Mystique, romance and labour of love in planning a wedding

By Zanita Careem

Wedding planning is no easy task, it requires an entire creative process spanning over a precise timeline to ensure that the customer’s every requirement is met with and enhanced to its best to ensure that their wedding day is most memorable and stress free.

Whilst speaking to Chris Wijeyekoon and Azad Hassen, the Directors of The Planning Paradise on how they manage their wedding couples, and on how the planning process happens in keeping with what is trending in the wedding Industry, This is what they said.” Planning Paradise is all about creating dream weddings. It is our mission to help a bride enjoy the most important day in her life. They create the most innovative ideas with a memorable scenario that can last an eternity”

Q. What inspires you the most while planning a wedding?

A -Our inspiration is seeing the outcome of a Dream Wedding being achieved to perfection. It all starts with sitting down with a couple and deriving that inspiration what they have in mind for their big day. It requires conceptualizing, meticulous planning and the total synchronization of every aspect needed to achieve the best outcome that a customer desires for their wedding day.

Q. What is the most memorable moment while planning a wedding?

A Every wedding has its own special memorable moments in the planning process and sometimes doing almost the impossible is what creates that moment. As an example one couple wanted their Poruwa built on a platform over a water front and amidst many obstacles this was achieved, creating the most picturesque wedding poruwa ceremony ever to be witnessed.

Q. Planning a wedding is a taxing creative process. How do you de-stress and rejuvenate?

A Planning and coordinating weddings is our passion and therefore it rarely creates any stress factors. The team at The Planning Paradise are professionals and we aim to provide the most memorable experience to our customers. Therefore, we endeavour to work as a team and our de -stressing factor would be the motivation and team spirit we share with each other.

Q. What are the hottest wedding trends this season?

A We see an increased demand for outdoor wedding locations. Couples are looking at capturing the outdoor ambience which brings about a more naturalistic outlook of the entire function. As far as the florals and décor the trend is towards more warmer pastel shades with least amount of greenery and candles to enhance and bring about the romance. Outdoor locations are the hottest trend. Eco conscious wedding decor is also becoming more common.

Q. Can you describe a challenging situation you faced as a wedding coordinator?

A Every wedding project has its challenges however what stands out the most is when we handle destination weddings during the economic, fuel crisis and curfew we faced in Sri Lanka in the year 2022. Amidst all the challenges we were successful in co-ordinating every vendor with success so that it caused no delays of any sort and being able to manage the entire situation with the right plans in place so that the couple could take back the best memories.

Q. What is the most rewarding aspect of being a wedding planner?

A A happy customer is definitely a reward to a wedding planner and the rave reviews received are treasures we hold. It is equal to the value of the goodwill of a company.

Q. Sri Lankan weddings have been intimate and sustainable and that has become more popular after the pandemic. Do you see this trend last ?

Azad Hassen and Chris Wijeyekoon

A We now see a gradual shift to more extravagant weddings. Post pandemic brought about more intimate weddings however now with travel restrictions being relaxed, the guest counts are high and the entire function encapsulates the latest global trends, glamour and elegance , We see a trend for more plush and extravagant weddings creating a big budget.

Q. How do you ensure your team is delivering everything the client expects?

A Our signature style of The Planning Paradise (Pvt) Ltd clearly reflects the capacity and capabilities of the team.

1 The Planning Paradise (Pvt) Ltd is a team of professionals a who aim to provide the most memorable experience to our customers. We endeavour to suit to thier personal needs,of the couple ensuring joyful memories and wonderful moments

We have a highly motivated team who evolve with global trends thereby innovatively catering to the requirements of every customer we handle.

Q. Destination Weddings are quite a rage right now. What advice would you give to the couples who are planning for a Destination Wedding ? What are the things that they should keep in mind before finalising a Destination Wedding?

A. Destination Weddings are very popular now Every modern couple requires something innovative and wants to move away from the norm hence they seek an exotic destination with vibrant vibes.

Sri Lanka has some of the most spectacular locations in the world, from exotic beaches to the salubrious hills in the upcountry region which we could easily affirm as unmatched. The hospitality industry is on par with world standards and the vendors providing services , most of them have overseas qualifications and experiences. Our make up artists, photographers and florists are able to cater to the requirements of the global population. The key factor is Sri Lanka can offer all this at a fraction of the cost over having something of this magnitude in any other part of the world and that is what makes this country so popular and sought after as a location for destination weddings.

What needs to be kept in mind before finalising a destination wedding are bookings of the locations/ hotels and vendors have to be reserved very early, at least a year before since due to the high demand. The locations and best vendors in the industry are always in high demand.

Q. These days we see many western trends being infused into the fabric of Sri Lankan Weddings. What are the new trends in wedding décor that you love experimenting?

A. Western trends are incorporated into local weddings fabric due to globalisation, Social media such as Instagram and Facebook are great tools,the reputed designers globally follow. The use of Social Media in many ways help to showcase the latest trends around the world and these are easy access to our brides to follow and enrich thier style.

In the planning process we encourage a fusion of both Western and Eastern trends. We always try to intergrate and infuse the local ethos. Most of our décor showcases the perfect blend of east and west and most of all we want to have the unique concept.

Q. What are your goals for the future?

A. The name Planning Paradise reflects the goal of our company. Sri Lanka is a Paradise and it is our goal to take this destination out there into the outside world and make it known to all who wish to celebrate their weddings. Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful and romantic destinations for weddings. To make thier special day unfogettable and create a truly magical wedding day, we at Planning Paradise always want to make Sri Lanka a paradise for couples !