I still haven't taken my appointments with makeup artists for my Shagun and Wedding day which are on consecutive days!
I have found out about two more interesting makeup artists based in Delhi and have heard good things about both!
The first one I want to introduce is Vidya Tikari. She is a well known name in the Bridal makeup segment in delhi and also very popular during the fashion weeks..do check out her website for more info and pictures.
The second artist I wish to introduce is Shalini Vashisht also based out of delhi. Check out her work and website here.
I have also been hearing very good reveiws about Plum which has two three outlets across NCR and thankfully they have one in Gurgaon. I am waiting to see the engagement pictures of my friend who got ready at the Plum GK outlet, i think that'll help me decide better.
So I'm thinking of booking two different places for makeup, one for Shagun and the other for Wedding...do you think this is a good idea or should i just stick to one??
This has got me soooooo confused!!.
Oh and btw, my Mom in law got me beautiful sarees from Calcutta and the one that I am to wear on the Shagun Ceremony is really pretty!!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
bridal clutches!!
Hey all!!
How are we?? I know I have been missing from the scene for quite sometime now so apologies for that...Now I am back and I do hope to be more regular...
So did I tell ya'all that I have finalised my wedding outfit?? Yes I have....and its exactly what I wanted and loved it the moment I laid my eyes on it!!
I've chosen to wear a sari and thats all I can tell right now! Why a saree you ask?? Well the lehngas with the kind of work I wanted were really expensive....so is my saree, but I know I'll be able to wear it on more occassions than just one and with the lehnga I'm not so sure of repeat value!
I'd love to know your views on that!
So what else have I been upto??
Well I have been designing my card but still have to figure out all the technicalities of getting it printed. Most of my trousseau shopping is also done so I'm sorting out the time taking things like finishing, matching falls, blouses and petticoats these days.
While on the topic of matching....I have been thinking of accessories like clutch bags etc...and heres what I have found oline so far...
Bag no. 2 and three I think are from this brand called You must check out this website, Malaga is a brand by Malini Agarwalla...(I am getting married to an Agarwalla btw...no relation:) I love some of the clutches and I have seen them personally at the bridal Asia fair and some of the collection is absolutely fabulous. Its a pity I haven't been able to find more pictures of this creative lady's collections.
I love the clutch no. 2 above and it matches my outfit perfectly....but tell me...do brides really need a clutch on the wedding day??
Friday, October 9, 2009
Instant Classic Wedding Albums
I met the Instant Classic team when I went to see the Bridal Asia Exhibition that was held in Ashoka Hotel in Delhi recently. They make beautiful coffee table style albums just like the one I want for me but the package that they offer is a little out of my budget. You must check out their website right here... because they are good!
Talking of budgets...I think I'm going a little overboard....but there is still time and vendors to finalise and I'm hoping to get some good deals!
Makeup Artists!!
so I came across two makeup artist websites that I thought I should mention here.
The first one I'm going to introduce to you is Chandani Singh based ofcourse in Delhi...
You may check out her website here
The second makeup artist from Delhi is Shikha Goel and you may find out more about her here
I must get in touch with them and find out more what say?
Friday, September 25, 2009
ahhhh...
Want you to check out these beauties by Hazoorilal
I knew you'd love them!!
ps: been a bit busy planning the wedding and figuring out my wedding dresses...so apologies for not posting all this while..promise to be more regular here :)
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Possible Colour Scheme??
maybe for mehndi and sangeet...even haldi...but not for the main event...what say??
Wedding Photographer Amna Hakim
the bride and these pictures by Amna Hakim are so gorgeous! now i want a saree just like the lehnga above...with heavy zardozi!
Love the colour combination too!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Flower Decoration
Flower Decoration is such an integral part of the daily life in my Country and plays a big part in the decoration of a wedding venue! No wedding is compete without flowers don't you agree?
So now the big question...what kind of flowers would I want adorning my wedding venue? Do I want imported flowers? No I don't think so. I would want to go the traditional route and stick to these gorgeous colour/flower combinations below..
