Planners & Designers Extraordinaire From Asia Pacific & Oceania

The Wedding Gurus of The Far East

 

Aarti Manocha, India

 

 

My Story: I believe that this business is a work of creativity and research to reach the ‘wow’ element. Working on new destinations and locations is a passion that I and my team carry on. Hence the constant upgrade of destination knowledge helps create new ideas and unique experiences to match the requirements of each client. The internal departments within MtoM – hospitality, client servicing, production, the creative team are constantly researching to create new and innovative ways for clients’ delight and experience.

Signature Style: Planning and designing weddings that feel authentic and a manifestation of our client’s visions and dreams.

My Dream Destination: Ireland.

Aditya Motwane, India

 

 

My Story: After being in the media & events space for numerous years, it was the challenge of organizing India’s largest wedding in those days (2006). The Sahara Wedding was attended by approx 30 000 guests comprising of some of the most influential people of India, over 6 days. It was this massive challenge combined with what we Indians are best known for, that is hospitality with all the love and warmth we receive from family members in making all their dreams come true that triggered my love and passion for Weddings.

Signature Style: I believe it would be establishing an absolute trustworthy, honest and totally fun relationship with all of my clients, partners & vendors.

My Dream Destination: Nothing in the world can beat the magnitude of Umaid Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur, where some of the most influential families/ couples have had their dream wedding. Overseas nothing beats the vibe and the aura of the beautiful Greek island of Mykonos. I would love to do a dream wedding in Mexico & the Caribbeans.

 

Ariel Chen, China

 

 

My Story: Once, I attended a wedding in Shanghai. Being accustomed to weddings I attended in the past in North America, I could only say what I saw was a tragedy. Its tasteless design and poor execution were all horrific to me, so I decided to change that. I became an entrepreneur and began doing weddings in Shanghai and along the process, I saw an advantage of my international background to help and bring Chinese couples to hold their weddings abroad as destination weddings.

Signature Style: I always aim for timeless and memorable weddings that have personal flair, because I love celebrations with a mix of laughter and tears of joy. I also like to challenge the brides and the grooms to accept new and forward ideas. I think this comes from my own inclination to add an edge to our designs.

My Dream Destination: The Louvre.

 

Diane Khoury, Australia

 

 

My Story: After studying business at university, I started my career at KPMG and then Australia’s largest retailer Woolworths. However, after styling a wedding of a friend, I decided to try out the event industry with my own approach. With a love of design and experience planning my own wedding, I realized I have a passion to curate jaw-dropping events and began to help others on the weekends. While working long weeks in corporate Australia, I spent my weekends growing the business, which is now one of the most lauded event companies in the Southern Hemisphere. An entrepreneur at heart, I love to mentor other women, speak at international events, but most of all spend time with my two little boys and husband.

Signature Style: Creating romantic and luxe weddings, nothing short of spectacular.

My Dream Destination: Lake Como.

 

Devika Narain, India

 

 

My Story: For as long as I can remember I have always been a curious person and wanted to do something for myself. Growing up in a family that was always looking for an excuse to celebrate was a blast! After several failed attempts at media jobs and a lot of angst trying to choose just one thing to be in life, I realized that my unusual combination of interests and skills was a strength, not a liability. I gave up the pursuit of a regular job and sought a creative life, despite my inability to draw. Four years into working as a planner for another company, I decided I wanted to do something of my own. With that in mind, Devika Narain and Company was born on the dining table of a small rented apartment with the simple goal of creating spaces that were personal and uniquely Indian. These days, I spend my time trying to understand the psychology of spaces and see how they can contribute to celebrations and not just make a difference but also give back to society- all while I try to coach the best team of designers in the world!

Signature Style: We started out as a boutique design firm that truly believed that weddings should be personal and fun. In an age of wedding trends, we defy the norm and work with couples to create spaces that truly reflect their personal style. We imagine our wedding spaces to be extensions of the couple’s personalities.

My Dream Destination: A place in the midst of nature with cultural prominence.

 

Dhaval Chandarana, India

 

 

My Story: I was always a part of the event fraternity and organizing events were my life. I was always intrigued by the production elements and how light and sound could completely transform a venue. Once the planning meetings started, I realized that the attitude, mindset, involvement with the clients to just execute 1 function of a wedding was something completely different and the level of detailing required got me intrigued and hooked on to the business of wedding planning. The rest they say is history.

