The most joyous part of getting married (apart from deciding to spend the rest of your life with the one you love, of course) is that others celebrate your joy, your love. And what’s a celebration without gifts? Giving and happily taking gifts is an age-old concept in India; in fact showing up at someone else’s festive occasion without a gift-wrapped present is considered totally tacky.

How many times have you been stuck with a not-so-flattering gift? With hundreds of people coming to your wedding, each one will give you a gift, depending on “their” taste and budget (unfortunately, not yours); and more often than not, it will leave that “what were they thinking” expression on your face. Since a handful of cash is considered an impolite gift by many, the next best option is a gift registry.

In the West, every occasion under the sun calls for a visit to the registered shop. Everything from bar and bat mitzvah to weddings to housewarming parties to baby showers; the hosts know exactly what they want from you; thus not giving you a chance to get confused and give them something distasteful. Gift registries in India, though a fairly new concept, are fast gaining popularity. Gift registry is the most subtle way of saying – here is my wish list, take your pick. In India, some people may consider the idea of demanding gifts rather rude, till when they realize that it can save them from the trouble of duplicate gifts and from ending up with things they don’t need, or for that matter, don’t even like.

The changing trends in the new emerging India are seeing lots of newly married couples buying their own condo and trying to make it on their own. A gift registry, especially for such couples can be like a blessing in disguise. A new home, a new bride and lots of new bills; it can take a toll on the spiritual harmony of any stable and calm being. When you opt to live on your own post marriage, you need to be armed with every small thing required for a new home. And then if you are stuck with four photo frames, three hand blenders and two dinner sets, you can’t help but feel the need to pull your hair out.

A systematic gift registry can rescue you before you find yourself in a ditch of bills too deep. You can check out http://shareurjoy.com/ thats a new and nice gift registry in India. 



PS: You can either choose to do your registry online or by physically going to a one-stop-shop, where you can find all the gifts you want under one roof! SIGH; if only Barney’s had a store in India…

One would think that deciding to get married to “the one” is the biggest decision you will ever have to make. You might want to hold on to that thought. The commitment of a lifetime comes with its own to-do list. And if living independently with your spouse in your own home after marriage is something you have always desired, then the list of chores is going to extend a few more pages. Choosing your first home can itself take a while; and since it’s going to be where you will be creating several “first” memories you would want to furnish it to perfection.

The key to sail through all this without ageing a decade in a span of a few months is not to get stressed out. With a little bit of planning and some professorial assistance, you can head for your honeymoon with a beaming face instead of looking like a deflated soul returning from war. Here are some handy tips for furnishing your brand new love nest…

Set aside a budget: When furnishing your house, it is extremely important to finalize a budget, else things can get really out of hand. Knowing an end point can help facilitate the entire furnishing procedure. Imagine running out of money after just picking up the perfect closet for your trousseau; sounds scary, doesn’t it?

 List it out: Make a list of everything; yes every little thing you will need for your house. This includes myriad things ranging from a hand blender to hangers to of course all the furniture items. Start this procedure way in advance; remember everyday you will remember several things you may have forgotten to add. Let your obsessive, compulsive attitude come to good use here.

 Be practical: That Roberto Cavalli sofa will look absolutely yummy in your living room, when guests come over, but let’s face it; is it really in your budget? You, your spouse and your families have already stretched yourselves enough with the big wedding and the splurge on the new apartment. The last thing you’ll want is any uncalled for expenses. Talk to your decorator about your taste and style in home décor. Sometimes you may find amazing one-of-a-kind furniture items at antique furniture markets or thrift markets.

 Do your homework: Know what you want. Go through décor magazines, visit furniture shops and look around. If you are getting custom-made furniture, get involved in every step of the way to avoid cringing at the end product.

 Breathe: Last but definitely not the least – take it easy. The planning, running around and furnishing are all fun things you should enjoy. Don’t look at it at a chore; after all – home is where the heart is!

Though a fairly recent practice, now more and more newly married couples in India are choosing to buy their own new home to move into after marriage. In the West, a boy living with his folks beyond a certain age will definitely invite some unflattering jokes; whereas in India, the tradition of joint family is still pretty thick. But off late, the tide is turning and children (especially newlyweds) are choosing to flow the parental co-op to get their own condo. So how does one go around town shopping for a new home? For boys and girls in their 20s (average age of brides and grooms in India) this can be a rather daunting task.

 Well, it’s important to remember that as a young couple you will probably have to settle for a more practical place, which may not match up to your parents’ lavish dwelling. Generally when it comes to real estate, people start hunting for a property with a certain budget in mind, but more often than not they end up going overboard, considering that buying a home is a one-time investment. As a start-up couple, you should adhere to your budget and modify it a tad only if necessary. Get all the help you can from your parents for the down payment or part payment of the house. Also, sit on your own finances and plan efficiently to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

 A house buying decision, once taken cannot be undone; at least for a while. So take your time; it’s going to be your home for crying out loud! Talk to other couples and friends who have recently purchased their own property and find out how it has altered their lifestyle.

 Getting your own place may definitely seem lucrative to most newly-married couples trying to make it own their own. It gives them a chance to start their marital journey by taking up a big commitment towards their own future and also the future of their family. It also gives them a great feeling of independence and growth. Remember, there are millions of things to be considered before taking this giant leap. Buying a home with your partner is almost as big a decision as choosing your better half. Once you zero in, you gotta stick with it! 

 Commencing your journey with your beloved in your own house is an incomparable joy.

The Marwar Mega Wedding Show in Mumbai was certainly a hit with grooms-and-brides-to-be as well as for their families what with the plethora of stalls that displayed wedding finery, mehendi artists, jewellery and gift packaging! Further, newly wed couples also had an amazing opportunity to stock up on wonderful products for their new home at the many home stores at this show. And, if anyone happened to be looking out for that big fat Indian wedding gift, they’d surely find it at this very exhibition. Here are some excellent stores that were carefully handpicked by us out of the many home stores at the Marwar mega Wedding Show.

Spazio

This stall certainly caught our eye as you can see from the photograph above. Cushions of all colors, designs and fabrics took center stage at the Spazio stall. Themed cushions that ranged from dull gold Buddhas to funky prints right up to football clubs like Manchester United stood out bright and clear. Ruchit Kapoor, Director of Sales at Spazio mentioned that the company is well known for its customizable cushions that could well be a part of the wedding trousseau.

Divyavastra

Divyavastra is basically a store that offers intricately carved and crafted idols of deities, temple decoration material and other devotional embellishments used in religious activities. However, the main attraction of Divyavastra’s offerings lies in its handcrafted fabric that is made out of Gold and Silver. In fact, Divyavastra has patented this fabric, which is created from 14k, 18k and 22k gold and sterling silver. The Radha-Krishna statuettes definitely make for wonderful wedding gifts for a newly wed Indian couple.

Nyassa

Everybody’s favorite store for handmade, natural body products also had a cute store that was almost always crowded with intrigued onlookers and shoppers.  Interestingly, the word Nyassa has its origins in a Sanskrit word that means healing through touch and by chanting. Yummy products that smelt as good as they looked were displayed in an enchanting way. Along with soaps, Nyassa also does room fresheners, lip balms, bath salts and creams. Their hampers are definitely worth a look and make for wonderful gifts.

Rosenthal meets Versace!

Further down the line, we visited Rosenthal, famous for its contemporary table pieces including dinner sets. One section of the stall really caught our fancy, and that was Rosenthal’s Versace line of home pieces.  Delicately engraved dinnerware with the ubiquitous Versace logo were on display. We think one of these Rosenthal-Versace dinner sets could be a unique yet elegant wedding gift.

Lladro

Right next to Rosenthal was Lladro’s well set up stall. Lladro, a brand synonymous with artistic porcelain creations is well known globally. At this show too they made their mark with Indian themed creations like a well-crafted Radha-Krishna pair of statues. We really loved their bride and groom porcelain figures too!

Stay tuned for more on Indian weddings from your favorite wedding planners in India.

