Introduction to SOUTH ASIAN...
Transcript of Introduction to SOUTH ASIAN...
Introduction to SOUTH ASIAN Weddings
EMDI WEDDING BATCH 2018 - 2019WEDDING CULTURES & RITUALS – SOUTH ASIAN WEDDINGS
▪10 years of local & International experience.
▪Centrally located Head Office - United Arab Emirates.
▪Over 120 successfully executed weddings across the globe.
▪Experienced and dedicated teams for all aspects of the wedding.
▪Executed weddings across all budgets – USD 25K to USD 6M.
▪We manage limited weddings per year.
▪Endorsed by 16 Tourism Boards across the globe.
Vivaah - The Ultimate Wedding Experience!
Menu Planning &
Tasting
Themes, Concepts
& DecorationVenue Selection Designer
Invitations
Guest
Accommodation
Travel & TransportPhotography –
Video & StillLight & Sound
Production
Bridal Care Baraat & Doli
Wedding Portal Live Streaming Entertainment
Solutions
Sangeet Skit &
Show Direction
Bachelorette
Party
Bachelor Party
Priests Gifts & Favours Fireworks &
Pyrotechnics
Honeymoon
Planning
Artist
Management
Destination
Management
VIP
Management
Vendor
Coordination
INTRODUCTION TO SOUTH ASIAN WEDDINGS_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FACTS & FIGURESWHY HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER
Wedding Cultures & TraditionsCelebrations & Rituals
Cuisine Specifics
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DECISION MAKINGTIMELINES AND PROGRESS
FAMILY LOYALTYEXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Facts and figures
the ever-growing statistics
SOUTH ASIAN weddings – facts and figures
SOUTH ASIAN weddings – facts and figures
✓ Weddings are known to be the high expense events in one’s life
considering the celebrations revolving around it.
✓ Weddings are recession proof: Downturn or not, weddings are
always heavily spent on.
✓ Average attendance of a single event at a South Asian Wedding is
250 – 300 pax.
✓ Weddings celebrations and events speak volumes about ones status
within the community.
✓ Weddings are a part of a $50 billion industry.
✓ Top families have known to compete with each other for the
grandest of celebrations.
✓ International destinations, acts and entertainment are now much in
demand at South Asian Weddings.
WHY HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER?
Failing to plan ….. is planning to Fail
WHAT CAN A WEDDING PLANNER DO FOR YOU
✓ Initial Consultation
✓ Narrow down the search relevant to your preferences and budgets
✓ Negotiate contracts on behalf of the family
✓ Prepare and maintain Budget Sheets or an Expense Sheets
✓ Wedding Invites
✓ Guest Hospitality & Accommodation
✓ Décor and Entertainment Concepts
✓ Photography / Videography solutions
✓ Travel & Logistics
✓ Artist Management
✓ Advice on cost effective options as well as assist with procedures
✓ Liaise with multiple vendors and ensure efficiently as well as timely execution.
ADVANTAGES OF HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER
✓ Understands your needs and requirements and clarifies any doubts the couple or
their families may have
✓ Budgets your wedding on the basis of past experience
✓ Keeps your expenses in check by negotiating on your behalf and providing best
value for money stemming out of experience
✓ Ahead of trends in the event and wedding industry
✓ Suggests best providers in each class – Invites / Entertainment / Décor / Beauty
and Hair / Photo + Video etc.
✓ Relieves the family of their burden and stress so they can enjoy the festivities
and celebrations
✓ Contingency plans in case of Emergency
✓ Ensuring what has been agreed upon gets delivered in a timely manner
✓ A team of professionals managing your event
✓ Comfort level between the planners and the venue
WHO IS YOUR IDEAL WEDDING PLANNER
✓ Not just passionate; but professional too
✓ Past Experience in the destination city of your wedding
✓ Track record and testimonials
✓ Ideally recommended by someone who has hired them previously
✓ Preferably a Brand – a lot at stake
✓ Should have registered address and contact details
✓ Endorsements / Advertisements / Marketing
✓ The preferred venue should have had pleasant past experiences working with
the planner
✓ More proactive than reactive
✓ You’ll know if this is the wedding planner for you at the first consultation itself
Wedding Cultures & Traditions
TYPES OF SOUTH ASIAN WEDDINGS
DEMOGRAPHICS
Pakistani Weddings
Indian Weddings
Nepal Weddings
Bangladesh Weddings
Sri-Lankan Weddings
SOUTH ASIAN REGION
TYPE OF WEDDINGS
Muslim Weddings
Christian Weddings
Hindu Weddings
Sikh Weddings
Jain Weddings
Celebrations & Rituals
MULTIPLE EVENTS ACROSS A FEW DAYS
Mehendi / Henna Celebrations
Mehndi, the Henna ceremony, typically takes place one or two days prior to
the main wedding day. The event was traditionally held separately for the
bride and the groom. Lately, families have been hosting it as a mixed event.
