Category Archives: Wedding Ceremony

January42021NOCOMMENTS

Pre and post-wedding ceremonies in Indian marriages.

-By Shreya Kanabar

Marriage is a sacred bond of love, life, and commitment. A wedding is a part of a marriage, it is one of the many ceremonies we have in Indian marriages. And the pre and post-wedding ceremonies make an Indian marriage different from the others, celebrating both the family’s culture and region and respecting each other’s rituals make the bond stronger between the families because after all, marriage is not between two people it is between two families!

As you may know, in India there is a total of 16 different sansakars to be performed throughout a man’s life and a wedding is one of them.

Weddings are all about fun, food, celebration, gifts, and grand arrangements. But when you look behind the scenes, you’ll find lots of steps and ceremonies that have been followed by the respective families.

The affair starts from the mangni ceremony, which you may refer to as an engagement or a sagai. To formally announce the rishta to the society, the bride and groom exchange rings to signify the engagement.

Now before the wedding day itself, most of the functions and ceremonies take place at both houses. In ancient times, 10-15 days before the wedding; all the females would get together at the bride’s home and start preparing for the Day. Back then there wasn’t any service like catering, the family members themselves would make everything at home. So singing songs and blessing the couple, day by day doing all the household work, the concept of pre-wed ceremonies comes.

Following this 3-4 days prior, ceremonies like grah shanti, mehndi, haldi, sangeet begins. A cleansing ceremony to stay away from every negative vibe, grah shanti puja is held. A yellow turmeric paste made for the bride and groom to apply all over their bodies before the wedding to bring out the natural glow. The application of the bridal mehndi, or henna design, to her hands and feet intended to temporarily dye the skin in intricate designs, which adds more beauty to the bride’s look. Sangeet is an event, held mostly the day before the wedding. It is essentially a pre-party for the big day where families and relatives come together to sing, dance, and celebrate the wedding festivities to come.

All the pre-wedding celebrations and rituals give time to both the families to get to know each other better and to bring all the family members together. It washes away all the nervousness from the bride and groom’s mine. It gradually prepares you for the big day.

Weddings are considered a life-altering thing in India, and it actually is. It isn’t just one event to get done simply, it is a whole package of preparations, sentiments, togetherness, aspirations, joy, and celebration of life. And the most important thing is to share this beautiful memory with your loved ones. It is something beyond words.

The same as pre-wed ceremonies, post-wedding ceremonies are like being thankful for getting all the things done in time and give blessings to the lovely couple for their auspicious journey.

Starting from the vidai, where the bride receives a formal ritually performed goodbye from her side of the family with a blend of joy and despair, the groom’s side finally leaves the wedding venue. Reaching their home a grih pravesh rasam is performed to welcome the bride. She is asked first to push a Kalash filled with rice with her right toe to make her entry to the house. This ceremony signifies that the family of groom has accepted her to be a part of their family. Then the couple plays some games to drift their mind from the vidai and to forget if anything negative has happened during the rituals. Mooh dikhai is a rasam where everyone from the groom’s side sees the newlywed bride and gives blessings to her. The next day or a day after a pag phera rasam is to be done by the bride, where she is taken to her parent’s house. It is believed that girls are the form of goddess Lakshmi and thus the bride comes back to her home to ensure the prosperity of her parents.

And so when it all comes together it really appears that pre-wedding and post-wedding ceremonies complete the whole thing and it is as important as the wedding ceremony.

November242020NOCOMMENTS

SMLW

Destination Wedding, Fashion & Beauty, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planner

GET GLOWING AND CLEAR SKIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY!

Don’t we all want our skins to seem unblemished and radiate a gorgeous pink glow on our big day? However, amid a global pandemic, it is not feasible for every bride to be to visit a salon and receive the soothing treatment she desires. With a ravishing dress, one needs flawless skin as well to make the heads turn. Try these simple and quick methods at your home to achieve picture-perfect skin for your wedding!!

