Bridal hairstyles and hair dos

Long hair is back in fashion and so are the oh-so-heavy looking Bridal hairstyles and hair dos of the 70's era adorned with beautiful flowers from the exotic Orchids to the fragrant Roses and Mogras.

Wedding websites

Wedding websites are a great way to announce your wedding to family and friends. Also it's a wonderful and fun activity to build a website together. It is quite useful in introducing yourselves to your partner's family and friends. It serves as a window into your life and helps in getting to know you much better. Here are some of popular free wedding websites that allow you to create a free wedding website for yourself. Make sure you check out the different themes and features (such as guest book, photo book, wedding day countdown, maps and directions, wedding registry etc.) offered by each website before registering and getting started with one website.
www.momentville.com
www.ewedding.com
www.ourwedding.in (Indian wedding themes available)
www.weddingannouncer.com
www.ourwedding.in

How to drape a saree

A Saree is one of the most elegant attires worn by the women in India. In most Indian cultures, Sarees or Saris are an essential bridal wear worn in weddings. A Saree is an un-stitched piece of fabric usually 6 yards in length which needs to be draped around the body to achieve the elegance and grace that epitomizes this great Indian garment. There are many ways in which a saree can be draped and it varies across the Indian sub-continent from state to state. However, the most common method is wrapping the cloth around the waist, making pleats in the front and draping the final length around the shoulder. The remaining fabric that is draped over her blouse and shoulder, falling behind her is called the pallu. For a wedding, the following are different ways to drape the saree:

1. Classic Indian saree drape

The Classic Indian style of draping the saree is quite common and is worn at weddings, poojas, traditional ceremonies, formal gatherings such as conferences, lectures or even to the office.

2. Maharani style saree drape

The Maharani style of draping the saree is quite common in weddings, poojas, wedding receptions and traditional ceremonies.

3. Mumtaz style saree drape

The Mumtaz style of draping the saree is named after the Bollywood actress Mumtaz. This style of draping was made popular in films in the seventies era and is popular even today in Indian parties and wedding receptions.

4. North Indian saree drape

The North Indian style of draping the saree is quite common in weddings, poojas, wedding receptions and traditional ceremonies.

5. North Indian saree drape long

The North Indian long saree drape is quite popular in parties and wedding receptions.

6. Indo-western style saree drape

The Indo-western style of draping the saree is also a favourite in parties and wedding receptions.

7. Devdas style saree drape

The Devdas style of draping the saree was made popular in the Bollywood movie Devdas by Aishwarya Rai. This style is quite popular in traditional ceremonies, poojas and weddings.

8. Western Innovative saree drape

The Western Innovative style of draping the saree is worn both in official gatherings such as conferences, lectures as well as parties and wedding receptions.

Kundan Polki Jewellery designs

Recently on a trip to Jaipur, I was looking for authentic Kundan Jewellery and came across the term Kundan Polki quite frequently. So I was determined to find out the difference between Kundan and Polki Jewellery. Kundan Polki is basically the same type of jewelry and is made in exactly the same way, that is, white stone studded in gold. It's the stone that makes the difference. Polki refers to stone, but usually donotes uncut diamond stones and Kundan refers to glass stone. So Kundan Polki Jewellery being made with uncut diamonds is far more expensive than Kundan jewellery. However, Polki jewellery can also refer to jewellery made with coloured stones. Here is a collection of beautiful Kundan Polki jewellery, Kundan Polki finger rings, Kundan Polki earrings and Kundan Polki bangles.

Kundan jewellery designs

Kundan jewellery has been in demand ever since Aishwarya Rai wore the heavy and stunning Kundan choker necklace in the movie Jodhaa Akbar a couple of years ago. That particular Kundan necklace was especially what every bride wanted to wear for her wedding. Kundan jewelry has come a long way from then and even simple and delicate kundan necklaces look equally beautiful. Kundan bangles are also very popular this wedding season. Authentic Kundan gold jewellery sets have made its way into every indian wedding. After all it is the jewellery worn by the royals and does make you feel the same. Here are a few pieces of Kundan jewelry sets that are my favourites. For more information on Kundan jewellery feel free to email at aweddingplannerblog@gmail.com or leave a comment to this post.