The henna is symbolically placed on the bride's hands. The groom's friends
and family bring along sweets and henna for the bride, and the bride's
family does the same for the groom. Female guests are also applied henna
courtesy of the bride’s family.
Welcome Lunch / Dinner
As a growing trend, families these days are hosting a pre-event celebration
in the form of a Welcome Lunch or Welcome Dinner. This is ideally put in
place should a few guests be arriving at the destination before the actual
celebrations begin. Although this may not be a published event on the
invite, the welcome event has gained popularity and has grown bigger over
time. This is where guests break the ice and get comfortable with each
other. No rituals actually take place at this event.
Sangeet Evening
Sangeet, meaning “music”, was traditionally a function where the women
in the family gather around the bride and sing traditional wedding songs.
Today, it has evolved to a evening of dancing and perhaps the event that is
most looked forward to. Friends and family, practice tirelessly to perfect
their dance moves for this big night. The theme of Sangeet ceremonies
today revolves around the bride and groom – their love life, how they fell
in love, how they met, and so on. International Artists, DJs and
Entertainment Acts are hired by families for their event to stand out.
Puja / Pithi / Haldi Ceremonies
Both sides of the family, the Bride and Groom, have their individual prayer
ceremonies before any festivities or celebrations begin. This marks the
auspicious beginning to the events that follow over multiple days. Usually
not a very large event, the prayer ceremonies are held in the mornings. The
Pithi or Haldi ceremony is the applying of turmeric and sandalwood pasteto the Bride and Groom. This is done for cleansing and beautifying the skinfor that extra glow and radiance for the upcoming events.
Wedding Pheras
Once the groom is received at the Altar, the Bride walks in with her
brothers and sisters to make her way to the Altar. The priest lights the
sacred fire which commences the wedding ceremony. Offerings are made
into the sacred fire as a form of thanksgiving and purification. The grooms
waist band and brides dupatta are tied in a knot and they circle the sacred
fire seven times (pheras) and make the seven vows to each other. At the end
of the pheras, the bride and groom are announced as a married couple.
Baraat
This is when the groom proceeds towards the wedding venue. The groom
along with this entourage of family and friends rejoice and celebrate with
loud drums and dances as they make their way to the wedding altar also
called the ‘Mandap’. Typically, the groom sits on a white horse which is
also richly decorated and he is armed with a sword- a Rajput Often it can
take an hour for the Baraat to move just a few hundred meters. At the other
end, the Bride’s parents along with other family and friends await the
arrival of the groom at the Mandap.
Farewell Brunch
The Farewell Brunch is hosted by the family as a thank-you gesture for the
guests who have attended the wedding over the last few days. This is the
day when guests would check-out of the hotel / venue and may have their
flights scheduled at different times of the day. Hence, the concept of
hosting a brunch sits in well so that the guests can be attended to over a
longer time duration by the family of the bride and groom. The families bid
farewell and share great memories of the celebrations. More often, there is
a farewell gift given to each family also known as the Thank-You Favour.
Reception Evening
Just like all other cultures, after all the customs and rituals are over, its time
to party and celebrate. This marks the first public appearance of the couple
as the newly wed in front of friends and family. In this way the groom’s
side welcomes the new bride open heartedly. The venue is lavishly
decorated and a grand feast is organized for the guests. The guests greet
and congratulate the newly wed. Usually a black-tie event, the evening sees
a host of entertainment shows, speeches by family and friends as well as a
DJ that spins way into the early hours of the next day.