EXFOLIATE: – Exfoliation is a pivotal process if you truly want your skin to feel fresh. For all my DIY Queens out there, this is the perfect project! Mix three tablespoons of sugar with one and a half tablespoons of honey. After you have achieved the fit consistency. Smear it to your face and scrub for five minutes. Rinse the mixture and say hello to your crisp and dead cells free skin! Repeat the process once every week for the prime results.

MOISTURIZE: – Some might think moisturizing one’s skin might give rise to acne which is a myth that needs to be addressed. Not moisturizing your skin might cause it nevertheless. One of the soul steps to glowing skin is to moisturize your skin twice a day! Keep your skin from drying up and keep it saturated for glowing skin.

ICE BATH: – Do you believe baths are just for your body? think again! Your face needs proper treatment as well. Take a bowl and fill it with water, release some ice cubes in it and stick your face in the bowl. Use a straw to breathe and elevate your face after two minutes (or before if the water is too cold). This ice bath will shrink your pores and make your face more compact for the makeup to go on well!

CLEANSE YOUR FACE: – None of the above-suggested methods will work on a face ladened with dirt and pollution. Therefore, make sure to wash your face with your go-to face wash before trying the other techniques! Lather on the facewash and gently scrub for a minute or two to discard all the filth and unclean particles.

HYDRATE YOUR SKIN: –Although most of us have been told drinking gallons of water can make your skin glow brighter than the sun few of us have seen results instead of sprinting to empty your bladder every second. But we can guarantee you hydrating your skin with a fundamental toner will bring in the compliments as well. Start applying the toner twice every day and see the results for yourself. Try Dabur Gulabari Premium Rose Water for instance. It is money efficient and worth the purchase.

DITCH THE OILS: – Nothing can be achieved without a few sacrifices. Therefore, this wedding season, say no to oily foods and eat lots of greens and maintain a healthy diet. Gulping down junk foods will add to your acne and oily skin, thus give it up for this wedding season for the skin you always desired for. Maintaining a healthy diet will only add to your perfect and glowing skin!

CLEAN PILLOWS: – Make it a routine to rinse any applied makeup before you hit the pillows. Unremoved makeup is the source of acne-prone skin and skin diseases. Say hello to makeup-free pillows and clean skin every night before dozing off!

SLEEP WELL: – A well-rested mind will not only reduce the wedding day stress but allow you to feel and appear fresh as well. Not to mention the long gone dark circles, it is of utmost importance for the bride and groom to have a sound sleep before the big day!

November242020NOCOMMENTS

SMLW

Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planner

EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR WEDDING PHOTOSHOOT AND WEDDING FILM TO STAND OUT.

If you do not want to regret looking back at their wedding photoshoot because it’s ‘too basic or artless’, you are in the right place. Photographs are the most important ingredient in the recipe of wedlock. You get hitched only once, but the photographs stay with you for an eternity. When you are in your 70’s with your spouse, would you not want to view a unique wedding photoshoot that flawlessly expresses the bond you and your partner have had since day one?

Here are a few approaches to have an exclusive Wedding photoshoot and film!

PRE-WEDDING PHOTOSHOOT: –

You and your partner can mimic the first picture taken together in your candied days for a wedding photoshoot. Wear your wedding attire and imitate the posture in the bygone snapshot with your companion. Finally, make a collage with both the pictures against each other. This will unveil the lasting venture you both have been through, the tempests you have passed by lingering together for all these years!
Yearning for a unique pre-wedding photoshoot should not have to make your travel to a new destination, this beautiful image can be snapped on your terrace! Travel to your terrace at dusk and hold a piece of slate with your wedding date on it. Let the photographer capture this exquisite moment as the setting sun reveals a crimson sky and you both look into each other’s eyes while holding the date of your eternal union!

POST-WEDDING PHOTOSHOOT: –

Framing the moments for the onset of a timeless odyssey after the wedding is just as necessary as the pre-wedding snaps. Print a sign with the surname you and your beloved will be sharing till the end of time, for instance – ‘MR. AND MRS. IYER’. Voyage to the nearest park with the sign, your partner, and the photographer and frame another novel commencement!
How would you like if just a picture could represent all that you and your spouse have been through? This easy plan will do just that. Capture various images with your partner depicting the diverse junctures of your relationship through the years. Subsequently seek a photoshop retoucher to edit the varied snaps into an ultimate one. And you will have the post-wedding photo of your dreams!

