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category Inspiration

Five Asian Wedding Traditions To Remember For Your Wedding Day

When it comes to Asian wedding traditions, it can be hard to know which customs are right for your wedding day. Each society and community will have its own customs, some of which will be perfect for your wedding day. On the other hand, some traditions will not suit you as a couple. To help you incorporate the right Asian wedding traditions for your big day, here are five of our favourite age-old Asian wedding customs.

Five of the best Asian wedding traditions for your wedding

  • Written in the stars

For many Asian cultures, choosing the date of your wedding is very important. If you want your marriage to be successful, you may wish to consult astrology or the spirits to find the best time for you to get married.

For example, for a Hindu wedding, the couple can visit a pandit who will use the stars to work out the best date for the wedding. In Vietnam, the bride and groom may visit a monk, fortune teller or spiritual leader to find the best wedding date for them.

  • Sangeet

If you want your wedding to run smoothly with no distractions, awkwardness or problems, you may want to hold a sangeet. A sangeet is considered a mini wedding reception, warm-up or rehearsal. It is a chance for both families to all come together and get to know one another before two families become one.

This is a great chance to celebrate, ensure both families get along and enjoy plenty of food and singing to put you at ease before the big day.

  • Early to rise

As the best day of your life so far, you’ll want to celebrate your wedding day for as long as possible. The best way to do this is to get married early. For example, a traditional Thai wedding will involve a wedding ceremony that takes place around 6 am. With this, nine monks are invited to bless the couple.

While you may not want a 6 am start, having the ceremony in the morning gives you plenty of opportunity to party and celebrate with your friends.

  • Mangal Phere

Circling the Sacred Fire is a crucial custom in many cultures and is one that can be incredibly symbolic and beautiful on your wedding day. With this, the bride and groom will walk around the fire several times. In some traditional Asian weddings, the bride and groom will complete four circles of the fire, in others, they may complete seven laps. Each loop will keep your aspirations in the forefront of your minds such as prosperity as well as your duty to yourselves, family and God.

In some traditions, the last lap will be a race between the newlyweds. The first to complete the lap and sit down will be claimed to be the ruler of the house.

  • Ravishing red

For the most prosperity, red is the most auspicious colour to include in your wedding day. Red is a popular choice in Indian weddings as well as for weddings in China. It is important to remember that India and China have many ethnic groups, the right colour for your wedding may alter slightly. However, red will usually symbolise love and loyalty, while gold will symbolise fortune and prosperity.

If you would like to find out more about how Payal can assist you with any of these traditional features then we would be delighted to hear from you. Feel free to contact us with your ideas.
Jul 12, 2018
| in All articles, Asian Wedding, Chinese Weddings, Indian Wedding, Inspiration, Thai Weddings
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The Ultimate Corporate Event Ideas Revealed

Corporate events are notoriously difficult to get right.

It is challenging to find the right event that ticks all the requirements. It needs first to be fun and engaging. Furthermore, it needs to fit your branding and business requirements. Your corporate event may have to cater for guests and clients while you also have to bear in mind the budget and logistics. Finally, you want corporate events ideas that are unique and get people talking.

Feeling stuck? Read on, and we will reveal the ultimate corporate events ideas for you to take inspiration from.

The ultimate list of corporate event ideas

  • Escape Rooms

Do your team feel confined in an office all day?

It will be nothing compared to being confined to an escape room. Escape rooms are ideal for small teams who have a defined period of time (usually an hour) to escape the room. The escape rooms require a great deal of teamwork, and it can be enlightening to see how different minds approach different clues and tasks.

After the event, you’ll undoubtedly need a meal or drinks reception to talk over the challenge and how the team felt about it. Was there a leader? Did they shout over each other? Most importantly, did they escape on time?

Stunning corporate event ideas from Payal Events

  • Corporate cookery classes

There is no such thing as a free meal, and with a corporate cookery class, your team will have to prepare their own dishes. A corporate cookery class is an excellent way to stir up interest in cookery and do something completely different.

It can help those who are novices in the kitchen and please those who want to learn top tips from the experts. There are a range of different styles of corporate cookery classes from bake-offs to team efforts. You can also find classes for specific cuisines too which is perfect for a themed corporate event.

  • Murder mystery

A ‘whodunnit?’ is a wonderfully light-hearted corporate event idea. You can add to the experience by including prizes for the best and worst dressed as well as an ultimate prize for the best guesses. As the plot thickens, your team will either bond or accuse, and it is highly entertaining to watch. Murder mystery nights will often include a dinner too, and you and your team can often be written into the plot.

  • Coasteering

Coasteering is the ideal action-packed event for adrenaline junkies. Coasteering involves many elements from climbing to swimming, cliff jumping to scrambling. It is a fantastic way to experience the coastline in a brand-new way and incorporates both a challenge and the beauty of nature. Coasteering requires teamwork, encouragement and support which makes it ideal for corporate events.

As coasteering is hard work, make sure to organise a celebratory lunch afterwards to allow people to re-energise and recoup the calories they have burned off.

Award Winning Corporate Event Ideas from the Team at Payal Events

Corporate Event Ideas from the Award Winning Team at Payal Events

  • Luxury yacht

Do your team dream of the high life?

Make it a reality by chartering a yacht for the day for your corporate event. Your team can simply sit back and relax or take up the helm of the boat. Include caterers on board, and your team can enjoy a sumptuous meal while sailing in the peace and tranquillity of the ocean. If a luxury yacht is out of the budget, then many sailing companies will offer a dinner and boat trip combined activity.

Not great on water? Then head to the skies and opt for a stunning skyline location for drinks and dinner with a view.

  • Art classes

A great way to unleash the creativity of your team is to hold an art class. This type of corporate event is relaxed and gentle; it is ideal for those who do not look for the next adrenaline rush. The whole team can be set up with an easel and art materials. An art teacher can then be on hand to offer advice, encouragement and expert tips. Art can help people to unwind and de-stress; it is also very rewarding. Furthermore, the guests will be able to take their masterpiece home; it may even start a hobby.

If your team aren’t keen on creating art then why not have an evening at a gallery or exhibition as a corporate event idea. Complete the evening with canapes and drinks. You can even ask the curator or artist to share their knowledge. This can be a great option to build links in the local community. As a business, you can even host your own art exhibition and ask local artists to contribute.

If you would have been inspired by any of these corporate event ideas and would like to find out more, then feel free to contact us for more details.

 

Jun 14, 2018
| in All articles, Corporate Events, Event Planning, Inspiration
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Six Stunning Asian Wedding Cake Ideas For Your Big Day

The Asian wedding industry is known for its opulent show-stopping wedding cakes that are full of grandeur, and that mesmerise the audience. So much more than a cake, Asian wedding cakes are works of art, with a luxury and quality that you expect for your wedding day.

Elaborate Asian wedding cakes to take centre stage should taste as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

Looking for something different for your big day? Here are six stunning Asian wedding cake ideas that offer surprise, elegance and style. With one of these cakes adorning the cake table, you can be sure to create the perfect cake cutting ceremony photograph and leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Six stunning Asian wedding cake ideas

  • Cake-Pop Tiers

Do you have many guests to feed? Alternatively, perhaps you have so many ideas for wedding cake flavours that you do not know which one to choose? A cake-pop tiered-cake is the perfect way of having lots of different cake flavours that all come together to create a stunning tiered design. Similar to the French wedding classic, croquembouche, you can pile up bite-sized spheres of cake, held together in a stunning design.

Decorate each cake flavour differently, but in complementing colours so that guests know exactly which flavour they are choosing. We think honey and pistachio cake-pops work wonderfully with Gajar Halwa, carrot and cardamom.

  • Mehndi-Style Cake

Mehndi plays such a significant role in weddings and celebrations. With this in mind, you can continue the theme with your cake too. Decorating your cake with intricate mehndi designs helps to tie in the design across the wedding beautifully.

Mehndi designs also work wonderfully as the design changes depending on where you look at it. From far away the outline could be a creeping flower climbing up the tiers, at close proximity the design may transform into an intricate pattern of hearts.

The great benefit about mehndi style cakes as they can be subtle and glamorous or bold and colourful.

  • Rose Gold

Nothing shows glamour and style more than a metallic rose gold finish for your many-tiered wedding cake. You can add to the rose gold theme by having a rose and cardamom flavoured sponge, sandwiched together with soft, fluffy white chocolate buttercream.

While the cake can have as many tiers as you want, an elegant sweep of natural-looking sugar flowers trailing the cake will help to show its intricacy and artistic flair. To keep your cake in theme, make sure you tell the baker which flowers you will have at your wedding or will hold as a bouquet. This way, the sugar flowers can be crafted to match.

  • Naked Cakes

Naked cakes are a big trend for weddings. By stripping away the icing, you put the focus on the flavours and colours on the cake instead of masking its inner beauty. Naked cakes are ideal if you want to make your cakes pack a powerful flavour punch.

The beauty of a naked cake is that you get to let all the layers shine and create a beautiful colour palette that comes from natural flavours. We love multiple layer cakes feature coconut and cherry sponges which alternate deep pink and white layers. Pineapple and anise sponges sprinkled with pistachios and drizzled with passionfruit make for an ideal tropical wedding cake.

Just because the cake is not covered in icing, it does not mean it cannot be decorated. Piped meringue on top of the cake gives a light but stylish finish and a great crunch when you get around to cutting the cake with your beloved.

  • Hidden Room

Is there a specific place that holds a special place in your heart? If you and your partner have a special place or perhaps have fallen in love in the room where you will be married, why not transform your wedding cake to look like the room. Cutting away in the middle of the cake allows cake makers the space to create a stunning room inside the cake. Complete with flooring and the even chandelier light fittings, you can recreate a favourite place in an edible format.

It is a good idea to let the rest of the cake be classically styled with minimal detail to show the room off in all of its stunning glory.

  • Chocolate Sculpture

If a traditional wedding cake does not excite you, then perhaps a chocolate sculpture will. Chocolate sculpting is more durable meaning you can create your perfect design, from a birdcage to a waterfall scene, from a lotus flower to a cherry blossom tree; the possibilities are endless when it comes to chocolate sculpting.

Not only will it impress your guests, but it will be moreish too, by the end of your wedding day, there may not be any left!

If you would like to find out more about our Asian Wedding Cake Ideas and suppliers, then we would love to hear from you. Feel free to contact us with your ideas and our team will be delighted to help.
May 13, 2018
| in All articles, Asian Wedding, Indian Wedding, Inspiration
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The Best Asian Wedding Venues in Manchester, Liverpool & Across the North West

Are you looking for the perfect Asian Wedding Venue in Manchester, Liverpool, Lancashire or anywhere in the North West? Then this article could end your search.

Finding the perfect location is critical.

Your choice of wedding venue should not only be convenient for you and your family and loved ones but should be a place that sums you up as a couple. Your wedding venue should be a place that helps to bring your dream wedding to life and provides personality, as well as convenient touches.  To help you come up with a shortlist of your ideal wedding venues. Here is our ultimate list of Asian wedding venues in the North West.

Our Ultimate List of North West Asian wedding venues 

Liverpool

  1. Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa

Thornton Hall Hotel is well-known for its specialism in Asian weddings and has even been recognised at the Asian Wedding Awards. The hotel also offers a team of on-site Asian hair and make-up specialists. Accommodating up to 500 guests with 62 bedrooms, Thornton Hall is set in beautiful gardens complete with a lakeside arbour. With a willingness to adapt, you can bring your own wow factor to the venue.

2. Thornton Manor

Thornton Manor offers four wedding venues all with their own unique qualities. There is potential for holding up to 1,000 guests, and the high ceilings make it perfect for traditional Asian wedding theming and decoration. With an understanding of Asian weddings, you can be sure that Thornton Manor can cater to your needs.

3. Knowsley Estate

Winner of Brides North West Wedding Awards for four consecutive years, you know you are receiving the best at Knowsley Hall. The Stucco Ballroom can seat 132 guests, and its gold leaf splendour adds a majestic touch to any wedding day. With flexible pricing and a helpful team, you and your wedding party will feel welcome.

View More Ideal Asian Wedding Venues in Liverpool»

Manchester

  1. Old Trafford

Considered the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, Old Trafford is not only a perfect wedding location for football fans but those who want a wedding on a grand scale. With three wedding suites, the largest has the capacity for 820 guests. With a team of wedding co-ordinators at your disposal, you can be sure to craft the perfect Asian wedding day.

2. Renaissance Manchester

Set in the heart of the city, The Renaissance Manchester has a capacity for 320 guests and conveniently has 82 parking spaces on site. With a recent renovation, the Renaissance is a sophisticated wedding location with style and class and can be tailored to suit your individual requirements.

3. The Principal Manchester

The Principal certainly gives a fresh approach to wedding venues with sparkling chandeliers, and Victorian charm brought up to date with a few modern touches. The venue has the capacity for 1,000 guests, and a wedding coordinator is on hand to make sure every detail is perfect.

View More Ideal Asian Wedding Venues in Manchester»

Other North West Asian Wedding Locations

  1. DW Stadium, Wigan

For a spectacular wedding, the DW Stadium is a real stand-out venue. With intimate lounges for small guest numbers or, alternatively, the marquee which holds up to 400 guests, there is a range of options to suit your needs. Parking is a major plus for wedding guests, while your event manager will ensure your wedding day goes without a hitch.

2. Capesthorne Hall, Macclesfield

The extensive grounds of Capesthorne are the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs. The gardens are perfect for a summer wedding with capacity for 700 guests. The venue is also experienced in Muslim, Hindu and Sikh wedding ceremonies. They not only understand but can easily cater to your needs.

3. Wrenbury Hall, Nantwich

The fact that Wrenbury Hall is still a family home offers a relaxed and friendly charm which is perfect for an intimate wedding. With extensive grounds, Wrenbury Hall will be exclusively yours for your wedding day. The space is flexible to use as you wish and is ideal for all manner of cultural weddings so you can have the freedom to a design a day that is truly magical.

4. Craxton Wood, Chester

Craxton Wood offers 27 acres of beautiful secluded gardens and woodland to create fairytale wedding photographs. There is a range of function rooms, some which lead out on to the gardens, maximising the space and making your wedding feel light and airy. A beautiful location with a range of amenities to ensure your wedding is unforgettable and all guest’s needs are catered for.

5. Holford Estate, Knutsford

With the Holford Barn and Holford Gardens, there is a perfect place for every couple to tie the knot. The grounds are idyllic, and the event venue is versatile so that you can plan your perfect wedding with the ideal backdrop. With contemporary and traditional touches there is something to suit everyone.

Find out more about our wide range of stunning Asian Wedding Venues in the North West, the rest of the UK and our international venues as well.
Apr 11, 2018
| in All articles, Asian Wedding, Hindu Weddings, Inspiration, Muslim Weddings, Sikh Weddings
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The 5 Best Corporate Event Examples We Could Find

When it comes to corporate events, there are so many aspects to consider. You not only have to consider the entertainment, high-quality food and superb location but you also have to make sure every aspect works together to create one fantastic event.

If you want your event to be memorable and talked about for all the right reasons, then you need to make your event unique and give it the wow factor. To help inspire you, here are some of the best corporate event examples that we could find.

Our five best corporate event examples

1. A carnival

If your corporate event will be used to celebrate an achievement or provide fun for your guests, then what better way than having all the fun of the fair? A carnival theme can allow you to go to town on theming, while still being relatively cost-effective, with a few simple stripy tents. You can have a range of carnival games such as ring toss, hook-a-duck and the coconut shy. Include tasty carnival snacks such as candyfloss and popcorn.

The benefit of this type of corporate event is that it gives you the chance to scale it for your needs, a small carnival theme could be set up at your premises while a larger event could be hosted in the grounds of an event location.

To thank the people that post reviews on Google Maps, Google hosted a carnival for their Google City Experts and it certainly impressed everyone that was lucky enough to be invited.

2. Comfortable conferences

If your next corporate event is a conference or lecture, then you can still give your event the wow factor, even if it is not considered the most exciting event of the year. Make your event exciting by holding interactive exhibits and small showcase booths to browse. You may also enlist the help of a celebrity as a speaker or performer to draw a crowd which is what Target Corporation do for their employee meetings.

Another excellent idea for your next conference is to transform the conference theatre. For example, a TEDx talk took out the uncomfortable chairs and replaced the seating with bean bags. For events where there will be long speeches, your guests will definitely appreciate feeling comfortable and relaxed. Add in some great food and drink choices, perhaps even waiting staff service for the event and you will definitely have people returning year on year.

3. Jump on the bandwagon

If there is a huge pop culture trend, do not be afraid to use it as a theme to astound your guests. Talked about TV shows, iconic movies or a particular sporting event can all be excellent themes on which to base your event. For example, American TV network HBO threw a huge corporate event for their staff celebrating one of the network’s biggest TV shows, Game of Thrones.

During HBO’s Game of Thrones inspired event, guests could seat on the famous Iron Throne and there were plenty of photo opportunities for guests to become their favourite characters and travel to the many locations without leaving the room. When choosing your theme, try to tie in food, activities and themes to make the whole event come together cohesively.

4. Make it a competition

All people love a chance to win some fantastic prizes. By transforming your corporate event into a game, you have the opportunity to attract a substantial crowd. The competition can be based on almost anything but it is essential to make it relevant to your company and your event.

For example, sports brand Puma held a cycling competition as part of one of their marketing campaigns. Guests of the event simply had to cycle on an exercise bike for two-hours to receive brand new sports equipment, clothing and trainers. For those who wanted to take the event more seriously, there was a cycling competition where participants had the chance to win $25,000.

While your competition does not have to be as big and expensive, it can be an excellent way to get people excited about your event, it can also help with your social media campaign as people size up their competition and start to challenge their colleagues.

