Wedding Sheroes Who Are Changing the Wedding Industry

On ‘March 8’ , we globally celebrate International Women’s Day every year. This year, we at the WeddingWire India, are celebrating the remarkable determination of Women in Leadership in the wedding industry. It's time to reflect on the acts of determination that have created these inspiring entrepreneurial journeys.

In conversation with WeddingWire India, the leading ladies of the wedding industry share their perspectives on Gender Equality in life and work.

Aashna S Saran, Founder and Creative Director - Aash Studio 

Q. What progress have you seen on Gender Equality in your life and work?

- I’ve been fortunate enough to be around people who perceive women as nothing less than men. What I am and where I am today is a lot because of my family. I believe it all starts from there. I made it through because of their continuous motivation and any sort of indifference in gender roles. With this being said, I’ve always wanted to build the same environment for women who associate with me and my agency. Today at Aash Studio, we’re an all girls team who run the show flawlessly while making sure to empower each other at the same time. Women pull women and I wish to be on it now and in the years to come. 

Q. Would you like to highlight some significant changes that Women in Leadership have brought into the wedding industry recently?

• Women tend to be more emotionally expressive as compared to men. Tapping on to the Elements that define emotions/personalities in the wedding set up is something I believe women in the industry have fabulously incorporated. 
• Given the culture that we’re living in at present, a woman takes up multiple roles in her day to day life. There are certain things that come naturally to women such as determination, attention to detail and measured thinking which work absolutely in favour of the  wedding industry in today’s day. 
• One of the things that remain constant for women is to bring about a change. For themselves, for other women and for a better world. This has made us more conscious about everything we do and it’s consequences. The Women entrepreneurs have bought a significant change in the wedding industry by opting for solutions that are environmentally friendly. Sustainability is rapidly growing which is a great development.

Meeta Gutgutia, Director of Ferns n Petals Group 

Q. What does the day - International Women’s Day mean to you?

- Women are the strongest and they often put their desires or sorrows aside to conquer even the toughest fight. Though, I personally believe they should be appreciated for their contributions without waiting for any special occasion. Having said that, International women’s day is an extremely empowering day to pay tribute to all the inspiring ladies in one’s life and make them feel beyond special. It is a day for promoting awareness on gender equality and celebrating each and every achievement of her in all spheres of life. Whether it’s your business partner, friend, mother, or even people working under you, gratitude is all that matters. 

Q. How do you make your company/team an empowering place for your aspiring female colleagues?

- The turmoil of Covid 19 pandemic has affected everyone including women. Factors like job loss, bereavements in the family have not only affected the mental health but physical health too. As an organisation, we have been standing tall to support the female staff by ensuring equal hikes, job security and hiring more female workforce. When the wedding season was facing the lows, we kept the motivation high and ensured everyone gets paid without any gender biases. Adhering to the theme of this year, we are focusing on broadening awareness on gender equality and introducing new laws and programs to omit any type of inequality at the workplace. In fact, every women’s day, we organise a party for all the female staff across all levels to dance out all the worries and stress. This women’s day let’s pledge to respect the dignity of women at the workplace, college, home or anywhere else. Let’s be more mindful every day and moment.

Also Read - Meet the Women Who Drive India's Dream Wedding Industry 

Samaira Sandhu, Bridal Makeup Artist

Image Credits - Samaira Sandhu

Q. Who was your #Shero as a young entrepreneur?

- I have always been inspired by the women I see around me. Any woman who is taking an initiative, going out to work and doing her best is an inspiration. I don’t have a specific name in mind but even a woman who makes an effort to drive a tea stall on the road is an inspiration because as women it’s not very easy for us to step out and work in this sub continent, we have our challenges.

Q. Your message to young hmu artists on this Women’s day.

- I would like to highlight the importance of hard work, not giving up - persistency, perseverance and not letting anyone dictate terms to you.

