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Nidhi Sahi, celebrity wedding planner and founder of Enjay Events, explains how you can blend tradition with contemporary ideas to create a memorable event.
The concept of weddings and its elements have changed tremendously over time.
In India, it all about influence.
Much like social media where influencers and celebrities kick start a trend, which is then adapted and followed by millions of followers around the world, weddings work in the same way.
A great way to ensure your wedding is memorable is to spot a theme or trend you like, then customise it suit your needs and budget.
Today young couples want their weddings to be about love, fun and emotions.
While some like to be loud, few others prefer an intimate setting with limited guests.
Right from the outfit to the décor and theme, even food and activities can be customised to create a unique experience.
While planning a wedding the emotions of both families, including the bride and groom need to be taken care of to ensure it is executed in the perfect way as dreamed by the couple and family.
Here are a few trends we noticed at Indian weddings that will help you make your day memorable.
1. Focus on small details
Planning a wedding involves so many big decisions that sometimes the little details get shoved to the end of the list.
Focusing on smaller details -- the wedding invite, the jewellery, outfit, food counter, the theme and giveaways -- all play an extremely important role as it helps create a story to remember.
2. Storytelling through food
Food is the core of the Indian weddings as guests will always remember and discuss it long after your big day.
According to Indians, any event is fabulous if the food caters to their taste.
If there are multiple events and guests, rather than sticking to a fixed or standard menu, it's important to curate a list of interesting food items both young and older guests will enjoy.
3. Fillers
If kids' birthday parties have magicians and puppets to keep guests engaged, Indian families are going all out to add activities and experiences at weddings to wow their guests.
For example, fire dancers are in huge demand in recent times.
Daredevil acts and performances serve as a booster for the main event as it keeps the guests tied to their seats while the bride and groom are busy clicking candid photographs or getting ready for the big event.
The purpose of the fillers is to talk to the guest emotionally with a bit of show and drama.
4. The 'glam' factor
From singers to actors, a lot of celebrity artists are willing to curate unique performances for private parties.
When you are already spending so much, what if you can get more value for your buck?
If you can truly afford having a celebrity artist perform at your wedding, it will add to the glam quotient and make the event more memorable for the couple and guests.
5. Unique bridal entry
You could be a princess arriving on a horseback or a swagger bride riding a Bullet with her cousins and friends in tow, it's important to design a unique entry for the bride keeping in mind it's her big day.
You may co-ordinate with friends, cousins, guests or co-workers to join in, share their ideas to make her feel special.
6. Fun activities
Fun activities are more like ice breakers between guests from both families.
However, while planning activities it's also important to know the bride and groom's interest.
Find out if they like board games, scavenger hunt etc, so you can incorporate similar themes in the pre-wedding festivities.
These interactive activities will help the couple and guests warm up and get to know each other better.
7. Pastels and minimalism
As young couples blend tradition with modern elements, bright colours and themes are being replaced with pastels and muted colours.
Pastels and calm tones add elegance to the wedding décor.
Stunning pastel theme drapes and florals work best for morning events and open venues.
Pastels can work for minimalist themes as well.
8. Play with lamps and chandeliers
Lighting plays a huge role in setting the tone of your mood and event. It also adds a touch of dreamy ambience to your wedding.
Apart from flowers and candles, you may play with modern or antique lamps and chandeliers to create a regal or glam look for your wedding reception.
Antique elements create a stunning statement and compliment the décor as well.
You can use them in your ceiling or seating area where guests will notice it.
It's about how well you can utilise the venue and make it look larger than life with accessible props.
