“Keep doing what you are doing, but work extremely hard at it. You have to work from the heart.” Listen as Andy and his guests, Arun Bablani, discuss at what age his interest in event planning became clear and his decision to make it his career. They also talk about what motivated him to start his own company, his courage and his belief that anything worth having doesn’t come easy, and when he began to specializ in South Asian weddings, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Arun is the founder of Vivaah Weddings, a premier wedding planning, and management company operating globally for destination weddings with offices in the UAE. They specialize in South Asian weddings in the form of Indian, Pakistani, Srilankan, and Bangladeshi weddings. Vivaah Weddings was rated the best wedding planning and management company in the Middle East by Brides Awards 2020, the Best Wedding Planner 2020 global wedding category at the International Wedding Awards, Best Wedding Planners 2020 Best Wedding Concept and Destinations wedding category at the Belief Weddings Awards, and the prestigious WOW Awards Middle East 2019 under the category of Wedding Celebrations of the Year.
Listen as Arun shares what he believes has to align in order to have a successful business, when he decided to specialize in South Asian weddings, and what he feels sets him apart from other planners who produce and manage South Asian weddings. Arun talks about a wedding he planned and designed at Disneyland Paris and all the intricacies that went into the event.
Arun shares how he integrates the creative side of his company with the business side, the most difficult aspect of what he does, and how he stays relevant with the constant change in technology. Arun talks about some weddings he has designed with unique challenges, from creating level ground out of a mountain to designing a full-on wedding for six people with no holds barred.
Have you heard about the brand new show on The Wedding Biz Network, Stop and Smell the Roses with Preston Bailey? Listen as Preston shares the secrets, tools, and technologies behind his extraordinary ability to create a theatrical environment out of any space. Also, don’t forget about Sean Low’s podcast The Business of Being Creative, where Sean discusses the power of being niched, pricing strategies, metrics of success, and so much more. You can find both shows on The Wedding Biz Network.
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Show Highlights:
[01:46] Welcome to the show, Arun!
[02:23] Arun shares the age he became interested in event planning and when he decided this was what he wanted to do as a career.
[05:04] How long ago did you start your own company?
[06:58] Arun shares what he believes are the biggest things that have to align to become successful.
[08:16] He had no experience with South Asian weddings, but a friend asked him to plan his wedding, which led him to specialize in South Asian weddings.
[10:50] What sets you apart from other planners that produce and manage South Asian weddings?
[13:00] Arun discusses his process from the first meeting with the client through to the event.
[15:36] Managing families along with the bride and groom are his forte.
[17:17] Arun shares an example of a wedding he did at Disneyland Paris and how he managed all the different moving pieces.
[22:47] Do you see many interracial marriages and does it make it more complex to plan and design?
[25:10] Arun speaks about how he integrates his company’s creative side with the business side.
[28:07] With the pandemic he had to lay people off, but since weddings have started back up, he believes he will be able to get fully staffed again soon.
[29:04] What is the most difficult aspect of what you do?
[31:45] Arun discusses staying relevant to the constant change of technology we are all facing.
[33:27] Arun shares some examples of weddings he designed that were challenging.
[35:41] Arun speaks about another fun instance he had with a Dubai wedding for six people where cost was not an issue.
[38:36] Arun gives one piece of advice he would give a young planner that would like to reach the level he is at.
[40:04] Thank you for being on the show!
RESOURCES
Find Arun:
@weddingsbyvivaah
Videos
Varun & Anisha (Disneyland Paris)
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