Planning a wedding is a stressful job, beauty tips are essential. Not to forget, this stress reflects in the form of dull and lifeless skin. For all you know, makeup can only cover so much, one needs some beauty tips. Nothing can beat the beauty radiated by a bride’s inner skin glow. You need to have the best and full of life natural beauty on your wedding day and for that, I have a few pre-wedding day beauty tips. Moreover, these are simple homemade remedies so you don’t really have to spend a lot of time, money or effort on seeing experts or salon specialists periodically.

1) SLEEP

2) EYEBROWS

3) CTM+ E

https://beautyhealthtips.in?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rssWhile most people remember the CTM- cleansing, toning and moisturizing, the equation is only completed with E- exfoliating. The only difference is, while you need to CTM every day, the E should only be done 3 times a week. Not to much not too less. You need to keep clearing those blackheads and dead skin cells that make your skin lifeless. Use an exfoliating face scrub. My personal favorites are Oléa-Scrub Gel, Artistry polishing scrub, and KAMA Ayurveda Kumkumadi Brightening Face Scrub. These seem to always suit most skin types and give great results. Remember to scrub in a circular motion all over the face for at least a minutes. That’s the proper key to a great exfoliation.Not enough need some more beauty tips.

CTM

While my favorite exfoliators are mostly products. I love to use natural CTMs on my skin as they are used on a daily basis. To get a great bridal look without using too many harsh products on your skin, try to use these CTM at least a month before your wedding. You will be amazed by the results.
• Best Cleanser #1 – HONEY
• Best Cleanser #2- Baking Soda, Essential Oils, and Jojoba Oil
• Best Toner #1- Apple Cider Vinegar and Aloe vera
• Best Toner #2- Rose Water
• Best Moisturizer #1- Orange Juice, Lemon Juice, and Yogurt
• Best Moisturizer #2- Avocados and whole milk.

4) FACE PACKS

5) LIPS

So here are some tips from my side that will ensure giving you that amazing bridal glowing face. Some extra simple tips to take care of your skin includes eating a lot of healthy salads, vegetables, drinking lots of water and keeping yourself ever hydrated. Also, whenever you move out of the house, apply a good sunscreen, it is vital. Follow these tips at least 1 month before your wedding day and you are sure to see the results.

Good luck.

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When all the madness and hullabaloo regarding the wedding ends, and we have a look at our wardrobe, all we think is what we are going to do with all these fancy and of course, expensive stuff. And the thing that pops up first in one’s mind is the wedding lehenga. After spending so many days and efforts, not to forget the money, you just can’t let it go after just one use. Yes, that had been a very deserving buy but most of the times the Lehenga is so heavy that it can’t be worn again. A bridal lehenga is just for the wedding day. Well, that’s how we have believed it. But there’s another side of the story too. Yes, you can’t wear it again as it is, but what about some alterations and experiments with it? Re-use your wedding lehenga to make breath-taking attire(s) out of them for the function/festival you are supposed to attend next. Here are some tips on how to re-use your wedding lehenga:

Replace your Lehenga(ghaghra)

Well that’s how you can re-use your wedding lehenga without even altering any part of your favorite attire. No scissors and stitching involved, just pair your gorgeous blouse and dupatta with a plain matching ghagra. Carrying your heavy wedding ghagra can be complicated, so just get your designer make you another one to go with the dupatta and blouse!

Re-use the blouse

You can get a plain/floral saree of matching or contrasting colors, add up a matching border to it, and voila! Drape your saree matching it up with your wedding blouse. Well that’s totally cool and cost-effective isn’t it?

Dupatta with matching suits

The dupatta of your lehenga is most definitely the favorite thing you will like to adorn again and again. So here’s how you can do it without having to carry your heavy lehenga along. Get your designer to stitch a mathing salwar suit of the same color or any color that might rock with it. Get a plain but shiny fabric so as to team well with your gorgeous dupatta.

Alter the blouse

You can alter your wedding blouse to get something hotter than it originally was. Ask your designer to re-design it so that you can match it up with other ghagras or sarees. If your wedding blouse is golden, you have all the leverage to match it up with other colorful sarees with golden embellishments on it. Not only re-use your wedding lehenga but the blouse as well!

Reduce the volume (of the ghera)

Well, most of us just keep on nudging to our designer to add up a few more kilos to our lehenga so that it gets a voluminous look. The same volume pesters us later when we think of wearing it again. Re-use your wedding lehenga, by getting rid of those extra kilos.

Stitch it into an elegant Anarkali

Another amazing thing you can do to re-use your wedding lehenga is to get it stitched into an Anarkali. Anarkali suits are totally in and you can ask your designer to stitch your lower and blouse in such a way that it gives the look of an Anarkali. You favorite lehenga will promise you another gorgeous day for sure. Innovation is all you need to look beautiful and different in the same outfit redesigned.

Dupatta as a saree

You can also try draping your dupatta as a saree. Get a plain fabric that matches well with your dupatta. Drape it around and use your embellished dupatta for the hem of the saree. You are surely going to love this match.

Keep it as it is (wear it in another style)

If you are in too much of love with your wedding lehenga that you can’t go through any alterations, just keep it as it is. You can still be innovative by wearing it in different styles. Try experimenting with the dupatta and your make up. Different hairstyles also help in getting a different look eveytime.

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Apart from all that jewellery and fancy clothes, there is one thing you need to prepare for the grand day of your life. And it’s not something materialistic that you can just visit some shops and buy but something you will really need to work for. Yes, that’s your own body. All of us want to look great for our wedding day and though it doesn’t matter what your weight is, preparing a little will surely shape up your body for a better look that day. With busy lives and schedules we hardly get time to care about our own bodies, but it’s that time of your life when you will surely get some out, to shape up because one can do anything to get that perfect look on his/her wedding day? Here are some simple tips which will help you shape up and have that perfect bridal body:

Workout

Well, whenever it comes to 'shape up', ‘workout’ is the first word that strikes our minds and that’s true as well. It’s the most organized and proper manner of losing some pounds. Even if you have right kind of weight a little workout will only enhance your body. Make sure you are taking help of a professional, because you don’t have any time for experimenting here and self advice sometimes can cause more harm than benefits.

Body Toning

Body toning for your wedding day should be specifically focused on the body parts which will stay exposed on your wedding day. So, basically it is shaping up according to your wedding dress. If your arms are to remain bare, work for them to look toned, if it’s above waist, you will need to work for on tummy and waist line.

Eat Healthy

Taking healthy diet is really important if you want to shape up your body. You can try fruitarian diet (an all fruit diet), but make sure you have full knowledge on how to follow it. It not only helps in maintaining a good physical health but keeps your mental health balanced. Avoid all the sweets that take trips to your home during all those wedding functions and celebrations. You can sure gulp into some delicious guilt-free food on your wedding day!

Hydrate Yourself

Follow a strict regime to make sure you are taking enough water. Keeping yourself hydrated is very important when you are intending to shape up. You can take up a fancy bottle that keeps on reminding you that you have to finish at least there such bottles in day.

Shop Healthy

Yes, we really mean it. While you are out for shopping, the most important thing is to control your urge to visit those fast food joints which would try to attract you like a magnet. No matter how tempting it is, remember that you need to shape up to look the best on your wedding day. Keep repeating it in your mind and get rid of gaining extra calories.

Stress Management

No matter how much we relate the wedding period to happiness and celebrations, stress is inevitable during this time. There are things which constantly keep your mind occupied about how you will be able to adjust to a new life, how you will adjust in a new city, etc. But it’s really important that you manage this stress. Don’t let it take a toll on your physical and mental health. Relax and sit back for a moment when you feel stressed. It’s going to be a good life!

Enjoy Your Regime

That’s the most important part for looking beautiful on your wedding day. Don’t take this ‘shape up’ period as a burden, rather enjoy it. Yes, it’s important to look good, but the happiness on your face reflects more beauty than your body will ever do. So, whatever you do, don’t stretch yourself. Enjoy every moment of your pre-bridal days. Spending them worrying about your body, will be a waste of memories. So just be merry and enjoy preparing for your big day.

And don't forget, you are beautiful the way you are!

