A Quick Look at the Indian Bridal Attire

Indian weddings are known all over for their grand themes and extravaganza. Needless to say that Indian wedding attire is equally royal and extravagant. The following post explores Indian bridal attire. Read on to know more.

Introduction

Sari is the most common attire which is worn by Indian women during their weddings. In eastern India in particular, Banarasi saris are the first choice for girls who are about to get married. There are different types of Benarasi saris available in the market such as pure silk (katan), organza, shattin and georgette. In the past, gold and silver threads were used in order to weave these saris.

But these days, zari work is used to make them look similar to gold or silver threads. In fact, it is this beadwork which gives these saris a unique look. Embroideries are done on all parts of the saris and greatest attention is paid to the area surrounding the borders and pallu. These saris are heavier in comparison to others.

In southern India Kanjeevaram sarees are most commonly worn by girls during weddings. They come with gold dipped silver threads and have a thicker silk base in comparison to other types of silk saris. The heavier the silk, the better will be the quality of the sari. The usual motifs which are found in these types of saris are the parrot and peacock.

In northern India, the lehenga is the favorite choice as bridal attire for girls on these types of occasions. The cut of the choli or blouse has been modernized in recent times. So, you can come across cholis with tight fitting corsets as well as backless blouses. Halter necklines and bikini patterned tops have also become quite common. The type of fabrics which are used to make lehengas tends to vary from cotton and synthetic to chiffon and brocade.

Recent Trends in Indian Bridal Attire

If you are well aware of the design trends in Hindu matrimonial/Indian wedding attires, then you are likely to know that these days, bridal lehengas come with a lot of embellishments on the skirt and stole. The ones which come with heavy gota patti borders and elaborate embroidery are in great demand. The use of Swarovski crystals in embellishments along with silver embroidery has also become quite common. Girls prefer skirt and blouses made of silk along with a stole made from free flowing fabrics such as satin. The design and type of embellishments which these lehengas have is traditional, but the materials used in order to make them are the latest. The ongoing trend is to go for matching or contrasting colors for the entire outfit. For instance, a bride can opt for a red blouse with orange skirt and a pink skirt. Skirts with multicolored panels have gained precedence over others.

When it comes to Banarasi saris, brocades are preferred by women from the eastern parts of India. In normal weaving, the weft thread is commonly passed below and over the warp thread. But that’s not the case with brocade. Special threads are transfixed in between when cotton, silver or gold threads are to be woven. This is done by skipping the passage of a number of wefts. Pre-arranged heddles are then used for specific styles of patterning. There can be different types of heddles which are arranged and raised in order to depress unequal number of threads as required by the pattern’s needs.

The bridal Kanjeevaram saris which you may come across in the retail outlets come with rich, intricate zari work. They look best on the bride when worn with a blouse of a contrasting color or an alternative designer blouse. The ones which come with cream and maroon colors are most suitable for brides who want to adorn heavy jewelry on the day of their wedding. The motifs which are currently popular include animals, mangoes, flowers, peacocks and leaves.

What All It Takes to Be a Perfect Marathi bride!

To look exceptional and become the center of attraction on her wedding day is the dream of every girl. Every Indian community follows its own set of traditions and customs when it comes to wedding and the wedding trousseau worn by the bride and groom. The Marathi brides get dressed up very traditionally for the wedding, and you can easily identify a Marathi bride, thanks to her wedding attire and the jewelry worn by her.

Wedding attire of Marathi bride

A bottle green Paithni or Kaanjivaram sari having a length of nine-yards is draped in a typical Marathi style, called as Nauvari. This style distinguishes a Marathi bride from others. Green is considered pure and a symbol of luck and prosperity in the Marathi matrimony, and this is the reason why green predominates other colors during wedding.

The hairstyle for a Marathi bride includes a bun, which is decorated by a bunch of white flowers, termed as gajra. Hands and feet of the bride are adorned with intricate and beautiful henna patterns.

