Wedding planning gets hitched to AI in Kerala
Well, over the years, the grandeur once associated more with north Indian weddings, has trickled down south and weddings here too expanded in both scale and sophistication.
Then, the pandemic brought about change. We saw weddings being scaled down to intimate affairs. Many people began to embrace the 'less is more' philosophy, focusing on meaning and memory over sheer magnitude.
Now the scene is yet again about to change as we have officially entered the AI era. Though still in a nascent stage, the influence of AI is becoming increasingly evident, and planners are optimistic about its potential to revolutionise the wedding experience. Yes, in Kerala as well.
Self-designed invites created using AI invitations have been trending for some time now. All one needs to do is enter the event details and theme in mind – from abstract art to zen Buddhism.
AI penetration has now gone a notch above. 'The in-thing now is what I call 'experiential wedding'. A majority of our clients in Kerala seek an otherworldly experience, where everyone gets transported to the temporary reality they aspire to on their special day,' says Joel John, CEO of Rainmaker Signature Experiences.
Themes are curated based on the clients' choices, including their favourite film or series, or ideas that are personal.
'For example, we recently did a concept called 'Red Room', which was inspired by the club the couple frequented while studying in London,' says Joel.
'We used a lot of neon lights, mirror-like installations on ceilings, lasers, custom visuals generated by visual DJs, who use live graphics to match the mood.'
The themes can get really whacky. 'Wakanda', where the couple wanted Afro-futuristic set designs based on the 'Black Panther' film.
Adding to the AI-inspired setting, the couple was escorted onto the stage by members of River Tribe and Dora Milaje Warriors and kickstarted the celebrations by powering up the neon champagne pyramid,' says Joel.
Another example is the 'mythical world of Atlantis', which was created for a couple's sangeet.
'The guests were transported to an ethereal, underwater wonderland designed using AI. The decor included life-sized coral reefs and jellyfish lanterns,' he says.
'It took us three days to set up the venue. The idea was to offer an immersive experience. Even the food, drinks, and walkabouts were aligned with the theme.'
Moodboards to muhurthams
In cases of destination weddings and multi-day events, too, AI comes handy, creating a hassle-free experience, says Joel.
'There are apps that help track RSVPs, the dietary preferences of guests, rooming details — all updated in real time,' he explains.
'If they do face scanning through the applications, the guests can receive images of theirs in a couple of hours after the event. It's not just about automation; it gives families clarity on what's needed and when, without endless phone calls.'
AI-powered platforms such as Zola, The Knot, Canva Magic Design, and WeddingWire are also helping couples plan their weddings remotely — suggesting everything from colour palettes and photographers to budget allocation and vendor pairings.
'During the planning stage, to ensure how the ideas will look in real life, we use AR-enabled venue walkthroughs, allowing couples to preview how an event space will look with specific décor and lighting,' says Shana Selvam, director of Wedding Factory.
'AI-powered moodboards are highly effective to showcase references to clients. Especially with tools like Apple's VR headsets, clients can actually 'step into' the venue without leaving their homes. In addition to this, digital invites, decor elements, motifs, all of these. It's much faster, even if I draw half of a motif, AI can complete it for me, or give inspiration to work on the rest of it.'
One of the lesser-known uses of AI in guest management is identifying potential conflicts in seating arrangements — a game-changer at large family weddings. Planning teams can upload guest lists with additional metadata such as family branches, relationship tags, or prior groupings.
Machine learning models flag 'problematic' seating arrangements based on manual inputs or past patterns, says Anju Sajeev, a freelance wedding decorator.
'During a recent wedding, we used an RSVP platform where we could tag certain guests based on family groupings and internal notes,' she explains.
'In this case, the family had informed us of a long-standing tension between two relatives. So we had marked them in separate guest groups at the backend, but they somehow got positioned in the same table. The system's seating tool flagged this, and automatically suggested an alternative placing where they would be spaced apart. That small alert saved us from an awkward scene.'
Visualising the big day
AI's greatest strength might lie in its speed. Visual mockups that once took days now take minutes — ideal during the hectic wedding season.
'It's great for showing clients something quickly,' says Divya Menon, a freelance wedding planner. 'We can draft a basic look using AI, then let our design team refine it.'
She adds that AI puts out references that are extremely beautiful, and each of them needs to be worked upon manually.
'It might not always be possible to replicate exotic AI references… the flowers, detailings, curls of the fabrics, etc. So we have to be careful about not giving false representations,' she says.
Pooja Jijo, managing director of Unicorn Wedding Planners, concurs. 'Wedding planning is usually a very detailed process — we manually work on 3D designs and detailing. But during peak season, AI helps us make quick mockups instead of elaborate manual layouts,' she says.
'Our teams learn to use design tools through trial and error, mostly online. The challenge is to match what AI generates. If the design is superb and the execution subpar, things can go awry.'
What's the future like?
While AI brings undeniable efficiency, most planners agree it cannot replace human judgement, especially when it comes to emotional sensitivity or contextual nuances.
'In future, probably in digital invites, we can share a moodboard to guests on the outfits they are supposed to wear. One will be able to see how they would look in a particular dressing style. Such advancements that are likely to happen,' says Joel, of Rainmaker Signature Experiences.
'As planners, we guide clients and prompt the AI tools — whether it's ChatGPT or a visual design engine like Canva — to generate what's needed. But, at the end of the day, it's only as good as the information we feed it. Human input shapes the output.'
Arun Narayanan, a wedding coordinator, echoes similar views. 'We are not coders, we are creatives,' he says. 'AI gives us structure, but the soul of the wedding still comes from people.'
Well, the consensus is that AI is here to assist, not take over. With the right mix of new-gen tech and human touch, wedding planners are striking a new balance — where AI takes care of the structure, and people handle the sentiment.
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