Category Archives: About Ori

Wedding is a ritual that evolves for thousands of years and is completely unique in every culture. We have couples from all over the world, and for many it is very important to keep up the traditions of their native country. This way they can feel the connection with their own culture even when they are far away from it, and also bestow respect to their family (who are in a different country at that moment) and convey connection between generations. It has become increasingly important in the last year or so, when because of the pandemic-related regulations many couples had to have an intimate ceremony just for two without guests or family, or with an extremely short guest list.

We are always happy to get introduced to a new culture and learn from it. Besides, it is our biggest priority to make the preparations and the wedding day most comfortable. That is why we have decided to explore some of the culture patterns and worries of our Indian couples. We believe it would be interesting for you to learn what steps in planning an Indian wedding in Georgia get our special focus. And for those, who are only beginning to plan their own wedding, it would be a good chance to learn more about our experience and some solutions we provide in response to your potential needs. Colourful shots from the Indian weddings of the past season are the best evidence, aren’t they?

One of the biggest worries for most couples is the papers needed for the legal marriage and making sure they are prepared correctly. This is especially true for the couple whose country of origin is all about endless red tape, and the legal marriage there requires a considerable amount of time and a pretty big pile of documents for the application. It is actually one of the main reasons to consider hiring a wedding agency and have your marriage registered in Georgia, since the procedure here is relatively simple. After years in the industry the Ori team has gathered broad experience with couples from all over the world, so we’re always happy to provide you with relevant information on your particular case, just drop us a line in the chat window on the website, or shoot us a message on social media.

As for the timing, we recommend to allow at least 3 weeks from a first detailed call with us to the registration day for those who were not married before. Then for the registration and having all the documents ready you would need to spend two full business days here in Georgia.

In case one or both of you were previously married, please be prepared to allow about 6 weeks. Bear in mind that we’ll ask you to mail us the original documents in advance so that we could have the apostiles ready for the day of your arrival, or you could fly in 3-4 business days prime to your legal marriage registration date.

The morning of the bride is always a special ritual, and for an Indian bride there are some special traditions that require extra attention. Mehendi is one of them, when artists are invited to decorate the bride’s hands with henna.

It’s a common belief that the symbols painted on the skin are for good luck and protection of the bride. It is recommended to schedule time for drawing the mehendi and then for allowing it to dry.

Everyone knows Indian movies with amazing music and dancing. We love them too, and the Indian weddings of course, where people are always such great dancers. For the right mood you need the right music, and luckily our DJ has a playlist ready with all the top Indian tracks. You know what, we actually have this idea to have an Indian office party some time to dance the night away to this fantastic music!

But there’s more, proper lighting is also needed to highlight the peak moments and complement the outfits of the guests, the well-balanced colour combination is crucial here. Well, our tech specialist is fluent in this. The lighting arrangement at your wedding is going to be no less impressive than the one at the Bollywood movie set!

Hopefully we managed sooth your worries and assure you that an Indian wedding in Georgia is an excellent idea! Then there’s only one thing left to do — contact us, and we’ll go through all the details and make sure your dream wedding becomes a reality!

It’s fascinating and often not easy to choose a wedding agency and a wedding planner. You might get lost and miss significant details in a diversity of pretty pictures and good-looking reviews. Here we talk about how you should start, which features you should pay special attention to and why.

Before starting the search for your dream wedding planner ask yourself two questions: where and when do you want to have a wedding? When you decide on season and landscape, collect a list of the countries that can offer you this particular type of nature and weather. Then, open professional wedding aggregators and search for planners who work with that specific country. Apart from the catalogs, you can also check any magazines and platforms about weddings. Let’s assume now have a short-list of the agencies you’ve liked most of all. Now is the hardest step – to choose the team that you’ll work together for months and sometimes even a whole year.

We believe that the agency’s face is their portfolio and reviews from the real couples. Normally, you will find the portfolio on the agency’s website and on their official pages on social media. By the way, we assume that any professional team undoubtedly has its own website and somehow appears on social media (such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest). We also think that sometimes a beautiful website is only a nice cover which doesn’t necessarily mean the great quality of the services behind it. That’s why search for real examples of the agency’s work.

