By Tanushree Krishna:
Marriages are not just coming together of two individuals and exchange of vows and rings, but the bonding of two souls, two families, their communities, their customs and traditions. Martin Luther once said, “There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.”
Marriage is considered as one of the most important events in an individual’s life, and every couple wants to celebrate it with glitz, glamour and grandeur. Wedding Planner, a roaring profession abroad, is gaining importance in India. With over 4 million marriages happening in India every year and more people willing to spend lavishly on marriages, the need for marriage experts to manage, coordinate and plan the entire event is growing immensely. It has proven to be an untapped industry and is eyed upon by many as a very lucrative business opportunity. Wedding Planning, which was once a family affair, has now become a professional’s job. But the industry doesn’t demand for any particular qualification to become a wedding planner, though a degree in event management would be an added support.
A WEDDING PLANNER:
A wedding planner generally manages a wide spectrum of activities from planning the marriage to arranging for a honeymoon. This includes dealing with people from diverse backgrounds like florists, caterers, staff, interior designers and logistic partners. The planner plays the chief role in budgeting, preparing the guest list, fixing the marriage venue and various such activities. Sometimes items such as clothing, decors, jewellery or flowers might have to be imported from abroad.
Thus, a wedding planner must be a skilled negotiator and an epitome of patience. A wedding planner must be very organized and an expert in time and money management. He should be warm, witty and flexible. The planner represents the bride, groom and their families so he should also be charming and elegant. However, the profession also calls for sheer hard work and sleepless nights since the risk involved is gigantic. One may have to face various challenges and stress arising out of competition and the need for accuracy. The planner is also expected to have knowledge about the latest trends in terms of clothing, themes, colors, music, flowers and food. A thorough knowledge about the traditions and customs of various religions is also required. The planner must be sensitive to the needs of the couple and strive to make marriage the best experience of their life.
The latest trend in the Indian marriage market is the theme- based weddings, such as Regional themes, Beach wedding themes and even Vintage wedding themes, because everyone wants their weddings to be different from the others. That explains the emerging need for creative and innovative wedding planners in the market. Also, believing that wedding planners cater only to the minority elite is a very wrong perception as the growing middle class society is also exorbitantly spending on lavish weddings.
A career in the wedding industry is exciting, interesting and thoroughly rewarding, but if you are planning to have fun you must also be prepared to face the heat. The Indian weddings have always been known for their grandeur and magnificence and hence the wedding planners have arrived to make it the most memorable day for the couple and lend a helping hand to the father of the bride to forget the pre-wedding tensions!