Planning Tips & Tricks

How Successful Wedding Planners Stay Organized

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Wedding planning is an exciting vocation, and for many, it is a dream job! This glittering and gleaming business is surely lucrative and glamorous, with its own set of challenges and hardships. And there definitely has been a fair share of budding wedding planners who have taken up this profession to turn their hobby into an occupation. But starting a wedding planning company is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work to stay in the business. Unless you can handle the high-pressure situations that may arise on an everyday basis, surviving this industry might not be as easy as it seems. And often it boils down to how organized you are in your endeavor.

Organizing a wedding perfectly is one of the biggest challenges every wedding planner faces. According to the best wedding planners in the industry, having impeccable organizational skills is the key to becoming successful in this industry. For many of the wedding planners, the experience that they acquire with each wedding they organize is a crucial component that helps them become a better wedding planner over the years. Wedding Planning is by a wide margin one of the most stressful jobs out there. One of the key components to which this stress can be credited is the plethora of tasks that the job incorporates. It’s a job that starts even before the agreement is signed. From introductory pitch, concept, to the actual wedding plan, it is hard for wedding planners to keep up a consistent workflow, overwhelmed by the responsibilities and magnitude of every wedding planning task. Organizing a wedding takes months of dedicated preparation, foresight, and timing and as always, when it comes to organizing a wedding, there’s so much that is to be done. Every wedding planner needs to have an organized system that helps them in prioritizing the various aspects of the wedding, without ignoring even the tiniest of details. Many planners have a specially made planning calendar that keeps on top of their planning requirements. Along these lines, here’s a little something to assist you. Look at these 6 tips to assist you with remaining organized while planning your next wedding:

Define and Decide

Before starting to plan a wedding and beginning with set assignments, it is important that you have a vision in your mind and set a timeline to complete it. Define a direction and settle on a strategy for the direction. You should be clear as far as the direction you need to go, the sort of wedding you have to plan, and the things you have to do to complete the tasks. Therefore, the initial step to getting organized is to define an objective and choose a game plan to achieve the same.

Creating Event Binders

Being organized can be a big boon for a wedding planner. A wedding planner’s biggest job, after all, is planning. Not keeping a record of all the expenses that are being done can easily throw him off the budget. Keeping track of every vendor’s products and services is also of utmost importance. Creating wedding planning binders is probably the most efficient way to stay organized at this stage.

Ideally, each event and/or program should have its own binder. Depending on the complexity of your event, your binder can include several sections, including:

  • Itinerary/Agenda
  • Key Contacts
  • Banquet Event Orders
  • Entertainment
  • Lodging/Rooming List
  • Attendees
  • Communications
  • Contracts
  • Activities
  • Arrivals/Departures
  • Gifts
  • Budget
  • Miscellaneous

Define Tasks Of The Day:

The objective you set in terms of planning and executing a wedding is pertinent to a bigger picture, the events leading up to the wedding, and the final  D-day. To accomplish that last objective, you have to choose smaller milestones that you have to accomplish. Choose a task you want to finish within a week, settle on the work that has to be done during the day to finish the set objective of the week. Delegate these tasks to your team. You can go old school with rosters or you can utilize advanced formats like google sheets or group messaging tools for the delegation of tasks.

Utilizing Event Planning Software

While your event binders should include all of the most important details of each event in hard copy, the rest of your reference notes, ideas, and correspondence should also be kept organized and together. In today’s age of technology and widespread internet access, online tools like Google Sheets can provide a medium to plan and organize all aspects of wedding planning.

Keep A Networking Spreadsheet

Finish each workday by writing down the name, title, and contact of each individual you’ve met. There will probably come a time when that relationship will be valuable later on! Or on the other hand, in case you don’t think you can keep up a spreadsheet in the long term, choose one social media tool that you can use for business and ensure you connect with or follow your new contacts right away. Additionally, keep a master contact sheet with your most favored vendors directly inside your wedding planning binder. When it comes time to employ them for your next wedding you’ll already have ideas, menus, and contact data conveniently laid out.

Evaluate

All the planning and organizing is futile if you don’t learn from your errors. After each wedding, it is imperative to assess your approach and learn from it. Realize what worked and what didn’t. Understand what turned out badly in terms of execution and how much time each task took up. Change your approach and strategy accordingly. Updating your strategies is the most ideal approach to stay organized. Each wedding planner has their own system of work. Some like updating things consistently while some prefer to do tasks in bulk. The final outcome must be a well planned, top-notch wedding.