A portfolio will help you get an idea of ​​the style of weddings that the agency prepares, as well as their scale and quality. For example, some agencies exceptionally engage in inexpensive weddings on a budget. Others, on the contrary, specialize in luxurious events with exclusive content. Some offer standard ready-made solutions, others are ready to follow any of your ideas and will gladly take up the creative execution of the most original ideas. How does the agency’s position on these issues correlate with your desires and capabilities? Do you like photos in their portfolio? Do you see harmony and taste in the decor? Are the couples happy, do the guests look glad? Did you get a complete picture of the content and mood of the holiday, reaching the last photo in the series? Answers to these questions will tell you a lot not only about your subjective attitude to these weddings but also about the objective level of the agency.

The second important criterion when choosing a wedding agency is the newlyweds’ reviews. Of course, we are not talking about artificially created comments, but about genuine messages from people who worked with this team. Therefore, we recommend that you pay attention to the presence of the names of couples, their profiles, or contacts. By the way, those reviews to which couples attach photos or videos are especially useful. So you can get a holistic view of all the wedding stages: communication with the wedding planner, the holiday itself, and how the collaboration ended.

You may also find it helpful to mark comments from couples who mention the specific organizers they worked with. Note for yourself the names of the specialists whom couples mention most often, and at the stage of signing the contract, check with the sales manager if this wedding planner is available on your dates.

We mentioned the contract, and this is the third most important evaluation criterion. There is no doubt that a professional approach to any business is secured by the official registration of the company and the establishment of its obligations. When it comes to such a large and important event as a wedding, the signing of a contract is a paramount condition in working with any vendors. Having a contract will protect you from most risks, as well as give you confidence in the quality and responsible execution of all agreements.

In addition to having an agreement, the professionalism and responsibility of the company are indicated by the list of services indicated on the website or on the company’s page. Does the agency openly talk about its services? Are the prices for services indicated? Is there a clear and detailed description of the services? Do you get answers to your questions after studying these pages? Does the agency work officially? What payment methods does the agency offer? Openness and expertise in these matters indicate the professionalism and adequacy of the team.

When studying portfolios and reviews of couples, pay attention to whether the names of photographers, videographers, stylists, decorators, and other contractors are indicated. The work of the wedding organizer is, among other things, constant communication with partners, which means that their feedback can also be useful to you. Did, for example, a popular international photographer like working with this agency? Were conditions comfortable for stylists? Does the agency fulfill its obligations, including financial ones? In addition, this way you will get an additional idea of ​​your future wedding because the agency is likely to offer you these specialists.

And finally, when you send a request to the agency, you get an excellent opportunity to assess the style and level of communication with team members (as a rule, this is a specialist from the sales department and a wedding organizer). How quickly does a sales manager answer you? When answering your request, does he/she pay attention to each of your questions or does he/she touch only part of your message? Are you being taken care of from the first minutes of communication?

When meeting the wedding planner, schedule a video call. First of all, when it comes to a wedding abroad, evaluate the wedding planner’s English level, because in the future you will have to discuss very important details in which there should be no misunderstanding. Does the organizer make an impression of an adequate, open, and tolerant person? Do you also feel being taken care of from the first minutes of communication?

Also, some agencies engaged in destination weddings offer their couples a personal meeting at the company’s office. A visit to the agency can be combined with an inspection tour of potential venues for your wedding. So, even before signing the contract, you will have the opportunity to truly get to know and make friends with your future wedding planners.

We are convinced that the ability to be attentive, caring, and sensitive is one of the mandatory character traits for everyone who works in the wedding business, and especially for the wedding planner. When choosing an agency, evaluate not only the professionalism of the team but also their human characteristics. This will help you not to be mistaken and choose exactly those people whose work will bring you only pleasure. 🙂

Anastasia. I fell in love with Georgia from the very first day I spent here one year ago. Then I came back. And then decided to come for a month without a return ticket, as the last half a year in Moscow my heart and thoughts were already in Georgia.