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Well, anything average is just not acceptable when it comes to the big day in one’s life. ‘The best’ is the only criteria we want to be fitted in. Along with jewels and other fancy things, there is one more thing that’s very important for a wedding. We are talking about the flowers. There is something so natural about flowers that the mere presence of them spreads a kind of positivity in the environment. Not to forget, the subtle fragrance as well. Again, like other things, flowers for weddings are also available in so many variants that it becomes another reason for confusion. We have done the work a little easier for you by listing out the most beautiful flowers for weddings:

Roses

Roses, as we need not emphasize, are one of the most beautiful flowers for weddings. The variety offered with the colors also adds to the popularity of these flowers. The most loved are the red, white, yellow, and pink ones. Not only for decorations but it can also be creatively employed to beautify the bride. You can also arrange small bouquets as a thank you gift for your guests who became a part of your memorable day.  

Orchids

It’s definitely the best choice for the ‘purple’ favorite persons. Orchids are light weight when compared to roses and therefore is gaining popularity day by day. While short listing flowers for weddings, take them into consideration. The Indian tradition of ‘varmala’ goes on since ages. And these flowers are perfect for the tradition as it makes it easier for the bride and groom for its light weight quality.

Marigold

In Indian tradition, you can’t take marigold out of traditional occasions be it any pujas or weddings. And surely you can do some experiment with the ever popular flower. Be innovative in the decorations and keep tradition aligned with beauty.

Carnations

While choosing flowers for weddings, Carnations again come with many color options and have some sort of magical beauty within them. You can create an ombre effect in the decorations by using white and different shades of pink. If you want a darker background, go for blood-red carnations, they look classy too!

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are surely one of the most loved flowers by all. They are big in size and beauty. Also, the color is just perfect. If your wedding theme is yellow or something that can be contrasted with yellow, you can’t get anything better than Sunflowers. Wedding tables also get an instant makeover by just a bouquet of sunflowers placed onto them.

Lilies

Show some love for lilies. The beautiful flowers come in different colors and can be used to decorate your wedding venue. If you are having a Christian wedding, nothing can be better than a lilies bouquet to be carried by the bride. They are available in plain and spotted textures which you can experiment with.

Tuberose (Rajnigandha)

The scent of these flowers is just breathtaking. It’s popular for its perfumery characteristics and if you want a subtle fragrance to infuse into your wedding environment these are just beyond perfect. They are white in color and hence give you the option of pairing it up with another flower of your choice. Put rajnigandha as the string and another flower at the end to get a creative decorative look for your wedding venue. These flowers are also adorned by the bride in many parts of India as a hair accessory.

Peonies

The different layers of petals make them perfect flowers for weddings. They look exotic and provide a pinch of enchantment to your venue decorations. You might like the white peonies too, for the subtle effect it gives. Try amalgamating them with other flowers, they totally compliment in mixed flower bunches too.

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Songs can be rightly termed as the lifeline of a wedding function. A wedding is all about enjoying thoroughly and it would not be wrong to say that some evergreen songs add the much-required fuel to the already high running human emotions.

Important here, is to mention the fact that there are some evergreen songs, without which, Indian weddings may be termed as incomplete. These evergreen songs are not restricted to any particular class of society, any specific cultural or geography whatsoever one may call.

So, get ready to restore such songs from your memory base and I believe, you will be reviving all the important events of a wedding function by the time you finish reading this article.

Dancing baraaties mark the true beginning of the mega event. Grand celebrations start as soon as the groom reaches the wedding venue.

1. Baby Doll Main Sone Di-

The entire brigade of girls headed by the sisters will go crazy on this foot-tapping number of the movie Ragini MMS 2 featuring stunning Sunny Leone and sung by sensational Kanika Kapoor, showing their ‘TEVAR’ and leaving no stone unturned to flash their dashing personality.

2. DJ Wale Babu, Mera Gaana Chala Do-

This new entry song from ‘Baadshah’ remains on the auto repeat mode as time and again requests for it keep pouring in for the ‘DJ WALE BABU’ by one or the other. Undoubtedly, this number is on the track of sealing its place in the wedding songs playlist and becoming one of the most popular songs.

3. Aaj Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai-

Voiced by veteran singers Mohammed Rafi and Ravi, this is a typical Bollywood song specially created for the (male) friends of the groom. It signifies the expression of happiness of best pals of the groom on the occasion of their friend’s marriage, dancing before ‘Dulhe ki Ghodhi’ among the beats of ‘Band’, ‘Baaja’ and ‘Baraat’.

4. Baharon Phool Barsao

This song can be rightly termed as the epic wedding song ever since its release. It marks the entry of the bride in the hall where the groom is waiting for her for the ceremony of ‘Jaimala’. Sung by Mohammed Rafi, featured in bollywood movie ‘Suraj’ in 1966, this melodious song has maintained its legacy even after five decades. As soon as this song gets played, everyone move towards the hall to catch the glimpse of the blushing bride.

5. Mere Haath Mein Tera Haath Ho-

As soon as the bride reaches near the stage where groom is standing to receive his Cindrella, this song from movie ‘Fanaa’ in the soulful voice of Sonu Nigam acts as a perfect situational sequence and continues till the bride-groom duo share some intimate eye contacts on stage.

Once the ‘Jai Mala’ is done, the dance floor is rocked by the relatives and friends of both the sides as the crowd erupts with full energy and enthusiasm.

6. Brazil-

No explanation to why this song by Vengaboys is SO POLULAR in India especially as a wedding number. Either its trance beats or something energetic makes people jump madly on ‘Brazil, la la la la la la, brazil’. This is surely a surprise number in the list of evergreen songs.

7. London Thumkda-

This can be convincingly termed as a brand new entry to the list of evergreen songs. The pre-wedding situation depicted in the movie ‘Queen’ perfectly relates to everyone’s pre-wedding environment along with Punjabi flavour.

     8. Hatja Taau Paache Ne-

Here is a unique offbeat hit Haryanvi song as one of the best dancing songs. It depicts the presence of folk music in Indian weddings especially in Northern region.

     9. Char Baj Gye Lekin Party Abhi Baaki Hai-

Whenever the crowd needs a bump to re-energize themselves or the young brigade wants to fuel their dancing spirits, this song from ‘F.A.L.T.U.’ movie is mandatory to be played indicating that the party is still ‘ON.'

Let’s move to the heartthrob of Indian Wedding songs i.e. PUNJABI TADHKA..

   10. Do Ghut Pila De Saathiya-

Irrespective of the fact that you are drunk or not, everyone seems to be fascinated on being intoxicated on this song. Only soft drink oriented weddings too, have this number on their playlist on mandatory basis. The most celebrated and requested Punjabi track without which wedding is REALLY incomplete.

   11. De Le Gedha, Ni De Le Gedha-

Bachelors try to impress and convince girls to dance with them on this song. Lashing girls too take pride to showcase their attitude, style and naughty moves on this Punjabi Hit.

   12. Chitte Suit Te Daag Pe Gaye-

Dancing with traditional wear on this number spread the Punjabi flavour all over the wedding arena. Enjoying typical Punjabi moves is a delight to watch for the guests.

   13. Paran Hoja Soniye, Saddi Rail Gaddi Aai-

All the family members re pulled up to the dance floor, an enlarged circle is formed and the family RAIL moves in a circular arrangement. On-lookers are seen discussing the relation of people in Rail chain with the bride or groom.

   14. Jeevan Saathi Hum, Diya Aur Baati Hum-

Now, it’s time for the star couple to show their chemistry. This song signifies the meeting of two souls as a new phase of their lives begins making them inseparable till the eternity.

   15. Teri Ore-

One of the most romantic songs showcasing the love, commitment and dedication of the bride towards her Prince charming. The audience is enthralled to watch the hero-heroine of the night expressing their feelings through this melodious number from the movie ‘Singh is King’ voiced by melody queen ‘Shreya Ghoshal.’

   16. Dilliwali Girlfriend-

This peppy number from ‘Yei Jawani Hai Diwani’ is a perfect pampering one dedicated by the groom to his lady. He tries to make her aware about the efforts made by him to have her as his life partner leaving all his female fans disappointed.