Investing In Professional Training

For many of us, organizational skills are something that we are born with. But this doesn’t mean that we cannot polish what we have. There are some popular institutes that offer wedding planning programs. These courses give hands-on experience to every student. There are numerous weddings that they work-on under the guidance of mentors. These mentors who train them help them in learning the basics by working in the field. Many programs also offer internships which proved to be a big benefit for the binding wedding planners. Be it any profession having detailed knowledge about the tricks of the trade, even before entering the market, can be a big bonus. It not only adds to your personal enrichment but also helps in adding to your portfolio. Enrolling yourself into such a program can greatly help to kick start your wedding planning business.

In the end, how you organize your notes, documents, and correspondence is up to you and every professional wedding planner has their own system that works for them and their team. The most important factor should always be accessibility and readiness of information and making sure it is always kept organized. A lot comes with experience, but in the end, every successful wedding planner has one thing in common, and that is perfect organizational skills

Building Up Interpersonal Skills- Why Is It Important For A Wedding Planner?

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If there is one thing that Indians love, it is Weddings! Indian weddings have an aura that makes them so remarkable and continues to captivate people from all over the world.

With changing times, wedding planners have become an inseparable part of Indian weddings today. More and more people are hiring wedding planners to plan one of the biggest days in their lives. This has led to a whopping increase in the demand of the wedding planners. Today, there seems to be an abundance of wedding planners in the market, however, there might not be many who would have formed a lifelong relationship with their clients. So, what is it that makes a wedding planner a popular choice?

When it comes to hiring a wedding planner, many people look for a complete package. A wedding planner may present the best of ideas, but maybe he is too fixated with them and doesn’t pay much attention to what the client really wants. One of the most important qualities of a successful wedding planner is his interpersonal skills.

When somebody hires a wedding planner, they expect him to turn their biggest dream into a reality. A wedding is not just a get together with friends and family, it is a social obligation, a status symbol, a reflection of someone’s family background and traditions. When a wedding is planned there is a lot at stake. It is therefore imperative for a wedding planner to be an outstanding communicator. There is a lot of talking that is to be done. He should not only be able to put forward his ideas in the most pleasant way but also be open to suggestions and innovations that his clients give to him.

wedding planning skills

Having excellent communication skills also gives him an edge above his competitors as one of the main jobs of a wedding planner is to keep things flowing in a positive and calm manner. There may be many high-pressure situations during a wedding, having the ability to stay resilient and calm is something that comes only with good training and exposure to such situations.

When an amateur wedding planner enters the industry, the journey to the top is a long-long one. This is where formal education in the field of wedding planning can do wonders in helping you kickstart your wedding planning business. There are institutes that provide diploma courses in wedding planning. Enrolling yourself into one will help you in getting first-hand experience, even before you begin your career. The internship that you undergo will help you in the understanding of events as well as clients that would be dealing with throughout your career.

Having good interpersonal skills cannot only help in building a rapport with your client, but it will play a key role in building strong ties with vendors and other associates. After all, a wedding planner without an efficient team can never be a successful one. When you have strong ties with people, there is trust and interdependence, which can play a key role in planning a flawless wedding.

Being a wedding planner is indeed a stressful job, but it is also the most rewarding. When it comes to carving a successful path through this glittering industry, you need to hone your interpersonal skills to help smoothen your journey. Your formal education in this field will go a long way in helping you achieve this goal.

With time and experience we all acquire certain abilities, but when it comes to making your mark in the business, the sooner you sharpen your interpersonal skills, the better for you and your career in Wedding Planning!

5 Ways To Stress Free Wedding Planning

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The reason people hire a wedding planner is to make their wedding day a special and unforgettable event for them as well as everyone who attends it. Hiring a wedding planner gives them the best of both the worlds. They are involved in every small decision that is made, yet at the same time they get the luxury to sit back and relax, while you, the Wedding Planner does everything.

For many, the idea of planning a wedding seems very exhilarating, but, in reality it is nothing short of a Herculean task. There has to be a flow and tempo in a wedding and as a wedding planner there is so much you have to do. With so many things to plan and coordinate, it may often take a toll on you, the wedding planner. Here is a list of 5 ways to stress free wedding planning for a wedding planner.

