Meet Raj Somaiya - Ultimate Wedding Planner Judge

What was your personal highlight from filming Ultimate Wedding Planner?

My highlight really was seeing the planners developing their skills as we progressed through the series. At the start, they were new to the planning world, but by episode six they were real wedding planners. They’d really learnt, taken in our feedback and progressed in their learning and career development. Absolutely amazing!

Without spoilers, were there any moments that blew you away?

I don’t think we realised the wedding planners’ capabilities to begin with. Some of the planners came into the process with particular strengths like floristry or choreography, but as they went through this they developed other skills. Every week you could see them developing new skills. I think it’s the whole progression of them going from newcomers to genuine planners.

Were there any mishaps?

There were multiple mishaps but that’s to be expected and part of the experience. You’ll see that I was often anxious because at the end of the day I wanted to look after the couple, I wanted to make sure their wedding went well. Given the nature of the series, the planners were often overzealous and were overpromising but under delivering. In the moments when they were under delivering, I stepped in and put it right or I had to warn them that what they were trying to achieve wasn’t going to happen. It was often quite stressful.

How much did you have to intervene to keep the planners on track?

Sometimes I could foresee things were going to go wrong but I had to back off and let them make their own mistakes, even though I knew I would have to go and fix them later. Sometimes they fixed their errors themselves or, if not, I stepped in as the priority was always the couple getting married.

What’s your favourite aspect of a wedding?

My favourite aspect of a wedding - and its every wedding planner’s dream really - is when the couple say afterwards: “you know what, you totally smashed it, thank you so much, you’ve made our dream come true”. That eliminates all the stress, all the blood, sweat and tears, that’s the most euphoric thing about weddings as a planner.

What did you enjoy most about being a judge?

I really enjoyed being a judge. It was great to watch the planners grow. That was really enlightening for me personally. I could mentor them and watch them build new skills over the six weeks.

Sum up Ultimate Wedding Planner in three words.

It’s intense, chaotic, but very rewarding.

Why should people tune into Ultimate Wedding Planner?

We start off with a beautiful loved up couple and we end up with a fairy tale regardless of what happens in the middle. But the journey to that fairy tale is fascinating and very entertaining. It’s also giving wedding planners the recognition they deserve because we show what they really do behind the scenes. People attend weddings without realising what goes on in the background and all the heartache and stress. In this show, you see it. I tell you when you go to a wedding again you will respect the effort that has gone into making it happen.

What top tips do you have for someone who wants to get into wedding planning?

I think the most important thing about wanting to become a wedding planner or a supplier in the wedding industry is that you are passionate about what you do. When things go wrong or when things are not going according to plan, you really need to have that passion and drive to get through it. If you are weak at the knees and if you are going to crumble at the first hurdle, then really don’t take this job on. When you are so passionate about something, you’ll be able to fight through it. Get some experience, whether that’s volunteering with a florist, working with an operations manager or at a banquet at a hotel, get some work experience first.

What would your dream wedding destination to plan in?

My dream destinations are areas like Tulum, Mexico or Bali, Indonesia that have history and depth to the country. It is beautiful to see different parts of the world celebrated with a wedding.