An architect of experiential weddings, Neelabh Kapoor is among the most prominent wedding planners in the country. His company Experiential Weddings by Studio Neelabh is known to completely transform ordinary spaces into visual spectacles and create experiences that are truly larger than life.
Offering end-to-end solutions and meeting the increasingly complex demands of the Indian client, Neelabh Kapoor has brought to life the dream wedding of many couples and inspired several planners to follow suit. In conversation with EE, Neelabh Kapoor talks about inspirations, designs and a journey nothing short of eventful.
Q- Studio Neelabh is one of the most premium wedding design boutiques in the country known for their unconventional designs. What inspires its concepts?
A- The flip side of dealing with an elite and premium clientele is that they are well travelled and fully aware about the latest trends in the industry. So we have to always be on our toes and deliver when the client wants us to create something new and innovative.
A think-out-of-the box ideology is what we religiously follow at Studio Neelabh and it is this thinking that has helped us establish a strong foothold in the industry. When as an agency we are working with well-informed clients it leads to a ‘Push & Pull’ situation wherein the clients push us to create something never seen before and we manage to thus pull together an awe inspiring concept.
Also a lot of these unique themes and concepts emerge from the amalgamation or fusion of different elements. I always try to create fusion between architecture and culture and this is what reflects in our work as well.
Q-What is the one thing about the Indian wedding industry that drives you and one aspect that you loathe?
A- Passion and personalization are something that I love about the wedding industry. Be it small or large ticket weddings, the entire event revolves around elements of hospitality and that is something which creates the ultimate difference in weddings. Each service that is provided at an Indian wedding is customized according to the need and demand of the clients so it gives us as wedding planners a chance to show our creativity and elevate the wedding to a different level.
A thing that I wish improves in the event industry is how disorganized we are. We are a 51 billion industry in the country today and 92% of that is fragmented and scattered. People often joke and say it all comes together at the last minute at an Indian wedding and that is not a compliment according to me. We need to be more organized in our approach.
Even though as an industry we are growing at an annual rate of 25% and even though we have an industry body like EEMA, we still have no certifications in place. Yes creativity needs no degree but professionalism does and we need 100% professionalism in the industry today.
Q- What are some of the most common challenges you face while dealing with an Indian client?
A- Considering we deal with some of the most elite clients in the country they believe that anything is possible and carry impractical expectations at times. Creating something new is a challenging adventure in itself as there are no retakes in a wedding.
It is also very challenging to ensure that the same plan is executed in the same perfect way as it is visualized in the mind.
Destination and venue transformations are also increasingly difficult. We recently executed a wedding at Mehrangarh fort so things like logistics were a huge challenge in such situations.
Q- The exchange of ‘black money’ is rampant in the wedding industry. What are your thoughts on the subject?
A- This trend is rapidly changing. With more youngsters as decision-makers, things like payments are more becoming more seamless and streamlined and people are becoming aware of the legal repercussions of unaccounted funds. The economy is developed today and hence the payment process is also more transparent.
Personally we immediately decline if faced with such situations and try to work with clients who believe in orderly payment procedures.
Q-What changes do you predict in the Indian wedding industry 5 years down the line?
A- Obviously the world is coming together and globally the wedding organizing industry is more connected than before. We can most certainly expect international wedding agencies and planners to enter in India, whether strategically themselves or even through collaborations.
Also 5 years down the line every aspect of the industry will ride on the digital wave. Middlemen in the industry will be eliminated and creative collaborations will be on the rise. This is what we have done with Royal Group of Companies. Through the Royal Group Of Companies we have formed local and regional partnerships through which we have been able to upgrade our services and also expand our reach. This is the future of the industry too.
*This article was first published in BW APPLAUSE
