Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Pooja and Divaker


This past weekend one of our sweetest couples tied the knot. In front of an intimate group of friends and family Pooja and Divaker became husband and wife. The backdrop for the emotional ceremony was Gotham Hall, which was flushed with amazing lighting from Bentley Meeker in pink, purple and amber.


As always our friends at Atlas Floral created some amazing decor pieces, DJ Insomnia kept the party going all night and Bukhara Grill had guests going through the buffet line more than once!


And lets not forget about the amazing cake by Cake Alchemy, with layers of chocolate chip with passion fruit filling and red velvet with caramel filling. 

We want to wish Pooja and Divaker nothing but the best, they are such a special couple and we are so happy to have had the pleasure of working with them!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Wedding Shoes: Sparkle & Shine

You want to look the best that you will ever look on your wedding day. You have the perfect dress, the perfect jewelry, and the perfect man! You need the perfect pair of shoes to polish that look of perfection. If you want to sparkle and shine from head to toe, literally, here are a few great options.




Thursday, July 26, 2012

Photo Booth Fun!




Many of our clients are choosing to have photo booths during their reception. These are always a big hit, especially when there are fun props involved!

Here are some great sites that offer a wide variety of things your guest can use to dress up and have fun with:




Luxurious Bridesmaids Gifts


Finding the right gift for your bridesmaids to say thank you can be a little difficult, especially with all the other wedding items on your check list. Here are some gifts that any bridesmaid would love:
  1. Cashmere Shawl
  2. La Perla Silk Pajamas
  3. Tiffany Necklace
  4. Louis Vuitton Key Chain
  5. Burberry Silk Scarf
  6. Gucci I-phone Case
  7. MAC Airbook
  8. Cartier Americaine Diamond Watch
  9. Tory Burch Cosmetic Case
  10. Kindle Fire






Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Indian Ceremony Terms

Here are some key terms that take place during a Hindu ceremony:
  • Anterpat, a curtain separating the bride and groom who are standing opposite of each other.
  • Hastamelap, a ceremony where the right hand of groom is placed in the bride's right hand whilst chanting the holy verses. At the end of this the priest will signal the removing of the cloth and the completion is announced by spontaneous beating of drums and with ladies from both families singing. The bride and groom then garland each other to complete the Hastamelap.
  • Akhand Saubhagavati is a term for blessings.  Married women from the bride's family and the groom's family come and bless the bride by whispering "Akhand Saubhagyavati" in her ear, which means "Good luck, prosperity and a long happy life."
  • Kanyadan, performed by the priest with the bride's parents, symbolising offering of the Kanya (bride) to the Ver (groom)
  • Milni is the meeting of all the men from each family.
  • Baraat is the groom's wedding procession.  It is customary for the groom to travel to the wedding venue on a mare, accompanied by his family members.
  • Var Puja is a prayer that the groom performs before the ceremony for blessings from the lord Ganesh



Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Niki & Arvindh

Big Congratulations to our lovely couple from this past weekend, Nikki and Arvindh! We want to thank everyone involved from Elegant Affairs, Bukhara Grill, DJ Insomnia, Chand Palace, Birchwood Manor and The Hanover Marriott. Every detail of this weeding from their colorful Sangeet, to deep red Reception was perfect. Their day on Saturday was blessed with perfect weather, which made their outdoor ceremony that more amazing! This was a big dancing crowed from Garba to Raas to Sanedo they did it all! Both their families where a delight to work with which made the events even that more flawless!

Congratulations again!





Monday, July 23, 2012

Unique Table Numbers

When guests walk into your reception the first thing they might notice are the centerpieces or maybe the layout of the tables. However, they will pay an enormous amount of attention to the table numbers. When finding their seats they will have to look at the table numbers intently to find the table they are looking for. You can make quite a statement with your table numbers, whether it be romantic, creative, artsy, simple, etc. Here are a few examples of unique table numbers:







Friday, July 20, 2012

Wedding Insurance


Many of our Brides ask if they really need wedding insurance and our answer is… Yes. Wedding insurance is must because it protects your wedding and investment from circumstances beyond your control. It is relatively inexpensive, normally under $500 for a $1,000,000 policy. First check with your vendors to see if they have their own insurance or if you need to put them under your wedding insurance to cover them, most vendors do provide insurance. Lastly, read the policy and find one that suits your needs. Most policies cover acts of God that would have to cancel or affect your event or a vendor not showing up but they do not cover cold feet. So make sure to read the policy. It is a lot more common than most would think and you can try to reach out to your local insurance company to see if they would carry it. Otherwise here are a few companies that we recommend: WedSafe, Travelers, and Protect My Wedding

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Sarena & Naitik

We wanted to give a big congratulations to our couple that was married last weekend, Sarena and Naitik! They had their City sangeet at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, where they got to enjoy some really fun family performances. Their garba was at the very spacious and beautiful Mahwah Temple, where the families danced the night away! This space had more than enough room for garba and had elegant décor with the painted murals and chandeliers. Finally, their very chic and beautiful wedding and reception was held at the Sheraton Meadowlands. All the outstanding decor was done by the amazing team at Elegant Affairs. The couple’s reception backdrop was unique while the blue and purple hues gave a modern feel to this very modern couple.

