New Decor Ideas

Every year more and more unique wedding ideas are created. Every bride wants to be a step ahead and include the latest trends on her big day. Add one of these unique decor ideas to your wedding reception and you will be sure to make a splash.

Light Up Dance Floor 

Monogramed Ghost Chairs 

Tents as Centerpieces 

Bubble Centerpieces on the Ceiling 

Wooden Signs for Food Stations 

Benches for Seating 

Circle Bar 

Circle Dance Floor

Thank You Cards

As you return from your honeymoon, the thought of writing personal thank-you notes to all of your guests may seem daunting, but definitely not impossible with these tips:

1. Save your guest list you used for your invitations. This saves yourself time and energy and already gives you a head start.

2. Traditionally, thank-you notes from newlyweds are written in black or blue ink on folded notepaper in ivory or white. Personal stationary has become more popular over the years. Monogrammed note cards are the new trend. Important to remember not to use your married name until after the wedding.

3. General rule is to send a thank-you note 2 weeks after you receive a wedding gift before the wedding. This saves you some thank you notes after the wedding and you can immediately check off these names after the cards have been sent.

4. It is appropriate to send out thank-you notes to wedding guests within the month after you return from your honeymoon.

5. Make sure each thank-you note is personalized. Mention the gift if you received one. You can create a template for guests you are not as familiar with. 

Here are some Examples of Thank-you Notes:

Thank-you note for a gift from your registry: 

Dear __________,

Thank you so much for the crystal champagne flutes. We now have a complete set! _______ and I look forward to your next visit, when we can enjoy a drink together. Thank you again for thinking of us during this special time in our lives.

Warmest regards,

Thank-you note for guests who gave cash as a gift: 

Dear _______,

Thank you for your gift! We intended to purchase a new living room set by the end of the year, but thanks to you, we will have the new set sooner that we thought. Again, thank you for thinking about us and joining us in celebrating our special day.

Kind regards,

Thank-you note for guest who attended the wedding: 

Dear _______,

Thank you for taking the time to share our special day with us. Your presence made our celebration more special.

Kind regards,

With these tips your thank-you card will be signed, sealed and delivered with ease.

Writing Your Future Husband’s Name in Henna

Mehndi is a beautiful wedding tradition that has a long history and holds deep symbolism. One tradition is to have the groom’s name hidden within the intricate mehndi design on the bride’s palm. After the wedding is over, the bride and groom can play a game in which the groom needs to find his name within the pattern before he is allowed to sleep.

Different Indian Cuisines

We have clients that come from all different regions of India. One of the big things people don't know is that Indian food is not all the same, and depending on your region this could affect the type of food you will serve at your reception.

Here are some of the most common types of Indian Food:

Gujrati Food 

This is the cuisine from Gujrat, India. It is primarily a vegetarian, despite having an extensive coastline for seafood, due to the influence of Jain vegetarianism and traditional Hinduism. The typical GujaratiThali consists of Rotli, Dal or Kadhi, Rice, and Shaak/Sabzi (a dish made up of different combinations of vegetables and spices, which may be spicy or sweet). Gujarati cuisine varies widely in flavor and heat, depending on a given family's tastes as well as the region of Gujarat they are from. North Gujarat, Kathiawad, Kachchh, and Surti Gujarat are the four major regions of Gujarat that all bring their own style to Gujarati food. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy at the same time.

Punjabi Food 

One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of ghee with liberal amounts of butter and cream, with home cooking concentrating on mainly upon preparations with whole wheat, rice and other ingredients flavored with masala. Within the Punjab region, there are different preferences. People in the area of Lahore and Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and dairy products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as sarson da saag and makki di roti. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi specialty especially for non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the most popular elements of Indian cuisine as it is marketed to non-Indian customers (such as tandoor, naan, pakoras and vegetable dishes with paneer) is derived from the Punjab.