Wedding jewelry

What can be better than gold jewelry to accessorize the bride? The Maharashtrian bride adorns simple unique and traditional jewelry for her wedding. Women make no mistake while choosing the bridal jewelry, as they are the perfect accessories suiting their wedding attire. A traditional Maharashtrian bride wears heavy gold jewelry, with exquisite work of polka and stones.

Mundavalya

It is a string of pearls, which is tied horizontally across the forehead from the temple. Mundavalya is worn by both bride and groom.

Tanmani

This is a must for a Maharashtrian bride to wear Tanmani. It is a choker having 3-4 pearl strands and comes with a silk thread, which can be adjusted at the back to tighten or loosen it.

Kolhapuri saaz

Kolhapuri saaz is a necklace which denotes the marital status of a woman and is made up of gold beads, gold leaves and petals and a round pendant with a red stone in the centre, woven in a gold wire. This is gifted by groom’s family to the bride.

Chooda

Not to be confused with the Chooda worn by the Punjabi brides, Maharashtrian bridal chooda has green glass bangles that symbolize fertility, new life as well as creativity. The bride wears these bangles in off numbers. These bangles are paired with solid gold bangles called Patlya and carved gold bangles named Tode.

Other important jewel pieces are Vaaki or armlet, Nath, Mangalsutra, Ambada, Jodvi, to name a few. These jewelry pieces not only add to the beauty of the bride, but are also terms as Kanya Dhan, which means that the bride’s own wealth.

These were some of the absolute essentials for a traditional Marathi bride, if you wish to learn more about the wedding culture and the rituals involved in Indian wedding, please let us know.

Planning Your Bridal Mehendi and Makeup

Wedding night is a special night. On this day, every girl wishes to look as beautiful as possible. In Indian weddings, makeup, hairdo, attire and most importantly mehendi, are an integral part of every Indian wedding. Like jewelry and attire get lots of time and attention, makeup and mehendi should be planned properly to bring out that flawless Indian look in a brand new wife.

Looking gorgeous on a wedding night is every bride’s right. She is after all the universe’s centre of attraction on her wedding day. But this d day approaches faster than expected, leaving would-be brides undecided about the way they would want to look until the last moment. Sometimes, a speedy bridal makeup and a hurried mehendi is all that Indian girls manage before rushing to the ceremonial venue.

To top it all, girls engage in long pre wedding shopping trips and mostly invest time on deciding upon the outfit and jewelry designs. All this chaos pushes some important components like makeup and mehendi far behind. These elements might not be as expensive as gem studded jewelry or tailor made garments, but they require special attention as they complete the look of an Indian bride with a touch of finesse.

A beautiful makeup for that flawless look

Planning a wedding might take a toll on a future bride’s looks. For three months, care must be taken to ensure that skin remains hydrated, healthy, pimple free and without under eye circles. Contacting an Indian Bridal Makeup artist well ahead of time ensures that bride’s skin and hair texture are known in detail to the artist. Best skin treatments are carried out for a flawless glow on the d day. On the wedding day, the makeup must be matched with the attire. Good brushes and quality applicators must be used. To make sure that the products used on your skin are fine, having a word with the artist ahead of time is advisable. The products must be tried on before for allergy and sensitivity tests.  Last minute changes should be given the least room and instead going about things in a planned way should be followed.

The Indian bride’s mehendi

Mehendi is a vital element of every Indian girl’s wedding look. Indian tradition depicts that a deep red mehendi color signifies strong bond with the partner for life. Following a few well planned mehendi tips yields beautiful results:

• A professional mehendi artist needs to be contacted for special bridal mehendi packages. Several mehendi artists have teams that specialize in mehendi packages including innovative designs for the bride and the bridesmaids in a mehendi ceremony.
• Some artists claim to specialize in a host of designs and promise to do the bridal mehendi themselves. Selecting designs beforehand and getting a dummy run done by the person who is supposed to apply the mehendi is a safe approach.
• On the mehendi day, cleaning and drying hands before application and keeping it on for three hours at least helps to bring out a lovely shade. A lemon sugar mix applied with a cotton wool on the tattoo keeps it moist and darkens the color.
• Steaming the area before pealing helps too.

