Sandy Khurana On Luxury Wedding Invites© The Entertainment Design Co.

Sandy Khurana On Luxury Couture Wedding Invites And More

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Nayare Ali

With the wedding season on in full swing, there’s no better time for a tête-à-tête with the co-founder of The Entertainment Design Co., the creative studio behind many an innovative luxury invite that’s revolutionlised the concept of couture invitations. We pick his brain on how they stay on top of the game.

HELLO!: The post-pandemic world has thrown up several challenges across industries. How has the growing preference for e-invites affected your business?

Sandy Khurana: “Weddings today are celebrations that are more personally tailored to suit the tastes of the bride, groom and their respective families. Invitations are now exclusively designed and created — both in the form of e-invites with animations, curated music and a personal digital touch, as well as specially curated invitation cards. The personal touch and the space for this will never be replaced.”

H!: You are pioneers in the concept of couture invitations. How did you get into this business?

SK: “Our ethos strongly favours traditional design palettes that can be elegantly reinterpreted in any form and material, to bring out its timeless appeal and keepsake value. Years ago, when the idea of couture invitations wasn’t inferred in the industry, The Entertainment Design Co. revived a long-lost legacy of customised, celebrated invitations and stationery. Our real breakthrough, though, wasn’t just the out-of-the-box design; it was positioning them in a boutique environment.”

H!: How would you describe the journey of the past 15 years?

SK: “The Entertainment Design Co. has established a niche for itself. It’s most recognised for moulding its designs by keeping up with the pace of the changing times. Fleur de Lis by EDC is our latest endeavour in the world of expression and significant celebrations. We’re a unique space for bespoke creations, including customised gift hampers, from the House of Fleur, to celebrate moments that matter with utmost taste.”

H!: Can you name a few high-profile clients for whom you designed invites for special occasions?

SK: “For Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s wedding, we brought the traditional ethos to life. The family was very supportive of our vision and entrusted us with the responsibility of creating an invite that’s still the most Googled one! Another association was with the beautiful Asin and Rahul Sharma of Micromax. As individuals with their respective stature in cinema and business, they are very down to earth and humble. It was very clear from our first interaction with them that we had to innovate, yet keep it simple and classy. And then there are clients who become family — the ever-gracious and warm Nita and Mukesh Ambani. Over the years, the family has entrusted us with all of their invitations, stationery and gifting.”

H!: Where do you seek inspiration for these customised cards?

SK: “We’ve always aspired to bring together a perfect amalgamation of traditional and contemporary design silhouettes, ranging from impeccable dramatic designs and delicate laser cuts as well as regal and elegant classics. Designing rules have blurred; contradictions are now accepted and celebrated. The consumption of social media content is at an all-time high. We take our inspirations from our heritage or archives, to add a dash of royalty or modern interlace to every notable stationery design. The drive has always been to move forward with grace and stay motivated when working with new clients.”

H!: What would you say makes EDC’s creations unique?

SK: “Nothing brings the ones we love together like a handcrafted thought sent out as an invite or a personalised note. Bespoke essentials, as we call it. Personalised stationery gravitates towards things that have a strong connect and heirloom value. For many families, it’s a piece of heritage that’s passed down over generations; for others, it’s a piece of history to be carried forward.”

H!: How do you manage to stay on top of your game?

SK: “In today’s times, it’s very easy to get swayed by trends and forget one’s own brand ethos. To be one of a kind is the philosophy we always strongly emphasised.”

This is an excerpt from an interview that was originally published in Hello! India’s October 2022 issue. To read the full interview, get your hands on the latest issue right here!