What do they do?
Party in progress’, ‘Wild Girls’, and ‘Bachelorette Zone’, ‘Never trust a man who doesn’t drink,’ shriek the posters in Rittika Sareen’s studios. From selling party props to coordinating with celebrity agents, Sareen ensures rocking parties for her clients.
“When I partied as a teenager, I used to feel the need for planners who could offer all essentials for a party under one roof. Later I went to study design in London and after returning exploited my creative abilities to make props and décor for party venues,” says Sareen, a BA in interior design from London’s University of Arts.
While conceptualising props, Sareen lets her creative juices flow and designs ‘appealing and novel’ products. From playing card and beer glass holders to T-shirts and posters, everything has to be unique. “Every host wants props that have not been seen elsewhere. They (the props) should not lie unnoticed in one corner of a room. So, I conceive quirky designs and concepts which draw eyeballs,” she says. Once a prop is designed, she reaches out to socially hyperactive friends for feedback.
Sareen has a number of products designed to offer her clients — so they have a choice while planning a party. Not many planners, however, do this. Planner Nishant gets them customised to clients’ needs. “Some people come up with very offbeat themes, for which props or costumes aren’t available in the market. In such cases, we have to get them made,” he says.
At times, strange requests can leave a planner foxed. Planner Sahiba Singh was once requested to work on the theme of the Salman Khan-starrer Partner and had to convince the client to change his mind. Rejecting requests, however, is not the norm. She has organised parties on themes such as magic, the lotus flower, the Victorian era, and even candles.
Sareen’s clients are as diverse as her props. “I get to meet university students, doctors, lawyers, businessmen and corporate executives of all age groups. When I entered the profession, I used to think that my clients would only be young people,” says Sareen.
Living upto clients’ high expectations is no mean task. Nishant, who has been in the business for around a decade, says, “the client wants the best deal in the lowest budget possible. Even after you make certain commitments to the client, s/he often goes overboard with his/her demands,” he says.