The 10^th Anniversary of the Marwar Mega Wedding Show that took place in Mumbai over the weekend indeed kept up to its name. From trousseau shopping, to gift packaging, to Mehndi artists and jewelry, to wedding shopping on the whole, it was definitely the place to be for all Indian brides-to-be.

Read on, as we take you on a round up of the rich wedding attire that was showcased at this event.

Walking through the labyrinthine maze of well-decorated stalls, we came across a good number of stores that catered to attire for Indian brides and their families. Grooms-to-be did not have much choice in this department though.

Glitter, shimmer, georgettes, lace, precious stones, heavy embroidery are words that one can only associate with an Indian bride. Right enough, we stood face to face with intricately designed lehengas, saris and kurtas, the best of which were displayed on mannequins at the storefront.

One brand that really caught our eye was Maya Wedding, a retail arm of the renowned Gitanjali Group. This time Maya solely showcased high-end wedding garments at the event. But, the brand also encompasses exotic jewelry. Famous Indian designers like Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Shantanu and Nikhil, Neetu Gupta and Payal Kapoor come under the Maya umbrella. So you can expect nothing but the best in traditional Indian wedding attire at a store like Maya. Visit their Mumbai branch in Atria Mall, Worli.

Sari drapes by Shaina NC also took centre stage at the Marwar Mega Wedding Show. The designer brought out a good deal of sparkle with her line of saris in fabrics as delicate as nets, georgettes, and gosmea nets, paired with intricately embroidered brocades and borders.

Okay, so we’ve let you in on the exhibition’s best wedding attire for women. However, grooms-to-be and their family who came in search of decent wedding attire might have been a bit discouraged as there seemed to be just one store who catered to them. BadaSaab, an age-old brand established way back in 1976 could have made up for the lack of stores catering to menswear for weddings.  And, they sure did with great panache! First off, the store was done up in the most tasteful way, in our opinion the best display and décor of the show. The attire included a range of sherwanis, bandghalas, achkans and western suits too. What’s more, they came in fabrics to suit all tastes, from the richly embroidered to the light and breezy variety; from loud prints to subtle shades of brown and dull gold. Visit their store on Waterfield Road in Mumbai to get a better idea.

On the 2^nd day of Marwar Mega Wedding Show, we were privileged to attend a fashion show, which was indeed the highlight of the event, and it of course provided us at the Marryme stall with a good-enough breather and break from the lengthy 3-day event.

Presented by Nakshatra, yet another jewelry and accessory brand of Gitanjali, the fashion show took off with models who donned Nakshatra’s beautifully crafted jewelry and an entire line of formal wear by Wendell Rodricks, Goa’s famous designer. Stepping away from his usually breezy resort collections, Wendell went for an all-black look as the models strutted down the ramp with enough oomph that could even put a peacock to shame! That’s what a Wendell Rodricks creation can do for anyone. Nakshatra’s bespoke jewelry also kept up to its name with platinum and gold creations all handcrafted in subtle and imaginative designs.

The 2^nd fashion show showcased Maya Wedding’s entire range of men and women’s wedding attire. Deep reds, maroons, bottle greens, gold and silver dominated the show in traditional wedding wear like lehengas, saris and sherwanis by famous Indian designers. This show was well choreographed as both the male and female models played out their part as the traditional Indian groom proudly sashaying down the ramp with his coy bride.

We were proud to be the wedding planners in India that partnered Marwar for the 10th Anniversary of the show. Stay tuned as we plan to bring you some more glitter and gold in a roundup of the best traditional Indian wedding jewelry showcased at the Marwar Mega Wedding Show.

You can checkout this Sunday’s matrimonial section in the Times of India – Check mate.

Marry Me- The Wedding Planners had a wonderful time at the Marwar Mega Wedding Show. Incidentally, it was the 10^th Anniversary celebrations of this yearly event, and keeping with the celebratory mood, all of the exhibitors went all out to put up their finest displays.

We at MarryMe had a splendid time setting up the décor for our concept design-style stall. Birdcages, beautiful flower arrangements in blush, white and pink tones, candles and drapes blended in seamlessly with the décor. And how can we ever forget to mention that we had our favorite cupcakes on display (they turned out to be a hit with the exhibition’s visitors once again!).

