The Future of Small & Micro Asian Weddings
4. HOW MICRO WEDDINGS & POSTPONEMENTS HAVE AFFECTED WEDDING FASHION CHOICES
3. DESIGN SECRETS FOR GOING SMALLER
2. HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF SMALL AND LARGE SPACES!
1. DOWNSIZING WITHOUT LOSING THE WEDDING MAGIC & HOPES FOR 2021
Here's what we covered
This live series was all about getting ready for your 2021 (and beyond) wedding
We gave away a Luxury Dessert Box courtesy of Sugar Box Events to one lucky Nearly Wed.
Prize
Sarah Haywood from Sarah Haywood Weddings & Celebrations
Radhika & Shindy from Radhika & You
Sensational Wedding Planners/ Producers:
A conversation with...
On top of this, we were also joined by a real Bride to tell it how it was
Our experiences of planning weddings at this time and creative solutions we’ve come across
Letting you into our thoughts and hopes for weddings in 2021
How to work with some of these Covid restrictions and not lose that magic
The perks of a smaller wedding and how things differ to a larger wedding - some things are just not as easily done at scale that you can now do!
What We Covered
Downsizing Without Losing The Magic & Our Hopes For 2021
Day 1
We gave away a Vera Wang Cake Knife Set to one lucky Nearly Wed.
Prize
Bryony from The Barns at Lodge Farm
Rachel from the Kew Gardens Events Team
The following fabulous venues:
A conversation with...
Micro wedding packages - and things to look out for. Not all Micro packages were made the same.
Covid considerations venues have that will affect how you use their spaces
Intimate weddings in larger venues - possibilities for using the space
How to go about finding smaller venues for your Asian Wedding - in particular if your hosting a Hindu ceremony and need a ceremonial fire
What We covered
How To Make The Most Of Small And Large Venue Spaces
Day 2
We gave away 2 Bottles of Freshly Made Cocktails courtesy of Azure Bar Events to one lucky Nearly Wed.
Prize
Sid from Jay & I Events
Ruari from Pinstripes & Peonies
Nisha from Wed In Style
Amit from Laguna Event Catering
These design & food maestros:
A conversation with...
The Money...what’s realistic to expect
Food service - because it’s often overlooked when it comes to design
Table settings - exploring alternatives to a round table
Design secrets and inspiration for the Micro or Small Asian Wedding
Creating intimate design in a larger space
What we Covered
Design Secrets For Going Smaller
Day 3
We gave away a Pair of Earrings and a Styling Session with Shalini herself courtesy of Red Dot Jewels to one lucky Nearly Wed, a Luxury Beaded Belt courtesy of Ami Bridal Couture and a Styling Consultation with Anisha Vasani
Prize
Shalini from Red Dot Jewels
Anisha from Anisha Vasani Creates
Ami from Ami Bridal Couture
Asian Wedding fashion gurus:
A conversation with...
Bridal shopping in the UK vs the overseas shopping trip - our guest speaker’s views
The Groom!
Advice on handling shorter planning cycles when ordering your wedding attire
If and how spending on wedding attire has changed with smaller weddings
This year’s wedding fashion - what’s been popular or is starting to trend
What We covered
How Micro Weddings & Postponements Have Affected Wedding Fashion Choices
Day 4
We're fortunate enough to have worked with some amazing people over the years. You'll come across many of them when we reveal our AWC Approved Suppliers. The speakers for the Live Series were made up of our trusted suppliers and some awesome industry friends.
Take a look below to find out more about the speakers at the Live Series.
The Speakers
Ami’s passion for creating unique, artistic designs started over 20 years ago and was influenced by living and travelling in many different countries. She studied at Central St Martins College in London and is an alumni of London College of Fashion, graduating in 2000.
She established her label in 2003, fusing Western, contemporary fashion with traditional, Asian bridal wear; thus shaping her own distinct style as a Designer which is what she has become known for in the industry. Cutting her own patterns and designing her own embroideries gave her complete control over her innovative approach.
Now she has built up a highly-skilled team to assist her in bringing these designs to life. Using the most beautiful fabrics, sourced from the UK, China, France, Italy and India.
Having experimented with embroidery designs from Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Baroque, Ornamental to traditional Indian, Floral and unusual 3D techniques, she has created her own embroidery vision, only adding to the individuality of every piece.
Her understanding of silhouettes that suit all body shapes is also intrinsic in finding the right style and design that is perfect for every client. Ami’s reputation on her body fittings is the foundation to an incredible final fit. Something that definitely defines Couture.