  • Spending Time with your Clients
    The first and foremost step of an easy-going wedding is to know your client. Spend time with the bride or groom-to-be and the families in order to get to know them and get a clear picture of what exactly are they looking for. Give ideas but do not be too dominating when doing so. It is after all, their wedding. Discuss the blueprint of your plans with them and go ahead only when they okay it. You would have to make a million decisions, so talk through every aspect of the wedding with them colour schemes, fancy lights, invites, menu and even the chair cover if they wish to.
  • Manage the Budget
    One of your biggest challenges is going to be managing the budget. Having a budget doesn’t mean being miser all along, even a millionaire’s wedding has to have a budget. It simply means that you need to have a perspective and plan everything around it. Provide a realistic assessment to your client in the very beginning. When you start implementing your ideas into actions, expenses tend to mount up rather quickly, keeping the client’s budget in mind will let you make wise decisions. As an experienced wedding planner you would also be able to get your clients the best deals and discounts. Doing all this will let you be comfortable till the very end of the wedding.

  • Coordinating with the Vendors
    Planning a wedding cannot be a one-man’s job. You need to be able to work comfortably with caterers, florists, stylists, dress designers, photographers etc.  Keep close ties and always build alliances. If you have a team of professionals that you get along with, it would greatly help you in easing the entire process. An expert in their own field, they would be reliable and also suit your style of working. When you share the responsibilities, you share the tensions and work pressures too.

  • Give Valuable Suggestions
    As a wedding planner you would know the ins-and-outs of the business. Which wedding venue can accommodate how many people, which decorator will fit within your budget, which caterer would do justice to your client’s taste, are things you must suggest to your clients and help them make the best decisions. Make sure that the ideas you give are doable. Remember, your ideas are going to be the foundation of the whole wedding.
  • Take it Easy
    Wedding planning can be stressful. It is very important for you to be calm and relaxed. Going for every offer that you get may seem tempting, but it is highly recommended that you be wise and put in a lot of thinking when accept a wedding planning project. Though every wedding planner wishes to be one of the best in the business, plan your career strategies smartly. Planning two perfect weddings in a year is way better than planning five in a haphazard way. Remember, your work is your best advertisement.

The Bottom Line

The above-mentioned ways may appear to be very simple, yet they can do wonders to the way you plan a wedding. If you have undergone some formal training, things will be much easier for you, as before you enter the market you already know the tricks of the trade. The internship that you have been through, prepares you to face all kinds of high-pressure situations. To many it seem a dream job, being a wedding planner is not all about the charisma and the glitterati, it requires foresight, perseverance and a lot of hard work.

Why Is Customization Important In Planning A Wedding?

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One of the most important responsibilities of a wedding planner is to create a personalized wedding for every couple. For this, he first needs to understand what the client wants and then must tailor the different aspects of the wedding to suit the client in particular and the family members in general. So, spending quality time with the clients and pinpointing their interests becomes instrumental. Keeping their interests in mind the wedding planner then creates ‘event-paths’ which makes it possible for him to turn his client’s dreams and ideas into a reality.

Every couple wants their wedding to be an unforgettable event not just for them but also for everyone who attends it. But, many a time, devoting so much time and effort is not possible neither for the couple nor for the family members. This is where a wedding planner enters.

The wedding planner who is a pro at handling every little detail of a wedding, can easily help in planning and customizing various things the way the client wants. They are an expert at making the best use of the available resources and can do wonders to even the most basic items and ideas. And the best part is that they can do all this well within the budget that their client has given them.

At the point when you take the time and effort to truly work your customers’ ideas into their wedding, it shows extraordinary customer service. You’re devoting yourself to planning one of a kind weddings that suit every customer’s vision. You aren’t designing a solitary wedding concept and program and applying it exactly the same for every customer. Creativity is the thing that makes you a flourishing and professional wedding planner.

The Venue

The selection of the venue is probably one of the most significant factors of the wedding. The surrounding helps in setting the tone of the wedding. Whether it is a society park or a farmhouse or an open field, the wedding planner can customize and personalize the space as per the choice of the client. They can create an intimate space for the special guests as well. Overhead lighting, a cluster of pendants, creative drawings, etc. are ideas that can completely transform the wedding ceremony.

The Menu

From greeting the guests with a celebratory cocktail with a creative name to planning the whole menu as per the couple’s story is another trend that’s becoming very popular. Dishes that are the bride’s or the groom’s favorite, the first dish that he made for her or she made for him are on the charts too.

Customized Clothes

Wearing personalized t-shirts at the ‘Mehendi’ or the sangeet or bachelor’s party are some things that the bride and groom along with the friends and family would enjoy. The wedding planner can get tees for the couple and the guests printed as-‘Bride to Be’, ‘Bride’s Best Friend’, ‘Soon to be Mrs’, etc.

Small Details

‘Going into details’ is what a well-trained wedding planner does best. From customized tissue papers with the couple’s initials or their logo to personalized wrapping paper with their photos, it makes gifting the guests all the more intimate and dear. Some wedding planners have also designed coasters with names or photos of the couple. Some have made use of monogrammed throw pillows and cushions too.