   17. Dulhe Ka Sehra Suhana-

A decade has passed and many more will pass too, but, no wedding ceremony goes without this touching song in the final phase of the event. Everyone gets emotional with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness at the same time.

   18. Baabul Ki Duaayein Leti Jaa-

It is said that while recording this song, Mohammed Rafi sahab was actually choked with the emotions depicted in its lyrics. It showcases the feelings of a father while allowing his princess in someone’s hand. This song went on to become the ‘BIDAI’ song.

Next time you attend a wedding, enjoy these tracks along with knowing their significance. The above given list may gets expanded as the time passes but surely these evergreen songs will keep beautifying Indian weddings forever.

The post 18 Evergreen Songs Played in Almost Every Indian Wedding appeared first on Wed Amor.

When Coco Chanel said, ‘Fashion changes, but style endures’, I’m sure he excluded Indian weddings as an exception. Or maybe he didn’t account for this exciting festivity, which appears to have evolved drastically, both in its style and fashion. 

So have our wedding changed? We’re not saying the basic ethos of Indian marriages has been altered, but like pretty much everything else, modernization has played its part here. Take a look!

BUDGET – Once a pocket pinch, always a pocket pinch

Let’s begin with what matters most. Don’t worry, the Indian wedding is as big and fat as it has always been. If there’s something that has changed, it is flexibility. How about doing away with a conventional ritual here and instead pouring in your budget in the ceremony that you love the most and are likely to cherish forever? That is precisely what has happened- spending on where you ‘want’ to more than where you ‘have’ to. 

VENUES – Destined for Destination wedding?

There has been a general trend in moving away from home, for our marriages, and well, in general. While the latter is debatable, who would mind tying the knot in a bona fide palace of Rajwadas in Ajmer, or perhaps in one of the most exotic beaches of Goa. We’re not even talking international and this still sounds so incredible. Destination weddings are soaring in popularity today. 

ARRANGED V/S LOVE – No more the heated debate

Before I even start talking about it, let me clarify that I don’t mean offence to anyone, nor do I intend to be judgemental. But as it turns out, love marriages are more than cool today. Thankfully, more people have come to realise it in all practically, and well, some also have conceded it fearing elopement. There are other reasons too. In fact, there’s a growing campaign on social media against arranged marriages and trust me, they manage extremely effective jokes, trolls, memes and what not.

Inter-Caste/ Inter-Religion – Not worth any debate

Again, no intention to hurt sentiments; but any hegemony and orthodoxy are declining today, at least among the urban classes. That said, such marriages are a common sight and generally do not end up becoming the battleground for feuds as shown in Bollywood, or recalled from history.

Attire – The singular most important aspect, isn’t it?

This is so expected. Basically today, the bride/groom can expect her/his say in what to put on for his/her wedding. Favour much? This is contrary to the times when the same ancestral bridal sari was used for multiple generations of brides of the family, or things of such calibre. Although the inclination still happens to be towards traditional wear, enter a certain fashion designer and you suddenly have everything, from embroidered lehengas to tuxedos.

Planning – Wedding planners

Our perception of planning a wedding has undergone a somewhat drastic transformation. The onus of organising it all is no more upon the bride’s family, as if it was returning a favour. This also applies to the budget. Today, there is a fair balance and equivalence in terms of which side finances how much. Also, really smart professionals called wedding planners have entered the whole scene, and they’ll do you everything, right from preparing the guest list to figuring out the meals and getting in the decorations in place.

Social Media – From everywhere to everywhere

Lovey-dovey proposal posts? Check. Pre-wedding party pictures? Check. Shopping lists? Check. All of this on Facebook. Wait, not only Facebook, on every possible (anti) social media platform. Today, an album stands more for a Facebook album and less for the album that the poor photographer guy provides.

So, what do you think? Have our weddings changed? And more importantly, is the change good? Do the positives outweigh the negatives? Or is it the other way round? Yes, quite a few things to ponder about! And if you are ready with your opinion, just scribe them down in the comment box below.

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Marriage is a holy institution, and as is the case with all holy institutions, it is plagued with some very unholy components. Here we have, amongst others, a never-ending listless duel between arranged and love marriages that threaten to destroy each other! And we can't do anything except for comparing the two. Presenting thereby the debate- love marriage vs arranged marriage!

Getting Into Perspective

It is important to understand that although love marriage vs arranged marriage has been one of those unending debates, ultimately, both of these underlie the same concept, they are just different approaches to a common destination, which is ensuring a successful relationship between two married individuals. And while an arranged marriage can be taken as a slightly longer term perspective, the other is based on a quicker and a more emotionally driven choice.

The Marriage of Families

As it is rightly said, a marriage isn’t a two-people affair. It is both a cause and consequence of two families coming together and intertwining into each other, with or without emotion. The situation is even more amplified in a conservative backdrop such as in India. Obviously, an arranged marriage facilitates this smoothly, as this is basic idea it propagates per se. On the other hand, familial pressure and distaste is why many love marriages do not blossom or even materialise in the first place. 

The Concept of Love

Dr. Robert Epstein from Harvard writes, “The idea is we must not leave our love lives to chance. We plan our education, our careers, and our finances but we’re still uncomfortable with the idea that we should plan our love lives. I do not advocate arranged marriages but I think a lot can be learned from them.” I absolutely ‘love’ this idea.

Love is a pure emotion, but it isn’t just about the emotion. It comes with a lot of consequences; of which I’ll talk about in the following few points.

The Socio-Economic POV

Arranged marriages are simple. Proper matchmaking ensures compatibility of individuals and families from the social as well as economic perspectives. This keeps materialistic differences aside and gives way to long-term stability. Such an objective kind of matchmaking has both its sides. The contrary view against arranged marriages is that they are forceful. There is an inherent pressure that creeps in, a pressure to sustain to make things work. Also, there is the claim that similarities in social and economic standing are not enough to give what it takes, which is perfectly true.

Some Statistics

The same Dr. Epstein claims to have conducted surveys on a significant number of people so as to incorporate all views and notions. According to his suggestions, feelings of love in love marriages begin to fade after the first 18 months; before gradually corroding and dying away as times passes by. On the flipside, in arranged marriages, mutual love grows with time. It surpasses the love in love marriages at near to the five-year mark! And while this mathematical model is hard to believe, he also goes on to assert that the feelings of love and affection are twice as strong as love marriages by the ten-year mark. We might choose to deny the numbers, but the survey does enough to give us an essence of trends and a quantitative perspective of 'love marriage vs arranged marriage.'

Bottomline

Rather than declaring one of the two as victorious, it is better and more fruitful for us admit that both of these methods have positive and negative facets which should be respected. Both of these deserve to be studied in isolation. What is fundamental the diseases of our society, gender bias and discrimination, forceful marriages, having to treat the husband as ‘God’, and others be kept as removed as can be pre- and post-marriages.

Otherwise, the love marriage vs arranged marriage is not one of those debates that dies down easily.

The post Love Marriage vs Arranged Marriage-The Debate appeared first on Wed Amor.

Speak of Indian Wedding customs and what immediately comes to our mind is the exaggerated display of pomp and grandeur; of mouth-watering delicacies and magnificent apparel, of royal venues and lovely guests. But Indian weddings have more to it. The rituals, customs and traditions in our weddings are absolutely unparalleled.

As diverse as it gets, no doubt that in India heterogeneity of culture seeps through weddings as well. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari(yes, very much clichéd yet appropriate) every community and every religion adds it's own cultural essence to this prime festival of our lives. And yet all of it is endowed with the same fervor that signifies the union of two souls.

Here is a list of six Indian communities who wed like none else around the world and their wedding customs are sure to fascinate you.

Marwari Wedding- Big fat weddings in the truest sense!

The most lavish of all, Marwari weddings are exactly what we call the Big Fat Indian weddings. Although celebrated with gaiety and extravaganza, marwaris strictly adhere to the ancient traditions. From rituals like phere, kanyadan, mehendi and the rest; these weddings are an extensive affair filled with all kinds of pre and post wedding customs and rituals.

Bengali Wedding- the conch shell rules!

