- Ditching the norm and embracing the new
By Ravini Perera
A country’s culture and traditions play an important role in how marriages are planned and celebrated. While many couples adhere to the norms of their country or heritage, some others dare to be different. Weddings in Sri Lanka have gradually begun to change – the wedding dress, the cake, entertainment, venues, and the agenda of the wedding are a few items that have been subject to modifications.
Charm De Silva, a renowned wedding planner and event stylist in Sri Lanka, shared her thoughts on these new trends and what it takes to be a frontrunner in the wedding industry. Spearheading a team of professional wedding and event planners at “Magical Moments” since 2013, Charm and her team have been recognised for their extravagance and professionalism in executing exceptional events in Sri Lanka. “I quit a secure job almost a decade ago to follow my dreams. My passion for planning, styling events, creativity, and hard work have led me this far. Hence, Magical Moments, that started from scratch, has reached unbelievable heights. We are currently one of the leading wedding planners in Sri Lanka, and I am truly grateful for all that I have been blessed with,” she said.
The painstaking planning process
Planners shoulder the responsibility of organising an event in its entirety, and planning a wedding is never an easy task. One must possess extraordinary organisational skills and creativity to undertake such a challenge. With the rising numbers of planners and suppliers in the wedding industry, one of Sri Lanka’s largest and fastest growing industries, building a brand and keeping that brand alive is extremely difficult.
“It is a challenge to survive in this industry, especially with wedding and event planners mushrooming all over. Identifying the target market is a key step towards success and survival. Moreover, hard work, consistency of quality, creativity, professionalism, and delivering to the requirements of the clients are some other crucial factors that need to be satisfied. This is not a one-time thing. You need to execute a top-notch service each time and always prioritise customer satisfaction,” added De Silva.
The budget is another critical element to be considered when planning a wedding. Thus, occasionally, planners are faced with the daunting task of tackling tight budgets. De Silva always encourages her clients to be realistic with their budgets and to be aware of their spending limits prior to finalising their plans and themes for the ceremony. She said: “Once you have a clear plan and vision of what you want, set a realistic budget. Thereafter, identify, prioritise, and break down the budget accordingly. Be it food, decorations, or even the guest list, work as per this set budget. One cannot expect a five-star product at a two-star price range. Even for planners to deliver extraordinary services, the bridal couple needs to be understanding and flexible with their budget. Nonetheless, we are always happy to advise, guide, and steer the couple in the right direction, even while working within a tight budget.”
The new trends
Sri Lankan weddings are elaborate and extravagant affairs, unlike those in the Western world. However, in the recent past, Charm shared that more and more Sri Lankan weddings are being celebrated in subtle ways. The pandemic and the restrictions it has brought about is thought to have had a significant impact in how we as Sri Lankans celebrate our weddings.
For instance, people have been extremely creative with selecting venues for wedding receptions, during the past wedding seasons. Bridal parties were seen moving away from the customary indoor wedding receptions to outdoor locations. Garden parties overlooking the ocean, ceremonies at sunset, pool bars, and dinner under the starlit skies are undoubtedly the perfect complements to a celebratory day. “People also select unconventional locations such as restaurants to host their wedding receptions. This is also a new trend we are accommodating at present,” added De Silva.
In addition to the new venue options, couples are seen opting for small and intimate weddings, a marked shift from the traditional Sri Lankan wedding that can easily see a crowd of over 350 people. “The pandemic was one factor that paved the way for smaller weddings to be held. Adhering to health and safety guidelines and Government restrictions were one of our top priorities,” Charm said, noting that smaller weddings don’t require any less work from a planner. Smaller weddings compel planners to be extremely creative. Guest invitations, seating arrangements, decorations, locations, and much more need to be carefully curated to suit the theme of the ceremony. Thus, given the lesser number of guests that are entertained at intimate weddings, greater emphasis needs to be placed on food, music, and other activities planned and offered at the gathering.
