Marriages made in heaven, celebrated on Earth courtesy the wedding planner

A fast growing tribe of Wedding Planners is taking care of virtually every aspect of the nuptials, allowing you to be the host and the guest in your own party

Imagine a butterfly just landing up on the bride’s shoulder at the time of her mehndi – a priceless experience, isn’t it? It hits just the right kind of sensory and emotional notes to create memories for the event of a lifetime, says Manika Garg of India’s leading wedding management agency, E-Factor Entertainment. She adds, “We are not in the business of events, but into creating experiences, moments and memories.” 

E-factor Entertainment has curated high profile weddings such as Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai, Kotharis and Khaitan, the Jindal wedding, Bhagnani-Deshmukh, GVK wedding, MAX, Tongya and Choudhary, Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra, among others. Says Garg, "It’s not about the money, the size, but about creating moments that trigger emotions even in the casual guest and onlooker. The wedding is someone else's but tears come to your eyes, it's someone else’s Bidaai but it’s so beautifully done, that you are reminded of yours.”

Not too long ago, a wedding was all about hiring just a halwai and a tent supplier. But now it’s a high-brow business, driven by professional expertise. No high net worth individual (HNI) marriage is complete without the involvement of a wedding planner. Some of the big names in the business include Manika and Samit Garg of E-Factor Entertainment, Vandana Mohan, Aditya Motwane, Wedguru, and Dream Craft. 

What the wedding planner does

You can expect just about everything from the wedding planner who helps you navigate  through the  whirlwind choices of themes, destinations, hotels, travel, logistics, food, cards, choreographer, photographer and such like. "If there is anything that they don’t do," says Tejveen Kaur, Partner, T 'zires, a wedding management company, “Its the jewellery, the outfits, the guest list, as these three are best handled by the family and couple. But for rest we are truly work as a team with the family and become extended family members.”

So, what should your budget be to hire the wedding planners? Today supply exists across a wide band of price range starting somewhere around Rs 10 lakh to Rs 100 crore. High-end wedding planners ususally charge anything upwards of Rs 5 crore. However, the budget totally depends on the outlay of services and whether it’s a local event in the city, a destination wedding in India or an overseas one. 

How much in advance should a client hire a wedding planner? According to Yuvraj Singh Johar, Managing Director, Shloka Events, “Ideally you should start with a planner six months prior to the actual dates. A good planner should be able to guide you through the whole process of the planning and implementation phase.” 

Choosing a planner

The most important thing while selecting a planner is be clear on your own requirements, says Johar adding that you must short list companies that are best suited for the requirement. For example if you planning a destination wedding in, say, Mauritius, get a fix on the prior work experience of the planner in that country -- how legally compliant they are in that country, how long they have worked there etc. Once you have a short list, evaluate them on their years of experience, the size of their team of permanent employees-- not just casual staff hired for the wedding -- the business continuity plan in case of a key resource being unavailable. The final decision should be made on a solid reference check. 

The wedding destination

Which places are trending for a destination wedding? The most preferred destinations in India are Udaipur and Jaipur, for their romantic appeal. Others include Bikaner, forts In Rajasthan and Kovalam. However, one must steer clear of places with difficult terrain and access, such as Leh Ladakh, which is really very beautiful but can be a logistical nightmare as a wedding destination. While deciding on the city, opt for a place that is well equipped with infrastructure, connectivity, has a certain developed market that you can reach out to for the last minute things in planning your event of a lifetime. Climate and culture are important considerations. 

Among international destinations, the ones trending are Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai (Emirates Palace, Jumeriah, Atlantis), Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Seychelles, Palaces in Italy, Mexico and Antalya (Turkey), according to Kaur of T 'Zires. “Its best to go for places that have roots in culture and climate," says Manika Garg. “Turkey is a hot favourite with Indians because it is a confluence of east and west, especially Istanbul and Bodrum, with their stunning blue waters, palace properties, traditional yet modern vibe that make the perfect backdrop for a modern Indian wedding.” 

Typically, a wedding is planned over three days with two mega events and two medium-scale events. The two main events include the Sangeet and the Shaadi and the two medium level events include Mehndi and Puja lunch on wedding day/welcome dinner. 

What about food? The north Indian wedding must typically have the dal makhani and butter naan. Nonetheless the Indian palate is becoming more global with Korean and Sri Lankan cuisine entering the menu. Says Garg: “There was a time when global food meant Italian and Chinese and then it graduated to pan Asian. Now you find finer nuances of Spanish (which is different from Mediterranean), German, even Peruvian food, with Korean and Sri Lankan being the latest entrants.”

Finally, what is that one reason why people hire a wedding planner? "It is the ease of unloading all your worries and responsibilities on to the shoulders of a specialist, so you can focus on things that only you can do, such as take care of your family, friends and relatives," says Manika Garg. “Let the right things take up your time and attention, the rest can be managed by someone else. The one-to-one interaction can only be done by you and your family and no one else while you can leave the rest to us.” 

Cost-wise break up of a destination wedding
Hotel	25%
Travel	15%
F&B	15%
Events*	20%
Logistics	10%
Miscellaneous (Card/ photography/choreography/mehndi & churiwala)	15%
(*Typically there are two mega—Sangeet and Shaadi—and two medium-scale events –Mehndi and Puja lunch on wedding day/welcome dinner. Events cost includes the décor. Courtesy E-Factor Entertainment)