Ambika Agarwal - the real life wedding planner from Band Baaja Baraat

Ambika Agarwal

In the film Band Baaja Baraat that released almost a decade ago, Anushka Sharma plays the role of a dhin-chak girl from Janakpuri who dreams of becoming a wedding planner. Two years later, in May 2012, Ambika Agarwal, the real-life Shruti Kakkar from the movie, set out to revolutionise events in Chennai by adding her own unique blend of quirk and creativity by starting her own event management and design company called the A-Cube Project.

A biotech engineer and then a journalist, Ambika turned entrepreneur soon after, "Engineering was a call after school, but even then, I had a flair to create something on my own. Post that, I followed my dream and made it to Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. There, during my post-graduate course in journalism and mass communication, a small elective module called event management struck a chord & there hasn't been any looking back," she recalls. Today she is listed among the leading ladies of the Indian wedding industry & has been invited as a speaker in many Indian & international wedding conferences. The company first garnered attention when their artsy truck installation for an engagement event raged the Internet. Soon Agarwal was featured on national tv in Ndtv Prime's show - Wedding Trends, which put them on the map of India. Not only has her work been covered extensively in the media. She is also a Tedx Speaker & columnist for a Pan India wedding Magazine.

Losing her father at a tender age of 10, Ambika watched her mom do everything to bring up her kids. "After going through a rough childhood, I decided that no matter what, I should be independent and walk past with my head held high if something untoward had to happen. I soon discovered that there was a lacking of bespoke events infused with the right degree of quirk in Chennai. I was fortunate enough to tap that niche market at the correct time," she shares.

The A-Cube project has, over the last seven years, amassed an impressive lineup of clients and embodies its owner's unparalleled confidence and perseverance. If you had to describe her work in one word, it has to be ‘fairytale'. From embellished autos to selfie spots, bubblegum pink festoons, dream catchers and chandeliers made of Kanjeevaram silk, her events are brimming with bright and beautiful elements. She designs pastel, dreamy hues with English accents or foliage with equal panache.

Speaking about how she wants to take things ahead, Ambika says, "Today we have a team of in-house interior designers, architects, graphic designers & client servicing heads. We live and breathe Design & Detail things extensively. All things are shown in 3D & walkthrough videos as a part of the A-Cube experience. We are now doing many Pan-India Destination weddings & also dabbling with the international wedding scene. We recently opened a sister company called ‘House Of A-Cube', which deals with luxury furniture event rentals. The lack of good furniture, made me bring this idea to life, mainly to bridge the gap of supply n demand in South India." The kind of passion Ambika carries to work is contagious, her curiosity and pursuit for higher quality, have definitely been the agents of her success. Ambika is currently shifting from her 3BHK office to gorgeous full-fledged commercial office in a posh designer street of Chennai.

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