We had the good fortune of connecting with Bidisha Idnani Amee Khamar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bidisha Idnani, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The driving factor behind the success of our business is our strong partnership. It really is true that team work makes the dream work! Over time we have developed strengths that we not only have identified in ourselves but acknowledge in each other, This makes it easy for us to delegate work. On the flip-side, we also well aware of our weaknesses and know when to step in for one another when necessary. When it comes to weddings, no matter how much we plan in advance, there are simply things we cannot anticipate arising on the day of. This is when teamwork becomes especially important. We bounce ideas off one another to problem-solve in the moment. We also take the time to debrief after every event to evaluate what we could have done better and how we can tackle a specific problem going forward. The trust we built in our friendship has translated really well into our business. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine changing that dynamic. But as our demand is growing, expanding our team is becoming a necessity! The main thing we will be looking out for is bringing on team members for whom we can build that same level of trust and understanding.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our elevator pitch to couples has not really changed since we started out in late 2016. We both have full time jobs and as such take on a limited amount of events per year. This way we can dedicate a lot of attention to each event and we don’t have to compromise on the quality of work we provide. We are often asked by prospective clients on whether we will be able to handle their wedding; they are understandably worried that we may be stretched too thin. We explain that we do this because we are passionate about event planning and about building our business- we put a lot of integrity and hard work into each event but enjoy it enough that it doesn’t feel like a second job. The challenge we have faced and continued to face is establishing ourselves in the industry. At this point, we don’t have the bandwidth to dedicate enough time to advertising or networking as much as we would like. One thing that has proven successful in overcoming this is fostering relationships with other vendors in the planning process. The wedding/event planning industry is very close knit and we have worked with some really wonderful people we can now call our network. This has been invaluable to us as we are able to collaborate, refer clients and develop friendships.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a tough question- there are so many great neighborhoods in Atlanta to explore! Below is our sample itinerary: We start the week in one of Atlanta’s most interesting areas: Decatur. First stop is the General Muir for brunch. Their bagels and cookies are also a great option if you are on the go. We’d head for a walk around Lullwater Park. Once it’s a reasonable hour to start drinking, we’d try the local beer at Three Taverns Brewery followed by cocktails at Leon’s and ending the night with dinner at the Iberian Pig. If you’re visiting, you have to spend time in Downtown to see Atlanta’s biggest tourist hot spots. We’d visit Broad Street and go to the fast-casual Indian restaurant NaanStop to power up for the day- the award-winning samosas are a must-have. Next stop is the Georgia Aquarium which has the biggest tank in the world with four whale sharks! After all the walking, going to Glenn Lounge for happy hour will be much-needed retreat. If you’re up for it, you should head to the institution that is the Clermont Hotel for food and a rooftop view. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can keep the night going at the Clermont lounge for Karaoke night. Good spot for sighting celebrities and conversation with interesting locals! Wednesday we’d explore Grant Park and Midtown. Six Feet Under has a beautiful rooftop and great bar fare. The Botanical Gardens is a beautiful area to walk around in and there’s also a place to grab cocktails. We would end the night by getting the best pizza in Atlanta at Antico Pizza (and there’s a gelateria right across the street). Thursday would be a great day to visit the very hip Inman Park. Krog Street Market has amazing food and the Krog Street Tunnel area has plenty of interesting art to browse. Ration and Dram has some of our favorite cocktails in the city. If there’s something good playing, we would head to Variety Playhouse for a concert and end the night at the Porter for dinner and an expansive selection of beer. Friday would be a good day to spend in East Atlanta. Dr. Bombay’s High Tea has a unique and quirky tea service and adjacent, there’s a great area to shop at retro boutiques. Banshee would be our recommendation for dinner, followed by a concert at The Earl. If you’re in the mood to dance, don’t miss going to the Basement. Their 90s hip-hop night does not disappoint. If you find yourself still out and about, Octopus bar is open with the perfect late-night ramen. One of Atlanta’s newest attractions is the Beltline. Saturday brunch at Parish is a great way to start the day. Our recommendation is to get there early! You can walk off brunch by walking or biking the Beltline as far as you can go. There’s also Ponce City Market for more food and shopping, Piedmont Park for relaxing and Fox Theatre for a good show. Rounding out the week, we would head to Fox Bros for their insanely good BBQ. And if it’s soccer season, going to an Atlanta United game at the new Mercedes-Benz stadium is high on our list; the crowd energy is amazing! Finally, if you’re not from the south, you must go to Waffle House. Their chocolate chip waffle is the best sweet treat to have before heading to the airport.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We owe a shoutout to the very first couple we worked with, Sabah & Nakib Kahandaker (who happens to be featured in Voyage as well). When we first started out, we had no experience in event planning, and we needed someone to take a chance on us. They hired us for their wedding, believing in us enough to be a part of one of the biggest celebrations of their lives!. And after two years, they are some of our biggest supporters- whether that’s hiring us for other events, serving as a reference or making referrals. We are grateful to have the experience of working with a couple who believes in our hustle and continues to be there for us.

Website: www.cakesandrose.com
Instagram: @cakesroseevents

Image Credits
Keyur Khamar