Creating the perfect day

SAGAR VYAS ON THE ART OF PLANNING WEDDINGS AND POPULAR NEW TRENDS WITH COUPLES

Event management companies take out most of the major headaches for couples getting married by making sure everything runs according to plan on the big day.

They will also provide a variety of other services that includes finding good suppliers and offering extra options couples are perhaps not aware of.

London-based Sagar Vyas Weddings and Events LTD provides a range of services and aims to give couples a stress-free experience.

Sagar Vyas, who runs the company with Atish Khatri, has 12 years of experience as an event manager and worked on a range of weddings. Eastern Eye caught up with Sagar to find out more about his time working in the demanding job and key tips for couples.

What first got you interested in working in the wedding industry?

I was so grateful to my previous manager, Fiona Elliot, who gave me the opportunity to work with her and manage all of our events that took place at popular venues in London. This gave me confidence and enabled my passion for the events industry to grow. Seeing my clients walk out with a smile gave me great satisfaction. It was the reward for my hard work. Having worked in the events industry for over 10 years alongside some amazing suppliers, I left my job in July 2018 to start building my own brand. It was the best decision I made as working for yourself gives you the opportunity to grow your business and offer 110 per cent to your clients.

Tell us about the services you provide for your clients?

We provide the fully bespoke service, including event management, entertainment, decor, advisory input and more. We have also started planning the entire wedding from sourcing venues to suppliers in the UK and for destination weddings. I realised that couples love to deal with one company for all their requirements, which is why I have re-branded my entire company, as I believe that you have to listen to your customers.

How important is event management on the day?

I feel it’s a key aspect that can really change an event from being good to great. Having a great event manager allows clients and their families to enjoy the day while he or she ensures all services run smoothly and most important, on time. Having managed weddings for a venue, I realised we were only managing logistics around the venue, but there was no one booked for actually be in charge on the day. That is when I implemented the event management part of my business, coordinating everything from the group photos to liaising with suppliers. This made a huge positive impact.

What is the secret of proper planning on the day?

Communication and building a solid foundation with not just the couple but also suppliers is key. Having proper communication with all external stakeholders will ensure you are on top of your game and will allow you to anticipate any potential upcoming problems.

Tell us more…

The planner should be available and dedicated to your big day, as it will ensure your event goes smoothly. The communication should start from the moment of inquiry all the way to the execution of the event.

What key advice would you give couples hiring a wedding planner?

Do your own research and understand what you want out of your wedding. This may sound harsh, but a wedding planner is only there to guide and help you in the right direction. After having so many meetings with clients, we realised that couples tend to forget that it is their wedding and get lost in all the external noise. The best advice I can give is, don’t book or do something because someone else has told you to do it. Don’t look at others’ weddings and think you need to have all of that. Remember, it is your wedding, so have things within your budget, but also, create a memorable wedding for yourself.

What are the main advantages of hiring a wedding planner?

Saving time and money. It is difficult as well as stressful to plan a wedding especially when you have a lot of input from everyone. The wedding planner will advise on how to run the day and eliminate unnecessary stress. Event planners having good relationship with suppliers saves a lot of time as they understand their services and couple’s requirements. As they have good knowledge about the industry, event planners can source suppliers within the couple’s budget, and get the best value for money.

Tell us the popular wedding trends right now?

Weddings have changed compared to what they were 15 - 20 years ago. A majority of couples want a silent wedding instead with background music. Weddings are getting smaller as couples want to spend more money on the venue. Also, couples have realised that it is about them and not 1000 people. Weddings in the past used to have many hundreds of invitees.

Why do you love the work you do?

It is because no event is the same as the other. Each event comes with its own quirks and really keeps us on our toes. Each event enables us to express our creativity and seeing the smiling face of our clients gives us the greatest satisfaction. For me, every day is a holiday and it does not feel like I am working. This is my passion. I am so grateful for having so much business referred my way and it makes me want to work that little bit harder, to ensure my clients get 110 per cent from me and my company, as I want their wedding to be talked about years down the line.

Visit Instagram: @sagarvyasevents