South Indian Food 

South Indian cuisine includes the cuisines found in the four southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The similarities are the presence of rice as a staple food, the use of lentils and spices, the use of dried red chillies and fresh green chillies, coconut and native fruits and vegetables like tamarind, plantain, snake gourd, garlic, ginger, etc. Overall all the four cuisines have much in common and differ mostly in the spiciness of the food. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, South and coastal Karnataka and most parts of Andhra Pradesh use more rice. North Karnataka on the other hand consumes more ragi and jowar, while Telangana region uses Jowar and Bajra more. Consumption of rice is more common among certain Brahmin communities.

We do many indian weddings and it is great to get to know these different types of indian cuisines.

What is a Baraat?

The Baraat is a large gathering of family, friends, and relatives. The Baraat is the arrival of the groom on the day of the wedding. The groom, usually on a horse, or even in a luxury vehicle, follows the procession of guests to the venue. When the groom’s procession arrives to the venue, the bride’s family greets them. Later in the Baraat, the groom stomps on a clay pot with rice inside. Breaking the pot symbolizes the groom is strong enough to accept life’s challenges. Not only does the Baraat begin a couple’s wedding, it also begins their happy life together!

Who Belongs at the Mandap?

There can be some confusion over who exactly takes a place next to the bride and groom at the mandap during the ceremony. Typically we recommend that you limit it to just the pandit, bride, groom, bride’s parents, and groom’s parents. This can help limit the family politics that adding additional family members can sometimes create. Instead, you can reserve the first two rows of seating for your families, and the third row for your bridal party.

Simi and Neeraj

This past weekend we had a wonderful time at Simi and Neeraj's wedding! It all began Friday with the Sikh ceremony in upstate New York. The events continued through the night as guest arrived at the Rockleigh Country Club for the Sangeet. The rooms were decorated in gorgeous pinks, purples and oranges.

Saturday took us to a new location, Cipriani 42nd Street, for the baraat, ceremony and reception. The bride looked stunning as she entered under an archway of branches covered with flowers in shades of white. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner and partied the night away! The dance-floor was never empty.

We would like to thank Design House for Friday's decor, DJ Suhel, Jeannie at Atlas Florist for Saturday's decor, Rajeeve at Moghul Caterers , Orange Films, Salwa Photography, Susmita Patel and the staff at the Rockleigh Country Club and Cipriani 42nd Street.

Indian Wedding Terminology

Have you ever come across terms in an Indian wedding not knowing what they mean? Here is a mini glossary that will help you understand the meaning of various terms :

Aarti - A Hindu ritual of worship where a prayer is accompanied by fire from candles,camphor or a Diya ( lamp with an oil soaked wick).

Antarpaat - Piece of cloth (curtain) that separates the bride and groom at the beginning of a Hindu wedding ceremony.

Baraat - A groom’s procession

Garba - A pre-wedding ceremony where everyone gathers to perform Garba - a folk dance that originates from Gujarat.

Grahapravesh - The first time the newly wed couple enters their house

Haldi - A pre-wedding ceremony where a paste known as Ubtan containing turmeric, herbs and chandan (sandalwood) is applied on the face, arms and feet of the bride and groom in their respective homes.

Havan Kund - A vessel in which fire is lit for Puja (Prayer). A Vivaah Havan is the sacred fire around which a wedding takes place.

Kanyadaan - A ritual in which the father of the bride hands over all his rights and duties towards his daughter to her prospective Groom.

Milni - Ritual where the bride’s family welcomes the groom’s family.

Varmala / Jaimala - Wedding garlands exchanged by the Bride and Groom.

Mangalsutra - Sacred necklace that the groom ties around the bride's neck signifying their marriage.

Sangeet - A pre-wedding ceremony originating from Punjab where everyone gathers to sing traditional folk songs.

Sindoor - Vermillion applied along the parting (Maang) of a married woman's hair.

Vidaai - The departure of the bride from her home to her husband's home.