A day as unique as a wedding day deserves a much better level of planning. Memories about this special calendar day are to be cherished for a lifetime hence, they should be premeditated accordingly. Photographs, videos, recordings and endless conversations capture these special moments of a wedding day. A beautiful Indian bride is the focal point of all this attention making her attire, jewelry, mehendi and makeup the ultimate trend setters for all the other girls.

Artifacts used to adorn a Bengali Bride

A Bengali bride is adorned with simple decorations. Read the following blog post to know more about Bengali Brides

The Bengali Wedding Affair is somewhat simple. The customs along with the affair spans for barely three days in total. Just as customs and rituals are simple, even a Bengali Bride is decked up in a simple way that makes her look the most beautiful.

Bengali girls are known for their creative bent of mind along with intellectual prowess. Very rarely you will come across a Bengali girl who is not well versed in subjects like dance, music and art.

Bridal makeup for a Bengali girl is comparatively simple and pretty homely. Though modern-day changes have brought about several interpolations such as adorning the hands and feet with Mehndi, the essential idea of simplicity clubbed with beauty exudes in a bride who hails from the land of Bengal. Some of the artifacts that complete the look of a Bengali bride are explained below.

Chandanor Sandalwood Paste: Sandalwood plays an important role in Bengali Bridal Make-Up. Sandalwood paste is made which used to design the bride’s forehead and cheeks. This is very typical of Bengali Weddings. Interestingly, even the groom’s forehead is adorned with chandan (sandalwood paste). The use of sandalwood is considered pure and auspicious, as the same is used in worshipping idols.

Alta:  This red colored liquid is pretty often used by Bengali women. Though the tradition of regular application of the same has long withered away, alta still finds its place in a Bengali wedding.

Sankha and Pola: Post-wedding, when the bride and the groom have been declared man and wife, the newly-married bride is expected to wear red and white bangles. The red bangles are called pola and the white ones are called sankha. Earlier the sankha was made out of conch shells.

Sindoor: Idiosyncratic to India, sindoor is used in almost every Indian community. The Bengalis are no exception. The marriage ceremony is complete only when the groom applied sindoor on the bride’s forehead.

Author

Sampurna Majumder

Maintaining a Happy and Healthy Marriage

Once the honeymoon phase gets over, many people may find it difficult to maintain a happy married life. A happy, healthy marriage usually requires a little work, however, which is totally worth the effort. The increasing number of divorce rates is certainly not encouraging, but those couple who are committed for lifetime, should avoid looking at the high divorce rates and emphasize on the things, which can help your relationship to succeed. Here are several things that can help you preserve a happy and healthy marriage.

1. Communication is one of the most essential factors of a healthy marriage. You and your spouse should feel comfortable discussing any matter to be resolved. Sometimes minor issues that are not resolved quickly turn into big problems over time. There is always a concern to be sure that you are taking time to talk with your partner about it.
2. Another key ingredient to maintaining a happy, healthy marriage is the preservation of the individual interests. Many couples may feel they should have the same hobbies, once they are married, but you and your spouse should try to make time for your own interests as well, or can develop new interests as a married couple. Separate Hobbies keep your marriage fresh and give you the opportunity to express your individuality.
3. Spending some time with each other is another important factor in a happy marriage. Many happy couples choose to have a weekly date to help keep the romance alive. Spending some quality time alone with your husband or wife should be your major priority, even when life is extremely busy. If you are fighting with the free time, make sure that you celebrate all your special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and others, together. To celebrate, both of you can enjoy a weekend trip or simply a homemade dinner. An anniversary is a unique opportunity for the both of you. While the holidays and birthdays are often used with family and friends, anniversaries are just for you and your spouse, so make sure it is special.
4. Gifts are the special ways through which a person can show his/her spouse how much he/she loves and cares.

