SURPRISE AUDIO GREETING
Let celebrations begin as soon as your
guests land in your city. Vikram Mehta
of Mpire Weddings says, “Surprise your
guests by placing a pre-mixed CD with
the couple’s welcome greeting in all
cars or vans picking guests up
from the airport.”PLAN A SCAVENGER HUNT
This is a great bonding exercise and
an excellent icebreaker for the two
families. Create teams with members
from both sides and plan a fun photo
scavenger hunt. The competitive spirit
will bring them together and help forge
a stronger bond.WHERE’S THE KARAOKE BOOTH?
Set pre-selected songs and arrange
for a few friends to kick-off the Karaoke
Booth. Glam it up with sparkly
microphones and fun lighting.A RAJASTHANI MARKET
Organise the usual but with a twist.
“We planned a mehendi ceremony
outdoors with bangle-makers, a bindi
and choodi stall, Kachhi Ghodi and
Kalbelia performances, thali dancers
and even a puppet show,” says Achint
Nag of Krayonz Entertainment.UNUSUAL GUEST BOOKS
Ask guests to take Polaroid pictures
of themselves, the couple or anything
that catches their fancy during the
wedding. Then, get them to write
a message at the back of the picture
for the couple.THE SHOE GAME
Request the couple to sit on two chairs
with their backs facing each other and
trade a shoe each. Ask them a series
of questions like “Who said I love you
first?” or “Who apologises first afterCHOCOLATE
FOUNTAIN
Who doesn’t
love a chocolate
fountain—delicious
free-flowing streams
of chocolate with
fresh strawberries,
brownies, and
marshmallows
to dip in to it?LOCAL DELICACIES
If you are a North
Indian, planning to
get married in Kerala,
you could organise an
authentic Kerala lunch
where local cuisine
is served on banana
leaves. Want to go a
step further? Provide
your guests South
Indian sarees and
lungis for the mehendi.DISPOSABLE
CAMERAS
Place disposable
cameras and see
how creative guests
can get with their
clicks. Collect all
the cameras at the
end of the function
and share the
best pictures with
everyone on the
wedding hashtag.ENTERTAINING KIDS
Think of ways to
entertain the kids while
adults are busy with
the ceremonies. Fun
activities for the little
ones in the family can
include a puppet show,
a crafts corner, a play
area, face painting
competition, or simply
keeping a stack of
vibrant colouring books.A CASINO IS
ALL THEY NEED
Set up some
simple casino
games with
a Poker table
and slot
machines.
These will
keep guests
thoroughly
occupied and
entertained.INNOVATIVE SALAD BARS
An icecream sundae bar, a hot chocolate bar,
a S’more bar, and even a coffee bar—the
choices are unlimited and you will find your
guests coming back for more. Mumbai-
based Mallika Sawla of Paleteria creates
unique popsicles and custom designs for
weddings. These can be done over a
colourful Popsicle Bar.a fight?” The bride and groom have
to hold up the shoe of the person
to answer. It is a fun way to get
everyone laughing.GROUP GAMES FOR ALL
“Setting up beer pong, flip cup, ring
toss or a tug-of-war for your mehendi
and Housie for elders works really
well,” says Mehta.HIRE A CARICATURIST
Arrange for on-the-spot portraits
of guests, which they can take home.
Guests will remember this
personalised gift for months to come.
And if it comes out really well, you may
find it sitting in a frame in their house.WORK OF ART
Set up a community canvas where
everyone can paint one quadrant.
Afterward, keep the canvas as a
memento of the wedding.CHANGE IT UP
Luxury wedding planners Yamini Shah
and Rishi Rochlani of The Wedding
Designers say, “Once we organised a
Qawwali night instead of a generic
cocktail night and the response was
smashing. It is easy to do and unique.”FUN WEDDING VIDEO
At the end of each day, gather your
guests around a big screen and play the
same day’s edited video—it’ll serve as a
perfect recap of the wedding function
and keep the guests involved.AN INSTA-WORTHY
PHOTO BOOTH
This is a great way to
capture hilarious and
candid moments from
the wedding. Personalise
the photo booth with a
unique backdrop and
props to fit the theme of
the wedding.Upgrade
TRAVEL + LEISURE WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS