The third edition of the gala wedding show Shaadi by Marriott Bonvoy was hosted at Ozone Convention Centre on August 7. Dedicated to fashion, beauty and food pertaining to Indian weddings, it demonstrated for those planning to get married and their families the services they can expect in the upcoming wedding months through the hotel’s curated package. The all-day event had workshops conducted by celebrity draper Dolly Jain and celebrity make-up artist Arti Nayar. It was followed by the most-awaited segment of the evening — the fashion show. Celebrities and models walked the ramp in Pallavi Poddar and Ratul Sood outfits, featuring jewellery by Tanishq, thereby creating a complete visual experience. Snapshots:

DESIGNERS SPEAK

“It was an absolute delight to be associated with Shaadi by Marriott Bonvoy. My assemblage embraces hand-embroidered sherwanis, tuxedos and Indo-western outfits blended with contemporary designs suitable for modern-day grooms. With the launch of the state-of-the-art venues at Ozone Convention Centre, I anticipate larger-than-life weddings to be hosted at the venue and look forward to coming back here over the upcoming wedding season,” said Ratul Sood, designer, Burlingtons of Calcutta, who showcased his newly launched menswear wedding collection inspired by various cultural influences and contemporary styles.

“This was the ideal platform to launch my winter bridal couture 2022-23 named as the ‘Saaz Collection’, a combination of delicate embroideries and subtle colours. My label inspires brides for their fairy-tale wedding perfectly complemented by the magnificent venues at Ozone Convention Centre,” said Pallavi Poddar, fashion designer, who showcased her ethnic and fusion lines for the bridal trousseau through four sequences in the show.

ORGANISER SPEAK

“The idea behind hosting Shaadi by Marriott Bonvoy was to present comprehensive wedding solutions under one roof. It is one of the largest wedding shows that the country sees in a year. We made great collaborations this year and created a platform for actual families to come and attend the event and see what we are offering them in terms of venues, cuisines, decor and all the other aligned services. The response has been tremendous and we are getting a lot of leads. The idea was to convert it into a property of value for the hotel and see how we can take Calcutta weddings to the next level. One of the USPs and most important is the variety of cuisines. We have comprehensive wedding solutions in terms of different venues plus our bridal suite. We can accommodate as many as 800 people across both floors,” said Abhishek Sachdev, hotel manager, Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata.

THE SHOW

Nusrat Jahan walked the ramp as a showstopper in the last sequence wearing a Pallavi Poddar red bridal lehnga, featuring a hint of colour drama and intricate embroidery work.

Models walked the ramp wearing Pallavi Poddar and Burlingtons of Calcutta outfits showcasing the bridal trousseau of both men and women through four different sequences, catering to various wedding functions of the big fat Indian wedding. (From left) Richa Sharma, Priyanka Rati Pal and Darshana Banik walked as showstoppers of three sequences.

WORKSHOPS

Two workshops were held at the venue for the visitors, brides-to-be and their families. The make-up workshop was conducted by make-up pro Arti Nayar and the draping workshop was conducted by drape artiste Dolly Jain.

“I am thrilled to be associated with Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata and be a part of this magnum opus event, as it was the choicest platform to demonstrate the latest make-up looks and discuss the innovations and trends of the upcoming wedding season. I look forward to returning here over the coming months to create more memorable looks for the brides of Calcutta,” said Arti Nayar, celebrity make-up artist, who demonstrated classic Bollywood icon looks in her workshop and accentuated the ramp walk looks in contemporary trends of sleek ponytail, glittery eyes and smudged liner looks.

“Through Shaadi by Marriott Bonvoy I was able to spread awareness about the beautiful Indian art of sari draping and the latest trends for the upcoming wedding season. From traditional to contemporary, my sari-draping workshop showcased both these styles for the new-age brides,” said Dolly Jain, celebrity sari draper, who showcased her drape magic on the ramp, too.

THE VENUE

The venue spread across two floors had different areas decked up in different themed-decor for hosting the various functions related to Indian weddings, like Haldi, Mehndi, cocktail party, wedding ceremony and reception. The terrace was decked up in a bohemian theme, the wedding venue had a palatial theme and the other section had a garden theme. “By offering four different experiences, we are providing end-to-end solutions. If someone wants to do three different events in one wedding, we have three different venues. One of the key things that we have propositioned to our customers is that different themes can be incorporated in a single day, across floors,” said Abhishek.

ON THE MENU

Food is a big part of any wedding function and deciding the menu can be challenging. The menu at the event featured nine different cuisines, giving an idea to the guests and visitors of the different kinds of food and drink they can expect to curate for their guests at wedding. Items included Roasted Chicken Salad, Soya Taco, Sushi, Tandoori Chicken, Tomato Gazpacho, Chocolate Fudge.

Pictures: Pabitra Das and Fairfield