Founded by
Vikaas Gutgutia, Ferns and Petals set up shop in 1994 as a flower retailer in Delhi’s South Extension. Following a systematic segmentation of his business and ultimately establishing a network of 200 outlets across 85 cities Gutgutia has over the years come to build a strong foundation for its weddings unit.
In 2012 Ferns and Petals launched the
Wedding Fraternity Meet (WFM). According to Gutgutia the objective of WFM was to create “an exclusive platform for the industry to come together and share their expertise in an experiential way”. Hosting its fifth edition this year, Wedding Fraternity Meet 2016 was held on 16 September at The Ritz in Gurgaon, an FnP property.
The event welcomed some of the country’s leading wedding planners, designers, artists, caterers, photographers, floral experts, luxury service providers and hoteliers at a gala celebration hosting over 1200 industry professionals.
Unlike its previous editions, this year WFM did not host any panel discussions, steering clear of its signature conference format kick-off. Networking, feasting and entertainment seemed to be the three-pronged agenda. Emcees Sonali and Gitesh led the evening to a celebratory start with ample show and theatrics. Amidst confetti and firecrackers,
Lalita Raghav, Vice President- Events and Weddings honored industry veterans including Ravish Kapoor of Ravish kapoor Inovative Invitations and Varinder Wadhwa of Modern Stage Services, among others.
Welcoming the guests at WFM Lalita Raghav commented, “This is the only event of its type that hosts such a gala celebration each year based purely on a sponsorship model. We are proud that this is a non-ticketed event and there is no cost for delegate registration. We see this as a great networking opportunity to engage with some talented people from the industry at this mesmerizing venue”.
Poonam Lal, founder of leading experiential agency, Marketing Solutions, stated, “This is my first time at WFM. I found it to be a well-designed event that showcases the possibilities of the venue optimally. The décor is simple yet tasteful, the food is very good and experimental and the entertainment is fun. The WFM is a wonderful platform for wedding planners to meet, interact and understand the possibilities of this lovely venue”.
As the event concluded,
Kanika Sethi Babbar, Founder, Bespokensemble Events, commented, “WFM 2016 was a well packaged evening. The Ritz is a venue of premium quality, the grandeur of the décor opened the mind to setting new benchmarks, the welcome was grand and the spread of food gave everyone a large variety to choose from along with introducing us to new catering avenues. The partner list for the event opened doors for more collaboration in the upcoming season. It was good to reconnect with some old friends from the industry and meet some new ones. The overall vibe was celebratory and relaxed. Kudos team WFM.”
Sharad Mathur, Managing Director, EMG Entertainment stated, “Whoever said “never judge a book by its cover” has definitely never been to WFM. From invite to food to décor to entertainment, all was flawless at WFM. Wedding fraternity Meet is an awesome initiative by FnP. It’s a brilliant platform to bring together all those associated with the wedding fraternity under one roof- sharing, bonding, learning and teaching new concepts and ideas. One can feel a strong sense of belongingness, unity, togetherness and acknowledgement. A big thank you to FnP for being wonderful hosts and for bringing us together under one roof”.
Partners at the event included Ambience Golf Drive, Shelly Arora, Eleven Course, CCI, Basil Kitchen, Boozeworld, Lu Guftagu, Sanjay Pan Palace, 1UP Productions, Ravish Kapoor, Isha Films, Episode Silver, Ashiana Wedding, Imagine Ice, SK Patakawala, Vinay Valet. EventfulIndia was the partner for digital media amplification and event registration.
Entertainment at the event included performances by Amit Tandon, Mansha Bahl, Akhil Sachdeva of band Nasha, Suryaveer of band Ehsaas and DJ Nautiyal.
