is the responsibility of the DMC and we know what each supplier can offer. It's not easy to work with multiple service providers. The idea is to simplify things for wedding planners and their clients. We are not selling just décor, light, sound and entertainment, but we are selling service and execution, which is very important.
We know what each supplier can offer; the idea is to SIMPLIFY things for planners and clients