Tis the season of weddings. And, while virtual weddings have been a thing for the past few months, virtual wedding fairs are slowly gaining momentum. These fairs make wedding planning easier as it can be done right from the comfort of your living rooms. Recently, one such fair, The World of Weddings (TWOW), saw participation of ace fashion designers like Masaba Gupta, Archana Kochhar, Nivedita Sabboo and jewellery labels like Notandas Jewellers.
Giving us an opportunity to communicate one on one with prestigious industry mavens including wedding planners, tourism boards, hotels, decorators, photographers, choreographers, fashion designers, and food and beverage experts among many others.
But, come to think of it, how feasible are such virtual fairs? Will people really go digital with their wedding planning given the importance of ‘touch and feel’ in the world? Clearing our clouds of doubts, Manoj Gopalani and Neha Seth Arora, co-curators of The World of Weddings, say, “The love affair with Indians and big fat weddings will always continue, however, given the current unprecedented situation, a significant number of people are adapting the digital route. While virtual weddings and Zoom nuptials were the norm given social distancing guidelines in the recent past, we are currently seeing the trend translate into intimate weddings. A concept not novel, but seeing a resurgence till such time we bid adieu to the pandemic.”
The benefits
Being a one-stop-shop, it comes with the biggest advantage of being able to plan a wedding end-to-end from anywhere with the convenience of your computer or smartphone. You save on time, money and effort while digitally planning your big day. With accelerating change in technology, wedding planners and suppliers have adopted a digital model of connecting with potential brides and grooms via video calling, in-depth telephonic chats or email. “With ‘The World of Weddings’, our aim is to revolutionise the planning experience, bringing the right vendors and suppliers all under one roof. Interact and book appointments with industry veterans, choose your trousseau, attend workshops and masterclasses by experts, all of this and more at your fingertips. While elaborate weddings may maybe an eventuality, we believe that the virtual game with planning will continue to stay on course in the future,” explain Manoj and Neha.
Marriages are made in heaven, but a lavish and unforgettable wedding celebration is surely brought to life on earth and all this is a part of fashion. Mohit Rai, co-founder of The Wedding Style Project says, “We will be focusing on our aspect of the industry, which is wedding styling.”
From putting your wardrobes together while keeping the theme, décor and location in mind to curating the best look for your main day, they will take care of every little detail. “Alongside, with changing times and during the pandemic it’s very difficult for everyone to travel to multiple places to look for your outfits and jewellery. Here we have a bridal studio where we have everything at one place. Everything will be customized depending to your requirements and needs. We will take you through the best brands and designers available for the coming season and talk about what’s trending,” tells Aastha Sharma, co-founder, The Wedding Style Project.
How practical is it?
In the given scenario where we can’t travel, socialise or just visit places, wedding fairs are time-saving and cost-effective. With regards to weddings, a lot of planning and preparation also goes into it, so doing it virtually at least during the initial stages makes it practical enough too. “From showcasing venues to stationers, floral designers to photographers; practically any appointment can be achieved virtually. Technology can help recreate practically any possibility that one may visualise, providing virtual experiences that enable faster decision making,” state Manoj and Neha. The ideation, planning, curation and several other stages require relevant expertise and, hence, events like wedding fairs, in the current sphere of things, become more important than ever.
