'It's stupid to cover a bar in flowers'

Q&A: Swati Pandya-Sood

Wedding decor-stylist Swati Pandya-Sood tells Anoothi Vishal about Buddha Bar themes, the Asian look and bloomers you should avoid while planning a party.

Why do you call your company “Bollywood Secrets”?
When I began my business in Singapore, in 2003, there was a nail bar called “Hollywood Secrets”. I really liked the name. It had such brand recall. Even if you didn’t want to get your nails extended, you would still walk in. Also, I love Bollywood, which translates into style in India. We would like to do many, many weddings for Bollywood!

You’ve done some big weddings…
Yes, we did the Sahara wedding, where there were five different companies and we were one of them. I did the main area and detailing on the trees. We covered every inch of the barks with mirrors so that when light fell on them, the effect was dazzling. It was after that that the concept picked up everywhere. Since then, we have worked for many clients, including Radico Khaitan, VLCC, Unitech, the royal family of Nabha, even Chanel.

What have been some of your most popular concepts?
For Unitech, last year, we worked not for a wedding but for the first polo derby and we transformed the space, making it into an air-conditioned hangar for a champagne lunch, with digital prints on floors, grapes and seashells, a ranch look, complete with a violinist. Similarly, when Shah Rukh Khan became the brand ambassador for Diageo, we converted the entire lawn into a waterproof structure, a lounge. I believe in a lot of detailing, in the philosophy that less is more. For Chanel, that hosted a “Brides of India” event, we did everything in white, though people say it is an inauspicious colour for weddings.

What are the mistakes people make when choosing a theme?
First, you should realise that each space, your farmhouse or the Imperial Hotel, has a character and you can’t go against it. It would be ridiculous to do a bohemian theme in the Durbar Hall of the Taj Palace Hotel, which is a formal space. Similarly, why do a Victorian or a Rajwada theme at the Imperial or in a farmhouse that should reflect its own character? Also, people think that Indian weddings mean flowers. It’s stupid to do up a bar with flowers for a bachelor’s party…

What are the fresh themes you will do this year?
My Buddha Bar theme for cocktails is very popular and I am doing a number of these this winter. I’ll do a lot of bamboo and pebbles Asian look with art on canvas (which we source from upcoming artists in Baroda and Delhi) and digital prints on the floors. I’ll also work with a lot of detailing. For traditional weddings, there will be zari on fabric, motifs of lotus or mor pankhi and so forth.

How has the downturn affected the wedding business? 
People are more cautious and it is only fair. I would say, business has gone down by 25 per cent.