  

Wedding decorations for Sangeet ceremony

Sangeet ceremony is one of the most popular and widely celebrated amongst the pre-wedding ceremonies in Hindu, North indian and Punjabi weddings. Sangeet ceremony is usually held after the Mehendi ceremony. It adds the fun dimension to any wedding and consists of music, dances, frolic, traditional wedding songs, choreographed and practiced bollywood style dance performances reflecting the bride and groom's life and how they fell in love. Sangeet ceremonies give the families a chance to get together and celebrate a colourful evening together and have a blast. It is important that the wedding decorations for the sangeet ceremony reflect the very colourful nature of the evening. Below are few simple wedding decoration ideas for sangeet or wedding reception decorations:
1. Tie colourful and decorative sarees or elaborate and colourful curtains and drapes around the venue. Use simple lights to highlight the colours of the curtains
2. Poolside wedding decorations look gorgeous as the reflection of the colourful wedding decorations in the pool adds to the beauty
3. If the venue has a few trees, try hanging christmas lights or even christmas tree ornaments from the trees. These wedding decorations give a dramatic and fairytale effect to the venue
4. If the venue has small shrubs or an open lawn area, transform it using lawn lights to create the illuminated magical effect
5. Transform the pool or even a water fountain by using colourful underwater lights
6. Finally, decorate the stage keeping in mind the theme of Sangeet, with a musical instrument like flute, table or a dancing couple

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Bridal mehendi designs

Mehendi or Henna is an integral part of Indian weddings and festivals. Mehendi is usually applied to the skin with a plastic cone or a paint brush. Mehndi ceremony is often one of the most important pre-wedding rituals celebrated by the bride's family especially for the bride. Mehandi ceremony is usually held at the bride's house or in a banquet hall a few days before the wedding ceremony. Traditionally, the Mehendi was meant to serve as an ice-breaker on the wedding night. The Mehandi artists hide the groom's name in the intricate mehndi designs and the groom has to find it on the wedding night. To get the dark colour of the Mehendi, the mehndi is kept wet by applying a tea and sugar mixture and covering the hand with plastic or tissue to preserve the heat and left overnight.
Mehendi designs have evolved overs the years. Arabic mehandi (henna) is very popular at weddings. So is Glitter mehendi where the space between the mehndi design is decorated with shiny glitter. Temporary stick-on henna or mehandi designs are also available in the market. Mehndi tatoos are also extremely popular as they are temporary. Floral tatoo henna designs are also quite popular in the west.

Mehendi Designs

Kundan Jewellery

Kundan jewellery is the traditional Indian gemstone jewellery and is one of the oldest forms of jewellery made and worn in India. It is the jewellery worn by the royals and is believed to have originated in Gujarat and Rajasthan but it flourished in greatly in the Mughal era as it received royal patronage. Even today, it remains an integral part of traditional wedding trousseau for a bride.

Process
Kundan is a method of gem setting in a jewellery piece, consisting of inserting gold foil between the stones and it’s mount, usually used to create elaborate necklaces. Meena Kundan, also known as Bikaneri or Jaipuri jewelery, is popular variation in Kundan, where in enameling with vivid colours and design (Meenakari) is on the reverse, while the kundan setting in the front so that a piece of jewelry has two equally beautiful surfaces, enamel at the back end and Kundan set gems in the front. The city of Jaipur in Rajasthan has traditionally been the centre for kundan jewellery in India.

Kundan care

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  When replacing the jewellery after use, wipe it with a suede cloth to restore its shine.
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  If space is an issue, place the jewellery in between layers of cotton wool and seal it in a good plastic bag.
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  Do not clean the jewellery with soap and water.
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  Keep a pouch of desiccant with the piece to protect it from tarnishing due to excessive humidity. Dampness causes the silver in the setting to tarnish and the enamel to crack.
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  Handle the silk chord used to adjust the length of the necklace with care. Never wet the chord as it causes the zari in it to discolour.

Tips for Buying Kundan Jewelry

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  Old, solid gold ornaments are sometimes filled with shellac. It is important to determine this in order to not be overcharged.
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  In trying to differentiate between an old and a new minakari piece, remember that the older the piece, the more intricate the design and more brilliant the colour. 
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  To identify imperfections in a diamond, look for tiny, rents or fissures and specks. If the diamond has any of these, it is flawed. Note also that a real diamond can never have scratches on its surface, if it does, it is not a diamond.
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  Genuine kundan-set crystal has a mellow, opaque appearance. Artificial kundan-set crystal is transparent and it glitters. This is due to the fact that glass has been used instead of crystal and colored tinfoil under the stones to create the illusion of color.
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  New cord in an old piece should not make the buyer suspicious. It could have been replaced to hold the ornament together. 
  
  
  
  
  

Wedding Shopping in Mumbai

Wedding shopping can be quite an expensive affair, but if you know the right places to shop, you can get some great deals that look and feel like a million dollars without costing you that much. While places like Surat in Gujarat and Jaipur in Rajasthan offer a plethora of indian wedding dresses at affordable prices, if you do not have the time and want to shop in Mumbai, here's a list of places you need to go to, to get great deals.

1. Dadar Market - One of the oldest markets in Mumbai for wedding shopping. Here you will find wedding dress shops like Paaneri (http://www.paaneriindia.com/web/index.asp), Lazaree (http://www.lazaree.com/), Rangoli,  which have been famous and synonymous with wedding sarees and dresses for years. Dadar Emporium is of course the biggest saree shop in Dadar.You will find a wide variety of sarees especially Maharashtrian Paithani sarees.
2. Nataraj Market, Malad (West) - This too is one of the oldest markets in Mumbai. It is very famous for Gujarati Panetar and Rajasthani sarees. There are hundreds of saree shops here. Rajhans, Sakhi, Roop Niketan and Rajkamal especially have the latest trends and a beautiful collection.

If you are looking for branded and designer label sarees, there are many wonderful boutiques in Mumbai that also have online shopping websites and showcase galleries.
1. Seasonsindia has its showroom in Santacruz (West). Check out the website for the latest trends.  (http://www.seasonsindia.com/)
2. Sheetal showcases designs from renowned designers like Hemant Trivedi and Aki Narula. They have quite a large collection of bridal wear online as well. (http://www.sheetalindia.com/web/shoponline/shop_searchresults.aspx?Sect=2) Sheetal has many stores across Mumbai in Oberoi mall (Goregaon East), Inorbit Mall (Malad West), Grant Road and across the globe.
3. Manish Malhotra - One of the most famous and most wanted bollywood designers has his flagship store in Khar (West). His website showcases bridal wear collections from his designs in the past years. (http://www.manishmalhotra.in/).
4. Vikram Phadnis - The newest designer known for his bridal wear collections. Katrina Kaif walked down the ramp in Vikram Phadnis bridal wear at a recent couture event. (http://www.vikramphadnis.com/home_inner.htm). He has his stores across the world. In Mumbai, you can find the Vikram Phadnis showroom at JVPD in Andheri.

Wedding Planning

Once you are engaged, you start getting a lot of free advice from family and friends about planning the wedding. Planning a wedding is not difficult but it seems so because you have never had to plan such a large-scale social event before.
While there is no right or wrong way to plan a wedding, it can be overwhelming with the seemingly endless choices being offered, stressful and time-consuming when it does not really have to be.
Wedding planning can be an enjoyable journey altogether. It is just about identifying the essential elements, breaking them down into simpler, achievable tasks, and organizing them in the right sequence. As the Wedding Bible puts it, wedding planning is about answering the Big 5:
How? Where? When? Who? Budget?
How? - How do you want your wedding to be? A simple religious ceremony. A religious ceremony with a grand reception or an out-and-out extravagant social event.

Where? - Where will the wedding and reception be held? Will they be in the same location? Having an idea about the wedding venue helps to plan things better.

When?- When will the big day be? Have the tentative date and month in mind. Always check for wedding venue availability and always book in advance.

Who? - Who will you be inviting? Your guest list depends on how big a wedding you want to have, your budget and how many people the wedding venue can accommodate. It's a good idea to create a guest list so you can have an approximate number in mind when selecting the wedding venue and planning the reception dinner seating.

Budget? - Finally, how much money can you afford to spend? Remember that weddings are joyous occasions that are about getting together, friendships and celebrating with family and friends and not about the money. So there is no need to go overboard.
Once you have the answers to these questions, you can take informed decisions that you are comfortable with. To read more useful tips from the Wedding Bible click on the Google Preview link in the right panel.

Beautiful wedding cakes

For the perfect wedding, all you need is a great man, a great dress and a great wedding cake, nothing else matters! The traditional three-tier wedding cake was conceived by a Victorian fleet street baker who baked a cake for his daughter's wedding based upon the spire of St. Bride's church. The cutting of the wedding cake symbolizes the sharing of the first meal as husband and wife. Today, the wedding cake options are endless: chocolate truffle, black forest, pineapple cheese cake, sponge cake, strawberry short cake, carrot cake, rum-soaked dutch truffle, Ferrero rocher, lemon cake, coffee and walnut cake, chocolate orange... the list goes on. If you can't decide, choose a different cake for each tier of the cake covered with a luscious dollop of icing or meringue and have as many tiers as you wish! This has become increasingly popular with couples. So whatever style of wedding you are planning for any number of guests, make sure you have a spectacular wedding cake for your fairytale wedding.