When it comes to satisfying our needs and wants, we have far too many choices. When wedding bells ring, the expectations rise even more and the biggest challenge for the couple and the family members becomes customizing the wedding in a way that it becomes an emotional and a never-to-be-forgotten event. At such a time, hiring a wedding planner becomes the best decision that one can make. Though it is a challenge, for the wedding planner too, customization truly makes the wedding the most special day in a person’s life. A wedding planner who has had some formal training can help in making things special and extremely personalized and make the wedding an event to remember.

The Art Of Listening:

Indeed, your hard skills are super important. Without your professional training, you most likely wouldn’t know what an RFP is! In any case, other than knowing how to make budget spreadsheets and courses of events, your soft skills need refining, as well. The art of listening is therefore important! How might you customize a wedding if you don’t listen to the couple that you’re working for? Before you can fulfill your obligations as an expert wedding planner, you have to have a solid handle of your customers’ needs and desires.

Perhaps the most ideal approach to put your customers at ease is to consistently show that you’re listening to them. However, don’t simply seem as though you’re doing it— really do it! Give them abundant chances to voice their thoughts and opinions. Actively engage with them. In case something isn’t working, be straightforward with them. Your customers have big dreams, it’s important not to annihilate them! Be that as it may, making guarantees you can’t keep isn’t exactly the first step in building a solid customer relationship.

Your customers don’t have the foggiest idea of how much everything costs, the complete logistics behind every event, and any legal issues included. That is the reason they have employed you! The more honest you are, the better they can confide in you. Try not to squash their ideas. Work with them to form their ideas into something different, or incorporate them on a smaller scale.

Becoming A Wedding Planner With An Eye For Customization

Understanding each client’s needs for customization is something that comes with years of experience. However, a wedding planner who has no experience in the industry might find it difficult to develop an eye for personalization. However, obtaining formal training before entering the wedding planning industry can help you a great deal with this. Formal training in wedding planning ensures that you are well-accustomed to the wedding planning ecosystem, and more so if you get a chance to be part of a live internship. All in all, investing in formal training will definitely help you out before starting a career in the wedding planning industry.

Common, copy/pasted weddings aren’t what expert wedding planners are trained for. If your customers didn’t want unique weddings, they wouldn’t have hired you! You have an obligation to plan and design weddings that genuinely correspond with the intended vision of the couple. This is why creativity, attention to detail, and active listening skills are important for wedding planners to possess. After all, a wedding is the most important day in a person’s life and they would want it to be unique, special, and customized just for them and it is your job to fulfill your client’s visions and make them and their guests happy.

How Technology Is Changing Indian Weddings?

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Just like everything else, over the years, Indian Weddings too have been greatly influenced by technology. So much so that from the wedding lehenga to the wedding invitations, everything now has a new ‘avatar’. Things have become easier though not always simpler. Young couples prefer weaving customs and rituals along with convenience and style and the outcome is remarkable. Match-Making Rather than discussing the marriage prospects with the society ‘barber’ people are depending entirely on matrimonial websites and also TV channels, for their child’s ‘match-making’. What more, there are tonnes of Facebook groups too for the same. The youngsters too rely on dating apps and websites before they make up their mind about the wedlock. The Wedding Industry ‘Wedding’ is now an industry, and not just any industry but a 40-billion-rupee industry. With an average growth of 30% it is often said to be the recession-proof industry too. And it surely is, with almost 10 million weddings every year, there seems to be no such thing as a slowdown here. India consumes about 900 tons of gold and half of this is purchased during the wedding season. Destination Weddings Technology has made the world a small place. More and more couples have started preferring having weddings at scenic locations abroad and within India. Places like Goa, Jaipur, Udaipur, Italy, Greece are topping the charts when it comes to choosing the destination for the perfect wedding. Wedding Planners In India, weddings always involved the entire family, they still do but their roles have undergone a transformation as well. The ‘chachas and mamas’ no longer run around till the last minute, it is now the wedding planners who take care of it all. Weddings are no longer seen as a painful responsibility but a reason to party. It’s nothing less than a holiday with friends and family and hiring the right wedding planner can indeed be the best way to plan a wedding. Wedding Schools Till a few years ago a wedding school was completely unheard of but thanks to the remarkable transformation of Indian weddings, wedding schools are now giving many youngsters a platform to build strong entrepreneur skills. The courses offered by elite and well-renowned wedding schools give a jumpstart to the career of a budding wedding planner. Going through an internship helps them learn the tricks of the trade early on as they get a chance to learn under experts. Attaining a successful career as a wedding planner has been made easy with Wedding schools. So Much More The wedding industry also comprises of many other businesses and branches. Dress designers, stylists, photographers, printers, florists and decorators, etc., are an integral and important part of the industry. Decorator-The tent-wala is now a decorator and plays a key role in remodelling a society-park into a fabulous wedding location. Replicas of palaces, movie sets are also being set up by the decorators to give the wedding a touch of royalty. Invitation Cards-The wedding invite now comprises of the invitation cards to the cocktail, bachelor’s party, shagan, mehendi and sangeet, wedding and the reception too. And it’s no longer just a card – silk envelops, embroidered cards, elegant invite-mithai boxes are just so mesmerizing. Photographs-Clicking professional and high-high-definition pictures are as important as the wedding itself. They not only make reminiscing special but are also important as they have to be uploaded on various social media platforms. Technology indeed has changed the Indian Weddings. Almost every aspect seems to have undergone modifications. However, the quintessence core of every Indian wedding is still ‘tradition’. And this amalgamation of tradition and technology has been great for everyone. The couple-to-be, the parents, the guests, the wedding planners, the vendors, just about everyone is Super Happy!!

