WEAVING WEDDING WONDERLANDS

Wedding designers are storytellers who immerse themselves into the process to bring the couple's grand vision to life. Brides Today speaks to some of India's finest minds who dream up unforgettable weddings.

- By REWATI RAU

SUMANT JAYAKRISHNAN Founder, Sumant Jayakrishnan Design

In the multiverse of Indian weddings, few creators have shaped the visual language as intuitively as Sumant Jayakrishnan.

Widely regarded for his atmospheric and cinematic approach, Sumant designs not just sets but all-new worlds — immersive environments with texture, light and feeling.

“A wedding is never just an event,” says the designer, who, with over two decades in this field, has dreamed up elaborate sets for different generations of the same family. “It’s a moment suspended in emotion. My job is to create a space where that emotion feels held, to be a conduit for people.”

Back in 2000, Sumant created a spatial design as a “hobby” for businessman Lalit Modi’s late wife Minal, when she was hosting a grand pre-wedding dinner for former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s son. The very next year, he designed spaces for the wedding of former MP Shobhana Bhartia’s son.

In the past 25 years, Sumant has also designed sets for numerous celebrities and influential personalities, including the welcome night production at Jamnagar for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.

Sumant’s process begins long before sketches or swatches. He starts by listening — to the couple, the family, and the mood they gravitate towards.