South Asian Wedding Planning for Wedding Pros

By: Tracey Manailescu, Co-founder of WPIC Inc.

This ‘South Asian Wedding Planning for Wedding Pros’ event was a long time coming. However, sometimes you need to wait until the stars align and all of that jazz. We are so proud and happy with how this event turned out.

We went for a site visit at Arta Gallery a few months ago with the Event Sales Director, WPIC alumni, Silvie Zatloukalova .  As soon as we walked in, we knew that this was the place to hold our event. We wanted a modern twist on a wedding venue with ambiance and colour. It is intimate, vibrant and warm. You also have beautiful artwork everywhere! Erin and Silvie were a dream to work with. They were so easy going, and true team players. Did I mention that you can bring in your own alcohol with an SOP Licence? Yes, you can, and yes, we did!

We were working with the amazing team at The Food Dudes for all of our catering needs. They created absolutely mouth-watering South Asian inspired passed appetizers for us, and of course worked the bar. This catering company is the real deal. So efficient, professional and on the ball. No wonder they are at the top in Toronto’s catering scene.

The venue, the speakers, the decor, the food and the atmosphere were on point!

Our long time friend (and professional photographer) Rohan Laylor of Phat Dog Visuals Photography got these amazing photos to us in record time, which truly helps with the momentum and excitement from the event.

When guests arrived at the Arta Gallery they were greeted with a glass of wine, and an abundance of passed appetizers.

Attendees were encouraged to mix and mingle with each other, as well as to visit the Henna Station graciously provided by the lovely Sarah Hussian of Breath of Henna. Sarah is a super talented artist and expert.  You really need to visit her website and Instagram to see what she is capable of!

Attendees then made their way over to the gorgeous floral backdrop for photos, created by Bremani Musafar of Bimera Events and Travel and Karthik Nanthakumar of Belle Blossoms

Then it was time for our featured event of the evening…our wonderful speakers. We asked them to focus on different elements for Sikh, Hindu and Muslim weddings.

Paras Mehta of Para Events discussed the important and elaborate design and decor elements. Of course, Paras included a ton of photos from his events to showcase each point. We loved how he discussed things that went right, and some things that went wrong, and how it was fixed. Paras is a force to be reckoned with, and we are so appreciative of his time and dedication to his craft.

Sonia Kohli of Dashing Dulhan gave such a clear and concise presentation with so much useful information.  People were taking notes and snapping photos of her presentation so they wouldn’t forget a thing. This girl is a natural presenter!

Tajrean Kashem of Tajraj Events filled her presentation with so many photos, tips and real life scenarios that made it easy for everyone in the audience to relate and understand each topic that she discussed. We loved that she used case studies from real couples that she had worked with and each was injected with humour and warmth.

Jag Moondi of My Big Day is our resident WPIC South Asian wedding expert. She discussed important customs and rituals. Jag is always so very thorough and detailed.  Attendees gained valuable knowledge of the terms and the meaning of each according to Sikh, Hindu and Muslim weddings.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!

Tracey and Danielle