‘Hitched’ liker’s guide

She is truly a woman with calibre. A budding entrepreneur, Shiv Dhanya is the proud owner of the most-sought after wedding planning company based in Chennai — The Knottt. She is also one of the managing partners of a South-American resto bar in Chennai. A final year MBA student at Amity Global Business School, Dhanya is as cool as a cucumber. She opens up to us about her enticing journey so far.

“I was searching for a job after completing my B.Com (marketing) from Stella Maris College, Chennai. I always wanted to do something creative and start something of my own and that’s how I started my wedding planning company with my friend Gautham Reddy. It is been two-and-a-half years since we started the company and I should say, it was an amazing journey so far for us,” she says.

Like all the beginners in the field, Dhanya too was anxious about how to survive in the wedding planning industry. She says, “I can say it is competitive and a bit tough to survive in this field if your ideas aren’t innovative. I reach people through social networking sites and word-of-mouth which help us a lot. What I learned is that networking is imperative in this field.”

What makes her company stand apart from competition is its uniqueness. Most of the wedding planners have different types of packages. “We do not have specific packages that the client needs to stick to. We plan based on the budget the customer is willing to shell out and that is the reason why we are very pocket-friendly. Our USP is that we work primarily with brides and grooms to create weddings that reflect who they are as a couple. From unique tips and planning to designing and execution, we have created each section to serve as a source of both information and inspiration.”

Having planned 60 weddings so far, the company is planning to extend their services to Hyderabad and Bangalore too. A skilled team from Kolkata helps them in their operations. Speaking about the challenges, Dhanya asserts that integrating the needs of the brides/grooms and their parents are crucial. “The psychology of what we do is intense. I do not treat other wedding planners as competitors; we are more than just event planners — we are a community. We help each other as much as possible.”

These days people are more open to ideas and are willing to experiment. “Unlike those days, a wedding is accompanied with many ceremonies like sangeet, haldi, cocktail party, mehendi, etc. Everybody wants to enjoy the wedding week and spend time indulging themselves in different events.”

When quizzed about managing her studies and work, Dhanya says, “Studies are not seriously tough. My college authorities are very supportive and are happy about my venture.” The young girl also has a piece of advice for the upcoming entrepreneurs. “Networking is very crucial in any business. Strong business background is also recommendable as one might have to work with lawyers, doctors, producers and they expect us to relate to them.”