Interview with Ms. Reshma Ramaiah, Director, Event Planner for North & South America, Resh&Co

Reshma Ramaiah

Interview with Ms. Reshma Ramaiah, Women Entrepreneur, Director, Event Planner for North & South America & Resh&Co

“Behind every successful woman, is a tribe of other successful women who have her back.” This mantra is what inspired Reshma Ramaiah, Director and Event Planner for North & South America, Resh&Co. 

To collaborate with fellow Co-Founders Sushma Venkatesh and Costanza Giaconi, to develop their own destination wedding planning firm – Resh&Co.

While pursuing a journalism career, Reshma helped her friends to plan a destination wedding, and this is when she realized she had found her true passion: “The feeling you get the morning of the wedding—the adrenaline, the nervousness, the excitement, the overwhelming atmosphere of love—there is nothing that can ever top that.”

With her extensive experience and a wide array of extraordinary skills and abilities in a variety of fields, including public relations, social media, and customer service.

Reshma has revolutionized the idea of destination wedding planning for individuals with Resh&Co. by creating memorable experiences for couples and bringing their dream wedding to life.

She began her academic journey by receiving a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Northeastern University and her master’s degree in Business Administration from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University.

With the goal of making wedding planning less stressful for couples, Reshma envisions combining various wedding customs and rituals and assisting couples in starting their own traditions, thereby making weddings more memorable and unique.

Can you please share your experience in the wedding planning industry, particularly in destination weddings?

Reshma Ramaiah: My love and excitement for destination weddings started a couple years ago when a close family friend got married in Italy.

I loved fusing different cultural traditions set against the backdrop of a breathtaking foreign landscape.  Since then I have been blessed to work with my partners to orchestrate over 500 weddings at different countries, and further broaden and hone our skills.

Here’s a tip when it comes to planning a wedding abroad: Every country has different working styles—some are more rigid, while for others a daily siesta is non-negotiable. Researching it beforehand helps set expectations and put together more realistic timelines.

Kindly brief us about Resh&Co, its specialization, and the services that it offers

Reshma Ramaiah: Resh&Co is a destination wedding planning company focused on creating unique experiences around the globe.

It is the only destination wedding planning company based in India with offices in Italy, USA, and Dubai. Resh&Co has quickly emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing wedding planners, captivating couples worldwide with its high-touch service and commitment to crafting dream-like celebrations.

Our extensive array of services includes venue scouting, vendor selection, concept creation, design and decoration projects, event coordination, efficient logistical management, and comprehensive guest assistance.

At Resh&Co, we take immense pride in our hands-on approach and the presence of an in-house production team.

By maintaining meticulous control over every aspect of the event, we assure timely execution while upholding our commitment to delivering exceptional service of the utmost quality.

Our commitment to excellence ensures that each celebration curated by our team is infused with a sense of magic and unparalleled attention to detail.

What strategies would you implement to expand Resh&Co’s presence and market share in North and South America?

Reshma Ramaiah: A wedding is quite a personal experience therefore this industry is dependent on good word of mouth and that will only happen if customers are satisfied.

Our strategy is to work closely with our clients to understand their tastes and preferences and then formulate a framework around them.

Our in-house production team is extremely reliable and supports us through thick and thin. Having a planner stationed in the US, and in a city

with a large Indian population, we intend to make several connections that facilitate good reviews and good word of mouth for us to flourish.

We work towards identifying the key trends, preferences, and demands of the local clientele as it helps us tailor our services to meet their specific needs.

We believe in building strong relationships and strategic partnerships with our local vendors, venues, and industry professionals in North and South America.

Working and collaborating with trusted partners will enhance our credibility and expand our reach and capture a larger market share in North and South America.

How would you approach building and maintaining relationships with vendors, venues, and other key stakeholders in the wedding industry across the Americas?

Reshma Ramaiah: You may think vendors need you more than you need them, but that’s incorrect. It’s hard to find people you can rely on.

As a wedding planner, building and maintaining relationships with vendors, venues, and other key stakeholders in the wedding industry across America is vital to ensuring seamless and exceptional wedding experiences. My approach would be focused on collaboration, trust, and mutual support.

