We all are waiting with bated breath for the DWP Congress Bali. The engaging panel sessions, stimulating talks, rigorous networking; mesmerizing parties…all of these in the serene and tropical setting of Bali make a must-attend experience this year for the wedding industry this year!
Well, September seems a tad bit far, so meanwhile, we met the wedding stalwarts – Aseel Alansari, Founder of Weddings & Events Co. Bahrain, Pawan Mirchandani, Managing Director of Horizon Wie from India, Ayman Talaat, CEO of eXtramile Events & Maya Toubia, Founder, Maya Toubia Weddings, Events & More from Dubai, UAE. They all were part of the session “Unleashing The Magical Moments In Weddings” which was moderated by Natalie Crampton, Director, TEC Event Management at the 10th annual MALT Congress in Dubai.
* Finding Hidden Gems, exploring the lesser-known sands
* Clients changing preferences with shorter lead times: what we need to know
* What’s in and what’s out: spilling the beans on destination wedding trends
* Commissions, referral fees and kickbacks: let’s hear the industry viewpoint
Current Market Sentiments & Trends In 2022-23 Weddings
When it comes to creating elegant yet luxurious weddings in Bahrain and all over GCC, Aseel Ansari is one of the top names that couples prefer to trust their weddings with! When asked about the current market sentiments and what the future wedding will look like, she shared- “Even though the pandemic hit the wedding industry hard, it was a busy session in Bahrain as people did not want to stop celebrating love. Bahrain’s strict protocols with safety led to having in-house weddings and hence, people from all over GCC including UAE & Saudi Arabi came to Bahrain to celebrate their nuptials.
Aseel spends a lot of time understanding the bride’s personality, and what style does she want. She carefully studies the venue and then carefully knit all the elements together to deliver a satisfying experience to the couple, guests and their families.
She says that trends for 2022 weddings are really personalized. “It depends on the age of the guests present, what kind of celebration they want, families’ preferences and their mood. It can be romance, something fancy or luxuriously chic; it’s a lot of detail. I see classic coming back to the overall wedding style. When it comes to delivering, every little details matter – from performance to production to styling to making sure everything is in order with no last-minute surprises. In the end, you have to make everyone happy.”
Trending Destinations Worldwide
The need to celebrate love in a unique way has bounced 2x! This includes choosing unique, lesser-explored destinations. Pawan Mirchandani who is known in the Indian wedding market to plan weddings of large-scale worldwide shares his experience on what couples are asking for their weddings in 2022!
“Some of the destinations, I’m getting the most request from my couples are Bali, Turkey, Dubai, Lake Como, Marrakesh & Switzerland. People want to explore more and travel not just for a wedding, but for an experience. There’s a lot of backlog from the past 2 years and that creates an uneven proportion of the demand-supply chain. For example- Lake Como is fully booked. Nothing is available in Dubai right now. Pricing and operations are still very hard as everything has just opened up. Couples are looking for remote or lesser-known locations.”
Driving Factors While Choosing A Destination
Ayman Talaat, CEO of eXtramile Events from Dubai, UAE enlightens the audience with important driving factors that make couples decide.
He says- “The factors didn’t change much, it has only changed its order of priority. For instance, couples are looking for proximity from their home country, they are also considering VISA and COVID restrictions considering the travel rules are changing differently in different countries. In GCC, Dubai, of course, is the crown of the gem due to its travel-friendly policies and flexibility. Other locations include Egypt, Azerbaijan and Turkey. There is a huge demand for May & June as preferred wedding months.
When it comes to decisions, couples are making decisions based on their budget. Hotels have to think out of the box and go that extra mile to win the hearts of couples. The one that wins the game is who makes it financially safe for clients– providing flexibility, cancelation policy and good refund terms.
We are majorly focusing on the terms of the contract and including the conditions of no-show, cancelations, and force majeure. We need to educate the clients about changing situations and what happens in case of any unforeseen situation occurs and how we, as wedding planners can help them navigate the odds.”
Pricing Trends
With a panache for crafting beautiful weddings, Maya Toubia has expertise in understanding the client’s needs and making their dream wedding a reality.
“After COVID, the mindset of people has changed. They were looking for a more authentic experience in a never-seen-before setting rather than just another luxury 5-star experience. We went for museums, art galleries, and mountains to give this unique experience to them. As couples are looking for more intimate and small weddings, what changed their mindset is the changing rules and regulations.
As wedding planners, we need to find authentic suppliers who provide a small, intimate and personalized experience. The fixed cost as a wedding planner is not fair as we invest in our energy, time and passion and in the end we need someone to relate to. In Dubai, they have minimum spending in major hotels, so I started charging a percentage rather than fixed pricing. The higher the budget goes, the higher your work will be, and hence, the higher your fee. Have a minimum spend irrespective of the budget. I have become more aware of the value of our time and this has helped me to establish clear pricing policies”
Conclusion
In the end, Natalie asked them about their beliefs on Metaverse weddings. And they unanimously agreed that nothing can replace the feeling of a live in-person wedding! People pay for that feeling of happiness and joy they get when they celebrate their love with friends and families. The hugs, the kisses, the joy of dancing, the first look… it’s all these elements that a wedding celebration is made of and we crave for that. Weddings may take a new turn in the future, but right now, we all are looking onwards & upwards in the world of luxury destination weddings.
Missed meeting them at the MALT Congress? Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Get ready for the biggest gathering of the wedding industry in the 8th annual DWP Congress Bali. Register here.