Bengalis entails elaborate rituals from pre-wedding rituals like the dodhi mongal( where the couple is given the special dish of sweet and curd in the morning) to post wedding customs like the bou bhaat( girl cooks and serves all members of the husband’s house). Here the blowing of the conch and ululation by the women gathered at the wedding is the featured characteristic. The purpose is a social declaration of the tying of nuptial by the family to the rest of the society.

Punjabi Wedding- shake your body to the Bhangra!

Quite like the Marwaris, Punjabi weddings are also known for the pomp and splendor. With popular traditional dances like the bhangras and giddas, one cannot afford to give Punjabi wedding a miss! Again, they too have their own set of rituals.The Ghara Gharoli ritual is extremely sacred amongst the Punjabis. The bride's sibling is supposed to fill a pitcher with water, from a nearby temple. The bride is then bathed in the same water after which she wears her wedding dress.

However, most Punjabi wedding customs are an excuse to have fun.

Bihari Wedding- how much can you endure?

Wedding in Bihar is considered one of the most exclusive ceremonies. With innumerous rituals, they range from being too fancy to even weird.

One such weird custom is keeping a huge earthen pot on the bride’s head and adding more pots to test her endurance. This is considered a test to maintain balance in the family. Yes, you heard that right! Someone spoke very rightly, “ yeh Bihar hai dost, yaha sab sahi hai.”

Tamil Brahmin Wedding- lets go back to the Vedic times!

A Tamil Brahmin Wedding is celebrated in the typical Vedic Style. In traditional families, the parents themselves fix the marriage as compatibility of the couple is decided by their horoscopes. The wedding encompasses rituals like the Kalyanam: Commencement of marriage ceremonies) and Viratham(ceremony observed to obtain blessings from departed elders). One interesting ritual known as the Kasi Yaatrai requires the groom to pretend to have a change of mind and opt for sanyaasam(asceticism). Then, the father of the bride persuades him to choose Grahastham (family life).

Gujrati Wedding- Garba, enough said!

Gujarati weddings again are vibrant and amusing and generally take up an entire night to wrap up the proceedings. The ceremony begins with Ponkvu (The arrival of the groom and his family), followed by Jaimala(formal introduction of bride and groom on a stage) and Madhurparka. Madhuparka is the ceremony when bride's parents welcome the groom. They wash his feet and offer Panchamrut, a liquid made up of milk, honey, yogurt, sugar and ghee. Only then he enters the mandap.

After the Kanyadan and Hasta Milap, the ceremony then culminates with fun wedding customs like Chero Pakaryo (the groom is made to tug the sari of his mother in law as she passes from the mandap in the way that it looks he is asking the bride's family for gifts). And of course, any Gujarati ceremony will be incomplete without the trademark Garba dance.

Don’t forget to comment on your own favorite ritual and do point out any interesting ones that I have missed.

The post Indian communities & fascinating wedding customs appeared first on Wed Amor.

It’s not entirely a farcical argument that the onus of planning a wedding has more to do with the bride-to-be than her counterpart. That’s the whole problem for us males. We generally don’t know what to do. Among all the elation and hullabaloo that everyone looks engrossed in, we’re lost more often than not.Here is the mixed bag of emotions that we, as newly wed husband, encounter:

THE WEDDING DAY(S) ARE NOT ALWAYS JOVIAL

Yes, they are the best days of your life, but even the best isn’t flawless. Beyond a certain point, you ought to be frustrated with all that is going around. Maybe, it is just too much for comfort. After all you are the ' newly wed husband '. Maybe, it is too good for you. And then, you will freak out, only temporarily, but you will. Overwhelming much, perhaps?

IT IS OVER BEFORE IT ACTUALLY IS

The cliché universally implies, so why spare the wedding? It flies by and you cannot keep track. Hitherto it is really important to embrace each moment, caress every single one and carefully put it into your bag of memories. So don’t get nervous, if that happens, you’ll lose everything that the day has to offer.

WHEN YOU GO BACK HOME, IT MIGHT JUST BE A LITTLE DEPRESSING

As depressing as it sounds, months of over-the-top planning, the ups and downs, and an extraordinary wedding weekend doesn’t tune into the frequency of a normal human life. Then, when it is all over, it is difficult to adjust. It is like an anti-climax to come back. You certainly miss the hullabaloo and the pampering, a newly wed husband and wife enjoys. Sadly, doesn’t matter much even if you’re heading for your honeymoon straight away. The feeling of upset will and it will creep in.

IT IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE

You, as the newly wed husband, will no doubt make a million memories with your wives all throughout your life. You will have great moments at work, in your personal life, and elsewhere. But you, for sure, will not have moments better than this one. This is not only a moment of decision, it a moment of promise, passion, and potential. Basically, life begins with this moment!

DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR HER

This is relative. Don’t just write a letter expressing your feelings if you’ve already discovered that you have a high-maintenance partner. Go beyond the cut-off. Order her favorite food, the chocolates she absolutely loves and make it all look beautiful. The idea is to comfort her, to lay down the premise for a long and happy life. 

DO GOOD WITH THE TRADITIONS

Okay, nobody is saying that all those traditions and ceremonies are relevant. We know the idiosyncrasies, but we also know that there’s no point running from them. So, try to take them positively. Participate with a good heart. Also, let’s not negate the unique charm of these concepts. It’s always good to see our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents (rarely) happy at the same time. There is no right or wrong traditions, only your traditions.

DON’T DRINK TOO MUCH

Kept this for the last. Be it Indian weddings, or ceremonies abroad, or anywhere in the world, alcohol flows free at least in one of the events. But being the groom, you don’t want to keep too much of it for yourself. After all, it’s for the friends and guests who’ve come all the way to wish you well. Basically, don’t get wasted. Keep your wits by yourself; you get only one such occasion in life (hopefully) and you don’t want to have the memories ‘wasted’.

HAVE FUN THROUGHOUT

Don’t get too conscious in the process. Damn the above points if they make you feel uncomfortable. It’s very important to feel comfortable yourself when you’re entrusted with making a young girl feel comfortable. Relax. Breath normal. Stay normal.

The post MUSINGS OF A NEWLY WED HUSBAND appeared first on Wed Amor.

The joy of finding “the just pair” of shoes! Invincible! But are you ready to flip on that gorgeous pair of stilettoes on your D-day? Yes, most often Indian brides tend to forget that beautiful feet aren’t gifts. Hence foot care exercises should be a part of their beauty and fitness regime before their wedding. More so, because they wear and tear the most during wedding shopping extravaganza.

Just like it is essential to wisely choose your wedding shoes, so is it essential to make your feet prepared for it. Today we share with you some age-old secrets to revive the lost glory of your feet and flaunt them as well. So here they are the foot care tips:

Soak In

When you put in your day long tired and worn feet into a bucket half-full with lukewarm water and a pinch of sea-salt, the magical realm that it transports you to is bottomless. Along with it, it prunes dead cells and revive the youth in your feet. For additional opulence, you can add olive oil and a few drops of fragranced oil as well.

Tip: Use soft water, i.e., water from the purifier. Tap water rich in salts can harden your heels.

Pamper Your Feet Like Your Face

If you are aiming to make your feet enviably beautiful, then you should treat it no less than your face. The first key to flawless feet is exfoliation.  Regularly scrub your feet with a face or foot scrubber and use pumice stone. Pumice stone serve as magic wands over dead foot cells. Pumice stones work most effectively on soaked feet.

Moisturize

A moistening treatment is a must if you crave for baby-soft feet. Our foot cuticle being thicker than the rest of our body, the moisturizing lotion also needs to be thicker. Always choose creams or lotions containing alpha hydroxyl or beta hydroxyl and those which can replenish your feet with Vitamin E. But I would always suggest opting for natural products over synthetic products. You could use cocoa butter for foot massage and pull over socks overnight. Natural oils are also a healthy alternative. But the magic is best done with a coconut oil therapy.

Let Them Breathe

When you return home after the entire day spent in shopping, your feet needs some breathing too. So take them off, wipe off the day’s sweat and accumulated dirt as in all the above steps and leave them open for a while. During winters, you can put on a fresh pair of cotton socks.

