‘Better Together’ sounds like an interesting theme. What did you have in mind?
Every year when we meet to start planning the event we discuss the narrative and the theme we should work around. It just adds structure and flow to our storytelling I feel. This year, while discussing Wedding Diaries, we were weighing upon different aspects of weddings and the string that strung us all was ‘being together’. This celebration of being together is what makes weddings special. So we thought why not celebrate what is better together?
What would you say is the highlight of this year?
I will have to say that there are multiple highlights this year. It depends from where you want to see and how you want to experience it. Let’s begin with the idea behind the look and feel of the show. We drew inspiration from architectural forms of traditional arches and minarets and gave them a modern twist, making them relatable for a contemporary audience. Curation is certainly a highlight. We have new names that are coming to Wedding Diaries for the first time, in fact, names that are showcasing in Calcutta for the first time.
What can you tell us about the lineup this year?
We certainly have fresh names in the lineup this year. Among jewellers, Falguni Mehta is coming for the first time. In fashion, of course, there is a brilliant lineup that can cater to a very diverse palette of preferences this year. There is Seema Gujral, Faabiiana, Not So Serious by Pallavi Mohan, Arjan and Simar Dugal, Raji Ramniq, Punit Balana, Nachiket Barve, Fizzy Goblet and many more wonderful brands.
We have a fantastic gifting and service element as well which covers silverware to art, candles, fragrance and more. I am so happy that Izzhaar gifting is showcasing with us this year.
Sheesh Mahal, our Dressing Room this year, will host a very talented young stylist from Delhi, Ayesha Amin Nigam, who will be available to consult with you to address all your styling queries. Dr Ishad Aggarwal will be at Wedding Diaries to address all the skin needs; Simply Nam is coming back with their products and also bringing on board their make-up consultant. The drape magician, Dolly Jain, will be with us once again to make sure everyone has a little ‘diva’ wand for themselves!
We will once again have with us our favourite tarot healer, Reshma Jain, from Mumbai on Sunday, August 27, and for the first time, we are hosting a wonderful match-making consultant, Gia Sharan, on Saturday, August 26, at Wedding Diaries.
Coming back to the theme, what are the things you think are ‘better together’?
One can think back to so many things that feel incomplete without the other, they are so much better when they are together:
Mehndi and the bride are better together; Sangeet and dancing are better together, baraat and dhol are better together; and of course, family around the pheras is so special together!
You have a wedding in your house this year. Do you think curating Wedding Diaries over the years has given you a window into newer names that has helped you in curating the wedding?
You know, I never thought of it this when we conceived Wedding Diaries back in 2018. Back then I wished to fill the gap that we felt existed in this space. Over the years though I have learned several new things, met different kinds of people and through them discovered the layered facets that go into making an Indian wedding. Talking to youngsters who are newly married or planning to get married has shown me such a new take on traditional ideas and I love how we keep evolving and growing in the process.
When it comes to wedding shopping in 2023, borrowing from your personal experience, what do you think is the most important part?
As you all know by now, I am not a big shopper. So for me what is more meaningful is to be able to pass the blessings of the previous generation on to the next through the treasure of heirlooms that I have preserved over these years and women in our family have done before me. This for me is very special — it feels like the warm embrace of the blessings of elders.
What kind of changes have you seen in how people shop for weddings, at Wedding Diaries?
Well, what I have noticed with youngsters these days is that they are very practical about what they buy for their wedding. They want to invest in pieces that are more usable, more wearable and not just something that will sit in the closet after one wear. So versatile pieces of luxury will always have an edge when brides and grooms look to compile their trousseau.
Ever since it was conceived, what has become the USP of the event?
I think we have always tried to think beyond retail, to give the city an experience which one might find handy while planning their own functions. We have tried to pay attention to the gaps that one can encounter while planning weddings and realised how big a part these event services have become. And, this is not just the conventional make-up and hair that I’m referring to. Today there is styling, fitness, nutrition and skin... so many aspects to address.
Also, I think the fashion showcase in Wedding Diaries is different and special in its own way. The way we do it is compact and much like the idea behind our curation, we stage the ramp close to the audience, to keep the grandness of it approachable and relatable.
What should a wedding wish list look like?
A wedding wish list to my mind needs to cover the bridal trousseau, which goes beyond the heavy lehngas, the cocktail saris and all the occasion wear. It is the bride’s gear for all seasons, various functions and different kinds of occasions. As a bride prepares herself to begin a new journey, in a new home, she dons several roles and carries with these roles the share of new responsibilities. The trousseau for a bride should be such that it equips her to fit into these different roles with ease.
Pick one celebrity pair that you think would be ‘better together’.
Allow me to rephrase this question... no celebrity... but let me say Parthiv and Mallika, my son and to-be daughter-in-law, are better together!