WEDDING FILM: –

Having the ultimate wedding film is the desire of every newlywed duo. And this awestruck angle will only add to your countless wedlock souvenirs! Apart from churning up an hour-long wedding film, make a sixty seconds video embracing the nitty-gritty of the wholesome event. Ask your wedding videographer to capture a few candid shots of the betrothal and club them up in the wee video. For instance – when the bride-to-be walks into the venue, decked up in her breathtaking attire and her eyes meet the groom’s while all the family breaks into cheers!

These out of the world ideas are bound to set your wedding photoshoot and wedding film apart!

– SRESTHA DUTTA.

SMLW

Fashion & Beauty, Wedding Ceremony

Jukebox – The Perfect Bollywood Songs List For Your Wedding

By Nivedhitha Ravi

Indeed, Weddings get the spirit when naach gaana enters the fields. A wedding will be no more complete without the painful legs due to power-packed dance. Here are some of the nuptial anthem, as per the ceremonies, that addict every single one of the guests to jump into the dance floor.

ENGAGEMENT

The day when you get officially locked up from your bachelor’s life is when you change the ring to your paramour. You will be telling the entire world that you are getting married. This day should be the occasion in which you expressed your love to your beau with your entire family standing as a witness. The music should be a way of committing yourself to someone you love the most.

Check out the list of songs that will be apt for your engagement.

MORNI BANKE

The happily-ever-after song gives you the excitement you need when you are unable to show how satisfied you are.

NAINOWALE NE

Strictly for the princess-soon-to-be-queen: The song that gradually lures groom to the heavenly heart of the bride.

JAB TAK

The romantic song shows the love of the groom to the bride who wants his lady to be with him always.

TUJH MAIN RA DIKHTA HAI

This definition of evergreen gives you wonders of love on how the couple is destined to be together.

TERE BINA

Ever felt a soul? This song takes you right into the soul of your loved ones.

MEHNDI

The night will be the beginning of your forthcoming wedding ceremony. All the ladies getting their hands even more adorned with mehndi, aunties dancing around the bride talking about how she had grown faster from kid to lady, and the begetters of the bride controlling their tears with a smile as their princess are going to leave them – mehndi night is all about fun, going crazy rogue and getting little emotional.

Get your mind crazy and pour your feelings out with the below song recommendations.

DILBARO

The heart-melting beats express the pain of the bride and her parents when the bride is going to live with her king.

LONDON THUMAKDA

There is no wedding without this song being played in their mehndi functions. Totally enjoyable song.

CUTIE PIE

This song grabs your attention with its desi Punjabi style and focuses on how girlfriend and boyfriend change into desi wedding couples.

CHALKA CHALKA RE

All the ladies make fun of the bride and groom subtly using this very song composed by the legendary A R Rahman.

BANARASIYA

The magical composition of A R Rahman gives a colourful feeling that throws away the pressure of upcoming wedding ceremony.

SANGEET

This ceremony is all about celebrating the bride and groom and stating the painful fact of married life in a fun way which makes them more anticipated to get wedded. Dancing without any others’ consent which gives the result we need to fuel the spirit – DESI. We will be in a state of amazement by seeing the dance of the non-dancing person in our group. So, the songs should be with beats that get our 90-year old grandfather to dance and we know the exact playlist for it.

AANKH MAARE

This reprised version of the 90s peppy song will get your legs moving, urging you to dance for the beat.

GALLA GOODIYAN

Planning to make your whole family dance? Get ready to see your family dancing with their crazy steps listening to this song.

KALA CHASHMA

The all-time favourite still rules the DJ for its exotic peppy rhythms.

DILI WALI GIRLFRIEND

What a look. What a grace. – This song is the key to impress your bride.

SALAAM E ISHQ

Be it a one-side lover, boyfriend, groom, or husband, this song suits for everyone – a celebration of love.