Ami loves what she does and that shows in her commitment to every Bride in creating the most perfect piece for each of them.
Seen in Khush Magazine, front cover of Malvie Magazine she is now looking to take her collection to Paris Fashion Week in 2021.
Ami Bridal Couture
Ami Matona
The journey started in 1984 and today Laguna proudly stands as one of the UK’s finest Asian cuisine specialists and the brand has become synonymous with fine Asian catering and event management.
Catering for all types of social and corporate events, Laguna offers a great selection of prestigious venues, impeccable service and a dedication to providing sumptuous cuisine.
Laguna specialise in Indian cuisine but can also provide Lebanese and a variety of Pan Asian cuisines.
Our professional event management service can assist clients with anything from searching for the perfect venue through to designing the most extraordinary event décor, just to ensure that your function is truly a memorable experience.
Laguna
Amit LAmba
Anisha is the Creative Director & Luxury Wedding Planner behind Anisha Vasani Creates and was the former Editor of Asiana Wedding Magazine – the UK’s biggest Asian bridal publication for 10 years.
Anisha has also made her mark in the mainstream wedding industry where she was the Creative & Commercial Director for Luxury wedding platform Bridelux, which hosts the world’s finest luxury wedding Atelier shows in the most prestigious venues in London.
While at Bridelux, she worked closely on building partnerships with luxury brands such as Dior, Tom Ford, The Wedding Gallery, Vera Wang, Reem Acra, Vivienne Westwood, Christian Louboutin, La Perla, Tiffany & Co. and many more brands and designers.
Anisha is recognised as a wedding expert and influencer of the industry and regularly is invited as a public speaker and spokeswoman at luxury events and conference the UK and World-Wide and regularly contributes to wedding blogs and conducts reviews for various luxury media platforms providing regular content and wedding trend reports.
Anisha Vasani Creates
Anisha Vasani
Bryony Graham is the founder and owner of The Barns at Lodge Farm, a unique wedding and events venue on the Essex/Hertfordshire border just outside London.
The venue only offers exclusive use packages, giving couples access to all five recently converted barns plus two acres of beautiful grassland ideal for large marquees. Fully licensed for civil wedding ceremonies across three different buildings, the venue can comfortably accommodate ceremonies for 50 to 250 guests, including areas for ceremonial fires.
With incredible scope for large installations and breathtaking décor, our spaces are yours as a blank canvas to create a wedding that is entirely unique and personal to you. We pride ourselves on attention to detail and work closely with all our couples to ensure nothing is missed.
The Graham family have lived and worked at Lodge Farm for nearly 100 years, and are proud to now be able to share our beautiful home with our couples and their guests.’
The Barns At Lodge Farm
Bryony Graham
Our Story began in 2011 when a small collection of highly creative and design focused individuals put their talents to use in giving Couples their dream wedding décor with a service to exceed their expectations.
Having a strong passion for creating stunning and unique décor, the small team set about opening their first office in Rayners Lane. Wed in Style was the first ever décor company to have an office solely for the purpose of décor viewings and client consultations, and this philosophy to put the client at the centre of everything we do, continues to run strong throughout the company.
The core operating team behind Wed In Style, to date, remains the same and have worked closely with families creating their perfect wedding so that they too feel part of the bridal party. The gratitude and strong relationships built with our clients has led to us becoming the most recognised and recommended Décor company in the Asian wedding industry.
Currently, the team is made up of highly experienced Event Consultants, Event Assistants and more importantly the production team who create the Décor on the day. Each member of our team is valued and they in turn add value to your experience as a Wed In Style client.
Quality and attention to detail is what we breathe for so with that in mind, we only work with a limited number of events each year so we can put all of our passion into making your day a truly spectacular event.
Wed In Style
Nisha Patel
Weddings at Kew are something unique. From enchanting gardens to iconic buildings, our venues are designed to create an unforgettable experience for you and your guests - all within easy reach of central London.
They have adapted to the current times to offer Micro Wedding packages, including for Asian Weddings.
Kew is no stranger to hosting an Asian Wedding and have done so for many years. So much so, that this year they’ve launched their Asian Wedding Supplier listing.
Outside of these challenging times, Kew comfortably hosts ceremonies (including those with a ceremonial fire) for 200 guests. Combining elements of their classic package with a touch of luxury, this experience is designed to host your Asian wedding within Kew’s largest and most extraordinary spaces. Their usual Asian wedding package includes the Nash Conservatory, the Princess of Wales Conservatory, and a choice between The Orangery or Temperate House.