Shades of pink took centre stage at our stall and the lighting was just perfect too! Simply put, it was very pleasing to the eye. Nothing pleases us more than seeing the metamorphosis of an empty stall into a beautiful space that exudes warmth.

We met a lot of interesting people who wanted to learn more about MarryMe- The Wedding Planners’ services, as well as a number of vendors. We met old friends and made a few new ones. All in all, the exhibition turned out to be quite a hit for just about everyone- for brides and grooms-to-be and their families, as well as the exhibitors themselves.

We were glad to be a part of yet another mega wedding show. After all, we simply love conceptualizing weddings and related parties!

Stay tuned for 2 more posts on the Marwar Mega Wedding Show from your favorite wedding planner in India. More about some interesting gift stores and jewelry brands at the Marwar Mega Wedding Show coming up soon!

Do not forget to checkout this Sunday’s Matrimonial section in the Times of India.

We answer a question about long or short bridesmaids dresses.

The scoop on the big celebrity wedding! So finally the secret wedding of Chelsea Clinton took place yesterday in Rhinebeck. Her father walked her down the aisle and she looked stunning in a Vera Wang dress. She was glowing and looked absolutely stunning. We hear that her mother Hillary Clinton wore an Oscar de la Renta gown. The spend on the wedding was in excess of 3 million USD!

The total guests were about 500 and it was very surprising that Obama or Oprah were not seen any where near the wedding. Thats quite a good number of guests considering it is Bill Clinton’s daughters wedding.  A couple of days ago Obama mentioned that the wedding would not be private if he was invited. There would be too much sercurity, the FBI & the secret service if the two presidents partied in the same room at the former presidents daughters wedding.

Yes, it’s the end of an era. So what was it like when the curtains closed on the Pearls Delhi Couture Week? It was grand and massive with lots of stardust. The sixth day of this mega event, starring multi-designers from all over India definitely established one fact – Delhi knows how it’s done. Rakesh Agarwal, Rina Dhaka and Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla showcased their collections on the last day of the Pearls Delhi Couture Week. Read on to know the verdict!

Rakesh’s collection had a mix of Indian as well as Western clothes. The Western clothes in particular were très chic. One shoulder, figure hugging, Grecian dresses with detailed bling and other evening dresses were truly enigmatic. His bridal clothes, however, didn’t quite manage to enthral the audiences. With Jacqueline Fernandez walking as the show-stopper in bridal attire, one would expect a lot of oooing and aaaing. Alas that wasn’t the case. Compared to the masterpieces created by other designers on previous days of the couture week, his bridal collection was far from unique.

Rina Dhaka’s collection, mostly comprising of evening sarees followed the whole noir theme as far as styling was concerned. The models looked ravishingly stunning and the clothes had a strong and yet feminine persona. Far from traditional, the clothes depicted the taste of unconventional women who do not shy away from experimenting. Lara Dutta, the show-stopper walked the ramp for Rina in a gorgeous off-beat black and silver ensemble. The crystal embellished blouse in particular looked gorgeous on the ex Miss. Universe. Inspired by cobwebs, Rina’s collection was full of nets, fringes and interweaving tangles.

Fashion big-wigs Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla bid adieu to the Pearls Delhi Couture Week with their “bling it on” collection. Lots of shimmer, shine, bling and patent Abu Sandeep embroidery dominated the show. The biggest surprise, however, was socialite Shweta Nanda and charming Aussie cricketer Brett Lee walking the ramp as show-stoppers. Shweta looked marvellous in a gold gown with lots of huge lotus embellishments. Brett lee looked cuter than ever in a sherwani, accompanied by his beatific smile. Overall, the whole collection was dramatic with lots of sequins work, dazzle and geometric shapes. The ample use of copper, gold and bronze gave the clothes a regal look.

Brides and grooms, now that you know what’s hot this season what are you waiting for? Your perfect wedding outfits are not gonna come knocking at your doorstep, are they? Stay tuned for more fashion tips and reviews from your favorite Indian wedding planner.