Becoming A Better Wedding Planner – 5 Important Guidelines

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There has been a transformation in the way Indian Weddings are perceived and organized. Though ‘tradition’ still remains the essence of an Indian wedding, there have been many new innovations and additions. The rising popularity of a wedding planner is a welcome change. With more and more families hiring a full-time wedding planner, the demand of having a good wedding planner seems to be on an all-time high. This increase in demand has also been a big reason that there are many wedding planners and wedding planner companies in the market. But there are many who are ordinary and there are many who are thorough professionals. So, what separates the two? The reasons are plenty. There is no place for mediocrity in the world today. Unless you keep learning, reinventing and recreating something new, you may soon become obsolete. Let’s have a look at some of the areas you should be focusing on to become a better wedding planner. Get Qualified Having the right educational background can do wonders to your wedding planning career. Specialized courses in wedding planning are gaining more and more popularity as event management courses are far too general in their approach. Being a wedding planner, there is so much you need to know-planning, marketing, collaborating with vendors, finalizing stylists and designers etc. Your education in wedding planning will come in very handy when you actually enter the market. Even if you are in the wedding business, it is never too late to learn. If you do not have any formal training, enroll yourself in a Wedding Planning Course today. Invest In Formal Training One of the best ways to kick-start your wedding planning business is to have some training in the field. Opt for a course that provides you with an internship else, work as an intern for an established wedding planner for some time. When you enter the market as a trainee there is so much you can learn. A good internship program will let you learn a lot about the business. The deadlines, the last-minute cancellations, the coordination between two vendors, the high-pressure situations and so much more, you will get a first-hand experience of dealing with all this. Network & Build A Strong Team Always remember, a strong business cannot be a one-man show. You need to have a strong team of people with you always. You would need to have a good liaison with different vendors who would be providing different services like catering, decorating, printing, etc. A smooth wedding will not be possible if you do not collaborate and coordinate. Improve Interpersonal Skills For most of us, it comes naturally, but you must keep working on your interpersonal skills. When communicating with your clients it is very important that you understand their requirements.  Being too rigid with your own ideas may not be a healthy sign. It is, after all, your client’s wedding and you need to deliver what he/she wants. But at the same time, using your own creativity to enhance everything is equally important. Also, weddings are events where everyone is emotionally charged-up. As a wedding planner, you need to be calm and composed even under the most high-pressure situations. Never Stop Learning Even after you hold a strong ground in the market, you need to maintain your standard and sustain your position. Unless you give your clients excellent ideas and services, things might easily slip out of hand. Be on a lookout for new and innovative ways to make each wedding a memorable one. Being a wedding planner may seem easy, but it sure involves a great deal of hard work and perseverance. In India, there is a lot of scope in the wedding planning industry and with the right formal education and the right attitude, the sky can be the limit for you.