5. Get technological

Another way you can add excitement to your next event is through using innovations that people have yet to see or experience themselves. There is a range of technological corporate event ideas and you can draw experience from other businesses. For example, Adobe celebrated creativity with a 3D selfie creator. Samsung also utilised technology when they asked people to tweet their dreams and then they transformed these messages into projected art as an interactive installation.

To improve participation at your next corporate event, consider installing an interactive graffiti wall like the Unstoppable Confidence Summit where the guests could write inspirational messages for all to see.

Got a budding corporate event idea?

If these corporate event examples have inspired you, then Payal can help to transform your idea into reality. Offering event planning as well as luxury catering, we can help to transform your next corporate event into something amazing. Let us know your next event idea and find out how we can help by getting in touch.
Mar 14, 2018
| in All articles, Corporate Events, Inspiration
| , , , , ,

Six Corporate Event Ideas To Inspire You In 2018

As we start to plan for the essential corporate events of the year, event planners are on the lookout for the most creative corporate event ideas that will get people talking and make the event memorable. If you are tasked with planning or managing a corporate event in 2018, then read on for six of the best corporate event ideas to inspire you in 2018.

6 Ways To Put a Different Spin On Corporate Events

  1. Alternative Payment

If you are looking for a way to launch a product or service, or simply a team building event for workers and colleagues, then the alternative payment set up is a fascinating concept that offers benefits to guests and the business running the event. The alternative payment looks at trading a skill or task for the price of food on offer.

For example, if you are launching a fitness or healthy eating program, then you can offer exciting, healthy food by asking your guests to ‘pay’ for it by exercise. You can have exercise bikes and treadmills available allowing people to earn their food.

For networking or skills sharing event, people can pay for food and drinks by offering a service, completing a task. What you then build up is a talent pool as well as valuable feedback and information that can help to craft your business or product.

In fact, with alternative payment, the possibilities are endless, and it can be adapted to suit a whole range of situations.

  1. The immersive experience

To really take your corporate event ideas to the next level, consider a multi-sensory experience. Multi-sensory is an impressive delivery while being at the height of fashion as mindfulness takes hold. Multi-sensory experience can involve a plethora of content. For example, the event food can be part of a journey, inviting guests to enjoy the smell, touch, taste, sound and vision of different dishes to awaken every part of the body.

You can also use a multi-sensory experience to create a narrative. Ideal for engaging guests throughout the whole event and making every aspect of the event tie in together.

  1. Treats for sharing

With social media playing a significant part of marketing for businesses, corporate events are the perfect time to capitalise on your marketing campaign. Throughout your event, you can offer prizes, experiences and exclusive access to VIP areas just from getting the word out there about your business and event.

Offer rewards to those who share your brand on social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Sharing your organisation and event with their network will improve your exposure and show your audience that you know how to throw a party.

  1. A community event

If your brand is all about giving back and supporting the community around you, then a community event is an excellent idea to bring everyone together. It can also help to build relations which can often be strained regarding businesses in the community. For a start, a GPS treasure hunt is a great way to get people discovering the area and finding out more about the location.

Secondly, volunteering for projects can also help to give back to local charities and forge valuable ties with people in the area. It is also a fantastic way to improve your business reputation and market your brand. End the day with a celebratory meal for all involved to enhance networking and thank everyone for being a part of your community.

  1. Improve a skill

Nowadays, everyone is looking for self-improvement methods across all aspects of life. Your corporate event can help to take advantage of this by offering people the chance to learn a new skill. Depending on your brand this can vary, but popular skills could include cookery classes, dance classes, mindfulness and meditations and even 3D printing workshops.

Whatever theme works for your business, you can find a way to have a workshop or masterclass to help everyone feel the benefit of being part of your corporate event. Not only does learning a new skill means everyone gets to take home knowledge, but it can also improve brain function and give improved performance for other tasks too, so it might just benefit your business in the long run. One of the better corporate event ideas?

  1. Festivals

Festivals have been a huge trend, and it is time for your event to capitalise on the trend and create your own festival. Once you have found a suitable location, it is easy to create a festival vibe with pop-up food stalls, a stage for performers and a collection of entertainers milling around the event. It creates a really relaxed vibe and allows people to experience a festival for themselves without coping with the camping.

Depending on your budget you can really go to town with a festival theme by offering everyone branded wellies or ponchos as well as having top rate performers such as singers or comedians to give your festival a distinctive edge.

Jan 15, 2018
| in All articles, Corporate Events, Event Catering, Event Planning, Inspiration
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