Polish Guide

Repeated nail coloring can cause the nails to discolor, weaken and flake. Hence you must often remove the paint from nail and maintain at least a few hours gap before reapplying paint. If you can go about some days without paint, then that is best recommended if you seek professional foot care help.

Nail Care

Regularly and rightly trimming your toenails should also be a part of your feet-fitness regime. Trim them in an arc shape to the correct length thereby cleaning the accumulated dirt. If cut very short, they can cause great discomfort.

Cracked Heels and Foot Corns

(All images are sourced from pintrest.com)

Now these are the real tough rivals to healthy and supple feet and need medical assistance. There are creams like Krackrelief available for cracked heels and they work well. For small corn-attacks, corn caps do the needful but if your corn has grown out of control, immediately meet a dermatologist. In my case, my homeopathic consultant gave me the perfect doses.

Incorporate these simple foot care tips in your daily fitness regime and watch your foot-woes go down the drain.

Healthy feet and happy nuptial!

The post Simplest foot care tips for the would be bride appeared first on Wed Amor.

For your special day, countless hours have been spent in agreeing upon the perfect blend of your lehenga, in the just cut of your choker and in hunting for the most mesmerizing pairs of shoes. All to make your day nothing less than out of the fantasy world of cinemas. But what if I tell you, the most significant aspect is still being totally missed! Yes, the flawless look can never be accomplished without the right hair and the right hair accessories.

Consider Choosing of Dress First

That’s the thumb rule for any accessory that you plan to buy for your wedding day! And make sure you carry your outfit along, to avoid any sort of guesswork or approximations, especially when it comes to hair accessories – something which is going to top you!

Consider Consulting With Your Hairstylist as Well

Get to know from your stylist what he/she plans to do with your hair for the day and what kind of accessories would ace the look and the dress.

Once the above done, here are the most loved and sought after bridal hair accessories:

Hair Combs

Remember, Della from the Gift of Magi, a heart melting creation of O Henry; and her turquoise and bejeweled comb! It all sounded so surreal! Well just that way, make your wedding day surreal, by hitting at the right comb for your wedding day hair accessories.

Source: etsy.com

Tiara

 Of all the hair accessories, if there was one to be chosen which would never fail to impart the princess look, then this would be the one! Found in both floral and metallic, it can be worn in both hair up and low. If you are wearing it low, wear it like a hair band; if you are wearing it up, wear it like a headband. A word of caution: Always use hair clips to hold them in place and avoid letting them loose, as they may fall off.

Source: Brides.com

Source: Pinterest.com

Hair Pins

For a sassy look, it is a safe and minimalist choice. They look beautiful and you would have a hard time in choosing one out of the many classy choices open to you. So while you choose, keep in mind the motif of your outfit, choose a pin that would compliment it. Likewise, consider the color. Another important aspect is to consider the kind of hairstyle you are opting for. If you are choosing an up do and you have voluminous hair, choose a pin that is large and can bear the weight of your hair. Other way round, choose a medium sized pin.

Source: Pinterest.com

Source: Pinterest.com

Garlands

If your aim is to keep it simple yet classy and you are wearing a simple or plain dress, then you could enhance the entire vibe by adorning your head with a garland. The color be in a contrast match with your dress- orange is one great option, so is magenta or maroon and garland size be a combination of large and big flowers.

Source: Pinterest.com

Flowers

If a garland is too much for you, consider opting for flowers. And it would, for certainty bloom up romance in the entire setup and give you the true bride feel. You could entwine your braids with small flowers or with your hair clips. Large flowers, if you feel like.

Source: Pinterest.com

So all the would be Indian brides out there, break the stereotype and choose one of the above hair accessories on your special day. If there’s anything more you did like us to know on this column for hair accessories, do put in the comment section.

The post Best Hair Accessories For Your D-Day appeared first on Wed Amor.

You must have had themes to your birthday parties as kids and they used to be so much fun, weren't they? So why not add double excitement and fun to your wedding by having a coded theme for it? It is really not hard to pull off a color coded or theme coded wedding. In fact, it will be a whole new and mesmerizing experience for your guests. They will love to live your wedding through the lens you choose. Now theme does not have to mean that the dress up has to change because there is a pretty standard dress code for Indian weddings and that adds the richness to the wedding. The elements that will emboss your theme would include the decor which consists of lights, decorations, color schemes, props and so on. Here are some ideas and pictures that will speak louder than words. Hope you find your inspiration from these themes and create a whole unique wedding for your special day! 

1) BOLLYWOOD

This is very classic code and represents India in the best possible way. If you are a fan of the funky and bold Bollywood colors then this is the code for your wedding. It is a symbol of fun, drama, brightness and freshness. The decor can be experimented in so many different ways, as you can see below. The colorful dupattas can be draped all around the venue and the majestic Bollywood props that would make your coded wedding outstanding. 

Image source: https://in.pinterest.com/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

2) BEACH and BLUE WATERS

Now of course, if you are getting married in a coastal area near the shores or on the beach then this is an ideal code to go for. Even if you are not marrying near the shores, you can build up your decor on the beach theme. Add a lot of blues, shells, corals and you are set to go. Below are some pictures that illustrate the beach theme in the most effective way. It symbolizes peace, serenity, and beauty and can turn out to be a very soothing code for you

Image source: https://in.pinterest.com/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

3) STARRY STARRY NIGHT

Laying down and looking up in the sky, seeing the blanket of stars illuminating the dark night is one of the most romantic activity. Imagine your coded wedding being based on this idea of romance, wouldn't it be breathtaking? Sparkle your wedding with a starry night theme and cover the venue with glittering sparkling things, a ton of fairy lights and lanterns. Share the romance of the night with the glamorous stars in the sky and at your wedding. I can guarantee that this will be an awestruck code theme.

Image source: https://in.pinterest.com/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

4) FAIRYTALE 

We all wanted to live in a grand castle with a wardrobe full of ball gowns and wait for our prince charming to come on a white horse to propose to us. This is the dream for every little girl who wants to grow up to be a princess and then a queen. Now you can make this fantasy come alive along with your prince charming by having a fairytale coded wedding. Go crazy with your favorite fairy stories and get inspired by them. Be it Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel or Elsa. You can decorate your venue with the most amazing of fairylike things. 

Image source: https://in.pinterest.com/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

5) GREAT GATSBY or VINTAGE 

Going a little back in Hollywood here. The Great Gatsby is not only retro but also royal. This code will add a touch of class to your wedding and the decor can be filled with vintage items and a rustic color scheme is the way to go. If you do not want to call it a 'Great Gatsby' theme really then you can just go for the plain vintage. It has a lot of common elements that go on to create that perfect good old atmosphere. You wedding will be like a time travel back in past and that was the golden period where your wedding will mark another milestone in history. The colors will look subtle and soothing like light pinks, creams, rusts, golds etc. Put some pearls, metallics, feathers and vintage elements to your decor and get the perfect classic coded wedding. 

Image source: https://in.pinterest.com/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Go crazy with your coded wedding and do not feel afraid to be different. Just do what makes you the happiest as this is your wedding and you should be the one to say how your big day should be.

The post A Coded Wedding is the Way to Go appeared first on Wed Amor.

Weddings are all about looking good and marriage is a symbol of love and bonding. So, if you can share your lives ahead, why not match your wedding outfits? and NO, IT DOES NOT LOOK TACKY, if you do it the right way. 

Matching wedding outfits can go wrong easily and so you need to make sure they are not overpoweringly matching colors. Instead, it should be of complimentary color schemes and palates. To help you out I have a bunch of pictures from a wide range of shades to suit your taste and aspirations. These ideas should give you a clear indication regarding your matching couple wedding outfits. Trust me, it looks elegant and everyone appreciates matching outfits if done RIGHT! If you pull this off, you're going to be on cloud 9. 

THE MAGICAL HUES OF BLUE 

This color is such that it leaves a magical impact. The blue is soothing, amazing and has a lot of hues to it which makes it easier to mix and match. Just as seen in the pictures, you can choose whichever shade- dark, royal or pastel blue that suits you. 

Image source: https://in.pinterest.com/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

THE PEACHES

With dull and bright peaches paired together, the combination becomes absolutely stunning. It is a very neutral and summery color which goes amazingly well with all the gold and glittering bridal jewelry. The image shows a range of colors that look good with each other and come from the same peach palate with some faded peaches and some rich peaches with a pink undertone.