How a Wedding Planner Helps You Plan A Wedding in Budget

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Congratulations! There is going to be a wedding soon! If you or someone in the family is engaged, there must be a dozen ideas flowing all around. Though weddings are pretty exciting, planning a wedding can be quite stressful. There so much to think and so much to do. One of the biggest tasks of planning a wedding is to stay within the budget. It can be quite overwhelming, but then, going overboard is not a wise option. This is where a Wedding planner makes an entry. So, if you are planning yours or someone else’s wedding with a limited budget, the best way to do so is by hiring a wedding planner! Let us see how a trained wedding planner can help you. A Trained Professional Though a wedding planner doesn’t need a specific technical qualification, but these days many wedding planners are undergoing specialized courses to get some formal training in this vocation. This hands-on training gives them an edge over the other wedding planners in the market. They master the tricks of the trade, even before entering the market. Therefore, managing a budget is not an issue and they can make your event more cost effective when it comes to a trained Wedding Planner. Can Negotiate Deals and Discounts As a bride, you would be planning just one wedding, but for a wedding planner, handling dozens of weddings every year is a cakewalk. With their wide network of vendors and artists, wedding planners often facilitate the best costs involved in a wedding. He would know how to negotiate with the various vendors, something that might be next to impossible for you and me. Saves your Time and Effort If you are self-employed or are otherwise engaged in your job, you may not have the time to go into all the details of every aspect of planning the wedding. Even if you take a few days leave there’s so much to do, that it might become too overwhelming. Planning a wedding is a full-time job. When you hire a trained wedding planner, he takes over the entire responsibility of giving you your dream wedding, while you can sit back and enjoy the last few months or weeks as a bachelor/ bachelorette. Provides you Workable Alternatives An experienced wedding planner will be able to guide you when you wish to add an unnecessary ingredient to the wedding. From the discounted rates of caterers to florists, from venue to seasonal flowers, he knows all the trade secrets and will save every penny possible. Is well Connected Your wedding planner will have contacts, that you and I can only think of. Bookings of your favourite venue, or stylist or the designers may not be possible but for the wedding planner, it is something that he deals with on a regular basis. He is also a good source of reference for vendors and service providers, so many a time he would be the first one to get info on availability and deals. It is a common myth that hiring a wedding planner is a costly affair. No doubt that the wedding planner will charge you a fee but at the same time, he would also be providing you with his elite services that will save you so much of your time and effort. You and the other family members may feel tempted to go over-budget, but an expert wedding planner will not do so. He would be able to help you in striking a balance between the things that are absolutely necessary and the things that can be discarded. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that hiring a wedding planner is not an expense but a necessity.

Why Is Hiring A Wedding Planner Often The Best Investment That A Couple Can Make

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When the wedding bells start to ring, they often bring with them many doubts and confusions with them! One of the biggest perplexities being, “Do I need a Wedding Planner?” So, if you or anyone close to you has been trying to figure out the answer, well, read on! The Answer is a resounding “YES”! You “need” a wedding planner, rather let me put it this way, “You Deserve a wedding planner!” Coordinating a wedding is not an easy job. It is hard work, requires plenty of time and can be really, really stressful. Long gone are the days when from relatives to friends, from the entire neighborhood to just about everyone around used to pitch in to help the family with a wedding! Not anymore! These days the couple itself would find it hard to devote much time to plan their wedding. Thanks to the changing times, hiring a wedding planner is not something that only movie stars or the super-rich do. Out in the market, there is a wedding planner for every kind of budget! It is, therefore, no doubt that hiring a wedding planner often the best investment that a couple can make! Let us take a look at what all a wedding planner can do for the soon-to-be-married couple. Looking After Your Budget! Limiting yourself to a budget is the biggest challenge one may face when planning a wedding. There is so much temptation to do more and more, that often leads to going overboard in the beginning and then cutting corners as the wedding day arrives. A wedding planner is a professional and will stick to the budget that you have given him. He will not only help you in avoiding any costly mistakes but will also be able to get you the best discounts from the vendors that would be a part of the wedding. Can Keep Stress Under-Control Weddings can rarely go without an emotional drama. Indian weddings especially are known to have ‘emotional outbursts’ a regular occurrence. It is a time when emotions are running high, deadlines are being missed and last-minute changes are on, and in a situation like this, even the most patient people may lose their cool. That’s when the wedding planner comes in extremely handy. He can be very helpful in ironing out the problems that crop up suddenly. He is an expert at handling such high-high-pressure situations and keeping everything peaceful. Your Very Own Personal Assistant Whether you are going to be a bride or a groom, being stressful at your own wedding, maybe the last thing that you wish for. There is already so much going on in your mind, that worrying about the wedding details is only going to make you miserable. At such a time, your wedding planner can help you as much as you require. From booking appointments with the stylist to organizing a Bachelor’s/ Bachelorette’s Party. It’s great to have someone by your side. Turning Your Dream Into A Reality Many of us have planned a wedding ever since we were very young. Though it may seem to be the best option to do everything on your own, it can become quite overwhelming and take a toll on you. From the invites to the decor, from the caterer to the venue, from the stylist to the mehndi-wala, the list is never-ending. But the wedding planner has a template ready for every little detail.  You simply need to tell him what you want, and you can rest assured that your wedding will be the way you always wanted it to be, maybe Better! As the D-Day gets closer, the stress levels involved are going to soar. In such a time, the presence of a wedding planner can give them peace of mind, and they too can enjoy the wedding. A wedding is after all an event of a lifetime, and rather than running around making arrangements, you should be focused on making memories!