Evgenia. I was fond of tourism and often traveled to different regions in Georgia. However, a move to another country with its mentality and culture became a real hardship for me. I love Moscow with all my heart, that is why a change in the city was not easy. In the first months, I missed my parents and even thought of coming back, but work helped me escape from such thoughts. After all, it is necessary to find something interesting to do and plunge into this new occupation to get used to your new life. Work at Ori became such an occupation for me.

Yulia. Career was always more important for me. By the moment I met my future husband, I realized that I must have more rest, even though I worked till the very last minute in Moscow. I wasn’t ready for a move to Georgia at all because of this. The adaptation period was also hard for me, as I didn’t have a chance to fully understand what I was doing. Anyway, the most important thing for me was that I trusted the person I loved, I knew he would support me no matter what.

Anna. I graduated from a school in Tbilisi and lived many years in Rostov in Russia. Once I met my childhood friend from Tbilisi, we resumed communication and then decided to get married and stay in Georgia. That’s how I found myself in Tbilisi for the second time.

Alexandra. Last April my boyfriend and I decided to move from Sochi and began to check the possible options of comfortable life and opportunities for career development. That’s how we got an idea of going to Georgia. Just two weeks later we were in Tbilisi. In two more weeks, we got married in the city of love Sighnaghi.

Elena. I was born in Tbilisi and worked in tourism for six years. During that time I traveled all around the country, I’ve been to every region, except Tusheti with its legendary road, one of the most dangerous ones in Europe. My favorite destination is Svaneti. I truly adore mountains and cold, that’s why I try to go to the mountainous regions as often as I can. I also dream of a house in the mountains, so I could spend less time in the city.

Irma. After school, I studied in Budapest for a year. Everything at that time, comparing with Tbilisi, was new and exciting for me: open-minded people, level of service, entertainment, modern technologies. No matter where I travel, however, my heart still belongs to Georgia!

Irina. My acquaintance with the wedding sphere began with the film “The Wedding Planner” when I was at school. Back then I already understood that a wedding is something beautiful and very responsible. At that time, I was sure that I could never be a part of this magic. A dream of wedding planning seemed to be too bald and unrealizable.

After graduating from Moscow State Linguistic University, I returned to Tbilisi, my hometown. Here I happened to successfully organize a couple of big international conferences without having any relevant experience in event management. Then there was my friend’s wedding, and then – my sister’s wedding. I did both of them. Just like this, unpredictably, life brought me right in front of my dream.

At the beginning of 2017, I became a member of Mandarini Wedding team, and by the end of the year, I came to Ori which was just created. While working at Mandarini and Ori I learned a lot not only about weddings but also about myself. I am thankful to this job for all the good qualities which it raised in me. Only after coming to Ori, I realized that I was out of place for a very long time. Now work takes about 60-70% of my life, and sometimes I even notice that I miss work when I am with my friends. 🙂

Evgenia. When I came to the company, there were just 4 of us. During the next year and a half, our team grew up to 10 people. This makes me happy as we put a great deal of time and effort into developing the agency! Work at Ori is no longer just work with a schedule, it became the thing I truly love, so there is no more difference between weekdays and weekends. Frequently, every single minute is scheduled and important calls might turn up at any time. Now I am literally about to get the baby but at the same time, I am still dealing with weddings and solve everyday questions. For example, finishing this article.

Alexandra. In the beginning, I had certain concerns considering job search: I thought that I couldn’t find a decent work without knowing Georgian. I was lucky because I found Ori.

Anna. When I began to look through available vacancies, Russian-speaking companies were in the priority for me. Moreover, I’ve always dreamed of a job connected with foreign languages and traveling. I found all this in Ori. We don’t stay in the office till late hours, we often complete errands around the city and travel to other regions for work.

Elena. I enjoy dealing with beauty. I liked the website at once, especially the photos of beautiful wedding decor on the main page. After all, it is crucial where and with whom we work. Here I also understood that wedding planning is a huge responsibility, as a wedding day will never repeat and we don’t have the right to make mistakes, as Irina says.

Irina. My motto is “One day — no right to fail”. Also, I always aspire to make an extra step, do more, as my team and I represent the country, our culture. I feel a great responsibility to the couple and their guests.