VIBRANT RED AND BABY PINK 

On a very first thought, if someone thinks of putting red and pink together, a very unpleasant picture will develop in one's head. Here is where the saturation of the colors come into play. It is very common to mess up this combo if the right tones are not picked up. A subtle vibrant but faded red (or coral) along with a light almost warm baby pink is the look to go for. Just as illustrated by the couple lehengas and sherwanis below, this is a very festive wedding color put into justice.

Glamorous GREEN

Green is royal, green is glam and it's different. With the different types of green like emerald, mint, peacock and so on, the couple is bound to look fabulous. By choosing the green and matching wedding outfits you are sure to inspire a lot of couples out there to try this very underestimated color out on their weddings. It is such a beautiful color and on finding a perfect match for it will enhance its beauty even more. So don't be afraid to go big, go green. 

MIXED PALATE

This combination that I particularly find interesting is inspired from the wedding shades. The elements in a typical Indian wedding like marigold flowers, Haldi, Mehendi, red powder, rose water and so on inspire such complimentary colors. To add a bright and significant twist to your wedding outfits, do take inspiration from colors around you.

ORANGE? ORANGE. 

Look at how beautiful the chosen color shade of orange on the bride and groom seems to be. It is paired with staple dark shades and mixed and matched in proportions in both the outfits. Go bold with this majestic and soothing shade of orange for your matching wedding outfit.

FLAMBOYANT FLORAL

Who said you only have to match colors? You can very easily match patterns as well. Just as this gorgeous matching outfit with floral print on it along with a great shade of mystifying cream. Just like florals you can try any other pattern that you get inspired from. Don't be afraid to try something new, it will definitely pay off.

Those were some of the suggestions which I think could work brilliantly well together. Below are some more color palates to help you decide your fabric color in order to match the couple outfits. These include complimentary color palates as well as different saturations of shades that are out there. Another way you can match your outfits is by doing ombre style on your wedding outfits and get the pleasure of having multiple shades on your matching outfits. 

Mixing and matching outfits on you special day never goes out of fashion. In fact, it is a brilliant idea to make you stand out and remember this once in a lifetime day forever with your loved ones.

The post Match Your Wedding Outfits appeared first on Wed Amor.

Months and months of preparations go on for the perfect dress for the bride, selecting the venue of the wedding, choosing the menu, and what not! Can you guess what makes your wedding the most memorable? Yes, the guests. They make sure to take time out of their busy schedules to be a part of your happy day. Therefore, it’s totally your responsibility to be a good host and take care of the guest facilities they might need at the venue. The rituals and partying sometimes stretches to hours and without these basic guest facilities, your guests might have to face some uneasy moments. So, here’s the checklist you need to take care of:

Parking Facilities

Out of all the guest facilities you might prepare for, this one is probably the most important. Assure that your wedding venue has enough parking spaces for all your guests. Sometimes it happens that the venue itself is grand but late comers have a hard time to park their cars in neighborhood areas. Therefore, check your guest list and the expected number of vehicles, and make arrangements accordingly.

Restrooms

Many of the open area wedding venues don’t have proper restrooms for the guests. For any venue, restrooms are a necessity. Don’t let your guests be uneasy the whole time. Make sure you arrange for proper and clean washrooms, separately for men and women.

Recommended Read: Ways to Entertain Guests in a Late Night Wedding

Kids Area

Why do we count it among guest facilities? Well, you will definitely don’t want your friends with children, to miss any of those special moments. So, make sure their children are safe and enjoying with other kids while their parents take part in your gala celebrations. Keep care-takers in the kids’ area to ensure that the kids are safe.

Nursing Room

If your wedding venue is not a hotel and you can’t provide rooms for everyone, at least assure there’s one for new mothers. It becomes difficult for the mothers to deal with their infants in the public. There should be a room for them where they can feed their children and rest in case the loud music outside is creating nuisances for the child.

Extra Vehicles

Even if most of your guests are arriving by themselves, there might be someone or the other who would appreciate your gesture of dropping them home as it gets difficult to arrange for a cab late at night. If you have enough family vehicles at the venue, keep some chauffeurs to take care of things so that your family members won’t have to miss out on any part of the celebrations.  

Guest Rooms

If your wedding celebrations are going to continue whole night, you will need to arrange for a few guest rooms as well. Many of the extended family members stay till the end of the rituals. While you take care of other guest facilities, make sure you arrange rooms for them to take a power nap in the middle of the hullaballoo.

Recommended Read: Tips For Preparing Wedding Guest List

Sitting Arrangements

Even though the designers keep up your budget high, it is found that a good number of your guests are struggling to get a good comfortable seat. The dining part is the most difficult for situations like these. Along with sofas and chairs around the stage area, make sure to have enough tables and chairs for the guests to dine comfortably.

Location Signs

It happens time and again that the location of the venue is not well known by the people driving to the venue. At the night time, it gets more difficult to search for it. So, location signs must be put up from a known landmark nearby. You can also go fancy by putting up a string of lights to direct your guests to the venue.

The post Must Have Guest Facilities At Your Wedding Venue appeared first on Wed Amor.

She woke up and realized that it wasn’t her honeymoon suite anymore. Last night, they got back from what will be the most memorable holiday of her life. Now, the bags scattered around the room were to be unpacked. It was a new beginning. Fear bundled up at the corner of her heart as it suddenly felt too heavy. Something she kept escaping from, for a while. The wedding preparations and the excitement for the honeymoon kept her away from those thoughts for a while. But now, there was, the fear, confronting her right in front of her eyes. A new place, new people, new beginning…

"She was startled, her husband, still asleep, comfortable in his bed, his home."

While she was still gathering herself, someone knocked at the door. She was startled, her husband, still asleep, comfortable in his bed, his home. Somehow she managed to get up, picked up her ‘dupatta’, bowed down her eyes, and opened the door. Her sister-in-law stood there, ‘It’s just me bhabhi, not your saasu maa, you don’t have to shy away’, she chuckled.

‘Get ready, everyone is waiting for you downstairs.’ she said and went back. She came back again and said in a hurry, ‘do you need anything, bhabhi?’ ‘Thank you, Garima. I don’t need anything for now.’

Another feeling of anticipation crawled throughout her body; will they criticize me for sleeping so much? What should I wear? What if they don’t like it? What if they ask me to cook? A series of questions almost made her unconscious when suddenly she could feel the loving arms of her husband embracing her. With a caring kiss on her cheek, he said ‘Good morning, love!’ For a moment, she forgot everything. But, just for a moment. She kissed back and went over to unpack her bags to get something to wear that her ‘in-laws’ will approve of.

‘Anyway, we had something important to discuss.’

Downstairs, every eye followed the steps she took from upstairs. It made her stumble and she almost slipped, but there, the man of her life, held her firmly. Her mother-in-law got up and accompanied her to the dining table. She said, ‘you could have worn something more comfortable, you must be tired with all the traveling’. Prachi didn’t expect that and just lowered her eyes. ‘Anyway, we had something important to discuss.’ That almost took her breath away. What will this important thing be?

‘Beta, now that we are done with all the functions and everything, would you like to join your job sometime soon?’ Prachi couldn’t believe what she just heard. Gautam had told him that his family won’t let her do a job. She realized it was a part of his jokes. Surely, he was going to pay for it, she thought.

‘Prachi, you are a part of the family now, as much as anyone of us. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel any less. You can do anything given that it shouldn’t harm you. You might have busy schedules in the weekdays; you can sleep till late on weekends. Garima does, and for us, you are no different from her. You don’t need to worry if you don’t know how to cook, I will teach you bit by bit. There is no hurry. We can tolerate a few burnt chapattis if that’s what it takes you to learn. Make yourself home, beta’, said her mother-in-law, concluding it with a kiss on her forehead.

It suddenly felt like home. Those were not just words. All the fear Prachi had about a new beginning, seemed to vanish away in an instant. After the breakfast, they all sat and talked like one happy family. Nobody could predict that it was her first day in the family.

