Real Wedding Planning: The Dress

For those of you who were waiting with bated breath, Saira and Henry have chosen The Mezzanine at The National Newark Building as their wedding venue! With that big decision out of the way, the next major question is: The Dress. The wedding dress is arguably the most important decision for the bride. In Pakistani weddings, the wedding dress is typically red. Modern brides, however, look to their wedding dress to reflect their wedding colors. Here are some options for the modern Pakistani / Indian bride, let us know what you think!

Traditional

Neutrals

Rose

Aqua

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Indian Wedding: The Shaadi

Hi Dolls!  Sorry for the delay, as we meant to post this last Friday! Continuing on with a post from Tina Duggal, here's everything you need to know about the actual Indian wedding ceremony and reception!

The shaadi (wedding) day is the main ceremony.  The Hindu ceremony can last anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours, depending on the region in India the families are from, and even what caste they are.  There can be one singular priest or a priest from both the bride and groom's side who conduct the ceremony.  There is a fire in the middle of the 'mandap' (the area where the marriage ritual is performed) which symbolizes the presence of Agni Devta (the Lord of Fire). The priest(s) chant Vedic verses in Sanskrit, and the bride and groom (who are either sitting side-by-side or directly across from each other) perform several rituals, including pouring rice into the fire and tying sacred threads around each other.  The final ritual of the ceremony is called the Mangal Pheras, the steps around the holy fire.  The bride's father ties a pink piece of cloth to the bride and groom's clothing, binding them together.  The first four pheras are led by the groom, and each circle around the fire has its own significance.  The last three pheras are led by the bride.  Once completed, the groom ties the mangal sutra (the wedding necklace) around the bride's neck.  This is similar to a wedding band, and it is believed to protect the lives and union of the bride and groom.  The groom also places sindoor (red powder) into the hair part of the bride, symbolizing her status as a married woman.  Then the bride and groom seek blessings from the gods, from their parents, and from the priest. 



After the ceremony is the reception! Indian wedding receptions tend to be more modern and reflect western weddings. Many couples opt to make a grand entrance, have a bridal party, dance to their wedding song, cut the wedding cake, and partake in other western wedding traditions. The difference is the decor, the food, the music and some of the traditions. The bride and groom tend to sit on a stage so that all the guests can see them and take photographs with them. The food is almost always done buffet style. One tradition unique to Indian weddings is the have the "Joota Chupai" (which literally means "Hide the Shoes"), where the brides' side will try to steal the groom's shoes in exchange for money.

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Bridal n Bridal

 XOXO, 

Jen, Tina, & Saira

Indian Wedding: The Sangeet

Ok dolls, we've got just a few weeks to go before the wedding of our friends Janine and Vikrum.  We were wondering about wedding traditions and figured who better to tell us about an Indian Wedding than someone who's been to many is now planning one herself.  Here's a post from our good friend, Tina Duggal, who was kind enough to give us the 411 on Indian weddings. As Tina is getting married this summer, she is definitely an expert on wedding planning. We hope to share images from her big day, but for now read on for Indian Wedding 101.



An Indian wedding can be (and usually is) a lavish, multi-day affair.  From the bright colors, to the singing and dancing, to the beautiful traditional outfits, it's definitely a must-attend for anyone who is obsessed with weddings. Hindu wedding traditions can span up to nine days, so each culture and even each family can modify it to suit their needs.  However, the main ceremonies include the sangeet, the shaadi, and the reception.  For the days prior to the first event (the sangeet), many smaller events occur in both the bride's and groom's homes, respectively.  There are various poojas that need to be done in order to provide the most auspicious environment for the family and the home.  The homes are adorned with lights and decorations (almost like Christmas has come early!), and there is usually lots of singing and dancing as well.  The wedding is an extremely joyous time, not only for the bride and groom involved, but for their respective families.  In Indian culture, it is said that you are marrying into your partner's family, and so the families meeting, getting along, and enjoying each other's company is very important.



The sangeet day is a formal event of singing and dancing.  Some people host this event within their homes, while others can rent out a banquet facility or the like.  Traditionally, this was one of the 'separate events' that occurred in both the bride's and groom's homes, but nowadays, it is a joint event hosted by both families.  It is basically a pre-wedding celebration where everyone gets together to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of the brides and groom.  It also used to be the day that the bride had henna (or 'mehndi' in Hindi) applied to her hands and feet.  The bridal henna is very intricate and beautiful, and can take 3-4 hours total to apply!  It has no religious significance, as it is also applied to brides in Pakistan and Afghanistan (where Islam is the predominant faith), but is a way to decorate and adorn the bride for her wedding day.

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Check back next week for our continuation and more on Indian Weddings!



XOXO,

Tina, Jen, & Saira