Today we’d like to introduce you to Chandni Mistry.
Chandni, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
How Pearls got started:
My passion for wedding planning began in 2010, when I planned my sister’s wedding. Somewhere between managing vendors and coordinating multiple days of events, I realized I loved every minute of it. But I set it aside, went to college, and finished my higher education first.
Right after I graduated, a friend connected me with a couple who needed a planner for a last-minute sangeet: about 250 guests, and only 12 days to pull it together. I was thrilled by the opportunity and dove straight into the details. The event was a huge success, and at the end of the night a guest came up to me and asked, “Are you the event planner? What’s the name of your company?” I didn’t have a company. I didn’t even have a name. But I was wearing a pearl necklace, and as I fiddled with it, I blurted out, “Pearls!” A few months later, in 2015, we officially launched as Pearls Event & Co. in New York/New Jersey.
Where I am today:
Eleven years in, Pearls has grown into a luxury boutique studio specializing in multi-day South Asian weddings and destination events. We’re now producing celebrations across the U.S. and internationally, from New York to India, Spain, Turkey, and Scotland, with a team that shares my obsession with detail. We’ve earned consistent Five-Star recognition and features on several magazine platforms such as Vogue and Elle. Looking back, that pearl necklace was a happy accident. Everything since has been intentional!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The hardest part has been growing without losing what made Pearls special in the first place. In the early years, I was the business: every call, every contract, every 2 a.m. timeline revision was mine. That works when you’re doing a handful of events. It doesn’t work when you’re producing multi-day weddings across three continents. Learning to build a team and actually trust them with the details I used to guard so tightly was a real struggle, because every client hired Pearls expecting my eyes on everything. Finding people who care the way I care, and then letting them lead, took years.
Scaling brought its own challenges. Destination work means navigating unfamiliar vendors, currencies, contracts, and customs in places where I don’t have the network I’ve built at home. Every new country is a new learning curve, and there’s no room for error when a family has flown 300 guests halfway around the world.
And then there’s the pace of change. Trends move faster than ever, driven by social media. Couples arrive with saved reels and mood boards and expectations that shift by the month. The technology we use to plan, communicate, and market has changed completely since 2015. Staying current while still delivering the timeless, personal experience our clients expect is a constant balancing act. Some seasons it felt like I was rebuilding the business while running it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pearls Event & Co.?
Pearls Event & Co. is a luxury boutique wedding and event planning studio based in New York, specializing in multi-day South Asian weddings and destination celebrations. We plan and produce everything from an intimate mehndi to a 500-guest reception, and we handle the full journey: venue sourcing, budget management, vendor negotiation, design, guest logistics, and on-site production across every event of the weekend.
What we’re known for is scale done with intention. South Asian weddings are complex, often four or five events over several days, each with its own traditions, guest list, and design story. We are experts at making that complexity feel effortless, both for the couple and for their families. Our clients come to us because we understand the cultural nuances without needing them explained, and because we can take that understanding anywhere in the world. We’ve produced celebrations across the U.S. and Globally.
What sets us apart is our exclusivity model. We take on one event at a time. That means when a couple hires Pearls, they aren’t competing for our attention with a dozen other weddings on the calendar. Every decision, every vendor conversation, every detail gets our full focus. In a luxury market where everyone promises personal service, we’ve built our entire business around actually delivering it.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the trust we’ve earned. We hold consistent Five-Star recognition on The Knot and WeddingWire, and the majority of our clients come to us through referrals from past couples and their families. In this community, a family recommending you to another family is the highest compliment there is.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I was very close to my grandfather. He would pick me up from school and, every so often, take me to see the latest Bollywood movie. One afternoon we were almost home, but a new soundtrack had just come out and I couldn’t bear to go inside until we’d heard the whole thing. So we sat in the driveway, the two of us, and listened until the last song ended. That’s how I remember him: patient, present, and happy to let me be swept up in the music. Around that time I became fascinated with dance. He noticed before I even said anything, and he enrolled me in classical Indian dance classes. Those years shaped how I understand music, movement, and the way a room comes alive when everyone is celebrating together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pearlseventandco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearlseventandco?stkn=dTU1cGx5dWs2cmdr&utm_source=qr