Kew Gardens
Rachel Lucas
Radhika & You are an award-winning luxury destination wedding planning company.
The team is made up of Radhika and Shindy who are a couple-based team and have been in business for over 6 years.
They specialise in planning beautiful, detail-orientated weddings nationally and internationally. They help couples to plan their dream wedding and take the stress away from them, so that they can enjoy the journey up to their big day and know that their wedding day is in safe hands.
Radhika & You have been featured on the likes of BBC Asian Network, Wedding Sutra, Khush Magazine, 5 Star Wedding Directory and in other publications for their work.
Radhika & You
Radhika & Shindy
Ruari McCulloch is the Creative Director and owner of Pinstripes and Peonies, one of London and Europe’s leading wedding florists with offices in London, Edinburgh and Nice.
We dreamily blend the Bride & Grooms wishes with years of experience working for brands like Dior, James Ganh & Boodles. This alongside our extensive film work allows us to not only meet but exceed the family’s expectations whilst still delivering value for money.
Whether it’s a 30ft peacock sculpture made of stunning fresh flowers as a bar centerpiece at the V&A Museum or an Avenue of blossom trees at the Natural History Museum installed in 30 minutes - nothing phases us and we adore the challenge of creating wow factor flowers.
Pinstripes & Peonies
Ruari McCulloch
Sarah Haywood is one of the world’s leading party planners and event designers; sought by luminaries, public figures, and international royalty. Sarah has been described as “the ultimate insider” by The Sunday Times, “Britain's most sought-after wedding planner and an authority on multimillion-dollar weddings” by TIME magazine, and “one of the most highly-rated wedding planners in the world” by Paris Match.
Recently ranked No.1 International Wedding Planners by VOGUE USA for the second year running, as well as Harpers Bazaar 2020 Top Wedding Planners in the World, Sarah Haywood and her team have produced events across the globe for pop stars, princesses and some of the world’s leading families. From their headquarters in London’s Notting Hill, they have planned some of the most talked about weddings and parties from London to Paris, St Moritz to Azerbaijan, and Florence to Monte Carlo. Sarah and her team work with visionary creative partners, including Royal Warrant holders, Michelin star chefs and the most exclusive hotels, venues and private properties; together they set trends rather than follow them. Their world-class weddings and parties are immersive, magical experiences, with outstanding creative design.
Sarah Haywood Weddings & Celebrations
Sarah Haywood
Founder Shalini Gupta Patel created Red Dot Jewels, a UK based Indian fine jewellery brand offering handcrafted Indian-inspired silver & semi precious jewellery.
“Our concept is to provide UK women with an alternative to fine jewellery without compromising on style and design whilst at an affordable price.”
Having launched in December 2011, within one month we were selected for the cover of the prestigious Asiana Bridal Magazine. Since then we have been featured on the cover of every Asian bridal publication in the UK. We were also invited to take part at the launch of the Mughal Exhibition at the British Library.
Our store houses some of the UK’s most well known jewellery designers such as Azuni and Pomegranate as well as designers from India. Our collections will appeal to women who have multiple wardrobes and we cater for both wedding jewellery and pret, ready to wear pieces.
Our pieces have now become the choice for magazine editors, stylists and fashion designers including Bollywood fashion designer Manish Malhotra at the 2015 UBS Diwali Ball in London.
We strive for innovative and unique designs that you will feel proud to wear.
Red Dot Jewels
Shalini Gupta-Patel
For Sid, being creative and involved in design has been a lifelong passion. The wedding industry has provided the perfect opportunity to indulge his creativity. With the advent of new décor possibilities, Sid strives to create something unique and memorable for his wedding Couples by immersing himself in design be it art, gardening or interior architecture. Everything can offer inspiration!
More recently Sid mentions that he’s seen a shift in the way we realise wedding décor with more and more people looking to create something unique and think out of the box. Though the pandemic has been difficult, it has presented some unique challenges which he’s wholeheartedly embraced.
Each celebration is now more intimate and even more special where each detail is significant and appreciated. With the reduced numbers at Asian weddings at present there is scope to focus on details that seemed frivolous when the guest list was 400. With guest lists of 15 (or just over) such things as individual place settings and menu cards are becoming the norm.
Jay & I is a family owned and operated business that has been going since 1988. They’ve changed as the times and desires of their clients have changed. Décor sets the tone and ambiance for any event, and they always aim to exceed your expectations.
