Through growing up in a family full of creative artists, it has always been a passion of ours to work together. Yes, you heard that right! The four of us at Rani Even Decor are family...cousins to be exact! We were always the go-getters with a lot of ideas and were considered to be "non-traditional" in the way we thought. We put a value on creativity and strived to complete our projects with the utmost care.
As we've done more and more work, we are looking to really disrupt the décor industry. We love to try novel and new ideas while catering to all spectrums of individuals within the Tamil community. There were so many questions we asked ourselves before starting Rani Event Décor. For example, why did we want to enter such a competitive industry? It sounded like a lot of work and we were unsure about where to start. We each had strengths that complemented one another fairly well. But we took the leap of faith because we know we had each other and believed the timing was right. We were fairly confident that we would be successful!
Meet the Team!
Mathuran Tharmalingam is a project manager by trade that is responsible for the scheduling and execution of each event as our Project Director. In addition, he manages the marketing roadmap for our social media channels.
Givagaran Nithiyantham comes from a photography background and is the Creative Director for each of our stylist events.
Rishy Mahendran ensures that the business runs smoothly and is our Director of Operations.
Vithusan Balasothy comes from a technical/financial background and as such, it makes sense that he is our Director of Finance.
We faced many obstacles starting the business. It is not something that you can take on leisurely, but rather something you needed to jump headfirst into. First, we had to align ourselves internally in terms of the direction of the company before moving forward. Secondly, we had to overcome the concern about building a business with family. We grew up together and were worreid about what our parents would think about us going into business together. Our families gave us their blessings which was very encouraging! The biggest challenge, as it is with most businesses, was finances. We had all just graduated and were looking to advance our careers. The choice to put money into the business was a huge step for us.
Once we started the business, it became about vision and execution. We had to keep up with current trends to stay relevant, but to stand out, we had to be bold and do our own original concepts. Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of having a booth at the 2018 Samyuktha Wedding Show. It had a great turnout and was a good platform for us to showcase our team and our work. We also had the opportunity to speak to a large number of potential clients and hear their ideas. We heard a common thought - the rustic theme was a popular one! We immediately thought of backyards, barns and forests. The colours that fit this theme included: espresso browns with dark greens and whites.
The challenge then became, how do we bring the rustic theme inside wedding venues that are built to look grand and majestic? How do we mix traditional with rustic? We said - "Why not both?". We took this challenge head-on by doing things like incorporating Ganesh statues, that were white or bronze instead of the traditional gold. Instead of heavy, overpowering structures/pillars, we went with customer-built unique pieces. Backyard string lights, actual tree trunks and building diamond fences were just some of the many custom projects we did.
People ask us for advice on setting up a new business, now that we've been operational for a little. One thing we say is that people operate out of a place of fear. They hesitate on pursuing a business idea because they're not sure if it will succeed. You can ponder and analyze as much as you want, but ultimately you must take action. Follow your gut! Everything in life has a risk. Of course starting a business is risky, but you can always take a calculated risk to get it going. One thing we did for our own sanity was to create a business plan which aligned us internally and helped us think through things that we otherwise might have not. Looking at real numbers really puts things into perspective. It also made us realize that it is wise to pursue a business with a partner or multiple partners. Partnerships allow you to distribute the workload amongst multiple people and spread the risk as well. You don't have to put the whole weight of success on your own shoulders. Finally, the most important lesson we've learned is to follow your heart and pursue something that you feel passionate about. As cliché as it sounds, investing your time into something you love will be a lot more satisfying than doing it purely for financial reasons. We've learned the value of hardwork and teamwork, as the results really speak for themselves. With the upcoming wedding season soon approaching, we are looking to learn, grow and blow away future client expectations with innovative designs.
Check out some images of our work below (photography credit goes to EM Photography):
Written by:
Mathuran Tharmalingam, Co-Founder, Project Director at PMO & Marketing Director
Giva Nithiyanantham. Co-Founder & Creative Director
Rishy Mahendran, Co-Founder & Director of Operations
Vithusan Balasothy, Co-Founder & Director of Finance
https://www.instagram.com/p/
