Media Spotlight: Entouraaj

Entouraaj is a wedding and lifestyle magazine aimed at Asian men aged 20-40. As editor and co-founder of the publication, Gary Singh relies heavily upon his own experiences of wedding planning and his background in media to compile a useful and relevant product for the modern day groom. Gary was previously head of department at Progressive Media Group and has been in the industry for over eight years.

What motivated you to start Entouraaj?

I struggled when it came to planning my own wedding as it was very much a combined effort between me, my wife and our parents. I found there was very little in the way of advice specifically for the groom. I imagine this was because there was less demand for it at the time, compared to advice for the bride, but I knew then that this trend was already beginning to change.

Attitudes to weddings are changing, how does Entouraaj fit in with that?

Perhaps the most significant change to weddings is that the groom is more actively involved in the planning side of things. The trend will then be for the groom to prepare himself better both mentally and physically for the wedding day including dressing well, getting in shape and feeling more of an equal part to the festivities. Entouraaj has already embraced this concept which is why we cover topics from wedding planning and advice to style and fitness tips from industry experts. We also strive to cover sensitive or taboo subjects which grooms and indeed most men are uncomfortable discussing publicly.

Why should a groom read Entouraaj?

We cover the entire wedding process from before the engagement to the honeymoon and beyond. The groom will be updated with our recommendations of the planning process and be provided with the basic knowledge for further investigation at each stage. Simply put, the format is designed to cover the main responsibilities of the groom and to deliver inspiration on how each is best achieved.

How important was your coverage on Nihal’s BBC Asian Network show?

In terms of publicity and exposure, there is nothing else that can really compare but more importantly, it was the platform that we needed to broadcast this unique publication to the masses. Listening to callers discussing the issue of men being more actively involved in their own wedding further confirmed our belief that there is genuinely a shift in the ways that weddings are organised and therefore a need for this type of publication.

How many are on the team?

We have two full time staff (me and Kunjal Singh) and two regular contributors (Saran Kohli – style editor and Samir Sawhney – health & fitness editor). We are actively looking to expand our editorial team by recruiting and collaborating with more industry specific experts.

How does Entouraaj work with freelancers/bloggers?

We welcome the opportunity to work with both freelancers and bloggers, particularly those within the men’s lifestyle and wedding sectors. Our aim is to continue to deliver the highest quality of online content to our readers by working with editorial professionals who have established their careers writing for our audience.

What areas of content are you looking to expand into?

We like the idea of providing more coverage in general men’s interest categories for example sport, films and technology, but the focus must remain within weddings as this is our USP. Initial feedback suggests that more specific advice is required on ceremony guides, budgeting and checklists, so we aim to include these as more prominent features in the coming weeks.

We would like to thank Vuelio for this interview and welcome feedback from its subscribers to discuss opportunities to contribute or indeed showcase client products and services through the medium of www.entouraaj.com.

Editorial information on Entouraaj, Gary Singh and thousands of other media contacts and websites can be found in the Vuelio media database.