Aam ki patti (mango leaf), is used for most hindu religious ceremonies and is believed in Vastu Shastra that mango leaves absorb negativity and helps in keeping the environment pure.
Genda ka phool or the Marigold flower is also an important part of flower offerings made to Gods in Hinduism. Read more on the significance of Marigild flower here and here . 
I love this arrangement of Marigold Garlands above and would want something close to this at my wedding...what do you think?
Another sweet smelling and pretty flower used extensively in Hindu Culture is the Mogra (Jasmine). Read more here.
How can a Hindu floral arrangement be complete without the sweet smelling Indian Gulab or the rose?Hmm so that what I am thinking for the decoration...let me know what you think:)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Cultural Divide
I didn't think it exists...not in urban India..not in Delhi and definitely not around me, but it does and I seem to have only recently woken up to it.
You know I am a Punjabi Kshatriya (derived from Sanskrit ksatra meaning power, dominion, government) girl and I am about to marry a Vaisya (derived from Vishal meaning to live essentially merchant and trader community) boy with roots in Haryana.
Ideally there shouldn't really be a big cultural/ideological divide between the two castes. They are similar in status, both belong to Northern India and both today speak Hindi.
I realised it isn't as easy as I thought and that there still exists a big divide between the two cultures. Now I wonder if this cultural and ideological difference exists because of the caste one belongs to or are other factors such as occupation, social/regional/family backgrounds, exposure etc. more important?
The Problem:
I come from a very liberal family background and am really thankful for it. I have seen my cousins/aunts/uncles get married to partners of their choice ranging from Marathis/Bengalis/Jains/Biharis/Japanese/Italian/Tamilians/Marwaris..inter region, inter caste, inter religion.
I grew up in such environments and it has been such a blast! I thought that all my friends and contemporaries come from a similar set up...and most of them do.
When I met my 'Mister' he was so cool and open. I was studying in a Design College (extremely radical) and he in an Engineering College. Mister wanted to write a book and travel the world, make a short film and spend all the savings (when talking about future) on music and books and movies. We must keep only necessary furniture when we have a house he'd say..we were 20 then. looking at him I imagined/ assumed he came from an equally liberal family.
Mister is cool and open today as well...but I realised that his family is more conservative than I thought possible and this discovery came as a small shock. It has unsettled me. Please note that when I say his family, I am talking of his larger family which is conservative (they haven't had a single inter caste/love marriage in the family) and in turn it makes Mister's immediate family of 5 become conformists just so they can please the larger family. In isolation I think the 5 of them do just fine and maybe liberal at heart...but only in isolation and weddings aren't one of those occasions where isolation is possible. Not everything is as smooth as I imagined because of this and that is my problem!
Now what should I do? How do I come to terms with this reality? How come I didn't prepare myself for it? What is expected from the Liberal Daughter in Law facing this Conservative Reality? Why didn't Mister prepare me enough for this? Why must I feel like an outsider and the guilty party when in reality it isn't me who the family should be up against but the Son who didn't comply with their wishes?
Are feelings like these normal and every bride to be goes through them? Is this just a phase and will pass? I hope so! I would love to know what you think about this and if any of you relate to some part of it?
Oh and to top it all my horoscope says I'm "Manglik" (its not a good thing) and that is the material for another post!
ps: this post is in no way meant to hurt "to be family" in case they are reading this, its just a feeling and i would love it if you give me your veiws and feedback:)
You know I am a Punjabi Kshatriya (derived from Sanskrit ksatra meaning power, dominion, government) girl and I am about to marry a Vaisya (derived from Vishal meaning to live essentially merchant and trader community) boy with roots in Haryana.
Ideally there shouldn't really be a big cultural/ideological divide between the two castes. They are similar in status, both belong to Northern India and both today speak Hindi.
I realised it isn't as easy as I thought and that there still exists a big divide between the two cultures. Now I wonder if this cultural and ideological difference exists because of the caste one belongs to or are other factors such as occupation, social/regional/family backgrounds, exposure etc. more important?
