CHENNAI: As the wedding season kicks in, brides and grooms-to-be have the Herculean task of deciding on everything from the flowers to the outfits, but there’s something a tad more important — everything has to be in line with the trend. City Express explores the current trends at the Royal Wedding Expo 2016, held recently at ITC Grand Chola.
Floral backdrops, shimmering lehengas, vibrant decors, one-of-a-kind invites, photographs that preserve memories forever, vintage instrumental music and mouth-watering food! We find everything from the A to Z of marriage at the venue. But, what makes a wedding stand out?
Pradhyumna T Venkat, founder, Marriage Colours, explains, “The concept of wedding planning has taken a huge leap from the time we started. The decision has moved from the parents to the bride and groom — predominantly the bride (he chuckles). Everyone wants their wedding to stand out and wants to interact with vendors,” he shares.
Wedding planners, who stitch together the whole thing, share that it is the need of the hour. “While relatives, friends and families are always welcome to give suggestions and advice, it might not always be the best,” says Pradhyumna. “When it’s about trends, let the experts talk!”
Talking about the trend that’s topping the charts, he says beach and destination weddings rule the roost. A significant trend that has been catching up in the last six months, Pradhyumna says, is one in three three couples opt for destination weddings. “People who aren’t able to plan a destination wedding do smaller functions like mehendi, sangeeth and cocktail parties at the beach,” he informs.
Themed decors continue to stay on the scene and experimentation in terms of colours is the new fad. “Earlier, it was a bird theme or a basic flower theme. Now, we are seeing that evolve,” he explains.
And here’s the thing every couple is excited about (apart from getting hitched, of course!) — the photo shoot. “Couple shoots in exotic locations have also gained momentum. Thanks to social media,” he adds.
And who can explain this better than an expert in wedding photography? We catch up with Joseph Radhik, one of India’s most sought-after wedding photographers.
“Wedding photography has made pseudo celebrities out of brides and grooms. It is a way of capturing special moments in a place they both love. From the bride’s point of view, the destination, her makeup, and clothes are very important. Only then comes the groom’s position in the frame,” quips Joseph.
Receiving 1,200 to 1,500 queries every year, he shares that in STORIES (a photography team lead by Joseph) they do 30 to 40 weddings every year.
“People want their moments to be captured in a special way. But, I feel that we are hitting the saturation point, as the amount of sharing is surpassing our experience,” he opines. “This was the trend in Western countries…but, now they have moved to the old-school style of simple pictures. That’s where we are slowly heading to — photographs that were taken at our parents’ wedding. Celebration, love and emotions and less gimmicks,” he shares.
With food getting a refreshing change and people getting experimental, a quick chat with caterers shows that couples and the family opt for more global cuisine. “We get orders where the family wants food from every cuisine and a new request is the revival of traditional south Indian food. Dishes that were cooked 50 years back are getting a new makeover and being served in modern plates,” says a caterer.
What about clothing? Sahib Bindra of Pakistan Fashion Design Council says, “Chennai has a good number of clothing stores. But, there are some designs that aren’t available here. We have colours that are played down, but designs that are unique,” he explains. “People have even registered to visit us in Delhi to purchase their wedding clothes during the expo.”
Pradhyumna concurs that this is a trend. “Nine out of ten brides get their lehenga outside the city. Earlier, it was just picking up whatever was available and whatever fit you. Now there are options, and brides and grooms want their clothes to be one-of-a-kind. Customisation rules!” he smiles.
Get a ‘Memory Maker’
As weddings are a big part of our lives, families have constantly been hiring emcees exclusively for weddings. Meet Christy, who has emceed for over 350 weddings. “I understand the family, the bride and the groom so that memories are made. I like to call myself a memory maker,” she explains.
Long-lasting makeup
Bridal makeup expert Ibrahim says long-lasting makeup and strobing technique are in. “They want it to stay for long and have a glow. They ask for a ‘Nayantara glow’, ” he explains. Anything that adds on to their natural features is most preferred. Everyone wants to be natural,” he smiles.
Stay Fit AS A Couple
For men out there who push their women to work out and vice-versa (before and after marriage), Zumba expert Sucheta Pal has some advice. “Brides and grooms post-marriage just let it go. Hitting the gym or taking Zumba classes as a couple can boost their relationship,” she explains.
Laser & Box invites
Mini-laser cards for mehendi and sangeeth, box invitations, and profession-specific ones are in vogue. “A couple, both architects, wanted their face cutouts on a palace background. Timber merchants wanted an invite made of wood, so we have used thin wood boards,” says Padmini, Shub Cards.