It’s acceptance that make happy families. A new beginning doesn’t have to be that hard if everyone make efforts instead of expecting it from the one, who has already left every single thing in her life, to be with the love of her life and his family. For her to accept every new thing, it’s important to show a little love, to assure her that she is accepted, without chains. She will be family, if she feels like one. Show some love; embrace the new member of your family without putting up a baggage of expectations on her! 

A New Beginning…..

The post Post-Wedding – A new beginning . . . appeared first on Wed Amor.

Since the time called ever, the perspective groom come on a horse to carry away his bride. Ghodi tradition found its way into numerous songs, and couplets for the same reason. However, with changing time, this tradition is becoming obsolete too. The legendary Ghodi tradition is now being replaced by cool, spicy ones. If you too want to ditch the ghodi, then here are some awesome ways to make a grand entry to your wedding:

Royal Entry on an Elephant

We are talking about an elephant here, so it's definitely going to be grand. Besides, elephants are such sweet and royal creatures that they will add a dash of royal charm to your wedding. Get the elephant all decked up to match your wedding suit and complement it. You can also add a bright umbrella on top of it because Hey! nothing mediocre is going to do for your big day! Forget the ghodi tradition, start your own 'haathi' tradition!

Up the Swag With a Speed Boat or Yacht Entrance

Remember the second installment of the Hangover movie series? If you do, then you will agree that the speed boat entry that they made towards the end was one of the highlights of the movie. Now, don’t get any wild idea and gatecrash your own wedding and put the lives of those around you in danger, but making a sexy entry on a speed boat (and applying the brakes at the right time) will surely make people talk about it all year or maybe life long. You can totally ditch the ghodi tradition for a speed boat baraat! 

Let Vintage Cars Do the Talking

Vintage cars exude class like nothing else. They stand on their own and can draw eyeballs whenever you get the wheels rolling. Put behind the Ghodi tradition, and go on a ride in a vintage car for the baraat and you will surely leave her and everyone else impressed. You will love the traditional and classy feel of the ride too, and your wedding will surely be all the more memorable for it. Apart from the vintage cars, you can also go for a Limo ride, making your entrance all the more elegant.

Go Eco-Friendly With a Bicycle

A little out of the way? But well, we all know weddings can be really harsh on the environment. So why not ditch the cars for something that is environment-friendly? Many grooms are taking a bicycle to the bride’s place as a symbol of their support for a sustainable environment. It is not only thoughtful but a wonderful way of making your entry different from the millions of grooms across the country.

Sweep in on a Helicopter

Helicopters can never go out of style or fantasy. They will always stand for modernism and class. So, why not make use of this perfect amalgam and make a breathtaking entrance on your wedding day on a helicopter? The roar of it will drown everything else and announce the grand arrival of the groom. Make a statement with your helicopter ride this wedding season!

So, Hey! What's up? Your wedding goals?

The post Amazing Ways to Replace the Old Ghodi Tradition appeared first on Wed Amor.

Approaching wedding and the flurry within to make it a fairy tale! We know it all! And just so, that you are not disappointed with yourself on your D-Day with your make-up and does. Today we enlist for you, the last minute checklist for wedding vanity.

For a Gripping Face:

Source: Pinterest.com

A Primer: It is a must have because your skin has to look fresh healthy and radiant all day long. Make sure you supplement your kit with a primer rich in Vitamins so that even after wearing layers of make-up coats all day long, your skin doesn’t lose its rejuvenation.

A Foundation: This one is really important to be, mentioned in the list because you cannot borrow someone else’s foundation. To use foundation that matches with your skin tone is the basic of a beautiful make-up.

Concealer: Though after putting foundation, chances of putting a concealer to use becomes obsolete; but you are ‘the Bride’ and you cannot afford any risks and hence concealer also needs to appear in your checklist for wedding vanity.

Face Powder / Talc: To make you feel fresh in the mandap fumes and to sail you through itching lehengas!

Blush: They subtly define your cheekbones. Choose one with a matte finish-pink or peach-to go with your skin tone.

For Riveting Look of the Eye:

Source: Pinterest.com

Kajal Pencil: Well that is what Indian beauty is all about. The quintessential make-up magic!

Eye Shadow: To sparkle up the entire look, this is a must in the checklist of the wedding vanity.

Recommended Read: Perfect Makeup For Your Wedding Day

For Appealing Lips:

Source: Pinterest.com

Lipstick: Have them in abundance in your kit- cheery red, blood red, magenta, and coral, neutral! Prepare and choose well in advance, what shade you are going to use with which attire, to save yourself from last minute haphazard.

Lip Balm: To keep them from chapping.

For Lustrous Hair:

Source: Pinterest.com

Perfect hair is every girl's dream and so on your D-Day make no mistakes. Place all the enlisted ones religiously in your checklist for wedding vanity.

Shampoo: No trying new ones! Put into your kit the same, which suits your hair.

Conditioner: Only if you use them. As I said, no experimentation on your D-day!

Hairspray: To keep your hair-dos right in place.

Hair Dryer: A must in the kit! Since you never know, what things might turn into!

Rubber Bands, Clutches: To get back into your usual way after the day’s ceremonies cease.

Recommended Read: 5 Ways to Look Best On Your Wedding Day

Miscellaneous:

Apart from the ones above, there are a few more elements extremely vital to find their way in your checklist for wedding vanity . Find them below:

Source: Pinterest.com

Moisturizer: To keep your skin hydrated.

Sunscreen: Just in case, you need to go out. Well, it won’t go wasted. You can well use it when out during your honeymoon!

Safety Pins: Only if you don’t want your maasis and fufis to go around and asking every second lady if they have a few spare pin! And from the first-hand experience, have them in bulk. I mean it very literally. Endless number of them goes away in putting pallus and lehengas in place to achieve the perfect finish.

Bobby Pins: Same as above, exactly.

A phyle of Bindi: To compensate for a bindi gone missing.

Make-up Remover: A quintessential, to let your skin aerate naturally after a long tiresome day with heavy makeup.

Cotton Balls: They serve dual purpose. They help you even out extra make-up and they also help you re-apply makeup in missed parts.

Deodorants and Perfumes: It is as important to feel fresh as to look fresh. Go with a mild one, which doesn’t stain your dress, doesn’t cause itching and isn’t too strong for the nose.

Hand Sanitizer and Tissue Wipes: Self-explanatory.

Sanitary Napkins: No debate on this absolutely, whether your chum has just gotten over, or you have time in hand. You never know, when periods play wicked on you, especially with so much to stress about during the wedding hustle bustle.

Band Aid: Chances are you have kept your wedding shoes new to be worn on the day itself. Please abstain from doing so! But in case, you get shoe bites, band-aids are the only aid.

Boroline: For everything from cracks to cuts to chaps to aid while wearing nose pins or earring.

ENO: For immediate relief from gastric problems.

Glue or Fevicol: To repair any last minute accessory failure.

Spare Contact Lens or Spectacle: To avoid panicking during a glass breakdown.

Scissors, Thread and a Few Extra Buttons: To escape any malfunction.

Camera: To get you clicked a few random candid shots as you dress up and get ready for the big day.

Small Looking Glass: For last-minute touch-ups.

Straws: To save your lip makeup from smudging.

With all the above checked in your list, we assure you a hassle free experience. If there’s anything you did want us to add to our last minute checklist for wedding vanity or forget to add a key point, do drop a line in the comment section.

The post Last Minute Checklist For Wedding Vanity appeared first on Wed Amor.

What about a wedding where not only you but all the guests are taking some memories along, to cherish for the rest of their lives? Surely, that’s the kind of wedding everyone will love, along with all those who happily extracted out some time to be a part of your celebrations! To make your wedding fun-filled, we have come up with some fun games for weddings, which you can plan to have a splendid wedding!

Sack Race

Nothing beats the fun and excitement of a sack race. So, get your groomsmen and bridesmaids on the ground and watch them compete to reach the finish line. This game will surely bring out the child in everyone and leave behind a session of endless laughter and fond memories. Have individual races, or you can add more fun to it by having a relay race. Men and women hoping around to pass the baton will be something worth cherishing lifelong! And, don’t forget to click some pictures!