Treat everyone you work with as an extension of yourself. Respect a vendor’s time, effort, and expertise. Be honest with expectations.

Have open and efficient communications so you can constructively deal with conflict. Most importantly, pay them on time. These are some of the things that help in building a strong relationship with vendors, and other key stakeholders.

Can you describe your approach to managing a team of wedding planners and coordinators in multiple locations? How would you ensure consistent quality and customer satisfaction?

Reshma Ramaiah: Our team works on trust, communication, and accountability. We banded together because we have similar views on the standard of quality we will not compromise on.

Since all three of us operate from different locations, to ensure consistency in work and customer satisfaction, our approach revolves around effective communication and detailed planning of events with the team.

Regular virtual meetings and updates help in maintaining transparency, sharing ideas, and addressing concerns are some of the things that ensure that everyone is on the same page.

To ensure consistent quality, we have a standardized planning and documentation process. This includes developing detailed templates, checklists, and timelines that outline each step of the wedding planning process.

Sharing these resources with my partners helps in ensuring that everyone follows a uniform approach, regardless of their location.

How do you stay updated with the latest wedding trends and preferences in North and South America? How would you incorporate these trends into Resh&Co’s services?

Reshma Ramaiah: More than following trends, we love to create new ones. By following Instagram accounts, watching endless YouTube videos, and scouring Pinterest, we try to merge different features of current trends and create a unique element for our couple.

Having said that, we are always working to push the envelope and create magic but that happens only after extensive ideation. 

Resh&Co prides itself on delivering personalized and unique experiences for each wedding client. How would you ensure that the company maintains this level of customization while scaling operations across different regions?

Reshma Ramaiah: One of our core company values is “quality over quantity”. To ensure the level of attention and personalization that our clients deserve, we only take on a certain number of weddings a year.

If we believe we aren’t stretched too thin, we can take on smaller events. This also lets us build a more personal relationship with our couples instead of the surface-level client-planner transactional relationship.

As far as different experiences are concerned, our diverse background enables us to grasp new cultures and abide by tradition while also being innovative.

What was the inspiration behind turning an entrepreneur?

Reshma Ramaiah: It was more the love of weddings, than anything else. We wanted to help brides and grooms have a stress-free time building their dream wedding.

Realizing there was a gap in the destination wedding planners market, just pushed us towards starting our own company and becoming an “entrepreneur”.

What strategies would you employ to attract and retain high-profile clients for destination weddings in the Americas?

Reshma Ramaiah: It’s all about who you know, and who they know. By continuing to provide high-quality work, we hope to build references to bring in high-profile clients. And really, let our work speak for itself. 

How would you approach pricing and budgeting for destination weddings? Can you discuss your experience in managing budgets and cost optimization without compromising on the quality of services?

Reshma Ramaiah: We try not to anticipate the budget beforehand as only after an in-depth chat with the client we understand exactly what is needed.

According to the requirements of the client we decide what requires maximum funds and what does not. Also, we choose selectively and handle only a number of weddings at a time so it all goes according to plan.

In your opinion, what are the key challenges and opportunities in the destination wedding market in North and South America? How would you address these challenges and capitalize on the opportunities?

Reshma Ramaiah: The destination wedding market in North and South America is challenging due to market saturation, cost and accessibility. The legalities are fraught with red tape so a business

like ours is taking each day as it comes to navigate The American Wedding Market. Thanks to our extensive experience it is possible for us to grasp the tricks of the trades according to the market.

We also have an advantage over the other companies—local teams in popular destination wedding countries. We are hopeful that with our pedigree many new opportunities await.

What is your success tips for women entrepreneurs

Reshma Ramaiah: Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. At the beginning of your entrepreneur journey, ask a woman in business you admire to be your mentor.

It’s always a challenge navigating in what is still a male dominated society, so having someone be a sounding board by your side to guide and advise you is so important.

When you reach a certain level, pass it on and offer to be someone else’s mentor. Women supporting women is truly the most powerful and effective tool we have.  

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