Ruchita Bansal, Founder & Creative Director,  Izhaar

Q. How do you make your company/team an empowering place for your aspiring female colleagues?

- As a woman it was slightly challenging for me to break the glass ceiling and get over the stereotypes the world put us in. To make it easier for other women in the world of corporate, I provide equal opportunities to women of my organisation to be the core decision makers and team leaders.

Q. What are the biggest challenges that women leaders still face in the industry?

- The biggest challenge for the women leaders around the world is ‘equal pay.’ It's not only the corporate industry but all the industries around the world where equal pay is an issue. Be it Hollywood or corporate around the globe women are paid less than men. I believe in doing my bit and bringing a change by offering equal pay in my industry.

Q. Would you like to suggest some changes that can help young women reach their true potential in the Indian wedding industry?

- Whatever you do, be different. Don’t try to imitate anyone, be more ambitious. Be persevering and trust yourself. Excellence is the best way to go ahead and don’t fear failure. Dare and get what you want as an independent woman who does not let herself be influenced by what others might think.’ We are moving to a very exciting time in history where the world now "expects" equity, diversity and inclusion. The world notices its absence and celebrates its presence.

Roma Ganesh, Founder of Roma Ganesh Photography 

Q. Who was your #Shero as a young entrepreneur? 

- My mom has always been my Shero and my inspiration. Even when I was young, I was more inclined towards creative work over academics and my mother supported my creative flair and encouraged me to choose a creative line of work like Fashion designing or Photography. I have also drawn inspiration from my mother’s small businesses. She had really interesting business concepts that were ahead of time. In the year 2003, she worked alongside a friend to create healthy salad boxes for health and fitness focused people. She had also started a party decoration accessories line offering creative decoration boxes, props, plates, cups etc for birthday parties. Her creative instincts inspired me to follow my dreams. 

Q. Would you like to highlight some significant changes that Women in Leadership have brought into the wedding industry recently?

- A girl’s wedding day is very special and important to her. Women in leading roles in the wedding industry understand the significance of these celebrations in the lives of the brides, groom and their families. In photography, the angles of wedding photographs and how the brides look in these pictures is very important to them. These are memories of their wedding day that they will carry for the rest of their lives. As a woman in photography, I understand the importance of capturing the bride at her best even if it’s a candid moment. I prioritise how they look in my photos over other things. 

Priya Maganti, CEO - RVRPRO

Q. How do you make your company/team an empowering place for your aspiring female colleagues?

- As a female leader, I have hired more females in my team. Right from the HR department to photography team, we have aspiring women in all of our departments. Women employees usually have a lot of responsibilities like multitasking and we completely understand that in our organisation. We have also set the work from home policy for team members who have been working with RVRPRO since a very long time. Especially this year with COVID and kids homeschooled, our female team members have a special place in the team. I encourage women to be independent and self earning so when I find talented women, we encourage them with opportunities in our workplace. I also provide counselling and guidance, woman to woman to support my team’s journey. 

Q. What are the biggest challenges that women leaders still face in the industry?

- The sky is the limit for women in the wedding industry. Our industry is dominated by women entrepreneurs. The true challenge lies within the entrepreneurs. We should not limit ourselves. Aspiring women must get out of the bubble and strive for what they want to achieve. It’s incredible how the industry and society is encouraging women nowadays. A very important thing to remember is that you must be able to accomplish the task as promised to the client.  

Monisha Ajgaonkar, Founder of The Photo Diary

Q. Would you like to suggest some changes that can help young women reach their true potential in the Indian wedding industry?

- In photography, if I notice that someone has the potential to capture moments or edit photos, then I make sure to boost their confidence and help them purse a career in photography. I would love to help more women with dreams, if you have the talent and patience then supporting other women becomes easier. 

Q. Your message to young female entrepreneurs on this Women’s day. 

- Aspiring women entrepreneurs need to believe in themselves and learn from their mistakes. You should get inspired from other’s work but you should not copy them. Understand your  strengths and weaknesses, and keep working on it. You need to take one day at a time and believe in yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself, it takes time to learn about life and camera techniques.