COCKTAIL

Music is an important part that converts this formal dinner into a fun carnival. With delicious dinner, luxuriating drinks, and awe-struck décor, the cocktail party will be a spirit-lifting moment for the bride and groom. But the craziest dance moves will lift the guests to another level of fun at any party. Even though the guests are ready to dance, the crucial point of fun is the choice of song. Presenting you the most wanted songs made especially for the cocktail parties.

SWAG SE SWAGAT

A perfect way of welcoming everyone with a swag.

HIGH HEELS

Make an appealing move while wearing a high heel – the funny way of expressing the life of a married couple.

KAR GAYI CHULL

All boys, get ready to show your dance style to your crush with this rocking song in the background.

HOSANNA

The successful venture of the “Mozart of Madras” will urge the bride and groom to fall in love again.

BADTAMEEZ DIL

Have a desi heart that doesn’t listen. It’s alright. Hop on to this song.

RECEPTION

This will be a wrap-up of the entire wedding ceremony. The songs’ aura should be changing from time to time to please the guests. The playlist should start from excitement – welcoming the newly married couple – and go on with love and adherence.

The songs should be played throughout the night. Listening to the

songs which are in the same genre for a long time will make the guests feel bored. No worries. These massive hits will coincide with the mood of the occasion that results in a serene night that ends the ceremony.

HUMMA HUMMA

The remake of the nostalgic 90s song gets you to hop your hip accordingly.

SHAAM SHAANDAAR

A song dedicated to the splendid evening that lights the moon with the décor.

HUMSAFAR

The disease of love which is fairly malignant – feel your love throughout your body with this song.

AFREEN AFREEN

The devotional song with soothing beats that feels fresh.

RAABTA

The exotic way of expressing the feel around the house of heart – Raabta.

Here is your jukebox with famous songs that could explode your wedding with fun, craze, and excitement. This blog is to make the obligations of your wedding easier and smoother. The songs may vary with different people’s preferences. But this list has the most famous songs in the decade without which weddings won’t happen. We hope this blog is helpful to you.

SMLW

Planning, Wedding Ceremony

4 Unusual Reasons to why you should Marry

By Masroor Ahmad

Suppose you are in the middle of choosing your perfect wedding dress, and all of a sudden, a thought strikes in your mind – Why am I even getting married? You begin answering yourself with mundane reasons like we are perfect for each other or our family gets along. And these are some very logical answers. But should you only think logically?

That is why I have come up with an unusual checklist which will clarify all your doubts about getting married. Not only this, but you will start appreciating your partner’s love even more.

1. You’re better friends than lovers

Why do you think that Monica and Chandler from Friends end up getting married?

Most of us fall in love, and then we realize that we can also become good friends, but these two characters did it opposite. The biggest challenge couples face is that they have to accept all the flaws of one another, and they still find them attractive. That’s what Monica and Chandler did. That’s how it is supposed to be. The secret to any long-lasting relationship is that they are best friends and idle Romanic lovers. A good friendship is accepting one another without any boundaries and conditions. Because they will annoy you some time or might piss you off. But at the end of the fight, you still want them to be there for you, no matter what!

2. Fighting reveals your Passion

Did you know that 44% of married couples believe that fighting more than once a week helps them make their relationship healthy and productive? And this not by chance! Many couples love intense argument because it increases their hormone levels. However, in their mind, they know that their fight is only a sign of disarrangement, which will result in even more passionate patch-up. The goal should be to finish the argument positively.

How do you achieve that? For instance, if there was a massive fight between you two, and instead of searching the root of the issue, you start attacking them by getting all mean. The focus should be on the cause of the problem and not punishing the other person for who they were at that moment.

3. Marriage is not supposed to be ideal

Marriage is not about finding the ideal person but rather maintaining that perfect marriage. We tend to build a fictional story about how marriage is supposed to be. We pick these ideas from movies, failed relationships, family ties, and childhood trauma. And we get confused between sexual attraction and compatibility. Marriage is more about self-realization than a big luxury party. The charm of the marriage should not make you happy as dopamine hit makes you, instead it should make you aware of yourself. When you find that perfect another half, make sure you are ready to see the ugly side also. Accept love and hate. It would help you to fight with the difficult times.