An event stylist is the ideal option for anyone hosting a small wedding and looking for professional expertise to put together the general theme of the wedding. Stylists focus on the visual aspect of the ceremony, and Charm, with her years of experience and her refined sense of taste, is one such individual who can function as both a wedding planner and an event stylist. Unlike planners, stylists merely help plan the theme and style of the occasion. “Not every planner is an event stylist,” Charm added, explaining that a stylist’s skill is more to do with the visual appearance of the wedding and the planner’s expertise is making a stylist’s (or the couple’s) vision come to life.
Destination weddings are another specialty of Magical Moments, and a trend that is likely to see big growth in 2022. Destination weddings are weddings that take place either away from the city or the country of origin of the bridal couple. Although these wedding ceremonies and concepts have been around for years, people are seen opting for them more often at present. One possibility for this trend becoming more popular is that with the last two years being so heavily restricted in terms of travel, people are looking to make powerful travel memories, and nothing is more powerful than holding your wedding in a travel destination you’ve always wanted to visit. For those couples looking to get married in different cities, the smaller size of weddings combined with how weddings have become stronger conceptually means that more couples are looking to get married in venues and surroundings that suit them as a couple, and sometimes a different city in the country suits their needs better.
On foriegn couples choosing Sri Lanka as a venue for their destination weddings, Charm explained that Sri Lanka’s appeal is unique because, “the experience of arranging a destination wedding is completely different. It requires much more planning and coordinating. It is somewhat similar to that of a weekend getaway. For foreign couples who choose to have a destination wedding, it is not only a wedding ceremony that they will be expecting. It is an opportunity to experience our country and culture as well. Therefore, everything must be executed to perfection.”
Destination weddings do comprise of additional features such as welcome parties, brunches, tours to explore the country, and above all else, a relaxing experience for the family and friends of the couple who live here and abroad. Therefore, it has been the go-to choice of certain bridal parties able to afford the full package.
The wedding forecast for 2022
The Covid-19 pandemic has been challenging for many industries, and the wedding industry is no exception. With many wedding ceremonies and events being cancelled, rescheduled, and postponed indefinitely, all stakeholders have been devastated. “Everything was put on hold owing to the pandemic. For nearly two years, people and planners have been waiting and out of work. However, things are slowly picking up and normalising, which is very exciting,” said Charm.
Cancellations and postponements were not the only issues those engaged in the wedding industry had to overcome. Unavailability of supplies such as flowers, fabrics, and other resources due to the closure of the country and delayed shipments were also a challenge.
“The entire industry was struggling. Florists, planners, hotels, and many others. With the country reopening, travel restrictions being lifted, and the health guidelines relaxed, we are expecting the industry to prosper again,” Charm said, adding: “With many weddings being rescheduled, we have had shorter time frames, sometimes days, to plan everything. In such instances, our creativity, quick thinking, and efficiency is what helped us achieve the impossible.”
Many companies and suppliers of wedding necessities have been on the verge of closing down and even selling their equipment. Most workers who had lost their jobs during the pandemic have either moved on to other occupations or started their own businesses. As a result, many companies are currently short-staffed and struggling to keep up with the sudden inflow of work.
With everyone adjusting to the new normal and the authorities allowing wedding ceremonies and other gatherings to take place, even hotels have been booked out. According to Charm: “Hotels are accommodating numerous weddings daily to keep up with the demand. Hence, reception halls have been booked for multiple weddings on most days. This has been another obstacle for us, as it gives us only a few hours to set up.”
Commenting on the upcoming year and the wedding industry, she said: “Our calendars have begun to fill up. Things are looking good thus far, and we hope it will remain that way. We look forward to the New Year with hope and positive attitudes.”
She went on to emphasise that: “If the country remains open with no travel restrictions or other limitations on hosting events, we will do great.”
Nonetheless, it is in our hands to be safe and take necessary precautions against the pandemic and the new variants that have been detected in certain regions in and around Sri Lanka. This is the only means by which another lockdown and a potential collapse of this industry and all other sectors can be prevented.
Facebook – @mmeventplanners
Instagram – @magicalmomentssrilanka
