Surprise in safe hands

Chennai has long celebrated love and friendship with drama, music, and flair. From a simple Rs 20 chocolate that brought joy a decade ago to todays elaborate candles and flowers over the shore, the city has embraced the art of the well-planned surprise. Professional planners are now turning these inspirations into reality, orchestrating rooftop proposals, beachside candlelight dinners, flashmobs, and musical performances that blend creativity, emotion, and the citys signature flair for storytelling. CE explores how the citys surprise planners are transforming celebrations with thoughtfully crafted experiences, balancing creativity, logistics, and client trust every step of the way. Crafting moments Executing a surprise is no childs play. For Abdul, co-founder of the6.in, it meant turning fleeting ideas into experiences that leave lasting memories. The company was started in Coimbatore in 2009 by Sakthivel, initially with small surprises among friends. But as word spread, the team expanded to Chennai and later across Tamil Nadu. Today, their repertoire includes elaborate creations such as the Remo-inspired proposal, the Crane Surprise where couples are lifted atop a crane with candle message displayed below and cake-cutting mid-air on chartered planes. We never impose surprises on clients. They come with ideas, and we visualise and execute them according to their budget and imagination, says Abdul. He adds that while budgets vary, from visual surprises starting at Rs 500 to extravagant full-day celebrations reaching lakhs, the focus is always on preserving the magic of the moment. The Majors of Minors, founded a decade ago by Deepak and Priyanka, began out of a shared passion for music. I am a guitarist, and my wife, a singer. We started surprising friends on their birthdays, and word of mouth helped us grow, Deepak recalls. Their work gradually evolved from musical performances to comprehensive surprise experiences, including yacht celebrations, candlelight dinners, and celebrations in luxury cars. Time and precision are crucial to their approach. Even a single minute of joy requires hours of preparation, Deepak says. Their team has innovative solutions for clients who cannot step out, bringing candlelight dinners or musical performances into homes. Meanwhile, what began as a casual machan, namba oru business start pannanum conversation turned into a full-fledged venture for Shahul Ahmed, who launched Surprise Machi in 2016 after leaving his corporate job in Dubai. Approaching the concept with creativity and experimentation, Shahul brainstormed over a hundred ideas during a playful Skype call with a friend, which eventually culminated in his first real event: an anniversary surprise for a friends parents. Even with minimal resources, the happiness of the recipients convinced me this could work, he recalls. Certain types of surprises continue to trend in Chennai: Beach proposals, mall flashmobs, candlelight dinners, and conceptualised experiences tailored to individual clients. The planners are also embracing inclusivity, curating celebrations for clients from LGBTQIA+ community, international visitors, and corporate collaborations. Make it personal Unlike traditional event managers who coordinate weddings or corporate events, surprise planners operate in a space defined by emotional resonance and personalisation. Event planning is more about logistics, arranging teams for catering, florists, or dcor. But a surprise is about connecting with someones emotions, timing every detail perfectly, explains Deepak. Abdul echoes this sentiment, adding,Planning a birthday or wedding is one thing, but a surprise is entirely different. You have to step into the shoes of both the giver and the receiver; otherwise, the moment loses its magic. The process of crafting surprises requires meticulous planning and client engagement. Abdul emphasises building trust as the foundation of every project. We chat constantly with clients to build trust. They dont know us, we dont know them trust is the first step to delivering a meaningful surprise, he says. Deepak and Priyanka highlight their hands-on approach, often supervising setups themselves and personally communicating with clients from start to finish. Shahul adds that last-minute requests are a defining challenge of the industry. If clients give us 10 to 20 days, we create something extraordinary. Even at the last minute, we make sure the experience is memorable, he says. Each team has mastered the delicate art of balancing imagination with practicality securing permissions in busy malls, improvising for intimate home settings, and meticulously aligning every musical, visual, or theatrical element with the clients vision. Even when the pandemic brought physical gatherings to a halt, these planners were quick to innovate, pioneering virtual surprises that kept celebrations alive and proved that creativity in this field knows no bounds. Bring back memories Clients experiences highlight the emotional impact of a well-planned surprise. Prashaanth MK, who hired Surprise Machi for a flash mob and a midnight proposal, says, I doubted if they could bring my thoughts into reality, but they did it beyond imagination and on a grand scale. Prawin NM, a repeat client of The Majors of Minors, recalls the wedding anniversary surprise for his sister: The dedication and personal touch they brought was astonishing! My sister had happy tears as I asked them to customise the songs to her favourites. Social media and digital media amplify demand, with clients increasingly seeking cinematic-quality, shareable moments that reflect personal stories and emotions. As the demand for personalised celebrations continues to grow, Chennais surprise planning industry is evolving rapidly. While new teams have entered the field, those with experience continue to stand out through their creativity, rigorous planning, and ability to connect with clients emotions. Competitors may replicate concepts, but the seamless execution of both large-scale and intimate surprises remains a distinguishing factor. We have only built a theatre now; we are yet to play a movie in it and receive the audiences applause, Shahul reflects, highlighting that even with years of experience, there is always room to innovate. In a city where cinema has long inspired grand gestures, professional surprise planners are ensuring that real-life moments live up to reel-life dreams, keeping the magic of surprise alive for years to come.