Indian Wedding Podcast

Contemporary Indian Bridal Fashion with Shubhika Davda

We had an amazing conversation with Shubhika Davda, the founder, and creative director at Papa Don't Preach.

A talented artist and fashion designer, Shubhika and her team have created outfits and accessories that reflect the mood of the girl. This girl is someone who can pretty and explosive at the same time.

Her out-of-box approach to design thinking is evident in all of Shubhika's collections. The use of vibrant colors and nontraditional materials makes Papa Don't Preach a fun and experiential brand for one and all.

In this interview, Subhika shares with us her design process, what it means to be a consicous craftsman, her advice to brides who want to get the most out of their shopping experience and much, much, more.

Please join us in welcoming Shubhika to the Indian Wedding Podcast

• Her craft and design thinking
• Distinct lines: bridal couture, high streetwear, honeymoon wear, accessories, and more
• Use of 3-D metal embroidery and laser cut metal in outfits
• Shubhika's background in fashion design and journalism
• Breaking and making fashion rules, staying away from anything commercial
• Using social media to connect with her audience
• Her creative process is visual, she makes her first sample with the actual embroidery
• The meaning of conscious craftsmanship - being environmentally friendly, excellent working environment for her team, reducing wastage
• The importance of comfort and finished goods
• Indian and western influences on her work
• Her dream to bring artists from various disciplines under one roof
• And much more…

Website: Papa Don't Preach

Instagram: @papadontpreachbyshubhika

Facebook: Papa Don't Preach By Shubhika

People Mentioned:

Devdutt Pattanaik

Steve Jobs

Books

#Girl Boss by Sophia Amoruso

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

In this interview, we had the honor of speaking with an award-winning, talented artist and wedding photographer, Rahul Rana.

Rahul is passionate about capturing images that tell a story and convey the raw emotion.

As a professional photographer, Rahul takes pride in doing work that makes his clients look and feel fabulous during their wedding and years to come.

Inspired by Rembrandt, a Dutch painter, and printmaker, Rahul seeks to bring uniqueness in his work by using archival quality materials in his prints.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Rahul shares with us why a couple should have pre-wedding sessions with the photographer, his practice of photographing people through the eye of their loved ones, why it takes time to create good art and much, much, more.

Please join us in welcoming Rahul Rana to the Indian Wedding Podcast.

• Wedding photographs are your first family heirloom
• Creating images that are timeless
• When choosing a wedding photographer, first the work has to speak to you, then set up a time to meet with the photographer
• To create great art, it takes two people: the couple and the photographer
• What to expect before and after the wedding when you work with a photographer
• It takes time to create good art. A timeline call will help you understand how much time everything takes
• Benefits of doing a pre-wedding a session
• Dynamics between wedding videographer and photographer
• How to get the best photographs for your wedding
• Couples prefer fine art look to images, something that is unique
• Use of drones in videography and photography, restrictions and requirements
• Using archival quality materials in prints
• Photos can look different from screen to screen
• Rembrandt lighting pattern makes people look slimmer
• Capturing the perfect moments during a wedding
• Photographing people with the eye of their loved ones
• The importance of a wedding planner or coordinator
• And much more…

Website: Rahul Rana Photo

Instagram: @rahulranaphoto

People Mentioned:

Nick Jonas

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

In this interview, Jinal and I had an opportunity to speak with Karuna Chani, an internationally recognized make up artist, image and skin care consultant based in New York City.

If you're bride looking to improve your skin or trying to decide on the right style of makeup, this interview will serve you well.

Karuna shares with us a wealth of knowledge including her exact process on how she works with brides-to-be from start to finish. She also shares with her strategies that will make you look and feel beautiful on one of the most important days of your life.

Personally, I enjoyed learning about the professionalism, value, and commitment Karuna brings forward for her clients.

Karuna has a background in fashion from Parsons and is known for her fashion-forward makeup looks and ability to perfectly 'marry' eastern cultural elements with western beauty trends.

Her work has been featured in over a dozen fashion and wedding publications. Her notable clients include Priyanka Chopra, Shahana Goswami, Caroline Scheufele (co-president of Chopard), Amrita Singh and Chandrika Tandon.

Please join us in welcoming Karuna to the Indian Wedding Podcast!

Photography is one of the most important aspects of any wedding. If you hire the wrong photographer, chances are that you won't have the right photos to look back and cherish your wedding memories.

In this interview, Jas and Mandy from JSK Photography, demystify the world of Indian wedding photography.

A husband and wife team, JSK photography has been covering weddings in Northern California and beyond since 2010.

In this value-packed, no-frills interview, Jas and Mandy share with us wedding photography styles, the difference between a "good" and "great" photographer, tips and tricks to get the best wedding pictures and much more.

Please join us in welcoming Jas and Mandy on the Indian Wedding Podcast.

