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Meet the wedding guru behind DeepVeer's nuptials
Meet the wedding guru behind DeepVeer's nuptials
- PUBLISHED: Thu 9 May 2019, 3:56 PM UPDATED: Sat 18 May 2019, 1:23 PM
Vandana Mohan did not always see herself in the wedding planning industry. Prior to helping couples pick their favourite flowers, food and locations, she was a political science student. She then moved to India's thriving media industry, doing everything from filmmaking to script-writing to production before launching her own event management company, Backstage Productions, in 1989. From doing corporate events to becoming one of India's most-talked about celebrity wedding planner, she sure has come a long way. And to think it all happened simply because of a twist of fate. Hear it from her.
What really got you started in the wedding industry?
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I was already in events, but wedding planning happened simply by chance. A client of mine had his daughter's wedding coming up and wanted me to take over. I told him that I couldn't help and he said he would find someone else. But later, he sent me a brief saying he had a dinner for about 500 people and he needed some help. We added our touch to the event - later, I found out that it was for his daughter's sangeet. It's been a long journey since then but here I am today.
What about shifting from wedding planning to handling celebrity weddings - how different are the two?
It's not that different. At the end of the day, it's about a boy and a girl getting married. Of course, when it comes to celebrities, you have to respect their privacy. You have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. You can't post any pictures on social media. You can't even share details with your husband and kids. It does become like a high security zone when celebrities are getting married - but we want to do that for them. It isn't just about signing a non-disclosure agreement for us. We don't want to ruin that relationship with our clients.
Also, most celebrities are happy to share details of their big day. The only problem is that sometimes they get so much media attention, that they don't get to have private moments. There's so much speculation on everything - from their outfits to makeup. That's why celebrities tend to keep things private.
Is that the most challenging part of a celebrity wedding - keeping things private?
I think, with celebrity weddings, you have to keep in mind that it is something the whole world will be viewing - it could be a trend setter and you have to be careful about the trend that you are setting. All eyes will be on you and it's important that the wedding has the right amount of elegance while being what the bride and groom really want.
In that case, what was it like planning Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone's wedding, which was clearly in the limelight?
Ranveer and Deepika's wedding was very special to me. Not because it was Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone but because it was RS and DP. It was two young people who had made up their mind that they were madly in love and they wanted to get married and they wanted to do it right. It was as much a priority for her as it was for him. Whenever he got a break, he would be there. And she didn't take on films for a while - she wanted to put that time aside (for the wedding). For me, that was phenomenal. They were so clear on what they wanted - close friends and family. This was never meant to be an Instagram wedding. I hope people can see that there was so much love. Every ritual was maintained and every nuance taken care of. We felt very special as we were treated like family.
Their wedding took place at Lake Como in Northern Italy. Is it safe to say that the destination wedding trend is still going strong in India?
I think people want to go and discover new places and they want to do something out of the ordinary. They want to do something fun. The beauty of destination weddings is also that it becomes more intimate. Only the friends and family you really care about are going to come and those are the people you want and you really get a chance to let your hair down. It's very celebratory and it gives you the chance to make memories for a lifetime.
How popular is Dubai as a wedding destination for Indians?
Dubai is becoming a popular destination. I get so many requests for (weddings) around the UAE. After all, it's just a few hours away from India and you get Indian food and people understand the psyche of the 'crazy, rich Asian!' We hope to be here again this year and next year too.
Do you have a personal favourite thing about weddings?
Honestly, once I finish a project, I never look back. But each one of my weddings has been really special. I now have a group for all my brides and we are all connected. That's what makes it special. I'm not just a wedding planner for them.
