Life style
Dhananjaya Bandara is one of the gifted faces in the bridal and beauty industry.
He has without any doubt captured many hearts of brides by his sheer taste and understanding of what best suits the bride.This talented youth from his early childhood showed interest in the art of bridal dressing Having a mother who was already popular in the industry, grew up with her influence and slowly but gradually developed his creative talent. Today at the height of his success he considers his mother as the guardian and mentor who supported him to create a name in the insustry.
This self taught designer soon honed his creative skills by the time he completed his school career.He said proudly with the help of Haris Wijesinghe, the popular figure in the bridal industry has climbed the ladder of success. He mentioned Ramani Fernando for the cooperation extended to him
Dhananjaya Bandara is not only a bridal dresser, he is also a designer, beautician and a fashion consultant. His forte lies on minimalistic cuts and designs and wearable fabrics.
How was the experience creating your own bridal ensembles?
For me, it’s all about the minutest of details—each outfit follows a theme that is implemented with exquisite detailing in terms of the colour palette, fabrics and embroidery.I want each bridal ensemble to have a different vibe, while staying true to my personal style.- They desire something that is heavy, while being comfortable too. Last but not the least, smaller weddings mean more personalization.
How do you want women to feel when wearing your bridals?
Bridals, for me, are an expression of one’s artistic bend and individuality. When women wear my bridals, I want them to feel beautiful, confident and wholly aware of their strengths. I want them to feel like mystical muses, gracefully balancing heritage and modern thought. Every time a woman adorns a Dhananjaya creation, she should feel rooted yet refined, elegant yet exuberant: It was truly a special experience to create my own outfits for the wedding. It was also insightful to experience first-hand the desires and emotions of a bride-to-be, and I‘m certain this will help me better gauge the requirements of brides who will entrust me with designing for their special day.
What makes Dhananjaya a timeless label?. Consistency and clarity of thought has created a brand that you see today.Don’t you think bridal dressing is an art not many can master I queried ? To this he replied Dhananjaya is one designer who was set on one track mission to raise the bar in the bridal industry .
Focussed on contemporary style and sophistication that speak volumes of his prowess and talent in creating timeless designs that are both effortless but also intimate. His bridal makeup and bridal couture is already a hit among women.
I dont use heavy make up on brides . The bride has to be simple,elegant and the focus on that special day is on the bride
What is your signature style? The first thing one needs to understand is people are not really paying you for just another product, they buy into their belief system, ideals and what you stand for. So I design a dress or a saree to be the dream of any bride to achieve her dream to be the the most beautiful that is my only aim. Knowing that I have realised this vision of the bride and contributed to her love story its the ultimate aspiration and stronger testimony of success for me
His biggest challenge he says although I grew up in a family that worked in the bridal luxury it was tough at the beginning as there were established names. But my success was I had the chance to discover this exciting world at a young age.
Do you have a motto or quote that you like to tell the brides?
I always advise them when they go wrong. I explain their dress or saree should reflect who they are, and they should be happy and comfortable, to be effortlessly gorgeous.Standing out in this extremely competitive line of trade Dhananjaya uses his ingenuity and full attention to details. His Kandyan bridal sarees are one of a kind,incorporating lace works, cut work, bead work and all other embellishments to make it a one of a kind a kind.
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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