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From crafting personalized weddings to addressing the changing mindsets: Devanshi Patel of Shreem Events tells us how the Indian wedding landscape has changed
Wedding Planning - Jan 30, 2023
The mastermind behind Shreem Events, Devanshi Patel has honed her skills in the dynamic wedding industry for seven years where she had planned unions at several international hotspots, like, Dubai, Cannes etc. During the course of these extremely enriching years, she has as a wedding planner adapted to a pandemic, focussed on personalized experiences and managed several high-profile weddings which includes cricketer Hardik Pandya’s wedding with Nataša Stanković. Having grown leaps and bounds in such a short time, Devanshi and her team now look forward to new challenges which include venturing into wedding consultancy for domestic as well as international couples to help them orchestrate the wedding they’d always dreamed of. Today, she shares her process, her learnings from the pandemic as a planner, and the factors one must keep in mind while planning a wedding!
With 9 years of work experience in the world of events and weddings, your journey must have been an enlightening one. Can you tell us about it?
Yes, absolutely. My journey with events and weddings has been extremely rewarding. I began as an intern for Wizcraft and worked my way up to becoming the founder of my own company. This enabled me to broaden my knowledge and develop skills such as leadership, effective communication with everyone involved in the event, multitasking and so much more. I’ve worked with couples to create beautiful and memorable experiences throughout the globe that they would cherish forever. This has been the most rewarding aspect of my job, and I am grateful to be a part of such special occasions.
What spurred you to take a dive into entrepreneurship and wedding planning?
I knew I wanted to do this for a living and eventually build my own brand from the moment I planned the first wedding. I feel like I have always had a special connection to the emotions and excitement that come with planning weddings. Being an entrepreneur has given me the opportunity to expand my business and reach more clients, giving me the chance to do what I love on a larger scale.
How has the pandemic changed you as an entrepreneur? Are there any learnings you’ve gathered?
The pandemic has presented entrepreneurs with unprecedented challenges, but it has also provided us with the opportunity to learn and grow. Perhaps one of the most important lessons I’ve learnt is the significance of adaptability and flexibility. It has compelled us to think outside the box in order to find new solutions to our problems. I’ve also become more conscious of how my business decisions affect my customers, my team, and the larger community as a whole. Finally, I’ve realized the value of digital marketing and staying connected with customers online.
Shreem Events is well known for its expertise in destination and international weddings. How have the dynamics changed for these weddings during the pandemic?
During the pandemic, the dynamics of destination and international weddings changed dramatically. Many couples were unable to host destination weddings due to travel restrictions. Couples were seeking more local options, such as virtual gatherings, drive-through ceremonies, and small backyard weddings, to commemorate their special day. And as a planner, we had to get more creative in order to make their wedding dreams come true.
Intimate weddings are growing popular amongst couples. What, in your opinion, is the most challenging thing about them?
The most difficult aspect of planning intimate weddings is figuring out how to make the event feel special and personalized while staying within a limited budget. It can be difficult to replicate the atmosphere and luxury associated with larger weddings while keeping costs under control. Furthermore, when planning an intimate wedding, it is critical to consider the various dynamics among the guests, both in terms of relationships and personalities, to ensure that everyone has a good time.
NRI couples who wish to tie the knot in a traditional style, more often than not have difficulties finding a wedding planner who’ll understand their vision perfectly. How can this gap be bridged to make the planning process smoother for them?
Flexibility is the key! NRIs choose India mainly because they want all their family members around on their special day and want a wedding like the people around them had. It’s like returning to one’s roots, to tradition, and to India. I strongly believe that patience, the ability to gauge and balance emotions, and time can make the process smoother. This gap can be successfully bridged if their time and schedules are managed.
Personalization is the key to an unforgettable wedding. What kind of personal touches do you add to make a wedding special?
I am a firm believer that no two weddings are alike, and this is due to the fact that the couples and their guests differ. To make each wedding unique, personal touches are incorporated, such as meaningful traditions from the couple’s own cultural backgrounds into the wedding, serving a custom signature cocktail or a family recipe for the reception, and so on.
Do you have any future plans for your brand?
In the future, my wedding planning brand will continue to focus on providing couples with the very best experience possible. This includes staying up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies in the wedding planning industry. I plan to continue to build on our existing services by introducing new ideas that allow us to provide more personalized experiences for our clients. I also plan to invest in technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics to improve the efficiency and accuracy of our services.
Any advice you’d like to give budding wedding planners?
Wedding planning is an interesting, fast-paced career, but it’s important to be consistent while delivering quality work throughout. I urge budding planners to explore and experiment with new ideas and solutions. While inspiration can be good, working hard towards new ideas and being patient can help you climb the ladder efficiently.
