All about Details
From ad and film production to event decor, no one who has ever interacted with Nilma Dileepan has ever accused her of being unambitious. As the founder of two companies, ‘With Love, Nilma’ (event decor) and ‘Yellow Umbrella Productions’ (ad film production), to say that Nilma has a lot on her plate is an understatement.
Making A Production Of It
A quintessential Bangalorean, Nilma began her career in film and ad production. Finding a passion in event decor was happy circumstance that turned into a full-time career. She says, “A couple of my friends were getting married and having babies and I helped style their events and did the decor, which made me realise that this is my calling. Hence, I quit my job to start my own company, following just my instinct with no training or Photo background in event decor”. The gamble paid off, and today ‘With Love, Nilma’ is one of Bangalore’s premier event decor companies.
The Herbal Route
From Pinterest perfect weddings to themed birthday parties, there’s no event that Nilma and her team won’t tackle. Their quirky and innovative ideas have set them apart from the crowd. The perfect example being a wedding they recently did the decor for that was entirely flower-free. Anyone who has attended a big fat desi wedding knows that flowers are the cornerstone of the decor.
Why the flower ban? Nilma says, “the herb themed wedding was for a bride named Meagan Abraham who worked in the food and wine industry in Australia. She always wanted a green wedding where guests could pluck herbs from the table centrepieces and add it to their meal. She had seen our work previously and realised we are on the same page as her and that we could carry out her vision. We used herbs brought from the nursery wrapped in burlap, wooden crates, and a whisky barrel amongst other props.” The effect was striking and intriguing. Team Nilma had delivered – and how!
Nilma thinks that green, eco-friendly weddings are here to stay, and predicts that the trend will start becoming more popular in the coming year.
Highs And Lows
It’s not all fun and games, though. Nilma relies on a big network of team members and vendors for her events, and it’s not always a satisfying experience. Though event decor is satisfying and creative work, she does deal with some pretty big problems. She says, “Some vendors always find a way to let you down and come late to start setting up. On many occasions, they have brought poor quality products to an event, which we then needed to send back.” But frustrations aside, she does derive immense satisfaction when everything goes right. Her favourite aspect of the job? “It sounds cliche but the happiness on the bride’s face once she sees the decor”.
On Wedding Wishlist
We at Wedding Wishlist are a big fan of Nilma’s work, which is why we’re excited that she likes the sound of ours! She’s all for practical gifting, saying, “It makes life simpler for people. We don’t have to play the guessing game or end up giving the newly married couple yet another crockery set.”
We couldn’t agree more, Nilma!
