A WEDDING IS AN
EVENT…A MARRIAGE IS A LIFETIME! #SHISAIDKASH
Posted
on June 17, 2019 by changingoutlooks under Weddings & Families
The friendship that started almost
five years ago, went through romance/no romance, should we/should we not and
finally they tied the proverbial knot last month. It was a dream come true for
both of them and for both sets of parents, once we got to know each other.
For
any mother, planning & implementing everything single handed can give her
sleepless nights. Initially, I went through the same. The biggest question in
my head was – Will I be able to manage? From funds to shopping, to catering to decor to managing the groom’s side of the family and
our family too. I am not going to say friends and family here, for everyone who
was part of the wedding was family for us. Thank God for two daughters
who took to planning in a big way and making checklists, drawing up vendor
names, talking to various people to get information, making trips to Chickpet, Commercial Street, Jayanagar (for the uninitiated,
these are markets in Bangalore) to gather more information. There were times I
felt I had two mothers and mothers in law simultaneously at home! On a serious
note, without Urvashi’s organised thinking and Urmila’s practical approach to
making things happen, I would not have been able to give Urvashi the wedding
she wanted. I will take this opportunity to thank both my girls wholeheartedly.
For all those planning weddings in
their families, here is one input from me – allow the youngsters to be
involved. They will come out with flying colours when they know someone trusts
them with such a huge responsibility. Very often, the more experienced family
members (I am not saying old) tend to get a little impatient with the younger
lot and have a classic reaction, “You don’t know about these rituals,
preparation etc…we grown ups will handle it.” My point is if the youngsters
aren’t given the responsibility, how will they learn? Allow them to make a
mistake or two…those can be corrected. After all, the experienced of the senior
family members comes in handy…to forewarn the youngsters of the pitfalls.
Month of February started with the
basics like – wedding planner or no, how do we co-ordinate with the numerous
vendors, what kind of a venue, indoors/outdoors, and the works. The one thing
that we decided was to have a wedding planner who will work with us to deliver
everything on the two most important days. Urvashi & Urmila asked me to
download an app called WedMeGood (www.wedmegood.com). This was Godsend as it
helped me to understand what the girls and Akash were looking for during the
wedding itself. Ideas were shared, lists drawn up and references sought on the
app. And we shortlisted a few wedding planners, caterers and wrote down names
of all possible wedding venues in Bangalore.
Venue
Hunting
Lohith conducted us around in the
most detailed manner and I kept praying that my budget allowed me to host the
wedding in this haven. The icing on the cake was when we saw the accommodation.
Urvashi, Urmila & I just looked at each other with a silent agreement
showing in our eyes. Subsequently, over a cup of tea with Mr Mishra, I
discussed the modalities and he said to me something which I will not forget
ever in my life, “Uma ji, you are conducting your first daughter’s wedding. If
you decide on Miraya, it means that we are the ladakiwalas (from the bride’s
side). We will ensure you get all the support from us and Urvashi will have the
wedding of her dreams here.” Thank you Deepak ji. That put my mind at ease and
we agreed to host the wedding in Miraya.
There are numerous aspects that make
a venue hugely successful & popular. Miraya has all those aspects.
Wonderful hospitality, beautifully maintained rooms, gardens & lawns,
waterfall & swimming pool and the best of all in a city like Bangalore –
ample parking space for 800 + vehicles! I would definitely rate them at the top
in wedding venues of Bangalore.
Avenues
Wedding Hospitality Services
For any event to be successful, you
must have a team that will make it possible. Earlier generations had family
members who could take time off and come to help and contribute towards wedding
preparations. Today, we do not have that luxury. So, in steps the wedding
planner, who becomes part of your family so much that you end up wondering how
did I think of surviving without these guys? Nazia & Yassir of Avenues
Hospitality Services became those family members for us who understood us from
the word go.
How did we discover them? Again
WedMeGood came to our rescue. We had met a few wedding planners before but just
did not get the vibes with anyone. When we met Nazia & Yassir there was no
looking back. Their understanding of what we wanted, their concern about our
budget, suggestions and alternate ideas to fit in our budget and just
unconditional & empathetic support whenever we raised a concern, all these
endeared them to us. Their level of efficiency to handle changes, requests and
last minute developments is tremendous & very very professional. Not once
did I hear them crib or complain or stop smiling. I am sure they must have gone
through enough heart burn in the back end. However, as true family members and
thorough professionals, they ensured Urvashi & Akash had the wedding of
their dreams! Thank you once again Nazia & Yassir and kudos to your team!
The
Creative Kitchen
Vishal’s efficiency &
professionalism came to the fore on the day of the wedding. We had great
weather during the day and exactly when Urvashi & Akash exchanged the
Jaimala, the heavens opened up and it poured! Never had I experienced rains
like that in Bangalore for a long time. We got busy getting things reorganised
in the mandap and the staff at Miraya Greens brought out umbrellas to cater to
all the guests who were there…that itself was a miracle! Miraya did wonders to
get everyone under a roof. Vishal added to that miracle by shifting the entire
catering indoors within 15 minutes and some 300 plus people were comfortably
floating around continuing their snacks & dinner. Vishal & Shweta, you
guys were brilliant in handling everything and not once did I worry about the
how, what & when of the food being served. Thank you once again!
The
Family
Ever since the wedding, numerous
people have been calling and sharing with me how much they enjoyed attending
the ceremonies. One common thread in all those conversations is this – “Uma,
hats off to your family for taking care of all of us. The way everyone was
involved in all the things, young & old looking after us, ever smiling and
warm…loved every bit of it.”
