Photos:
Golden Aisle 1: Wedding Co-ordinator Sandra Sousa Menon (left) and her daughter Mercedes (right) of Golden Aisle.
Golden Aisle 7: Bridal trousseau for a Catholic wedding
Golden Aisle 3: Bridal trousseau for a Hindu wedding
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Photo credits:
Santosh Mirajker
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Sidebar:
There have been weddings where a bride makes her entry riding on a horse. In some other wedding, it was getting an elephant on the beach or a groom para-sailing or the wedding party taken to an island to consecrate the wedding.
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Headline:
Golden Aisle - customised weddings and more
Shaadi ke 'Side-Effects'
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INTRO:
Although event management has remained well entrenched in the State for a long period of time, what has now covered considerable ground is the concept of wedding planning. One such galleria/store in Margao showcases various sets of a wedding scene, in addition to displaying Christmas decor, as well as various other items of varied interest for ladies and gents, is 'Golden Aisle', writes Nilesh Khandeparkar
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Spread over an area of 10,000 square feet and housed in an heritage house on Abade Faria Road, Margao, 'Golden Aisle' is a venture of Sandra Sousa Menon and her daughter Mercedes. It is a galleria which showcases various wedding themes, table set ups, wedding gowns, lehengas, even elaborate centre pieces and gold-plated crockery. Attached to this galleria is a large space which welcomes passers-by and shoppers from 11 am, equipped with a range of apparel, footwear, resort wear, home decor and accessories.
“It is not only a wedding store. It also showcases day-to-day house items such as clothes, shoes, jewellery, gift items, house warming items, also items for gents and ladies, including a vast range of Christmas decor,” informs Sandra. Its tag line mentions: Sousa Menon - 'Design by Design: Apparel, Footwear, Resort Wear, Accessories'. The prices range from Rs 600 onwards.
Into the wedding planning arena for the past 12 years as a professional wedding planner and co-ordinator, the galleria was conceptualised and fructified two months back. “I decided to put a face to weddings in Goa. The set up here portrays a picture of church wedding or a wedding mandap,” she adds. It was a time when she also decided that a more visual display about a mandap or a mehendi ceremony, or, better still, a church aisle, could help the clientele get a fair idea about their wedding scenario.
Apart from destination weddings which have been her forte, Sandra remains optimistic about the local wedding market in Goa, where the concept of a wedding planner is also accorded the pride of a place in the present wedding scenario. “I decided to provide professional wedding planning services to local weddings where engaging a wedding planner is also a part and parcel for the concerned parties. It extends right from planning a wedding, including the outfits, entire functions from the decor, delivery of the invitation card, personalised gifting along with the invitation card and other such services,” she mentions. This appears to be a far cry from the time the concept of wedding planners was not visualised by Goan families, particularly Hindus, who usually kept the planning aspect of a wedding limited to their family pantheon. “Today, everybody looks out for a wedding planner,” she adds.
The need for a wedding planner, according to Sandra, is not just restricted to the upper crust of the society. “The clients perceive the need to engage us professionally for ensuring the co-ordination of their wedding day. It includes planning for the wedding and varies as per the budget of the concerned client,” Sandra informs, as her galleria targets all segments of the society.
Keeping with this idea of catering to a cross section of the clientele, Sandra claims her galleria has all kind of items to suit the budget of the middle class as well. “For the normal working class, many of the items at Golden Aisle are within the affordable range,” she states. In so far as the wedding planning aspect is concerned, the price range begins from Rs 2.5 lakh onwards.
Planning one wedding at a time, Sandra terms the wedding planners fraternity as closely knit. “It has been a smooth ride for me in this profession,” she informs. Keeping in tune with the latest trends, a part of the idea about the wedding also germinates in the bride's mind as well. “A wedding is a dream for any bride. Therefore, a wedding scenario can resemble a vintage look or a Bollywood look, all depending upon the concerned clients,” she informs. “There have been weddings where a bride makes her entry riding on a horse. In some other wedding, it was getting an elephant on the beach or a groom para-sailing or the wedding party taken to an island to consecrate the wedding.”
Given the emerging trends, a wedding planner's professional services are also considered a part and parcel of the wedding itinerary. “In future, everybody will engage the services of a wedding planner. A wedding planner takes care of every need. We understand the nuances of planning a wedding, the points which can skip the mind of the couple,” Sandra adds, claiming that a 20-member team headed by her together with her daughter Mercedes, handles all these aspects.
