Today we’d like to introduce you to Navi Kaur.
Navi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I guess, I have always had a calling for events for as long as I can remember. I was the one to get everything ready at my house when we had events such as anniversaries, bdays or any family gatherings. I loved being that person. I remember the first official event I did outside my house; it was a Pablo Picasso art show during my freshman year in high school in New York. It was a collaboration of all art classes showcasing Pablo Picasso’s art pieces. I loved every minute of that event and from that moment on, which was 14 years ago, I never looked back.
When I moved to Texas after High School, I got super involved in many organizations at my University. I went to University of Texas in Austin for Business Economics and took leadership roles in cultural, religious and dance groups such as Sikh Students Association (SSA), Indian Student Association and UT Saaya- fusion Bollywood dance team. I interned and worked with SXSW- one of the biggest music festivals, which was definitely an experience I will never forget! I also planned about eight- 21st bday parties in the span of 2.5 weeks one year. It was during my junior year that I realized I wanted to make a career out of all the passion I had for planning.
I had a chance to intern for another start-up wedding planning company over the summer after college and fell in love with the job. I decided that this is what I wanted to do and moved to Dallas in 2014 to continue working with the same company. Since the company was just in the beginning stages, I got the opportunity to take on several different roles within the company, including Lead Wedding Planner and Marketing Director, and even opened their production-concert branch.
After gaining experience for two years, I wanted to start my own company. Navi K. Productions LLC started its journey March 2016, kicking off with concerts, parties, charity events and galas. At this point, I was also the Senior Lead Planner with the other company and basically running my own team. Due to that commitment with the company and couples, I could not start weddings within my own company yet. In 2018, I decided to quit the Senior Lead Planner position and take a break to figure out what I wanted next.
My family has always been in the hospitality industry- we owned restaurants. In high school, I worked with my parents to run these restaurants and learn the ins and outs. That definitely helped me when it came to the wedding and event industry, it was another service industry. Since I had that background already, I wanted to know what else I could do to grow more and learn new skills to help my couples. I decided to jump into hotels. I was on the opening team of the Canopy Hilton Hotel at West Village. I had a great team and I got to learn so much about the hotel industry. Once the hotel was open, I revamped my company and did another launch. I enjoyed the year I was at the Canopy, learned many things that would help me better serve my couples in the future, and had the chance to also jump into a different industry. Six months after revamping my company and being with the hotel for a year, I decided I would take on my company full time.
It has been two years now since I have been operating my company full time. We have done non-profit events, concerts and weddings. Our main focus is South Asian Weddings – the ones with the elephants, weeks-long of events and average 500 guest count… lol well not all of them. For my team and I, every single event is a production, hence, the name of the company. By the end of this year, we will have done 50 events since the revamp. We travel worldwide- out of city, nationally and internationally. I hope to grow my company to where we have offices across the country and worldwide.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Challenges are what makes the journey worth it. My family is South Asian, Punjabi specifically. I grew up in conservative house-hold and for my family to accept the career path I wanted, it was difficult. Our culture focuses on being doctors, lawyers, engineers, not being a wedding/event planner. And being that I am so close to my family, it was hard for me to hide anything from them. They weren’t supportive in the beginning, but have finally come around now. They have accepted that this is the lifestyle I choose and that I love what I do.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you guys do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
We specialize in South Asian and Fusion Weddings but we’re always open to doing weddings of all different cultures and religions. From a destination wedding within the U.S. to a tropical destination, or maybe even in India — we are Texas & Worldwide. We have done weddings of all sizes, from 250 guest count up to 1800 so far. We at NKP (Navi K. Productions) feel like every single event is a production! Meaning, no matter how big or small a wedding or a concert maybe, every event is treated with the same precise planning, execution, and attention to detail.
We’re here to design unforgettable productions by managing both the creative and logistical components. Producing striking events that leave memorable impressions, we aim to not only meet our clients’ expectations but also to exceed them.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Hardworking, creative, detail-oriented, problem-solver, a pro-networker and a negotiator, and most importantly, never giving up! Being a wedding and event planner – you are Type A personality and definitely need all the qualities to succeed. These qualities have helped me get to where I am now.
Contact Info:
- Website: navikproductions.com
- Phone: 5127405127
- Email: marketing@navikproductions.com
www.facebook.com/channaphotography
Image Credit:
Channa Photography, Hiram Trillo Photography, Lindsay Davenport Photos, Biyani Photograhy, Lomesh Patel Photography, Edward Mosso Photography, Mir Anwar Photography, Hiram Trillo Photography, VEK Photo, Geeta Randery
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