Marriage is accepting Life, it is not supposed to be ideal.

4. Marriage is freedom

Khalil Gibran explains perfectly is his poetry that marriage should not seek any restrictions; perhaps it’s about love and freedom:

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one. Give one another of your bread but eat from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone. Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And start together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple and apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not each other’s shadow.”

So if the checklist makes sense to you, consider visiting Subh Mahurat Luxury Wedding ::. for everything marriage related!

SMLW

Planning, Wedding Ceremony

A Perfect Green Wedding

By Ayshwarya Hephzibah C

Save the date, Save the Planet!

Your Wedding day is meant to be the most auspicious day in your life, but it can be a million times worth boasting about if happened in a wasteless eco-friendly style. As an inhabitant of this magnificent Earth, we know how hard it is to live a life without impairing our environment. And all of us are aware of the typical Big Fat Indian Wedding, which is a giant waste of money as well as food, besides holding a firm role in polluting our Terra. So, the idea behind the green wedding is to create a zero or reduced waste to diminish the environmental impact of every occasion on this Earth.

And our team believes that it is not a big deal to make your sustainable wedding as great as possible. Since sustainability goes hand to hand with preserving nature, your green wedding can make a difference without sacrificing your budget and vision. Think of your big day celebrated in an eco-friendly way, that sets an epitome to all the young ‘about to become couples’ out there! Yes, you can have a guilt-free celebration with your loved one surrounded by your perfected guest list.

To help you design your eco wedding, we have rounded up some creative ideas. Try these small changes to conserve the environment at least on your special day.

Choose eco-friendly wedding invitations

E-vites are a way better than invitation cards, for they are almost free of cost and hopefully, is cent percent sure to reach everyone within the reach of the world within a flash of a second. But, if your desi parents insist on inviting your guests with a typical card, no worries! You have got seed paper, which is a biodegradable material, that turns out into fascinating greenery when putting in the brown gold.

Pick an Environmentally sound venue

Choose a wedding site that takes sustainability earnestly. You can search for hotels that support the viability of nature. But there aren’t many. Instead go for the natural settings like farm, lawn, a vineyard or beach that is packed with the blessings of Nature, wherein the lighting is produced by the Sun that helps to wipe out the carbon footprint.

Perfect your intimate guest list

Sorry people! If you dreamt your wedding to be really a green one, you must curb down the list of people, whom you choose to witness your big day. Invite only those individuals whose name and the last-meet with them are strongly stamped down in your memory lane.

Don’t Trash; Donate Food

Food makes the mood, without a question. And we know, how generous you are to make your welcomed guests go stomach-full, by serving them with surplus love. But there are those unwelcomed guests out there, who are craving to have your love through Food. If your party is left with excess food, don’t dump that in landfills, instead serve that to orphanages or any charitable trust. But luckily, this has become a growing practice nowadays and we want you to be one of those couples to understand and share humanity. There are many NGOs who collect and distribute the food at free cost; All you have to do is, just ring them.

Go for DIY or built-in décor

Is there anything so embellishing than naturally designed flowers and leaves? Certainly, No! But be conscious of using floral decorations and buy them from local florists. And to top the effect of your big day, switch up the flower crown for the synthetic veil over the bride’s head.

If you plan to go in white or pale colour scheme on your wedding, you can play with more vibrant colours on the floral decorations. And you can even design your site with hanging coconut shell or with paper works. If you feel this as too much work, that’s ok! we have got the solution for you too. Look about for some wineries or farm, which is naturally made ready for you. And it is for sure that these little surprise elements will make your guests ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ throughout the ceremony.

Give Edible favours

Do not bore your guests by giving them plastic boxes or bottles as favours. Instead give them edible favours, so that it means, they are going to use for sure and not waste it. Get edibles from local markets to support their economy.

That’s it! It is simple as this to plan your green wedding more whimsical and more amiable with Nature. Thus, a green wedding is not impossible; Plan with us and make your life easy.

