Tag: Dec-Jan 18

When it comes to weddings, attending one is easy but the process of planning one can turn out to be quite the nightmare not just for the bride, groom but everybody else involved in the planning process as well. Three sisters Shameema, Shaheena and Sabeeha Akbarally soon came to realize this while watching family and friends battling out the wedding worries. Wanting to find the solution to a common dilemma, the trio embarked on a venture nearly six years ago that caters to the stressed out brides, anxious grooms and worried mother-in-laws, offering a range of event planning services that are designed to make your dream event come alive.

The Wedding Designer, The Party Hostess, and The Party Affair are three different brands handled by the three sisters. The Wedding Designer focuses primarily on weddings; The Party Hostess specializes in the organization and planning of events such as birthday parties and a number of other events, while The Party Affair is a rental service for party supplies.

“Our mother used to help with wedding decor for her friends and we grew up watching her and I think that inspired us a lot”, said Shameema when we met for a quick chat.

“When we were planning our own kids’ parties, people used to encourage us to start our own event management company and once our third sister, Sabeeha joined we thought it would be a good area to get into” added Shaheena describing how the three brands came to be.

The three sisters divide the chores and responsibilities of each company amongst themselves so that clients have one contact to go to for each need. Even though the brands remain independent of each other, planning events takes place collectively. The event planning and creative process of bringing an event to life is a joint effort of the sister trio.

From afar, the idea of being self-employed seems like a dream come true for any parent and moms, Shameema, Shaheena and Sabeeha have now become experts on juggling work and family. “We decide how many events we want to work on so we don’t have a wedding every day of the month – we take a few carefully selected events and close bookings for that month. We know our capacity and limits. It’s also beneficial to the client since they get a lot more personalized attention” said Shameema

Over the last couple of years, the event planning company in particular has grown and expanded exponentially. In a city where event planners and event management companies are springing up like mushrooms, the sisters have managed to set themselves apart from the rest by creating their own niche that continues to attract a variety of clients. “I think it’s our style and attention to detail that people are attracted to. We find clients through referrals or recommendations from past clients, family and friends so whoever approaches us to do their wedding or event, comes with at least a basic idea of our style and how we work”, Shameema and Shaheena both explained.

An event planner’s life never has a dull moment as you get to meet and interact with different people every day with varying whims and fancies. Then there are the many adventures of chasing down suppliers. “We’ve organized a lot of interesting events in the last year but there was one proposal that we organized where the boy also wanted an engagement party arranged for the same day. It was a lot of coordination but a very beautiful event. This was the first time we’ve not had the bride to be involved from the beginning in the planning process – so it was important we got it right for her. She was so happy with the final output she’s now let the groom take the lead on the wedding planning!” says Shameema with a beaming smile of satisfaction on her face.

As service providers the sisters are also constantly faced with the dilemma of dealing with demanding clients. Shameema and Shaheena explained that since they work with clients who are either referrals or recommendations, they find it easier to find middle ground. “Right now, we are very pleased with where we are because family time is important to us and we are blessed with a strong support system that enable us to do the work we love. However, as they grow older and we find more free time, we will definitely look into growing the brand”, says the sisters on their future plans for the business.

Inspired by a leading record label many decades ago and currently a popular hangout spot that boasts of good music and food, The Sooriya Village is the result of a vivid imagination belonging to one Berklee College of Music graduate called Sanchitha Wickremesooriya.

Sanchitha’s grandfather, Gerald Wickremesooriya was the heart and soul behind ‘Sooriya Records’ which was founded in 1968 and went on to revolutionize the music scene in Sri Lanka decades ago. The series of events that led to the inception of one of the most renowned record label started with the opening of ‘The Children’s Bookshop’ by Gerald and Dulcie Wickremesooriya where large amounts of children’s books and imported vinyl records were sold. Famed musicians of yesteryear would often flock to the shop and the relationships built between Gerald and some of the popular names in the music scene paved way for the kind hearted planter to embrace his knack for the local music industry and producing music.

Many years after the glory days of the record label and the signed artists, a grandson with a similar passion for music decided to give life to his grandfather’s dream. He put his overactive imagination to work and brought to life The Sooriya Village which is a space that sustains and encourages all forms of art and creativity. Located down Skeleton Road in Colombo 05, The Sooriya Village houses  rehearsal suites, a top gear recording studio, library and research services, a tech based lecture room, a restaurant with mouthwatering delights, dorms, tea/coffee/juice lounge, performance spaces and plenty of hang out area.

“Sooriya has definitely met its expectations but it’s also taken its own turns to become its own thing. We let it grow in its own way rather than bringing it back to the vision we had for it at the inception”, stated Sanchitha describing the approach he follows in regards to the growth of the venture. Since the opening of the space last year, The Sooriya Village has grown immensely and transformed into a space where many budding artists spend their time creating the next masterpiece. Apart from this many art related events are hosted promoting every type of creativity so it is safe to say that Sanchitha’s idea has indeed revived many art forms. “We are really pushing and supporting all types of artists and music. It’s not just music but other forms of art as well. Music mainly because that’s my comfort zone but we definitely push other areas as well”.

Apart from the historical aspect of The Sooriya Village, the amenities offered and the great ambience makes it a preferred location for events like birthday parties, family get-togethers and even weddings. “We didn’t think there would be this many people looking for spaces to hold their classes and various events. Our customers often say that the effort they need to exert is minimum when hosting their events at this space since we already have the restaurant and ambience part sorted out for them”, says a very satisfied owner of arguably Colombo’s hottest hangout. “We also bring down a lot of foreign artists since most of our young artists do not get the exposure to witness and learn from such artists”, Sanchitha added.

Even though the amenities and the ambience offered at The Sooriya Village largely impacts the positive feedback they receive, the restaurant and the delicious food served will urge you to return one too many times. The restaurant at The Sooriya Village is overseen by a celebrity chef. Everything from the items on the menu to the presentation of the food is curated and guided by Chef Hemalalindre Ranawake, fondly known as ‘Chef Koluu’. Koluu is an enigma to say the very least and his extensive knowledge on food gathered over thirty five years in the culinary field is on display at The Sooriya Village.

“There’s no point in conforming to the same ideas. The fun part about working with Koluu is that he’s completely open to crazy ideas. If he doesn’t agree with anything but feels its ok he will still ask me to go ahead with it. It’s a really healthy way of working together and it really works for us” laughs Sanchitha while Koluu nodded in agreement. “We designed a menu where we do food that people are familiar with so it’s a very casual concept. We have a lot of local food here and on the whole, the restaurant has been very successful” Koluu stated when asked about the menu planning process and the cuisines incorporated into the menu, “since Sanchitha is so creative, he also had lot of good ideas for the menu.”

“We are still figuring ourselves out and each day we learn. We invite everybody to come here with an open mindset. We encourage everybody to think out of the box and to not have a preconceived notion about who we are. An artist is a very liquid-like and malleable person so come prepared to take in all that we have to offer. Don’t just come here for the food, come for the full experience”, says someone we are convinced is a silent mastermind.

Written by Nishu Hassim