International Trends That Have Started Showing Up In Indian Weddings

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Indian weddings are all about traditions and heritage. No matter how “modern” one might be, tradition remains the essence of every Indian wedding. Having said that, there is no denying that there are many international trends that have had a big influence on Indian weddings. Westernization has hugely affected the way Indian weddings are planned and carried out. The young couples love tradition but with a dash of modernity! More and more couples want a global kind of wedding, that becomes an event to remember not just for them, but for everyone who attends it.

Thanks to the influence of social media, the youth is hugely exposed to the lives of celebrities. The destination weddings of Virushka and the very recent Deepveer, have given wedding goals to many. The marriage ceremony has become an extravagant off-shore holiday. Young brides wish to have a fairytale wedding and that has brought a huge rise in the demand for wedding planners, elegant caterers, trousseau designers, stylists, banquet organizers, etc. We have listed the biggest International trends that have taken the Indian wedding industry by a storm.

Exotic Wedding Destinations:

The travelling enthusiast young Indian would love to make their day all the more special, and if budget is an issue, an international destination wedding can be easily replaced with exotic Indian wedding destinations like Goa, Kerala and Rajasthan. The serene and classy environment adds wanderlust for a fairy tale set-up. Just like most international weddings, Indian weddings are no longer considered to be a herculean task (thanks to all the help from wedding planners), but rather a time when friends and family get together to have lots of fun.

2. The Rise of Bridesmaids and Groomsmen:

Talking about the presence of friends and family at the wedding, the international trend of having bridesmaids and groomsmen has made an entry in our wedding scenario as well.

3.  Traditional Wedding Colours Are Out:

There has also been a major shift in the bride’s outfit. The Indian bride is now seen in colours apart from the traditional red and shades of green. Yellow and even white are now gaining popularity. Different styles of hair-dos and makeup have also made way. The wedding guests are also seen following different colour schemes for different wedding ceremonies, from an all yellow in the “Haldi Function”, to an all-white tempo for the “Sangeet”. The sangeet pictures and videos of Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor awed everyone, with every guest clad in shades of white. More and more people are opting for pastel and sorbet shades, especially for summer weddings.

4.  The Veil Trend:

Indian brides are taking inspiration from their western counterparts and incorporating beautiful veils into their wedding trousseau. This trend was particularly well received by Bollywood celebs like Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra who included the very chic Catholic veil into their wedding trousseau.

5. Subtle Bridal Makeup:

Bridal makeup is one of the most basic components that bring a wedding look together. There is nothing better than a simple and fresh make-up look that will make you look radiant. While Indian bridal makeup has always been known for its extravagance, the western trend of a subtler and simpler look has ebbed its way into our weddings. For instance, Priyanka Chopra Jonas settled on the ‘less is more’ approach for her recent wedding ceremony. From a summer wedding on a seashore to a beautiful ceremony in a temple or another private location, this is one of the most recent International wedding trends that has made its way into Indian weddings and will remain popular.

6. Curated Guest List:

Unlike before, when long-forgotten friends and relatives were also invited to weddings, just like international weddings, the guest-list of an Indian wedding is now planned more articulately. This also makes it easier to make each guest feel more special and truly a part of the big day. Parting gifts with their names on, specific photo-shoots, allotted tables at ceremonies etc. are ways to make everyone feel extra special.

7. Bridal Entrance:

Before, the grand entrance was reserved only for men in Indian weddings. However, Indian brides are taking inspiration from their Western counterparts and are beginning to take the lead with regards to their bridal entries on their big day.  Full of magnificence and attitude, brides currently enter on an assortment of vehicles, for example, bikes and Palanquins with the most well known by far an entrance to their fave ‘tune’ and their own rendition of their Naomi Campbell catwalk swagger, Brides are done playing the shy bride and are quite glad to flaunt their style and their personality.