Drinking Game

Keep this game for the young group and have a go at the drinking rounds. It will be better to keep this game reserved for after the party, and spare your grandparents the shenanigans. This is one of the most fun games for weddings and will bring out all the fond college memories back, and will take you, along with your friends to your carefree days. To add more fun you can pair couples against each other, or the girls against the boys and see who rocks the floor harder. Don’t forget to arrange some chauffeurs to drop the participants home safely.

Treasure Hunt

Though this game requires more thought and preparation, but it is definitely worth it. Everyone enjoys the game of scavenger hunt, and most of your guests must have played it as a child. Brings out the kid in them with a fun, exciting scavenger hunt that will have people running here and there, shouting, laughing and most importantly having fun as they search for clues. This game can involve children and adults alike and you can divide them into small groups to make the hunt harder and thus more exciting.

Mimic Chits

The wedding date is too close for any alterations? How much time does it take to make chits? Make plenty of chits with the names of your family members. Anyone who picks up a chit will mimic the member mentioned in the chit. This is going to be one of the most memorable parts of your wedding. All that joy and laughter is hard to forget!

Recommended Read: How to Keep Kids Entertained in a Wedding?

Spin the Wheel

Put up a life-size wheel, and let your guests spin it. Watch as the drama and the fun unfolds with this offbeat game. Add your own tasks on the wheel. You can add things like eat twenty panipuris, steal something from the other party, and things like that.

Dance Antakshri

Can you remember of any incidence when Antaakshri didn’t turn out to be the mood motivator? So, how can we forget it when you are talking about games for weddings? Add a dash of dance to it and bingo! The game is to be divided into two parties, most preferably the ‘ladki walas’ and the ‘ladke walas’. One team sings a song and someone from the other team dance to the tunes. It keeps on changing till the end of the song. Fun, isn’t it?

Tug-of-Love

No war because it’s a happy day! Again a fun game to be played between the bride and the groom as leads for their respective teams. The one, who wins each round, decides a dare for the other team!

So plan one of these frolic games for weddings to make your wedding a hit and let the guests talk about your wedding day for years.

The post Super Fun Games For Weddings appeared first on Wed Amor.

Aunty no.1: Oh, did you hear Sharmaji’s daughter had love marriage, that too an intercaste?

Aunty no.2: Yes, I heard. Soon our kids would want to follow her steps; she’s such a disgrace to our society.

So very recently, I overheard this conversation between my neighbours and it got me thinking about this whole concept of why our society freaks out when it comes to inter-caste marriages. Have you noticed the word ‘disgrace’ they used to describe a girl who probably just married the love of her life. If she’s a disgrace, then I wonder what thieves, serial-killers, rapists and psychopaths are called in our society?

Also, did you know that just 5% of Indian marriages are inter-caste marriages? So this is going to be my attempt out of a million ones, to try change this percentage and the definition of ‘disgrace’ that our society holds.

1) It’s not about WHAT they are; it’s about WHO they are.

It’s time that some of our orthodox Indians realize that it’s not about the caste/religion someone belongs to, it’s about who they are as a person, it’s about their willingness to shower their partner with all their love and compassion, to be with them during the good, bad and messed-up times. And above all, it’s about how much happiness they bring to your daughter/son.

2)  Society *sigh*

“Log kya kahengey” is probably the deadliest and of course, the shittiest line people can say to talk you out of getting into inter-caste marriages; and it doesn’t just end there. Just a single phrase like that has the ability to shatter your dreams into a million pieces and it’s going to continue doing so until one of these days, we stop caring about what other people have to say about our own personal life. Can I get an Amen here people?

Also, if you try to speak up against this, steel yourself from the shitstorm coming your way because of it.

Now it’s up to you. Meaningless comments by people who have no life of their own or the happiness of your son/daughter? What matters more?

Recommended Read: Love Marriage vs Arranged Marriage

3)  Let’s Talk About Evolution

You know how Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher says ‘change is the only constant in life’. These people basically just refuse to make sense out of it. Living in a particular time-zone, with the same traditions and way of living for forever is practically impossible. To give you a little extreme example, you know how species that don’t adapt to their changing environment, don’t survive for long. That’s pretty much the point, except for the fact that it is not about your survival, it’s about your pride in your so-called caste.

Go pick up today’s newspaper, check the date on it. Says 2016 huh? Now ADAPT!

4) Even Our Classics Supported it

Since childhood, we’re being taught about Mahabharata and Ramayana, no matter what caste we belong to. But did you now there have been a lot of instances of inter-caste marriages in Mahabharata?

Dushyant married Shakuntala, who was a Brahmin. Kshatriya king Shantanu married a low-born fisherwoman, Satyavati, Bheema married Hidimba, and this is just to name a few.

Recommended Read: Have Our Weddings Changed?

5) Keeping up With the World

We have reached beyond the moon, it is now possible to jump-start a brain out of a coma using ultrasounds, and space travel for an average man is becoming a reality. Living in a world which is progressing at such a fast pace, we continue to live in the 1940s where our main concerns involve our children getting married out of caste. Is this really the right way to go? Are we really making progress?

In the end, all it should matter about is the happiness of the people getting married; it shouldn’t be about the society, the caste, the ego and other factors that come against it. Love wins all! What about you? Do you also hate inter-caste marriages?

The post Inter-caste Marriages: What is the Big Deal? appeared first on Wed Amor.

Internet, these days, is taken by rage with photos and ideas of fruits and decoration. But painted fruits are the new ‘wow,' all the more enticing and surely a winning trend. And we did spot some really heart thawing design decors, decors to melt for at the first sight. So let’s stoop down and discover the most happening fruit paint designs this season.

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Let’s first discuss what the trend is all about?

The trend is to dip fruits in diverse tints and turn them into eye-catching masterpieces. And lo behold! You can do it all on your own.

Fruits can be painted to hit the bull’s eye and earn the envy of all your audience. Pears and pineapples are the main game changers.

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Pears, as you can figure out from above, are the most sought after for primarily two reasons- one, they come with an interesting shape and that when complemented with bright colors or matte finish, looks endearing and enchanting. Two, they promise longevity. Plus you can get as much creative as you can!

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Recommended Read: How to Chose Most Beautiful Flowers For the Weddings?

Pineapples look just great as well! Because they are so unique! Likewise, other alternatives for painted fruits include enticing grapes, sparkling oranges, and cool lemons. Well, you could consider bananas too!

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 Pintrest.com

Ideas for decoration?

Painted or not! Fruits make up the best and most vintage item of décor. Paint just sums up for the charisma it drags along. Try a hand in using them as suburban pieces of décor, or on the table- pieces, or pageants that gracefully adorn the corners.

Pintrest.com

Pintrest.com

More so, you could give it any spin of idea and it wouldn’t leave you disappointed, never!

Well here are some insanely creative ideas out from our basket!

Recommended Read: A Coded Wedding is the Way to Go

Play With Colors:

Metallic or pastel, bright or monotones. Whenever used. the painted fruits look dead beautiful, and breathtaking. You could easily use them as centerpieces, or as mere props, whatever suits your purpose best.

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Sport Some Sparkle:

Yes! When dipped in sparkle or sparkling hues, they come out as flashy, flamboyant and ostentatious pieces of décor.

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Go in Theme Color:

Yes! You could take a step ahead and make them a part of your wedding color theme.

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The Gemstone Sparkle:

Indian weddings, in particular, tend to be spectacularly ostentatious. So you can even bejewel fruits with nuggets and pearls and trinkets to suit the Indian aura of splendidness.

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And the FairyTale:

Okay, so this one is exclusive for WedAmor audience and also my favorite, of all the ideas. To add magic and sparkle and that fairy tale feel to your wedding, recreate the fizz in the atmosphere by dipping your fruits in the transparent paint followed by a dip in sugar crystals. We promise you an ethereal feel!

Pinterest.com

If you were looking for some really new concepts for wedding decoration, we hope we have given you enough food for thought. Do drop your comments, whether you liked the idea or not, or if you have some other fresh idea pertaining to painted fruits that can be used for decor. Keep visiting WedAmor and drop in love.

The post Painted Fruits Are the New ‘Wow’ in Wedding Decoration! appeared first on Wed Amor.