Team Touchstone recently crossed a milestone by conceptualising an end to end large scale wedding event for a client of ours. The intense learning and experience gained coupled with the exposure received has only humbled us. The journey has been nothing less than a Bollywood fairy tale and we could not help but share this amazing journey and learning with all our well wishers.
Although we are a Bangalore based wedding planning company, we still managed all the events that were to be held outside this city, in Mumbai & Delhi. In the past, we have had opportunities to manage large wedding events, but this one had a string of events for 10 consecutive days. We have worked with some celebrities earlier, but this time we raised the bar very high by involving some really big celebrities. The 10 different themes we worked with this time, had no repetitions with any of the past ones we have showcased. With catering arrangements for more than 3800 guests, we surpassed our previous feat of 1000 guests by a huge margin.
All these challenges did apprehend us initially and kept us on our toes, but the confidence which our client had on us, helped us turn these challenges to opportunities and we finally succeeded in pulling off one of the most memorable and cherished wedding event we or the guests of this event had ever experienced.
Yes, we are proud of ourselves but are also humbled by the compliments and affection we received through these celebrations. Please find below the Event Flow to give you an idea of the wedding celebrations.
| Sl No. | Event | No. of Guests | Theme | Performance By | Description |
| 1 | Maata Ki Chowki | 300+ guests | Red, Yellow & Green | Shri. Ramesh Oberoi | The string of events had to begin with seeking blessings from the Almighty. Shri. Ramesh Oberoi’s performance ensured all our guests voluntarily closed their eyes in deep meditation and seek blessings for the to-be married couple for a wonderful life ahead. The entire Décor here was set with flowers and cloth work in the colours of the theme and the stage had a massive idol of Maataji. |
| 2 | Maamer | 300+ guests | Colours | Gujarati Sagam | Next up was the event hosted by the Bride’s Maternal family. The Décor set up was entirely cloth work in two colours, Pink & Green. The entertainment of the night was by a band which performed Gujarati numbers and made the crowd dance in the ethnic Gujarati style of Garba. |
| 3 | Youngster’s Party | 250+ guests | White & Bling | DJ Chetas | There had to be a night to entertain the young crowd who had specially flown in for the wedding from various national and international locations. With DJ Chetas at the console, an acrylic dance floor and the Décor in White & Gold, it was a sure shot night to remember for them. To add to the glamour, arrangements for a Champagne Glass Pyramid were made to begin the party in style. |
| 4 | Moulin Rouge | 750+ guests | Moulin Rouge & Casino | Ms. Alyssa Mendonsa | This was an event to ensure all guests invited to the wedding celebrations had fun apart from the wedding itself. The entire Décor was set up with Maroon, Gold, Blue & Lights – a typical Moulin Rouge set up. We also had 6 Casino Tables for the guests to gamble their while away with a Live Performance of a Jazz band led by Ms. Alyssa Mendonsa. |
| 5 | Mehndi | 300+ guests | Flowers | Karaoke Band Mehndi by: Mrs. Veena Nagda |
An Indian marriage cannot be complete without the Mehndi ceremony. We had celebrity Mehndi Artist Mrs. Veena Nagda and her crew to customise Mehndi for each of the guests, while the male audience entertained the crowd with their Karaoke Performances. |
| 6 | Sangeet | 1400+ guests | Punjabi | Yo Yo Honey Singh | This was a night to remember for obvious reasons. Choreographed family performances were followed by a complete entertainment package performed by Superstar Yo Yo Honey Singh. The Décor was set up for a Punjabi night with a Photo Corner for all guests too. |
| 7 | Jaimala | 1200+ guests | Rajasthani | Shri. Mame Khan Rituals by: 11 Pundits |
The wedding required a really grand opening. It started with the welcome of the Baarat with Rajasthani Folk Dancers on a Ghodi. The Jaimala stage was built between 4 long Elephant Tuskers. The bride & the groom were followed to this stage by 11 Pundits chanting Vedic mantras. Post the Jaimala we had Shri. Mame Khan perform Rajasthani Folk Galore with his troupe in a Rajasthani Palace setting. To add to the theme, we had Rajasthani Stalls like Name on the Rice, Bangles, Pottery, etc, which kept the guests pleasantly engaged at all times. |
| 8 | Pheras | 650+ guests | Rajasthani | Shri. Vineet Sharma | The main event of the 10 days affair, the Wedding. This was performed on a stage with a huge backdrop set which was a replica of a Palace. With the entire stage draped in Gold & Maroon colour and 11 Pundits performing the rituals, the crowd sat and watched in awe. In the background, we also had acclaimed flute player Shri. Vineet Sharma who had been specially flown down from Indore to mesmerise the crowd. |
| 9 | Reception | 3800+ guests | Crystals | International Acts | The Reception had the who’s who of the Industrial & Political circuit in India as guests and hence required special and flawless arrangements. The Décor was wholly done in crystals and was supplemented by various International Acts like Aerial Act, Pianist, Human Fountain, Violinist, Illusionist, African Tribal Act, etc. The stage was built on a platform with the backdrop of a Crystal Tree in Pink & Purple. The catering here was elaborate with over 150 dishes from all parts of the world being served and a grand Sajjan-Kot for the family at the end. |
| 10 | Reception at Delhi | 450+ guests | Sufi | Kaafila | There had to be another Reception exclusively for the families of the Bureaucrats of India at New Delhi. The Décor was that of a Sufi night with Kaafila playing fusion between Rajasthani & Jazz in the background. |
Apart from the details given above, Touchstone was entrusted with a lot of other requirements. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Invitation Cards
- Welcoming guests and concierge services at the Airport/Railway Station
- Snacks, Dry Fruits, Juices & First Aid Kits in all rooms
- Itinerary in all rooms to keep the guests informed at all times
- Saree Draper & Beautician on-call for guests
- Car Stickers
- Luggage Tags
- Stoles to welcome the Baarat
- Photography & Cinematography
- Emcee for all days
- DJ for all days
- Acoustics & Lighting arrangements
- All day catering for the guests
- Golf Carts during the Reception
- Saafewala
- Band for the Baraat
- Refreshment Stations through which the Baarat would cross
- Vedic book with explanation of the Pheras in Hindi & English distributed during the wedding rituals
- Sajjan-Kots at all days
- Budgeting of the entire event
- Payments to different vendors and venues
- Menu Selection for all days as per the theme
- Security and Valet arrangements
- Gensets
- Ushers/Escorts for all events
- Permits, Licenses and Permissions for all day
As you can imagine, the entire experience in all its grandeur and elaboration was overwhelming to say the least. After having taken meticulous care of each small and big aspect, we were extremely eager for a feedback to understand the client’s level of satisfaction. “God bless you all. Kudos to your team. Wish you a great future.” was a subtle and really humbling testimonial given by the bride’s father which said it all!