Signature Style: All our deliverables are based on 4 ideological pillars:
– Detailing (both pre and during the events)
– Finishing (of our work and deliverables)
– Finesse (with which our teams interact and deliver)
– Personalisation

My Dream Destination: On a personal note, most European destinations have a lot of natural beauty and amazing surroundings.

 

Divya & Vithika, India

 

 

My Story: Back in 1998 when the reigning Miss India Asia Pacific Divya Chauhan handed over the crown to the newly crowned Vithika Agarwal little did the girls imagine that a decade later they will be sharing the center stage again but this time in their capabilities as the dynamic duo behind the highly successful Divya Vithika Wedding Planners. In 2008 Divya Chauhan ran a boutique company that specialized in events for corporates. When she was approached to do a wedding for a client’s family she asked Vithika Agarwal to help her out. Vithika had just moved back to Bangalore after spending 10 years in Los Angeles, USA and was looking for interesting career opportunities. At the end of five days of nonstop celebrations that culminated with a reception for 12,000 guests, the duo knew that there was nothing they couldn’t survive together and they haven’t looked back since.

Signature Style: Our forte is conscientious weddings that are a reflection of our client’s vision, taste and style.

My Dream Destination: The Maldives.

 

Devki Hemlani, Thailand

 

 

My Story: The first wedding I ever planned was with my daughters, it was an amazing extravaganza. At the time it was one of the nicest weddings our guests had been to. I got inquiries after that and started it all as a hobby for close friends and family. Big fat Indian weddings were a fashionable/common thing to do back then but as time went on they evolved into something so much more – bigger events, celebrities get involved whether they’d be performing or come as guests. From then on it was history, it started as a passion and it is still a passion and the fact that I could turn what I love into a business is something I am grateful for every day.

Signature Style: My signature style is always classy with a touch of quirk.

My Dream Destination: It’s difficult to pick one place, but Phuket is up there on my list.

 

Evelyn Mills, Hong Kong

 

 

My Story: Benjamin Franklin said – “Out of adversity comes opportunity.”  What a completely opposite quote of how my journey into weddings began! I founded Marriage Maestros (or rather, it found me) back in 2002 when a bride-to-be asked me to be her wedding planner. I was working at a friend’s bridal boutique whilst contemplating my future following a failed business venture. I had never heard of ‘wedding planning’ before as it didn’t exist in Hong Kong at the time. With the help of a friend and only a month to go, we managed to relocate the wedding from Bali (where there had been a tragic bombing) to Hong Kong. Shortly after, we were asked to help ‘rescue’ another wedding – a two-day, 1,200 guest celebration which needed to be postponed – this time because of the SARS epidemic; we successfully re-planned everything within five months. The rest, as they say, is history!

Signature Style: Attention to detail is everything as is ensuring the client is at the heart of the process so they feel fully integrated and involved in every aspect of their event.

My Dream Destination: Wherever my client wants.

 

Evgeniya Bespalaya, Russia

 

 

My Story: I started my career in the event business in 2010 with a company that provided MICE services in Russia and became one of the leaders in the industry in just a year. We organized events for well-known international brands in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 2012, I opened an agency for organizing private events. My task was to build a company capable of creating luxury world weddings: with the biggest shows, star artists and stunning decor. Everything worked out! Over the years, we have received 11 awards from the jury of the most prestigious event awards in Russia.

Signature Style: Personalized approach to a project of any scale and budget.

My Dream Destination: The destination of my dreams is a lost island in the ocean, where you can create a new civilization especially for guests for a few days.

 

Gideon Hermosa, Philippines

 

 

My Story: Having finished with a degree unrelated to my passion, furthering in the industry meant doing it on my own, giving up my own sweat and blood. I turned to local and foreign wedding magazines. From their pages, I absorbed ideas, trends, and inspirations. My philosophy has always been to quickly adapt to a situation and blossom with the challenge that every unique event brings. With every event, I psych myself up by thinking that “I will be playing an important role in a once-in-a-lifetime event, so I must be physically and mentally fit to do my task.”

