Priya Agarwal's coffee table book is heartwarming

I lost my mother early in life, and later, all I wanted was something to remind me of her every day," says Priya Agarwal of Back Porch Memories. It could be the reason that now, Agarwal is in the business of curating memories. The ex-marketing professional, who spent years working in the media, gave up her job when she started a family because, as she says, she has the habit of becoming a "workaholic". "But I knew I always wanted to work and still use that drive I had."

Priya Agarwal specialises in curating memories for new moms and milestone birthdays

The passion project started after she got a photo shoot done with her nine-month daughter, and wanted to do something different with the pictures, and not just frame and hang them up. "I decided I'd make a book. In the beginning, I just arranged the pictures and then added a few quotes and sayings. Then, many of my relatives and friends saw that, and I then made 20 or so for them."

Priya Agarwal

But, when more orders started rolling in, Agarwal knew she had to step up her game, and decided to go professional in 2015. Her process is simple - she sits down with the client for hours on stretch to figure out exactly what they need. "Most requests I get are for putting together baby memories, along with getting life memories together for milestone birthdays," she says. Agarwal has got varied requests through the years, such as one from an expectant mother, who wanted a book made of her mother's pictures. "She went into labour an hour after I delivered the book. She told me she was just waiting for the book, as she wanted to feel as if her mother was around her."

All the books are personalised to the extent that the pages are in keeping with the theme of the photo - "so a Goa holiday will inspire the same kind of design." The 36-year-old entrepreneur has made over 200 books, each book costs between R15,000 to 25,000 (which comes with a complimentary ebook version of the same as well). Agarwal also feels that her little idea grew into a big one because of her marketing background. "I understand the psyche of people, and I understand what they desire, and Back Porch Memories is about giving them exactly what they want."

To order your photo coffee table book, call Priya Agarwal on 9619944993 or email backporchmemories@gmail.com

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