Get to Know the Wedding Pro | Tasneem Alibhai, Eventive
Written by on July 6, 2016.
Tagged under: Destination weddings, Eventive, Get to know the wedding Pro, Indian wedding planner, Indian weddings, Tasneem Alibhai
Get to Know the Wedding Pro: Eventive
Each week, we shine the spotlight on local companies in the wedding industry, allowing you, our reader, to get up close and personal with some of the best wedding vendors in town. Here, you can learn more about the people behind some of the businesses you may be using to make your wedding day perfect!
This week, we have the privilege of showcasing Tasneem Alibhai, Founder and Events Director at Eventive. Below, Tasneem provides us with an exclusive insight into the company, tells us all about why she works in the industry, and shares with us what she loves the most about her job.
How long has Eventive been established, and what makes you different when it comes to planning weddings?
Eventive has been established for seven years, since 2009. I was brought up in Norway in a multi-cultural environment, and due to a small community of Asians in Bergen we grew up celebrating various different events and traditions together, such as Christmas, Eid, Diwali and Vaisakhi. This was my first introduction to a multi-cultural environment, and it means that I now have a full understanding of the different rituals of weddings; be they Hindu, Punjabi, Christian or Muslim. It’s what makes Eventive unique.
What do you love most about your job?
I love seeing the final product come alive and the resulting look of happiness on the bride and groom’s faces. It’s a feeling that can’t be described!
What made you decide to work in the weddings and events industry?
I got married when I was very young, and planned my wedding in only two days. You know how when you are growing up you imagine that you are going to have the most amazing fairytale wedding, where the groom is going to come and get you on a white horse? Well my wedding was nothing like that! It was a disaster, from my clothes and jewelry to the décor. Everything went wrong.
When I decided to become a wedding planner, I promised myself that no other bride would go through what I did. In every wedding I plan, I try to live my own dream. You will always find a touch of me in every wedding I work on.
Have you had any exciting weddings recently?
We have just had two major weddings in March and April. One was a star-packed wedding with international singers such as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sir Cliff Richard and Mika Singh, as well as Salim Sulaiman. Both weddings were for UK-based families who chose Dubai as their destination.
Describe the experience a bride-to-be will have when hiring Eventive for her wedding…
We don’t just help you to plan your wedding décor and themes, but we are also there with you from the start. From finalising your dress, cake, and hair and make-up artist, to helping you select your dream venue, arranging the catering and being involved in guest relations, we will help you every step of the way to create your dream wedding. Most planners are in the wedding business because they love it and they are passionate about it, and sure, our job is to help execute the couple’s vision. However, you will be amazed how our ideas combined with the couple’s can blow you away. You will also be surprised by how much money you will save in the long run by hiring a wedding planner. We have established strong relationships with vendors such as florists, caterers, furniture suppliers and sound and light companies, to the extent that we can negotiate on price if we working to a budget.
How can Eventive help couples who are planning a destination wedding?
We have worked on quite a few destination weddings around the world, so we have a lot of experience and know what goes into planning such weddings. We have established a good relationship with different hotels across the globe, which allows us to help you to pick the right venue/hotel, and give advice about either being indoor or outdoor according to the number of functions you plan and the number of guests that you have. We normally take care of all the different elements of a destination wedding, from booking the venue/hotel, to room hampers and the transportation of guests, to theming the event and taking care of the décor.
Tell us about your sister company, TA Signature Weddings…
Eventive is a full service event management company, and weddings are one of the divisions. After seeing the requests we had for weddings, I decided to separate the wedding division from the corporate and entertainment divisions, and TA (Tasneem Alibhai) Signature Weddings was born.
How do you manage trust from your clients? After all, it is the most important day of lives.
Our key is to listen to every small detail and give our honest opinion.
What budgets do you cater for?
We don’t cater for any specific budget; we work around our client’s budget and always find a way to stick to it.
If you could give one piece of advice to brides-to-be in the UAE, what would it be?
There is one piece of advice I always give to all of my brides, and that’s to meet a couple of wedding planners. It’s very important that the wedding planner and the Bride and Groom are on the same page and get along, as well as sharing the same vision. All of this matters on the day of the wedding. It reflects on the atmosphere and the mood of the couple.
Leave a Reply