This interview covers:

• Photography styles include portrait, candid, traditional and documentary and why you need them all for an Indian wedding
• Photographs tell the story of your wedding day
• A great photographer is a fly-on-the-wall getting the best pictures when you're relaxed
• Introducing family members to your photographers
• Paying for your photographer's travel for a destination or out of state wedding
• At a minimum, you need two photographers to cover any wedding
• Unplugged weddings where no devices are allowed
• Why you should have the same photographer covering the bride and groom's side
• How to pose for wedding photos why you have no experience posing
• Cary Edmonson Photography and Mr. Edmonson's influence on Jas
• The Secret, a movie every couple should watch before their wedding day
• Making sure you get along with your photographer

Website: https://jskphotography.com/

Follow Jas and Mandy on Instagram: JSKPhotos

Our guest today is Saadia from Kismet Event Design. We were first introduced to Saadi's work at a South Asian Bride event and were blown away by her work.

In this interview, Saadia shares with us the difference between event design and event decor. We talk about the value of Pinterest, Saadia's superpower i.e. bridal telepathy, how to select an event designer and much, much more.

We truly enjoyed speaking with Saadia and hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as well. Please join me in welcoming the Saadi on the Indian Wedding Podcast.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• What is event design and how it differs from event decor?
• Pinterest is a double edge sword
• How brides spend 120 hours doing research before anything really happens
• Wedding design is a reflection of the couple's love for each other
• Beware of conflicting aesthetics and not letting your emotions run wild
• Coordination between a wedding planner and event designer
• Selecting an event designer
• • Connection
  • Aesthetics
  • Legitimate business
• How much does event/ wedding design cost?
• Mother nature is the best designer
• Botanical vs. constructed floral
• Why you need a dessert table at your wedding?
• Branding your wedding event right from the get-go
• Visualizing your wedding day design before you sign up for it
• Tips for brides and grooms
• • When you are nice to your vendors, they will go above and beyond for you
  • Listen to your vendors
  • Get flowers that are in season

Social Media

Instagram @miss.kismet and @hellokismet

Website

Kismet Event Design

Today we're excited to interview Executive Chef Madhoo Seth from The Gourmet Kitchen. Madhoo and her team are based in the Denver, Colorado area and are renowned for their artistic and delicious catering.

In this episode, Madhoo shares with us tips on how you can choose a caterer for your wedding, the mistakes families make when selecting their caterer, and how to plan a multicultural cuisine for fusion wedding.

We also discuss food wastage and compositing and the importance of supporting local nonprofits.

Please join us in welcoming Chef Madhoo Seth to the show.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Madhoo's background in fashion design, literature and luxury planning
• How literature is inspiring Madhoo to create beautiful, poetic food menus
• How to choose a caterer?
• • Researching your caterer
  • Importance of doing a tasting and meeting the owners
• Preventing disconnect between the tasting menu and the actual wedding day meals
• Being respectful of dietary requirements while still staying on budget
• • Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, nut free, soy free, paleo and more
• How much does food costs?
• Mistakes family makes when selecting a caterer
• • Going with the cheapest vendor
  • Opt for the same North Indian food
• Managing wastage via commercial composting, recycling, and flower donations
• Planning for fusion weddings

Websites mentioned:

• American Heart Association
• Random Act of Flowers
• The Gourmet Kitchen

In this episode, we interview Chandani who started Events by C, where she provides wedding planning services in Maryland, DC Metro Area, Chicago and beyond.Chandani shares with us the importance of hiring a wedding planner and how they can help you plan a stress-free wedding. And of course it's true that wedding planning will cost you a bit of money but in turn, you'll save yourself hours of research and leave the difficult conversations with other wedding vendors for the planner to handle. And as a bonus, the planner can actually help you by making the "impossible" possible. Please join us in welcoming the all-amazing Chandani to the Indian Wedding Podcast.

In this episode of the Indian Wedding Podcast, we are excited to bring to you a power couple who are help choreograph Sangeet events at Indian weddings in Mumbai and beyond.

The couple runs a premier dance studio named "The Wooden Stage" where they have trained Bollywood celebrities which included Dipika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, and more.

They've assisted and choreographed at renowned reality shows like Jhalak Dikhlaja, Dance India Dance, Dil Se Nache India Wale, and Dance Plus.

In this interview, we discuss the world of dance and how it bonds families and friends at Indian weddings.

Our conversations range from the power of storytelling to create choreographed dance performances for Indian weddings to the differences between a dancer, choreographer and a teacher - which very few people know about.

Please join me in welcoming the all amazing Shruti Jasani and Paras Sharma to the Indian Wedding Podcast.

This our launch episode for the Indian Wedding Podcast.

Jinal and Kunal are an Indian couple based in San Jose, California. They are passionate about helping brides and grooms plan and experience a beautiful wedding in a stress-free manner.

Indian Weddings are truly magical (and yes, expensive).

A lot of work goes into planning a wedding, especially if you're trying to make it meaningful for the couple and their family and friends.

The Indian Wedding Podcast show aims to introduce brides, grooms and their families to exceptional people in the Indian Wedding industry.

What to expect from the Indian Wedding Podcast:

• Hear leading experts in the Indian Wedding industry who can help you design and execute a dream wedding
• Get inspired by how you to make your wedding unique and meaningful
• Receive insider tips on photography, wedding planning, catering, jewelry, wardrobe, and much more
• No promotions - just value. All our guests are handpicked based on their contributions in the Indian Wedding Industry

We hope you'll enjoy this introduction episode of the Indian Wedding Podcast.