‘I just love all things Parisian’

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Weddings are magical. And given India’s appetite for grandeur, especially when it comes to the big day, it’s not surprising if the affair, as a run up to the fairytale wedding, takes the role of an Indian circus. But not when Candice Pereira, the creative head of Marry Me, is in charge. A successful wedding planner, she sprinkles the right amount of magic and fairy dust to make sure that the big day goes by without a glitch.

“My family has been associated with weddings for the past 30 years,” says Candice, whose family runs a successful chain of eateries in Mumbai’s plush suburban hotspots. “As a kid, I always saw my parents catering at weddings. It was something I grew up around and wanted to pursue when I was older.”
Having planned the weddings of some of the most affluent families in the country with her husband and business partner Jarret D’Abreo, Candice admits that the process can be overwhelming. She says, “In an Indian set up, every family member has a suggestion to make. Incorporating all of those is sometimes a task.” And it does not help when the suggestions are not modest. “A client once wanted to decorate the stage with nothing but Peonies. This type of flower is found in pockets of Southern Europe and parts of North America. We flew it in a day prior to the wedding so they wouldn’t go bad. This other time, the groom’s uncle wasn’t happy with the champagne in the gift packages and they had to be replaced at the last minute,” says Candice adding that it was done with a smile of course.
But then there are the more fun parts of the job—like the bachelor parties. “One of the most fun hen parties I remember was when we flew down a contingent of fiercely enthusiastic single ladies to Thailand for a Sex And The City themed hen party. No points for guessing that most of them were sipping on Cosmopolitans,” she laughs.
A meticulous planner, Candice believes that the beauty lies in the details. Little wonder then that for her wedding, each table had a photo of the couple. “I love Paris and all things Parisian. As a pre-wedding shoot, we flew there and clicked a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower and other Parisian landmarks,” she smiles.
Now that’s what we call a planner’s wedding!