SMLW

Wedding Ceremony

Cross-Culture Weddings

By Arushi Mehrotra

Marriage is not just two people tying knots. There is more to it. It is about two different families, their different worlds and cultures coming together under the same roof. Nowadays, more and more couples coming from different cultures are tying the knot and bringing together both the bride and groom’s traditions and customs to be celebrated together at their wedding. Such weddings are just a treat to be a part of. The diversity of two cultures, the different rituals, ceremonies would be so much fun to experience. Though it won’t be a cakewalk to go through with it, however, when two people who understand, love, respect each other and one another’s cultures, it won’t be a hard nut to crack. All you need to do is to give a little thought and planning for weaving the two cultures together.

Here we have curated some ideas for you to keep in mind while you plan for your culturally diverse wedding.

PLAN ON YOUR RITUALS AND CUSTOMS

You sure don’t want to miss on your favourite traditions or customs. This brings you to plan on your wedding rituals, beforehand. Since there are two cultures getting involved, you and your partner must make sure that equal importance is given to both the cultures. You must communicate and decide what all ceremonies do you guys want. Also, involve your family members and know their opinions too. If there are some ceremonies that both of your cultures have but with different traditions, try to combine them together for the perfect essence of cross-culturalism.

RICHNESS OF THE DELECTABLE CUISINES

So, your guests will be amused by the fun they will experience at your mixed culture wedding. But, guests more than anything, enjoy the delectable dishes be it any function. Give your guests a flavour of the delicious cuisines of both the cultures. Include your authentic delectables and allow them to enjoy the richness of the cultures through food. This would be a great way for a fusion menu. A Punjabi buffet would comprise of some mouth-watering spicy cuisine along with liquor, while a Gujarati platter would have some lip-smacking sweet and tasty dishes. This aims to satisfy everybody’s taste buds by providing a lot of variety which makes the guests elated.

ENTERTAIN YOUR GUESTS

Your guests might not be all aware of both the cultures featuring in your wedding. Take out time to explain about the traditions and customs and about the cultures by means of a program or some cultural entertainment such as a traditional dance or song or anything you feel suitable to include in the ceremonies to make them more fun. They sure would be interested to get involved in your cross-cultural features of the wedding. You could also have some professionals who could showcase your culture better. You could also create a manual for your guests to know about all the customs and rituals that are going to take place.

ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH TO THE TRADITIONS

If you feel that adding both the cultures in their true forms is extending, you can always go by opting for bits from both and add your own personal touch to it. It is one of the best ways for a cross-culture wedding. This would include both the cultures as well as curating your own styles.

MARRY ACCORDING TO EACH OTHER’S CULTURES

How lovely would it be to marry the love of your life, twice and that too according to the two different cultures, just like DeepVeer and PriNick.

Deepika and Ranveer married according to the traditional Konkani wedding first and then, on day 2, Deepika was seen as a beautiful North Indian bride.

Priyanka and Nick’s wedding took the internet by storm. While in the Christian wedding, PeeCee looked stunning in the white gown, her look in the Hindu wedding was completely different in a gorgeous red lehenga.

You can also marry according to both the cultures and have two marriages at once. You can have one with great pomp and show, others could be a simple and subtle one. All depends on you, whatever you choose for.

These were some of the tips for your cross-cultured weddings. Let us know which of these worked out the best for you.

SMLW

Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Flair For Different Colors of Love

By Bhavya Kapoor

“Love is not confined and love has no gender” sounds very savoury to the ears but truly is a pitched battle and surprisingly a perpetual fight for the same sex. Undoubtedly our sapphic population becomes a pawn for mockery and a source of entertainment for some. At, least they’re sighted as a stigma for their gender and somehow become inappropriate for people to accept. But in even the darkest of nights, there is a blue sky every morning where not only opposite genders exchange vows but appreciate the love the of same genders. What’s more resplendent than supporting some e to make their weddings an idyllic dreamland? Well if you wish to feel the magic to establish your wedding day then here are few ideas to shimmer your dream.