A happy, healthy marriage involves dedication and trust, and just by showing understanding and care towards each other, every minute can become a moment of celebration!

Second Marriages: How to Make it a Successful Relationship

Those are lucky people who get a chance to start their lives afresh and recover from past unsuccessful relationships. Second marriages are good; however it is a kind of relationship that needs to consider certain dos and don’ts. Read on to know more.

No one ever plans to marry with a thought that it will not be successful. However, there can be multiple reasons that drive people to second marriages. It can be an unsuccessful relationship or death of the spouse. Divorce cases in India are growing in numbers that most of the times lead to second marriages.

So, congratulation! You are ready to walk down the aisle to tie the nuptial knots once again? Now once you have decided to move on, there are certain things that need to be considered to make your new relationship successful.

• Share your dreams:The starting of any new relationship becomes comfortable when you confine your dreams and goals to your life partner. Discuss about your future plans and financial status to build trust in each other.
• Discuss about your children, if any: In case you have kids from your first marriage, it is advisable to discuss plans for them. This helps in avoiding any future conflicts and helps in the upbringing of children.
• Share your likes and dislikes:To know each other in a better way, knowing about each other likes and dislikes helps in building a bond between them.
• Never compare your spouse with your ex-partner: It is advisable not to compare your spouse with your ex-partner in any way. Doing this can bring differences in your new relationship.
• Try to make your spouse happy:Doing small things for your partner helps to make him or her happy. Plan surprises for your partner like going out for movie, dinner and shopping.
• Give importance to each other’s family:Marriage not only creates bond between husband and wife, but also connects two families. Any partner holds certain expectations towards his family. Giving respect and love to the parents of your spouse helps to bring love and respect in your relationship.

So, go ahead in the second stage of your life and live happily with your life partner.

How to Recover From a Divorce

It is crucial to emotionally recover from a bad relationship or divorce. Time is the best healing factor; however this piece of writing aims to suggest certain survival strategies for divorce.

Divorce is the situation where a married couple finally decides that it is the time to get out of the bad relationship. No doubt, it is a stressful experience and needs an appropriate way to recover from it.

Shed off the baggage of your previous relationship

It is a fact that nobody ties the nuptial knot thinking that one day they will get divorced. The reason for this extreme step can be a different story for every such couple. One should know how to cope up with the emotional aspects of divorce and shed off the baggage of previous relationship.

Have faith in yourself

Have faith in yourself as it always helps to recover from a broken relationship. Being alone does not always mean being ignored or isolated. It is just that you are not ready to rush into a new relationship. Today’s society is readily accepting the status of divorcees.

Involve with kids

If you have kids, involving with them helps to forget the past bad experiences quickly. However, at the same time it is imperative to see that your kids are not affected by the separation of their parents.

Discover new hobbies and roles

After marriage, a person usually gives up various things he used to enjoy as a single person. It is better to discover new hobbies to get yourself involved in interesting activities. If your partner used to handle certain things, it is the time to take up the new roles.

Don’t be afraid of a new relationship

It is not necessary if one relationship did not work, a second relationship will have the same destiny. Once you are ready to move on in your life, considering dating is good. After all, it is your life and every divorcee has the right to restart his life.

Remember, it is just a bad relationship that is over and not your life!

About Author:

Swati Srivastava writes on behalf of matrimony site JeevanSaathi.com. It is one of the most reputed matrimony sites in India, which provides a reliable way to search your life partner.

The recipe to a successful marriage!

Marriages are built on the foundation of love, conviction and commitment. It is a union where two people from different walks of life are united to enjoy a life-long love that undergoes countless tests. The most important being the capability and enthusiasm to overcome hitches and learn from former mistakes keep the relationship going strong.

A lot of people enter into marriages blindly with wrong expectations assuming that the honeymoon phase will never end. But, it becomes increasingly challenging when problems begin to crop up and no amount of compromise is possible. The truth is that a lot of people allow romance and love to be the decisive factors for a marriage. But the truth is that although one needs both for the marriage to sustain, the level of compatibility between couples also play a key role in making a marriage work.