Signature Style: What clients particularly love about my work is my painstaking attention to detail, something that I want to be particularly known for. I believe that the tiniest details can both make or break the atmosphere of an event.

My Dream Destination: Antarctica is definitely a dream destination.

 

Innayat Khubchandani, Indonesia

 

 

My Story: My inspiration was always my mother. She pushed me to do what I wanted to do and what I loved to do instead of the norm like every other Indian family who pushes their children to do what they think is best for them. With this, I took a step into what I like to call the hospitality industry, which is taking care of the people and the needs of my clients and their guests at weddings.

Signature Style: Personalisation and attention to detail.

My Dream Destination: Maldives!

 

Jess & Nanya Tantapaiboon, Thailand

 

 

My Story: The Wedding Bliss Thailand is a project born out of a life-long passion for beauty and aesthetics. Created by us, two sisters Jess & Nanya Tantapaiboon, the company does not simply offer wedding planning services, but is, in fact, the ultimate destination for inspiration, creative drive, and attentive service. We started a small local boutique serving the island of Phuket, and with constant growth reached national and international fame, now creating events all around Thailand and abroad.

Signature Style: Elegance and refinement are our core values. We infuse the personality and story of each couple into their celebrations, combining it with signature Thai hospitality and timeless aesthetic. Our weddings are always filled with unique details, beautiful designs, and uncompromised & impeccable event execution.

My Dream Destination: Lake Como in Italy — a truly beautiful and unique place, where water meets mountains, history and refinement come hand in hand.

 

Kainaz Sethna, India

 

 

My Story: My story starts in 1997. I was fresh out of college, following my passion, learning acting, theatre production and theatrical light design. I loved it. The world of events was unbelievably fascinating and I knew I’d found my métier. I co-founded Seven Steps, the weddings and celebratory events division of 70 EMG 20 years ago. We were quite young, but already very experienced when we got asked to plan one of India’s first-ever destination weddings, the very first private wedding in Udaipur’s Royal Palace for an affluent business family from Mumbai.

Signature Style: Elegance and excellence are achieved through systematic detailing and consistency.

My Dream Destination: Venice, Sicily, St. Petersburg

 

Lelian Chew, Singapore

 

 

Michele Li, Singapore

 

 

My Story: After four years of public relations position working with luxury brands and with a background in fine jewelry, I fell into wedding planning and fell in love with it. At that time in Hong Kong, not many people understood the role of a planner but that quickly changed. Fast forward 17 years later, it has been the most rewarding and gratifying experience and I am so grateful to have met so many amazing couples and wonderful people in the industry.

Signature Style: Elegant and timeless weddings that express the couple’s personalities and style.

My Dream Destination: Maldives, South of France, Greece.

Nadia Duran, Australia

 

 

My Story: An engineer by trade, a businesswoman at mind with the soul and the heart of an artist. I was born in Mexico and live in Australia working in the wedding industry for the last 14 years. Now with more than 20 employees, I bring my clients’ dreams to life by designing awesome parties, creating beautiful celebrations and styling unique-looking events all around the world. I have worked with some of the world’s top event planners and designers producing weddings and events.

Signature Style: Very feminine, romantic and soft. A mix of textures between linens and layers of flowers from ceiling installations, table escapes, wall design and landscapes.

My Dream Destination: The place I haven’t been yet.

 

Mahesh Shirodkar, India

 

My Story: After our being in the DMC space for a long time, a close friend insisted that we handle his daughter’s wedding. It turned out to be a truly mega affair, involving everything from 500 individual cars for the guests and flying down the Chinese Imperial Circus from Beijing. Needless to say, it was baptism by fire and I was bitten by the weddings bug. Since then, it has been one fantastic roller coaster ride, with some of the most gratifying moments in my career. With a great team behind me, weddings and events continue to be my passion, and I have had the privilege of working on some really spectacular events.

Signature Style: It is all about personalization, curation and creating something that is beyond the cookie-cutter event. Because each couple is unique, each event has to be too – we work closely with the couple and the family to create a wedding that mirrors who they are.

My Dream Destination: Paris, Budapest, Tuscany, and always anywhere in the Far East.