Walima
Walima is the final day of the wedding held by the couple as they host their
first dinner as husband and wife. This is traditionally organised by the
groom and his family. The groom's family, specifically his parents, invite
all of the bride's family and their guests to their home for a feast. More
commonly nowadays, this is held in a marriage hall or hotel banquet spaces
instead. The Walima is typically the most festive event of the wedding
ceremony and intends to publicize the marriage.
Nikaah
Nikaah is an Islamic official wedding ceremony. A marriage contract is
signed by both the bride and the groom in presence of their parents and
close relatives. Wedding is illegal without a Nikaah. The Nikaah is
performed by a religious person who has the license issued by the
government to perform this ritual. The Nikaah could be followed by a Lunch or
Dinner for the guests. This event traditionally has seen the men and women
assemble in different venue spaces but lately this has been seen changing into a
mixed event.
CUISINE SPECIFICS
A DIVERSE RANGE OF TASTE & PREFERENCES
above information is based on higher averages of requests and may vary based on family preferences
MEAT ALCOHOL NOTES
MUSLIM WEDDINGS ✓ r No Pork Items
HINDU WEDDINGS ✓ ✓ No Beef Items
PUNJABI WEDDINGS ✓ ✓ No Beef Items
JAIN WEDDINGS r rNo Root Vegetables, May ask for a separate cooking and serving area
CHRISTIAN WEDDINGS ✓ ✓ Usually a Family Style – Sit Down Dinner
CUISINE POINTERS
DECISION MAKING
Making that final selection
✓ Usually take the forefront in wedding preparations.
✓ Expect to be kept informed about progress on wedding preparations.
✓ Avid interest in the budget and expenses of the wedding celebrations.
✓ High emphasis on enhancing guests’ experience.
✓ Highly influenced by elders and senior family members.
✓ Frequent meetings between both families to check progress and manage
each others’ expectations
✓ High emphasis on food and beverage selection
✓ Retaining customs and traditions
✓ Pressure on wedding venue and wedding planners
Role of family members in South Asian Weddings
TIMELINES & PROGRESS
PRE-DEFINE THE PROCESS
✓ Spend time with the family during walkthrough and venue visits.
✓ Ask whether considering other options for venues or wedding planners.
✓ Host the family for a lunch or dinner if possible.
✓ Get the family met with the Chef or the General Manager of the property.
✓ Send an acknowledgment e-mail or Minutes of Meeting.
✓ Schedule a call a for a follow-up
✓ Don’t be assertive and aggressive.
TIMELINES & PROGRESS
BEFORE CONTRACT SIGNING
FAMILY LOYALTY
REPEAT BUSINESS IS THE BEST REFERRAL
✓ Ensure the best for the client and their guest during the celebrations.
✓ Write a Thank-You note to the client after the celebrations are over.
✓ Remember to greet the client on their anniversary or send a gift.
✓ Keep the clients in mind for future event invitations/weddings fairs.
✓ Seek permission from client to use images for promotional purposes.
✓ Make the client feel special.
✓ Stay connected with the family even after the events are over.
✓ Be present at their celebrations personally if possible.
FAMILY LOYALTY
REPEAT BUSINESS IS THE BEST REFERRAL
Expect the unexpected
it’s not over till it’s over
Expect the unexpected
Interesting Fact! Event Co-Ordinator’s job is the 5th most stressful in the
world. Below are some of the stressful instances during a wedding:
✓ Last moment additions in Artists & Entertainers.
✓ Additional power supply and other Technical aspects.
✓ Rooms hampers to be delivered to every room.
✓ Delay in sending layouts and Technical drawings.
✓ Change in Food & Beverage menus.
✓ Change in guest numbers and room requirements.
✓ Materials and ingredients for some religious ceremonies.
✓ Special dietary restrictions on Food and Beverage.
✓ Requests for special catering from external vendors.
✓ Delays in Flow of Events.
✓ Delays in Rooming Lists and Arrival Lists.
Expect the unexpected
Thank You !!
Any Questions?
Be a part of someone’s Wedding Story
That’s all you may ever need- Martha Stewart