The wedding planner

The movie, the Wedding Planner may have given you a hint at what it means to be one. For starters, they are definitely high earners. From planning the colour of the garlands to the venue and seating arrangements, wedding planners have more than just a say in the affairs of the heart

THE INDIAN cultural scene is a riot of colours, and the wedding season is no exception. From time immemorial, Indian weddings have been sacred ceremonies celebrated with much pomp and show. The grandeur of the ceremony has in no way diminished with time. On the contrary, it has proven to be an untapped industry and is gradually growing to be a stupendously successful business venture! Like event managers, wedding planners manage the festivities of the occasion to the very last detail. With an increasingly yuppie lifestyle, its no surprise that folks have begun to work hard and play equally hard. Even traditional celebrations have found greater acceptance and are lived up to in style. People have become more adventurous, and with money comes style. The more exotic the makings of the celebration, the more interesting and enjoyable it gets. Tradionally restricted to a select few, enterprising entrepreneurs have realised the tremendous potential to cash-in on the lucrative proposition of planning and organising weddings, thus revolutionising the way ceremonies are performed and proving that marriages are made on earth and by wedding planners!

What does a wedding planner do?

A roaring profession abroad, it is just about taking-off in India giving an added initiative and impetus to one more creative profession. From lavish dos to theme weddings and simple ceremonies, they aim to fulfil the client's every whim and fancy. Tailor-made weddings are the order of the day. Companies like shaadiinfo.com, weddingsutra.com, partylines, etc offer hassle- free pre-designed theme weddings be it Japanese, Mexican, Rajasthan, or Gujarati, and on-order weddings to make the special day even more memorable. So, the father of the bride can forget any pre-wedding tensions!

The wedding planner is responsible for everything vaguely reminiscent of a wedding! He has to plan the ceremonies, organise them, decorate the venue, co-ordinate the event to the last detail, and cater to, entertain and take care of the guests. The wedding planner is responsible for creating a welcoming ambience at the venue, so that everybody participating in the event has an extraordinarily enjoyable time.

More often than not, the wedding planner also helps the client select the venue, even arranges accommodation for the guests, and provides transportation for them, to and from the wedding site. They also arrange for photographers and video-graphers, and sometimes even the priest or the pundit. Some other services include providing honeymoon packages for the newly married couple. The sky's the limit for the planner to offer as many services as possible.

How to become one?

Any one with a love and flair for organising events, meeting people, and logistics management can make an entry into the field. You need-to be a good planner and organiser, be innovative and creative, gauge client requirements, know the market scenario, and have good contacts. Additionally, a degree or diploma in management or event

management may help you set up your own start-up or work for an established wedding planner.

To make a splash in this extravagant venture, you first need to research your market, whether you would like to cater to designing and offering customised wedding services to a particular community or sect, or wish to cater to all sorts of wedding dos. However, you would have to be more than just conversant with the traditions and customs, and be prepared to burden a whole lot of responsibilities. To begin with, you can work with an established wedding planner to gain hands-on training before you venture out on your own.

Future prospects or furtive ventures?

Weddings are religious functions as well and demand a great deal of attention to detail and nitty-gritty. The budding industry has been given a further boost with events like the Mega Wedding show being held in Mumbai at the World Trade Centre. It promises to be a one-stop-shop for all wedding products. The event being organised on a grand scale will cater to every detail in a wedding, right from aroma therapist Blossom Kochar to jewellery designers, hair and skin specialists, and photographers will be present. The event marks the beginning of an era where even weddings are streamlined to perfection and organised as the product of the marriage industry!

The trendy trousseaux maker

It's that time of the year that glitters with colour and happy songs. The wedding scenario in India is more than just getting married. It is an occasion that is like a mini fashion show with every one decked-up in their finest clothes and jewellery. However, the most impressively dressed is the bride. And the people to make her day are designers exclusively churning out a breathtaking bridal collection. They are not just limited to a traditional look, but encompass a wide range of choices for the attire. An exciting bridal ensemble is on offer that the client can choose from. It is a flourishing business, especially around the wedding season from August to April.

Indian weddings have inspired designers such as Neeta Lulla, Sujatha Kothari, Ritu Kumar and others to start an exclusive bridal collection. Neeta Lulla offers consultancy services as well in addition to designing bridal outfits.

Designers such as her offer personalised and customised services to brides. The bridal outfits are customised to the last detail, to the extent of matching the ambience, the groom's outfit, and even the mandap.

The work is often a rich tapestry of tradition from exotic wedding gowns to traditional sarees, or simplicity and elegance combined, depending on the client's preferences0 to produce a sophisticated look.

To be a trousseau designer, you must be creative, must know craft of dressmaking or fashion designing and have an eye for detail, colour, and form. The rest depends on your initiative, how you market your services and if you are able to meet your client's requirements. Some designers even offer the complete look as a package. From shoes to handbags to make-up and finally the outfit, it is a compact offer for a price. And what a price to pay to live it up on a memorable day! Trousseau designers are here to stay.

Whipping up a career

Food is an important part of life in India. Every festive occasion is incomplete without a gastronomic spread to mark the event. Weddings are no different. They are seldom complete without a good and sumptuous spread to sate the guests into cheerful spirits. And the caterers enjoy it as well, for they make more than a buck. Catering is certainly an extension of the hospitality industry that has always been a lucrative option. Advertising and promotion is by way of word-of-mouth and an excellent caterer is always flooded with orders throughout the year.

With an attractive menu lined up, and the right staff of cordon blue cooks and stewards, you can set-up a roaring business, catering to the tastes of a different clientele. As an aspiring caterer, a degree or diploma in culinary arts would prepare you to take the plunge. You can do so from hotel management institutes. Diploma are offered by the Indian Institutes of Hotel Management (IIHM), Institute of Advanced Management, and RM Institute of Hotel Management, while a degree can be pursued from the Welcome Group Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Kadandala Krishna Rao Memorial and Saptagiri College of Hotel Management. The Taj Group of Hotels also offers a postgraduate degree.There are various food craft institutes like the University Polytechnic Campus, Aligarh Muslim University; S.J. Polytechnic Building, Bangalore; MITI Campus, Bhopal; Kalamassery, Kerala; Foodcraft Institute, Pune; Kufri, Shimla and the Vishakha Valley School, Vishakapatnam which also offer related courses the trend is towards catering to the tastes of the client and offering specialised services. These spreads are designed and spread so as to be the highlight of the day. Caterers now dish out theme spreads with a wide range of food specialities beginning from chats to special regional dishes. So, innovation, qualitative service and excellent food are the ingredients for success.

To establish yourself as a caterer, you first need to research the market trend, the kind of services already being offered by other caterers and the variety of foodstuff on offer. It is important to first enumerate what you plan to offer. Apart from a good location to situate your office, you need to possess a qualified army of cooks, courteous servers and good serving dishes.

SAMYUKTA KODA

samyukta.hyd@hyd.careercommunity.co.in