The Problem:
I come from a very liberal family background and am really thankful for it. I have seen my cousins/aunts/uncles get married to partners of their choice ranging from Marathis/Bengalis/Jains/Biharis/Japanese/Italian/Tamilians/Marwaris..inter region, inter caste, inter religion.
I grew up in such environments and it has been such a blast! I thought that all my friends and contemporaries come from a similar set up...and most of them do.
When I met my 'Mister' he was so cool and open. I was studying in a Design College (extremely radical) and he in an Engineering College. Mister wanted to write a book and travel the world, make a short film and spend all the savings (when talking about future) on music and books and movies. We must keep only necessary furniture when we have a house he'd say..we were 20 then. looking at him I imagined/ assumed he came from an equally liberal family.
Mister is cool and open today as well...but I realised that his family is more conservative than I thought possible and this discovery came as a small shock. It has unsettled me. Please note that when I say his family, I am talking of his larger family which is conservative (they haven't had a single inter caste/love marriage in the family) and in turn it makes Mister's immediate family of 5 become conformists just so they can please the larger family. In isolation I think the 5 of them do just fine and maybe liberal at heart...but only in isolation and weddings aren't one of those occasions where isolation is possible. Not everything is as smooth as I imagined because of this and that is my problem!
Now what should I do? How do I come to terms with this reality? How come I didn't prepare myself for it? What is expected from the Liberal Daughter in Law facing this Conservative Reality? Why didn't Mister prepare me enough for this? Why must I feel like an outsider and the guilty party when in reality it isn't me who the family should be up against but the Son who didn't comply with their wishes?
Are feelings like these normal and every bride to be goes through them? Is this just a phase and will pass? I hope so! I would love to know what you think about this and if any of you relate to some part of it?
Oh and to top it all my horoscope says I'm "Manglik" (its not a good thing) and that is the material for another post!
ps: this post is in no way meant to hurt "to be family" in case they are reading this, its just a feeling and i would love it if you give me your veiws and feedback:)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
And So It Begins
I will soon be officially begining the hunt for the wedding venue...the dates are fixed...yippeeee!!
To get a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing venue on a tight budget on the decided date is going to be a challenge...but I'm keeping my fingers crossed...!!
To get a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing venue on a tight budget on the decided date is going to be a challenge...but I'm keeping my fingers crossed...!!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Karen Wise+Indian Weddings
Did I tell you guys that I received a mail from Karen Wise (the super talented wedding photographer that I raved about many posts back on this very blog!!)??No I didn't...?? so now I am!!
A couple of days back I open my gmail and I find a mail from Karen herself...I couldn't believe it for a moment and in the next I had a super huge smile on my face!
So Karen told me about her love for Ahmedabad and its textiles and also that she liked my blog(OMG). There will be more Indian Wedding pictures from New York and New Jersey on Karen's New Blog soon and yes i'd be sharing them with all of you here as soon as I get a sneak peak:)
Thank you Karen for your very kind email and for letting me share your wonderful photographs here!
Stay tuned for more
ps: just hop on to her new blog and feast your eyes on the wonderful picture of Israel!!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Some Necklace Ideas
So I am looking to get a pearl necklace with a pendant to match my gorgeous chandelier earrings, the ones I'm wearing in my sari picture.This style I believe is called the Rani Haar (queen's necklace). I think this style will match very well...what do you think? Which one of these 3 do you think will work best....I need some help here!
Also I have some great news to share....
Also I have some great news to share....
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Saree I designed for Me
November/December last year were crazy months for me as there were 3 of my first cousins getting married. I went crazy shopping for the weddings and all the pre and post wedding functions. Apart from all the shopping.. I had decided to make me a sari for one of the weddings. You can see some part of the beginings of the sari making process here and the final layout here.
Thats me in the sari I designed
This year another cousin of mine is getting married and I have been given the task of making a saree for her...note I sometimes like to write sari and at other times i write saree...I like both the spellings..which one do you prefer? I must start on my saree project soon!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wedding Customs: A Day Before The Wedding
Today I wish to share with you a punjabi pre wedding ritual....one that i personally like very much : the tying of the kalira on the bride's hands after the chooda.