8. Blending Of Cultures:

With a rise in inter-caste and even inter-country marriages, many couples are experimenting with a fusion of eastern and western culture. It is not just an acknowledgement to their heritage, but it is their way of blending the east and west styles. Couples from various cultural backgrounds decide to celebrate both their cultures in independent ceremonies or combine them with various ceremonies from each. Deepika and Ranveer, and Priyanka and Nick both had two wedding functions to include and offer respect to and celebrate their cultural differences. This has also given rise to another important aspect of the spectacle of the wedding which is an exemplified and lavish layout of food. From Chinese to Lebanese, Italian to Japanese, Mexican to Thai, along with the exotic Indian cuisines are all reaching the modest palate of the guests.

9. Tossing Of The Bouquet:

The tossing of the bouquet is a tradition that most single ladies at a wedding anticipate. This fun and popular tradition of the Western culture has been adopted by young Indian brides too. The bride (frequently blindfolded) throws her bouquet to the single woman and it is said that the young lady that gets the bouquet will get hitched next. An Indian bride tossing her colourful bouquet is such a great photo opportunity as well!

10. The Gift Registry:

How frequently have we gotten gifts we truly didn’t need or we already have? The gift registry (exceptionally well-known custom in weddings internationally), is an incredible method to abstain from being gifted the same thing multiple times. The couple chooses their wish list of items from a store, shares it with their guests and in this manner guarantees, they get precisely what they need!

This Indo-western fusion of the wedding trends is nothing less than an opulent celebration and has further added more glitter and sophistication to the Indian wedding industry. There is no doubt that international trends have started showing up in Indian weddings, and they are here to stay!

Best Wedding Venues In Rajasthan For Planning a Wedding with a Professional Planner

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Getting hitched is an important event of person’s life. Everyone desires their wedding to happen at a royal place. India, a land of diverse cultures is the home of many stunning wedding locations. Out of the many, Rajasthan with its majestic forts and royal palaces is well known for the most expensive and desired wedding destination. It depicts its rich cultural heritage in the form of its art, architecture and the lifestyle. The mesmerizing forts, magnificent palaces, courtyards and gardens can make the function a grand one. Selecting the right wedding venue is an important decision in the wedding planning process. It usually sets the tone of the wedding to follow and thus should be chosen carefully. Rajasthan has elegant and exotic wedding venues that offers the perfect combination of tradition and contemporary trends. The popular wedding destination in Rajasthan are Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer etc. There are many luxurious hotels and palaces in these cities that host weddings in the best possible manner and who knows best than your own planner. So, if you are looking for royal treat on your most special day, check out these magical destination wedding venues and their inside secrets! Wedding Locations highly recommended in Rajasthan by Planners Pink city Jaipur has many hotels and resorts which are perfect for wedding event. In addition, there are numerous admirable palaces, forts and exotic gardens that can add glamour to the wedding. Rambagh Palace in Jaipur is well-known for luxurious rooms, authentic cuisines and contemporary architecture. The palace belongs to the Taj group of hotels has huge lawn area and a hall to host various wedding functions. Another place is Rajvilas Palace which is popular venue ideal for hosting grand wedding ceremony. Jai Mahal Palace and Samode Haveli are the other places that many people choose for their wedding. These venues are popular for their architecture with modern twist on the traditional Indian designs. Also, these palaces have huge hall and lawn area to host a big fat Indian wedding. Udaipur also known as City of lakes is in limelight since centuries because of its exquisite nature of diverse cultures and experiences together. The city has always been adored by many and will always be in the minds of exotic destination lovers. The place is considered as the romantic wedding destination where you can carry on the wedding rituals and ceremonies. The Royal Mansions in the city serves as the one of the best and most sought after wedding location. The hotel’s intricate layout makes the interiors breathtaking and outdoor offer a stunning view of the magnificent lake and lush gardens. Ranbanka Palace is home to many Indian weddings for centuries. The palace is famous for it’s exquisiteness such as luxurious rooms and contemporary architecture. Heritage palaces and forts add to the glory of the city in conducting royal weddings. The royal treatment given to the guests make it perfect place for many to opt for their memorable event. Umaid Bhavan, Indana Palace set in the magnificent city of Jodhpur are well-known wedding destinations. These palaces are beautifully designed and has multiple banquet halls which are glorious in all its offerings. The hall and huge lawn area are suitable to host a grand wedding function. The ambiance at Indana is beautiful fusion of different worlds coming together and the inner courtyard is best for wedding ceremonies. Thus, a perfect Indian wedding can be experienced in this magnificent city. A wedding in Rajasthan will give you beautiful memories that you will cherish forever. What more you can ask for when you can take the wedding vows with your loved ones at beautiful locations. So, add more spice to your wonderful event by planning your wedding at exotic palaces, hotels and forts but more importantly choose your planner carefully because they can turn your wedding around.