1.Bride/Groom Signs

Indeed animals are a symbol of unconditional love and affection and of course, they arouse the attention of the guests as well so in case if you are wandering for a fun way to make an entrance then these cute signs are surely a way to make it happen.

2. A Color To Symbolise

If you and your beloved partner wear your own materialized looks on your wedding day then you could always dress-up in a similar color through elements of your garb

3. Twining is a wining

While it seems a cakewalk but twinning is actually a cumbersome challenge and appears more thorny. You want to appear as spouses, not siblings! If you go for an option to match with your partner then go all-in with a careful selection of outfits coupled with different styles and accessories and prime grooming.

4. Boho Touch

Who doesn’t yearn for a boho wedding style? Even if you and your partner materialize an entirely different outfit, setting the vibe means your accessories will blend together in a way that’s plainly diverse.

5. A dramatic effect

Well, it’s hair-raising. Capes are always a spice for bridal fashion and there’s no significant reason why grooms can’t ornament the same trend. Similarly, a veil, statement headpiece, or some electrifying jeweler becomes a combo to glint the wedding attire.

6.Think out of the normalcy

There is no rulebook that says to cull for formal attire on your wedding day. If you and your partner love to make a statement, why not fabricate a dress code of your own or gather some radical looks together? Well, an unconventional look gives a breathtaking moment.

7. Griddled with love

Well, there is no demarcation for having a particular side for the Bride and Groom at your wedding. Have a guest circle around you or a heart can be made too.

8.Something More Than vows

Ask your friends and family to pen down what they love about you and words that portray them. These words would go into metallic shells and guests will speak at their turns and their words during the wedding.

SMLW

Wedding Ceremony

Nair Wedding Ceremony

By Saumya Nair

Adoring a simple yet exquisite Nair wedding ceremony

Kerala’s distinctive rituals and traditions in weddings epitomize the elegance with simplicity.

Unlike a North Indian wedding, with elaborated and gaudy rituals or that customary wedding procession escorting the groom on horseback which is summed up as Baraat, the Nair weddings of Kerala is a synonym of simplicity with a series of humble rituals preceding the engagement. Yet to blend with other traditions, Kerala weddings has adopted some Northern India traditions as a prenuptial ritual. One such being the Mehendi ceremony.

Yes, you heard that right, a proper Nair wedding des not include Mehendi or Haldi ceremony! Umm! Not happening huh? But hey! That doesn’t wear off the beauty of minimal yet authentic age-old traditions.

Well, what charm us, even more, is the Kerala bride donning the Kanjivuram saree which is no less than the sabyasachi lehenga accessorised with gold necklaces & bangles. No wonder why our tongue slips saying ‘Gold owned country’ instead of ‘God’s own country’.

Come let us sway you away with the beliefs and traditions of a Nair wedding ceremony.

Muratham/Nishchayam

Taking planetary influence on top priorities, the families of bride and groom defines the pair as made in heaven & the priest holding an astrological background decides on the shubh muhurath or the best date to tie the knot .

With that commence the first tradition of the ceremony known as Nischayam otherwise known as engagement ceremony. It traditionally takes place at the bride’s house as an intimate affair. With only closed ones from both side of the family present. One of the elder members of the family reads out the approval of marriage function on the predecided date, venue and muhurtham. A copy of the above is signed and exchanged including some gifts on a platter.

One such ritual in the function happens where the bride is adorned with jasmine flowers on her hair pinned by her sister in law.

Nischayam is a promise made and this promise is exchanged in the form of rings known as Mothiram Maatal

And that gears up the couple for their pre-wedding photoshoots.

Dakshina kodukkal

In any Hindu ceremony, the beginning of every auspicious event requires the blessings of the elders. Dakshina happens to be an important auspicious is conducted just before the marriage ceremony or as a small function one day before the Day. The girl hands over a lemon, a coin on a betel leaf to the elders and touches their feet to seek blessings. Thus heading them to the main ceremony.