The morning before the actual wedding ceremony, the bride's maternal uncle and aunt come to the bride's house loaded with gifts for the family and the bride:)
It is now that the bride is made to wear the traditional chooda (a set of 21 white and red bangles, an important symbol for a newly wed punjabi bride) by her maternal uncle and aunt. the bride is not supposed to look at the chooda before or during the process is on. All family members touch the chooda to bless the bride and sing traditional songs. in olden times the chooda used to be made out of ivory but now it is made in plastic.
After the chooda has been worn, the bride's family ties the kaliras on each hand to a bangle.
Kaliras are traditionally umbrella shaped ornaments made in thin gold or silver sheets. Some relatives even tie small silver boxes, toe rings etc onto the kaliras. These ornaments signify blessings and good wishes. From now on the bride has to wear these till the end of the wedding ceremonies. Some jokingly say that the kaliras are tied so that the bride may rest before the wedding day as working with the kaliras on becomes very difficult especially if you have a big extended family (which is the case for me;).
The bride then shakes the kaliras on the heads of the unmarried girls of the family and the popular saying is that...the lucky one on whom a part of the kalira falls will be the one getting married next!!
i like the traditional golden kaliras the best...they look so pretty...and this photograph above has always been one of my favourite frames in any wedding album. In India girls are often called Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and prosperity)..and so when the lakshmi of the house leaves to go and be with her husband, she ensures that her maternal house remains prosperous by throwing rice puffs which are symbolic of food and wealth :)
i love this custom...don't you think its sweet?
The morning before the actual wedding ceremony, the bride's maternal uncle and aunt come to the bride's house loaded with gifts for the family and the bride:)It is now that the bride is made to wear the traditional chooda (a set of 21 white and red bangles, an important symbol for a newly wed punjabi bride) by her maternal uncle and aunt. the bride is not supposed to look at the chooda before or during the process is on. All family members touch the chooda to bless the bride and sing traditional songs. in olden times the chooda used to be made out of ivory but now it is made in plastic.
After the chooda has been worn, the bride's family ties the kaliras on each hand to a bangle.Kaliras are traditionally umbrella shaped ornaments made in thin gold or silver sheets. Some relatives even tie small silver boxes, toe rings etc onto the kaliras. These ornaments signify blessings and good wishes. From now on the bride has to wear these till the end of the wedding ceremonies. Some jokingly say that the kaliras are tied so that the bride may rest before the wedding day as working with the kaliras on becomes very difficult especially if you have a big extended family (which is the case for me;).
The bride then shakes the kaliras on the heads of the unmarried girls of the family and the popular saying is that...the lucky one on whom a part of the kalira falls will be the one getting married next!!
i like the traditional golden kaliras the best...they look so pretty...and this photograph above has always been one of my favourite frames in any wedding album. In India girls are often called Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and prosperity)..and so when the lakshmi of the house leaves to go and be with her husband, she ensures that her maternal house remains prosperous by throwing rice puffs which are symbolic of food and wealth :)i love this custom...don't you think its sweet?
all pics from rob and lauren photography, maharani weddings and theweddingbee
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Honeymoon Planning
A few articles I came across via www.austinweddingblog.com on honeymoon planning and I Thought I'd share them here with you!
here goes:
10 Things Every Honeymooner Needs to Know
Top 5 Cheap Honeymoon Ideas
8 Money saving Tips for Your Honeymoon
here goes:
10 Things Every Honeymooner Needs to Know
Top 5 Cheap Honeymoon Ideas
8 Money saving Tips for Your Honeymoon
Thursday, July 23, 2009
party decoration ideas
i have lost the link to this decorative paper mobile above...can anyone pls help me with the link?hey people..i found the link to her website and shop..and this link is for her lovely blog.
aren't these paper party poms just gorgeous! these are handcrafted creations of an artsy mother of two who was born on the 25th of june:)...buy the partypoms here.i think these papercrafted pieces are gorgeous for a beautiful fun filled and semi casual wedding event...what say you?