 

Manish Malhotra, India

 

 

My Story: I started as a costume designer in 1990. During the very start days, costume designing in India was very rigid and limited and when I came to movies, I started working on the character and their overall look. And not only that, the settings, backdrop and succeeding events. Thanks to those over 1000 movies for teaching me so much. I started Manish Malhotra Productions in the year 2018. Working in movies for almost 30 years by 2018 helped me to forecast trends, understand the overall setting, theme and especially weddings. Weddings in India are both voyeuristic and exhibitionist, almost all Bollywood movies in the 90’s used to have an elaborate wedding scene.

Signature Style: The overall look. I remember, just after 2 years of my working in Bollywood films, I worked on a movie starring Late Sridevi ‘Gumrah’ where I created a whole look of the character. It was for the first time in the history of Indian cinema that the role of costume designing has extended beyond just clothes. Here I worked on hair, make-up, jewelry and of course, the backdrop. In today’s day & age, I’m happy that the focus is on the person than the trend and I’ve always stuck to it. My unique style of work can be defined by ‘fluidity’ and ‘agility’ to fit into different moods, themes and celebrations and craft the whole structure that befits the overall surrounding. Personally, I love to add a touch of glamour and I like that little extra dose of scintillating luxury.

My Dream Destination:  India of course, has so many stunning backdrops. Besides that, I’m a fan of Mykonos, Vietnam, France, Italy, Ecuador, Colorada, & Switzerland.

 

Mohomed Morani, India

 

 

My Story: We’ve been in the entertainment industry for the last 37 years. All our services were under just an umbrella and we did not have specialized departments for weddings or entertainment events. Then came our fireworks division for weddings, and large-scale entertainment events for Bollywood celebrities across the globe. We introduced the concept of having entertaining acts in weddings too as we were experts in production too, and that’s how entertainment at weddings came about.

Signature Style: For every event, we first put down our thoughts and vision on a drawing board. We also conceptualize an event until the client is not 100% satisfied with what we have planned.

My Dream Destination: Mykonos is my next dream destination.

 

Nastassya Saputra, Singapore

 

 

My Story: Preparing my own wedding was how I found my passion in life. The result was one signature wedding that was very much a reflection of us, and our story. Just a couple of days after my wedding, during my honeymoon, a stranger contacted me via email. She stumbled upon my wedding photos in somebody’s Facebook account. She was blown away, asked her friend of my contact and asked me to help design her upcoming wedding. The requests did not stop there.

Signature Style: Our expertise is in our ability to understand and extract the couple’s story, uniqueness and taste in order to design a breathtaking one-of-a-kind wedding that is full of meaningful metaphors to represent a story about the couple so guests will go home not only blown away by how beautiful the wedding was but more importantly, learning something about the couple through experiencing the wedding itself.

My Dream Destination: Maldives and New Zealand.

 

Pawan Mirchandani, India

 

 

My Story: I have been a chef by profession. 8 years of being a chef in restaurants, 5-star hotels and the Norwegian Cruise Line.
Honestly, I never planned to be a wedding planner but destiny had its way. We started with a team of 4 people in 2006 with around 4 to 5 weddings a year to around 45 people in 2020 with approx 28 to 32 weddings in a year with approx 14 to 15 weddings being international since last 5 years.

Signature Style: Firstly over so many years have realized 1 important thing that it is not about how much but it is about how the client spends his/her money on a wedding that makes it memorable. Most importantly never learned to say ‘No’ to our clients. Even the last-minute changes are accommodated with a smile.

My Dream Destination: Bahamas.

 

Sumant Jayakrishnan, India

 

 

 

 

My Story: It all began around 30 years ago, I became one of India’s first woman event managers by starting my own company, Backstage Productions. A few years into the business, I had my hands full doing corporate events and luxury brand launches when one of her clients asked her to manage his daughter’s wedding in 2003. My initial reaction when asked to plan this wedding was, “Weddings? I don’t do weddings!” Sensing her reluctance, he asked her to treat it like a corporate party with 600 people and no branding. I then founded The Wedding Design Company!

Signature Style: Research is a big part of developing a concept. Add to this the customization of fabrics, local crafts, technology and floral styling would be the signature style.

My Dream Destination:  History, art, architecture and a very rich cultural fabric.. any city with all these is a dream destination.

 

Yoshitaka Nojiri, Japan