As an add on to the event, arrange a stage for a bachelorette party

This small ceremony can be spiced up infusing some song and dance at the very end of the event with every member in the family showcasing their fair share of talents. While in the bride’s house, the Mehendi function can as well be organized although the Mehendi ritual is not a part of the Nair wedding ceremony

On the Big Day

The celebrations begin with the custom where the bride’s parents fill the para, an auspicious Kerala utensil with Nellu (rice without removing the husk). This ritual is a sign of prosperity.

The welcoming of the bridegroom.

Unlike the Dulha on the horseback in the North, the Keralite groom is welcomed at the entrance by his mother in law and a set of young girls who happens to be the bride’s cousins. Before heading inside, the bride’s younger brother washes the feet of the groom. He is then escorted with the bride’s aunt and cousins to the stage who will be carrying small lamp or Diya while the Nadaswarams amp up the entry of the groom. He is made to sit on the right of the decorated canopy on a wooden plank and eagerly awaits the bride.

Bride entry

Off late bride’s entry is no more a usual sight of a blushing bride! The ongoing trends have given a slight twist to the overall monumental entry of the bride. She walks the aisle in a cinematic way dancing to the tunes of some remarkable Malayalam, Tamil or Hindi songs accompanied by her siblings and cousins.

Umm, what you waiting for my Keralite bride, ditch the conventional ways, surprise your love with your personalized choreography dancing to the rhythms of “Maangalyam” from Bangalore days or yet another peppy Tamil songs.

The customs and rituals curated with age-old traditions!

The bride once take the seat to the left side of the groom, the ceremony begins and both of them takes the 7 wedding vows.

No priests, no fire, the Kerala wedding is a five-minute affair!

Thali kettu

The groom initiates that auspicious moment known as Thaalikettu with Mangalsutra , a sanctified thread that he ties around the bride’s neck and this buckles up the newlyweds for a life long journey and ends with an exchange of garlands.

Pudava Kodukal

Soon after this nuptial knot, the mother or aunt of the groom gifts the bride with a set of silk sarees and showers her blessings to the newlyweds.

Blessings

With every other member in the family, giving their share of milk and banana sweet to the couple ends up the simple yet elegant rituals of the Kerala wedding.

Set everything aside and tag it as simple but what stays apart to this elegant event is the extravagant feast served on the plantain leaf. An assortment of 25 various dishes all served on the leaf. Wow! Now never miss a chance when invited to a Kerala wedding.

SMLW

Wedding Ceremony

Wedding as an emotion!

By Supritha Nallam

India is a country of diversity, homing in it a sundry of people, cultures, traditions, languages, religions and customs. And a Wedlock as a concept, no doubt stands at a high pedestal across all of them. A wedding is indeed a kind of emotion on which novels are inspired, movies are made and the celebration of love is treasured.

A father transferring his most priced possession to a man he believed in, more than anything in the universe. The daughter taking a new step leaving behind her superhero to reach her price charming hoping to always remain daddy’s little princess. Bidding farewell to a part of her flesh, yet assuring to send her heart along, tears of a mother brushing away in pride looking at her little baby outgrown into a beautiful bride. Giggles and Secrets, but secretly missing her sister’s wardrobe, pulling her hair to pulling her legs, for the little brother feeling the void of the person to throw sarcasm at. Bridesmaid for a day, but a best friend for a lifetime. Two souls sticking together loving unconditionally, indistinctively, like an effortless breath, felt through a handheld, a promise made and a smile that never distinguished. Surely, the emotions of the wedding cannot be described in any short of this. Is this not what love, sacrifice, hope, trust and conviction looks like, then the universe isn’t sure about describing it well.

Once in a while, when encompassed in the mundanity of life, Love gives everyone a fairy tale to fancy about, it being nothing but marriage. The highest form of commitment- a covenant to look together for the beam of light among the darkest clouds, a promise to bind together like the colours of the rainbow, a conviction to give best of oneself and ask no more than what the other can give, to fall in love in a new way every single day, and resolving to deliver more than all the promises made. One wouldn’t sure believe a simple word “W-E-D-D-I-N-G”, carries in it a truckload of fervour as deep as the ocean, as endless as the sky, as bright as the sun and as far as the stars, but first, you sure have to sip it to taste it, similarly, you must marry to get it.

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