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Interesting Welcome Ideas for Weddings
Wedding Planning - Dec 17, 2018
The way you welcome your guests at a wedding creates a memorable first impression as well as sets the right tone for the celebrations. So what can you do to make your family members, friends and other loved ones feel truly special on your big day? Here are some ideas shared by India’s leading wedding planners.
HNL Desk – Elisha D’Costa and Ketan Patil
Elisha D’Costa of HNL Desk shares, “Quick action, we believe is one of the most important aspects in making your loved ones feel at home and valued. Therefore, a nice touch would be to have a pre-recorded program with a welcome message by the couple and their families in a radio format on a play in the cars that are designated to pick up the guests from their arrival points. Let the driver plug in the pen drive and switch on the sound system once they are seated in order to make their journey to the wedding venue more enjoyable. This can be accompanied with a box of refreshments and even a personalized wedding magazine or newspaper that give them details about the bride, the groom, their story, and so on.”
Convido: Darshan Shroff
Darshan Shroff of Convido shares, “At weddings, creating warm and memorable experiences for your guests goes a long way, and the first step in that direction is how you welcome them. For a wedding that we planned in January, the hosts wanted their guests to experience the entire Rajasthani culture as they drove in from the main gate towards the porch. Therefore, in the driveway, we lined up camels, ‘kacchi ghodi’ and ‘ghoomar’ (folk dances of Rajasthan) performers, fire eaters, etc. The guests were floored and had an experience they would always remember. Apart from this, it is also a good idea to take care of your guests on the way to the hotel. Serving refreshments during their journey from the airport to the hotel, playing a wedding radio show in the car or leaving a personalized wedding magazine or newspaper in the vehicle are nice touches too.”
Shana Namrata Events: Namrata Patel & Shana Patel
“One of the most recent welcome gestures that we conceptualized was using the Russian matryoshka dolls that go inside each other. We made use of its desi version and instead of placing the doll’s smaller version inside, we filled them with goodies, such as little vodka and whiskey bottles, treats and so on. These days most hosts place hampers in the rooms of their guests, and this is no longer a surprise element. We were keen on bringing back the delight of receiving something unexpected, and we felt the matryoshka dolls would leave guests amazed and delighted.” Shares Shana Patel of Shana Namrata Events.
Baraati Inc: Shweta Acharya
Shweta Acharya of Baraati Inc. shares, “For some, a wedding is a very spiritual experience and those couples who feel this way about their pheras, are sure to love the welcome that we organized for the groom and his squad at a recent wedding. We had 21 pandits read shlokas and blow conches during the time of the Baraat ‘swagat’ (welcome). The ringing sound of the conches, combined with the strong recital of religious text and the warm yellow lighting created such powerful positive vibrations. This was a welcome that everyone is bound to remember for a long time to come.”
Rainmaker Events and Entertainment: Biji Basheer
Biji Basheer of Rainmaker Events and Entertainment shares, “Bringing in a cultural element to your welcome is a great way of giving your guests a taste of what is in store for them in the following days. At a wedding that we had planned for a couple from Kerala, we put up a cultural show with Panchavadyam (traditional orchestra) players. The traditional 30 member Panchavadyam created an exuberant and mesmerizing atmosphere. To further the charm, rose water was sprinkled on the guests, sandalwood paste was applied on their forehead and aromatic jasmine strings were tied around wrists. This gave everyone a chance to soak in the goodness of Kerala and added authentic ethnic character to the wedding.”
The Big Night: Gauri Chadha Rupani and Kunal Rupani
Gauri Chadha Rupani and Kunal Rupani of The Big Night shares, “If you want your guests to witness “tongue and cheek” as it’s never been done before, this little welcome gimmick that we planned is something that you should have at your wedding. Welcome drinks were provided to the guests in a unique way which we called ‘Ring for Service.’ A table bell was placed in front of a curtained window which when rung would have a hand pop out with a glass of the couple’s personalized drink. This one is great to build up excitement and leaves everyone entertained.”
Arika Event: Vaibhav Kejriwal
Vaibhav Kejriwal of Arika Event suggests, “At Indian weddings, food is such an integral part of the celebrations which is why I believe that placing a hamper full of snacks and treats in guests’ rooms is quite integral in making them feel welcome. Weddings lead to food craving at odd hours and instantly shows that you care about their comfort. It is also a great way of conveying your thanks to your loved ones for making time to be a part of your big day.”
Evolve Weddings: Varun Dua
Varun Dua of Evolve Weddings shares, “As Indian hospitality is all about love and emotions, we choose to welcome the guests with emotions that go beyond works. At a recent wedding there was a Kathakali performance that was planned for the guests at the property where the couple was going to tie the knot. There were dancers clad in traditional costumes as well as artists who played traditional instruments. All this made for an exciting start to the wedding celebrations for the couple and their guests.”