Compatibility is something which is a key ingredient in the success rate of any marriage. A lot of marriages fail due to the lack of compatibility. For a marriage to work one must know their personal needs as well as their mates. Compatibility has a major role to play in defining whether two people would endure in the longer run or not. Accepting each other’s viewpoint and having the same views can also help your compatibility levels.

There are different levels to compatibility. The first being the level of acceptance that one has towards their respective partner. This is less obvious in the beginning but certainly the most important in the longer run. One should feel contented and should be at ease in each other’s company. It is significant that you be friends with each other and share your innermost feelings without a hitch. Getting to know your partner’s living style and how they manage their work is also a great idea. This gives you an idea about how to match pace with them.

Lack of compatibility can often lead to confusion and can result in frustration and resentment between both partners. Being compatible can help you get along with your partner naturally and can make your life a living bliss.

Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Your first wedding anniversary is round the corner and you haven’t brought her any gift. You have visited countless stores and is still confused about the gift. Time is nearing and you do not know what to do. Well, this happens with most of us, especially the guys. Buying the perfect wedding anniversary gift can be a real tough choice.

You did not wasted so much time in finding your life partner than you did in thinking of buying a gift. To find your life partner, you have just joined the matrimonial website and selected the person from the millions of profile registered there. And you got married soon.

And now when it comes to buying the wedding anniversary gift, you are confused. Though it is not necessary to buy a gift, it has become a tradition. All over the world, this is a common tradition of gifting on the wedding anniversaries. Moreover, if it happens to be first, it becomes all the more important.

The tradition of giving a present on wedding anniversaries dates back to middle ages. Moreover, every wedding anniversary has some specific gifting items. For example, in the first wedding anniversary couples can give each other something made of paper. Modern versions of gifting ideas for the first marriage anniversary include clocks.

Similarly, in the second wedding anniversary, traditional gifting includes items made of cotton while modern gifting includes items made of bonechina. The third anniversary includes items made of leather while modern gifting items include crystal ware.

Here is a table providing wedding anniversary gifting ideas.

Author:

Shipra Sinha

THE HENNA CHRONICLES

Mehndi plays an important role in traditional Indian weddings. However, mehndi did not originate in India. The following blog post traces the history of henna.

Indian weddings are known for their grandeur and the days of festivities that continue almost for a week. A lavish affair, Indian Hindu Weddings comprises loads and loads of decoration. Be it decorating the entire house to decorating the palms of the new bride in making or the bridesmaids with mehndi, every Indian wedding has a story to narrate.

One of the most important pre-wedding ceremonies in an Indian wedding is that of the MehndiKaRasam. A pre-wedding ritual, applying of the Mehndi signifies the union of two families and also the love and affection that abounds marriages. It is believed that longer the Mehndi stays on the bride’s hands; the more auspicious it is for the newly-married couple. However, there is a history behind the same. Let us take a quick look at the same.

•   4000 BC Women in present day Central Turkey painted their hands with henna

•  3400 Egyptian women first used henna to decorate their hands as well as coloring gray hair. Also Pharaohs who died were painted with henna in order to live a great after life.

•   2100 BC Women in ancient Sumerian and Babylonian civilizations painted their hands with henna before meeting their husbands.

•    1500 BC Egyptian medical document EberusPaparyus described hoe henna was used in treating certain ailments.

•    1000 BC Sephardic Jews made us of Henna during Purim

•    30 BC Egyptian queen Cleopatra applied henna on her hands and lips

•   1200 AD Mehndi arrives in India through the Mughal invasion.

Gradually, the practice of adorning hands with Mehndi became popular which seeped into Indian wedding traditions. Traditionally, Mehndi designs have been intricate and very ornate. Gradually, with the passage of time, changes have come up and subtle hues of western influences can be seen these days.

Initially restricted to north India, today, the ritual of Mehndi is practiced all across the country.

Author:

Sampurna Majumder