Evgenia. I am incredibly lucky to have my team: both Ori team and a group of the partners we’ve been working with for years. A trip to a wedding is a real celebration for us, it’s a reason to meet friends while doing our favorite work. It is essential to me that I see the dedication and commitment of my colleagues. The ability to care has become one of the most important principles for us: we tend to live through a wedding as if it was our wedding, for example. At night we can have long conversations with colleagues, we look for the best decoration options, work on the speeches for ceremonies.

Irma. I’ve been working in sales for many years, but work at Ori gave me completely new emotions. Company culture, communication with the couples, personal impact and experience exchange. Here I feel respect towards the employees. I also see that our leaders consider employees must have various opportunities to develop and study. During my free time, I love to attend courses connected with my professional interests. It’s great that now I can do it during my working hours as well! 🙂

Alexandra. I am convinced that Sochi couldn’t give me such a job as I found here in Tbilisi. I participated in large-scale international projects, I took part in creating the Olympic Village, organized the building of the Crimean bridge. All of this was an incredible and important experience for me. However, what I do here in Ori is no less important for me. I continue to learn English, attend different courses and acquire skills that are valuable for my personal growth as well. Preparing a detailed budget for a couple has become a real art for me. I consider it as a creation of their special day – responsible and exciting!

Irina. Over the years of work in both agencies, I’ve learned how to create a certain microclimate at my weddings. I never put the comfort of the couple and their guests high above the comfort of the team: I aim to put them almost on the same level. I believe it is necessary to have a certain harmony, respect, and attention toward each other on-site.

Alexandra. While traveling I’d love to dive into the culture of the country and learn some habits and ideas. The idea of travel, as I see it, is in the exchange of positive experiences of nations. Getting to know another culture, we should extract the best from it (such as up-to-date methods of taking care of ecology). Now I’m very attracted by Asia with its authenticity and Portugal with its pure individuality.

Anna. My father is a doctor, he taught me a lot of stuff, so for a long time, I’ve wanted to follow in his footsteps. I read a lot of medical literature, and in the ninth class instead of a biology report, I made a report about schizophrenia! Now at weddings, I’m constantly followed by medical stories: now and then I have to consult guests as far as my knowledge and experience allow me to. Recently, for example, I helped a bride’s father with risky high blood pressure. It is surprising that sometimes information that seemed useless one appears to be very helpful and even life-saving years later. This is the reason I am always open to new knowledge.

Anastasia. All my life I have worked with photography more or less, but I rarely find myself in the role of a photographer. As it happens, now my personal dreams are connected with my professional ones. While planning a wedding I have lots of opportunities to implement my creative potential: I make videos on-site, I take photos and edit them. In the future, I’d like to try myself in video editing, professional photography and maybe even floristry.

Yulia. I’ve always craved for art, and I also thought of floristry and photography at some point. Now I feel that a search for work-life balance came to the forefront for me. On high season it is especially hard and necessary.

Irina. At the beginning of my wedding career, I formulated a mission for me: to introduce the Georgians to the idea of professional wedding planning. This tradition is just emerging among Georgian couples. I am happy that Ori shares my goals: we have just translated our website into Georgian and now we are expanding our collaboration with banquet halls in Tbilisi. Moreover, I’ve been dreaming of Italy for a long time: I’d like to do a wedding at the Como lake coast. I study Italian in our corporate app for learning languages. Luckily, Ori supports me in this as well. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll open an Ori branch in Italy?

Evgenia. Lately, I began to dream of change in people’s minds and attitudes to animals and the environment. Homeless animals, huge amounts of garbage, disrespect to nature… I wish people learned to be more careful with these fragile intangible values that we have and appreciated simple things: warm sun, blooming trees, sea.

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We hope that these short notes could show you how passionate we are about what we do, how we appreciate and love our couples, how responsible we are about our special task — creating a truly beautiful celebration of love. We have lots of interesting stories and facts which we are happy to share with you. If you are curious to know more about our company, check our team account on Instagram. We regularly share our experience and news there and also tell about funny or unusual occasions from our wedding weekdays.