 Congratulations again!









Monday, July 16, 2012

Live Music for Cocktail Hour

A simple way to spice up your cocktail hour is forgoing your typical DJ Background music and hiring some fun musicians. The possibility now a days are endless.

Here are some of our favorite:


1. String Quartet

2. Jazz Band

3. Steel Drum Band

4. Acoustic Guitar Player

Whatever you choose remember you're not at the dance party yet, keep the volume turned down so people can easily talk.

How to Tie a Sari


Ever wonder how to tie a sari? Take a look at this cool video we got from Devi's Closet...



Friday, July 13, 2012

Advantages of a Credit Card Associated With Your Wedding

Keeping your wedding expenses separate from all other expenses is a great organizational way to start off the planning process. Not only does is give you the organization that is most certainly needed in helping you smoothly and effectively orchestrate your wedding day and all of the details that go into it, you also will earn rewards! Most chain hotels offer a credit card option in which you will earn points, free stays, and more. Marriott is one of the many hotels that offer this wonderful option. Below is a list of the rewards that would be awarded to you if you were to open a credit card with them.

Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card
Apply now and receive:
  • 50,000 bonus points after your first purchase
  • No annual fee the first year
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • A free night stay upon account approval (category 1-4 hotels)
  • A free night stay EVERY YEAR upon account anniversary (category 1-5 hotels)
  • 15 nights credit toward Elite status
  • 5 points per $1 spent at Marriott
  • 2 points per $1 spent on airline, dining and rental car purchases
  • 1 point per $1 spent elsewhere
  • 1 Elite Night for every $3,000 spent on your card




A few other hotels that offer this are Hilton and Hyatt.


Hilton HHonors Card From American Express
Apply now and receive:
  • Earn 40,000 HHonors Bonus Points when you spend US $750 within the first 90 days of Cardmembership.
  • Earn 6 HHonors Bonus Points for every U.S. dollar charged at participating properties within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio.
  • Earn 6 HHonors Bonus Points for every U.S. dollar charged in the following everyday spend categories: grocery stores, drugstores, gas stations, home and wireless phone, cable and satellite TV, and Internet service providers (less returns).
  • Earn 3 HHonors Bonus Points for every U.S. dollar charged for all other purchases anywhere American Express Cards are accepted (less returns).
  • Online booking bonus: 500 HHonors Bonus Points every time you book your stay through a Hilton Worldwide website and charge it to your Hilton HHonors Card from American Express.
  • Upgrade to Hilton HHonors Gold status for one year when you make eligible charges of $20,000 or more annually to your Card.
  • No annual fee.



Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card
Apply now and receive:
  • Enjoy automatic enrollment in the Starwood Preferred Guest® program.
  • Redeem Starpoints for free nights without blackout dates at over 1,000 hotels & resorts in nearly 100 countries, including:
  • St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W® Hotels, Le Meridien®, Westin®, Sheraton®, AloftSM, ElementSM, and Four Points® by Sheraton.
  • Start redeeming with as few as 1,500 Starpoints for free nights with a combination of Cash & Points.
  • Use Starpoints for free nights any day of the year, even holidays.
  • Enjoy your fifth night free and up to $100 in resort credit at participating resorts in Hawaii and French Polynesia.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

WHEN TO SEND SAVE THE DATES, INVITES, & RSVPs

As a general rule, its best to let friends and family know about your big day around six months prior or eight months for far away destination weddings.  Sending Save The Dates this early in advance give guests plenty of time to book their travel, save some cash, and ask days off from work.  Any later it might as well be an invitation.  Invitations should ideally be sent out eight weeks before the wedding.  Timely invitations also allow you an earlier RSVP deadline, which should be about three weeks before the wedding, leaving you enough time to sort out the final count for the caterer and seating charts. 





Monday, July 9, 2012

Questions to Ask Transportation Companies


Of course you want to make sure all of your guests arrive at your wedding both safe and promptly. Before booking the transportation services for your wedding, you should make sure that all your p's and q's are in order. Here are some questions to ask before you book:


  • What are the passenger counts for all shuttles/buses?
  • Do you charge by the hour?
  • Do you charge by vehicle?
  • Do you charge for amount of mileage?
  • Do you do drop-off and pick-up services?
  • How many years have you been in business?
  • Are the Vehicles equipped with GPS Navigation System?
  • What are the contingency plans if a Vehicle breaks down that day?
  • What are the vendor's hiring practices for screening Chauffeurs? Are they professionally trained?
  • Are you properly insured?
  • Do you also bring signage to identify that it is our shuttle?
  • How do you handle tolls and parking?

Friday, July 6, 2012

BOW TIES & NECK TIES FOR YOUR TUX

The way you tie your tie can be an expression of your personality.  Many of our grooms ask us what they should do with their tux.. bow tie or necktie... there is no right answer.  Both are formal; both are in style. We wanted to give you our favorites

Bow Ties:
Large Butterfly

Classic

Narrow /Batwing

Pointed End  



 Neck Ties:
Double Windsor

Four in Hand 

Long Knot 

Skinny