Q1. How and when did you start your Entrepreneur Journey to serve the Wedding industry? What inspired you to start your own business? Phot...
Q1. How and when did you start your Entrepreneur Journey to serve the Wedding industry? What inspired you to start your own business?
Photography was always a passion from college days. At the age of 18, I had a camera that enabled me to participate in competitions across India. I also assisted a renowned Editorial photographer in 2008. It took me time to understand that the genre I could pursue as a full time career was ‘Wedding photography.’
In 2013, while working as a Public Relations Manager with a global firm. I started feeling the need to pursue my hobby once again. It was a co-incidence that I was looking out to book a wedding photographer to capture my wedding days the same year. I was thrilled to see some Indian photographers bringing the concept so well at Indian weddings.
This is exactly how I joined all the cords. Candid wedding photography, at that point, was at a nascent stage in
India. After four years of pursuing public relations and almost a decades of pursuing photography, I was prepared to start my journey as an entrepreneur - a Wedding Photography Brand.
Q2. Kindly describe more about your business, your role, products/services.
Happyframes caters to photography and film needs of couples and families who are looking to have their special occasions such as weddings, captured by a team of amiable photographers and filmmakers. It has been a beautiful journey of over 9 years capturing over 200+ weddings across India and globe. As a founder, a fellow photographer and a creative lead, my roles are diversely into overall brand building, creative growth and enhancing seamless experience to clients who hire Happyframes for their special moments.
The Indian wedding photography is somewhere still an unorganized segment. It’s important that along with creativity, we give an organized experience to a couple who wants to enjoy their wedding. When clients hire us, we have systems to understand their expectations better. On ground, all creative leads like me ensure that the experience and outcome is smoothly attained at showtime! This helps us in delivering
an output that’s in accordance with clients taste.
Also, the feedback we usually receive from our clients is that they love how friendly and cooperative the team is from the start, at the events, till the delivery of work (and in some cases beyond when families turn into regular clients).
Imagine having no photos and films at the wedding! We know it's the world of smartphones and apps that real time update the world with some well ‘filtered’ pictures. But everyone still wants their wedding story documented as per their taste. From creative candid to conventional shots, cinematic film experience to the moments you couldn’t see because you were busy getting ready, you want them documented by
professionals who use the best in class equipment. May not be real time but it’s the most timeless gift to yourself and your family.
The most common challenge for any vendor at most Indian weddings is time delays leading to time crunch. As much as we love clicking our clients, time delays do hamper good shoots. Imagine how tense one can look for the camera if there is a 2 hour delay from the planned schedule. Sometimes, one can also cut down on the photoshoot time for these reasons. There are only a few things editing can do after all :)
Q6. How do you deal with these challenges?
We ensure to brief our clients well before their event day in different formats. For most people, the experience of getting married is a new one. With our expertise in the industry, we have created systems that re-iterate the significance of ‘giving time’ to photography and film. This helps in managing some timeless moments captured amidst all the wedding madness.
Q7. Could you share one of your most unique creations/experience for/of a wedding?
Every wedding is uniquely visualized by the couple and their families and brought to life by many vendors like planners, photographers, make up artist etc. Having experienced different parts of India and across, we somehow were left completely mesmerized at these two weddings. One
in which a US based bride decided to get married in her paternal house in Indore. Her brief to her vendors was to create a memory in which she actually steps out of her room’s balcony floor, walks down to her lawn that had the phera setup, the groom and the family waiting for her. It was literally a visual treat to see a childhood dream of the girl coming
alive. We are glad we had the opportunity to capture this moment. The other one was when we organised a live view setup when the father of the bride couldn’t attend her daughter’s wedding. As difficult as it can be for the family, they enjoyed living the moment and ensured the father who was then in isolation, gets to see every bit of his family’s joy. Unique in its own way!
We aim at working alongside wedding planners and portals who aim to give the best experience to couples getting married in the near future.
Q9. What is your vision for the next five years?
To be the most admired brand for couples and families seeking a friendly team to work with. We aim to explore newer wedding destinations/markets in this journey, to expand our presence.
Q10. What would you advise new entrepreneurs who want to start & sustain in the business?
It takes days to make a month and months to make a year. Don’t hold yourself back because of one bad day. If you are consistent, you will be be able to see many successful years ahead in this journey. Also, never stop learning. Keep starving for more, always.
Q11. LinkedIn profile URL link
NA
Q12. Facebook profile URL link
Q13. Twitter profile URL link
NA
Q14. Instagram profile URL link
Q15. Company website & Company blog URL link
Q16. YouTube channel URL link
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Interviewed by: Khushboo Chotaliya - Founder of Sanskari Decor from Mumbai, India
Referred by: Sonika Chopra - Actor, Model, Professional Anchor, EMCEE from Mumbai, India.
Khushboo is a student of Yogesh MA's Digital Influencers Academy.
Kindly follow Khushboo here: instagrm.com/KhushbooBChotaliya
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