Recent songs couples can use in their wedding video:

The perfect song can transform “just another wedding video” into a masterpiece! Some of our favorite recent songs include “Cinema” by Skrillex, “Fix You” by Coldplay and “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap. For some more inspiration, check out blogs from Kiss The Bride Films  and Studio NinePhotography .

Other Inspirational links:

http://www.sjsevents.com/gal_landing/video46.php

http://studionine.com/rachna-jordan/

http://kissthebridefilms.com/blog/#marisha-vimal

http://www.sjsevents.com/gal_landing/video39.php

Jeweled Bouquets

Many brides have recently been choosing to replace the traditional floral bouquet with a sparkly alternative - a bouquet made of jewels! These bouquets are elegant and serve as a wonderful keepsake from your wedding. Best of all, you don't have to worry about your bouquet wilting!

 

Shell Out!

A serene walk on the beach is always incomplete without that little stab on your foot from one of nature's most magical creations - a seashell.
 
When having a beach wedding, most people use seashells as a theme for the cake, invittions and wedding favors - But what about the ceremony? Here are some ideas for using seashells in your ceremony to make the decor more authentic.

 

Questions to Ask Hair and Makeup Vendors

Choosing a wedding dress is one of, if not the, most important decisions a bride makes for her wedding day, but it is not complete without fabulous hair and makeup. Here are some tips and questions to ensure you find the perfect beauty team for your perfect day starting with a phone call:

1.      Call more than one stylist. Gather information from a minimum of 3 stylists and make comparisons. The stylists need to be able to understand your vision and you need to feel comfortable working with them.

2.     Don’t be afraid to ask for references! This is a great chance to gather more information. Some questions to ask are: “What makeup brand do you use?”, “How many brides have you worked with?”, “Are there any references I can contact?” It is great to get another opinion from a past bride or client. They have already been in your situation and can be a great resource.

3.     When you begin discussing total price, ask for additional charges. Ask if there are additional charges for airbrush makeup, extensions, eyelashes, using a different makeup brand and travel charges.

4.     An important question to ask your potential stylist is if the trial will be deducted from the total price if you book them. It catches some brides by surprise, but almost all stylists charge for a trial.

5.     Here are some more questions to ask the stylist when you call: “Do you wash your brushes after each client or do you open a new pack?”, “Do you have a website or a blog?”, “Will it be YOU at my wedding or another artist?”

 

Celebrity Wedding: Faryal Makhdoom and Amir Khan

We had the pleasure and honor to be able to help the lovely Faryal Makhdoom plan her extravagant NYC wedding to Amir Khan. It all took place last week and we couldn't be happier with how everything turned out.

The bride looked stunning and guests enjoyed an enchanting evening at the Waldorf=Astoria.

We want to thank Elegant Affairs for the amazing decor and DJ Manan Shah for keeping the party going.

To hear more about the wedding and see all the photos make sure to check out Hello! Magazine in
newsstands now for the 16 page feature.

Meghna & Tanmay's Wedding

We had so much fun in Boston at Meghna and Tanmay’s wedding this past weekend! It all began with their Garba event on Friday at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. The ballroom was beautifully lit up in pink and purple, and the dance floor was full the entire night!

Fast forward to Saturday, where the baraat, ceremony, and reception were all held at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. The ceremony was beautifully decorated with gorgeous orchids, calla lilies, and hydrangeas. Later, at the reception, guests enjoyed a delicious dinner and then danced the night away with fun glow sticks and wore fun branded sunglasses!

BEO: Banquet Event Order

Planning a wedding shouldn’t require you to learn a new vocabulary! Don’t send out an SOS when see a BEO (or Banquet Event Order). A Banquet Event Order is a document that outlines every detail of your event. This document serves as a guideline for your venue to manage all the logistical aspects of your event. Five components that can typically be found in BEO’s are: vendor information, menus, order of events, set up, equipment, and any special requests. Perfecting your BEO will ensure a seamless wedding day!