A guide to wedding tips, trends and experiences. Marriage event reviews, Wedding venue reviews and ideas, honeymoon destination tips, photography, wedding decor and much more.

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The time between your engagement and wedding is a special one. You have decided to marry each other and spend the rest of your lives together and it is also marks the beginning of the sometimes taxing wedding planning process. Spending some fruitful yet super fun time with your fiancé is the perfect way to bond and de-stress and an engagement photography is the perfect way to capture those memories.

If you want to have a photo-shoot that is just about the two of you and your personalities and not the entire wedding party and guests, a pre wedding photography is the way to go. Although your budget and time constraints may not allow you to travel for a destination photo-shoot, a photography session around engagement time is a good time to get those gorgeous ‘couple’ shots together.  A professional engagement photography session allows you to get some great shots, without the pressure and formality of a shoot at the event itself. You tend to be more relaxed, casual and fresh, very often leading to some of the best candid and posed pictures from the entire wedding bunch! It’s also good practice for the hours of photography you will have at the wedding.

Once you meet with a professional wedding photographer explain exactly what kind of shoot you would like, the mood, the locations, the effects, angles you prefer etc. Once your photographer knows what you are like personality wise and you know how they work, it’s easier to just let go and be comfortable during the photography session. Pick locations that are not just picturesque but or offbeat or funky just for the way they look but also places or themes that mean something to you as a couple – maybe are you both die-hard Mumbai-ites? Consider options like a fun photo-shoot at your favourite city landmarks like the Gateway and Colaba or at your most visited street food area. Romantic, edgy, dreamy or modern…it’s up to you, your wedding planner and photographer to customize your engagement photo-shoot. You can even have a few paparazzi style pictures; after all you are the stars for the day!

Some couples also wear their wedding finery for  their engagement photography sessions; however, it’s best to go with the mood and theme for what you have planned and what you are going to be most comfortable in. If you are having a really long photo-session in a variety of settings, then you could consider having a few outfit changes too. You can also have a professional make-up artist and hair stylist to get you picture perfect for the shoot. These pictures aren’t just ideal for capturing those intimate and special moments but can also be used for your wedding website and other places like the wedding favours or stationery, where you may need some pretty photos. You literally create memories that will last you a lifetime and remind you of these cherished days…Say cheese!

We are looking forward to the upcoming and the most celebrated fashion event – Lakmé Fashion Week Winter / Festive 2011. The dates to this much-awaited event are out! It will be held from August 17^th to August 21^st, 2011 at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. Usually the event is scheduled a little later, but this time it has been scheduled earlier so that the designers can showcase their latest collections for the upcoming wedding and festive season and have enough time to ship the merchandize to their international clients.

Lakmé Fashion Week has always selected the best talent and promoted innovations in the world of fashion. The fashion week will not only showcase the most talented designers in Prêt and Couture on one platform but will also bring new talent to the forefront. The season would focus on winter/ festive collections and will see a lineup of a record number of designers for the first time – 87 designers will be participating in this fashion week!

The event will be opened by none other than Rohit Bal with a grand start at Tote. While a number of designers will showcase their collections during the week, the closing would be by the iconic designer Manish Malhotra who will be presenting his collection at the grand finale. He will be interpreting the new cosmetic range ‘Lakmé Absolute’ by Lakmé.

We will be following and tracking all the news on this fashion week. Some of the designers we would watch out for bridal and resort wear are – Anita Dongre, Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla, Shyamal & Bhumika, Sabyasachi, J.J Valaya, Pria Kataria Puri, Wendell Rodricks, Rohit Bal and Swapnil Shinde.

We are also interested in what some of the gen-next designers will showcase! Watch this space for more coming up on Lakme Fashion Week Winter/ Festive 2011….

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Indian weddings are usually elaborate with celebrations spanning over a week and may get difficult to plan. Engaged and don’t know where to begin and how to plan? Here are some tips which may be useful.

The first step would be to fix on a wedding date. The next would be to fix on the number of functions you plan to have and to make a budget for every function. Next you could start to select and book the venue or venues. The guest list is something you must have in place well in advance most preferably with the RSVPs as the guest list can affect a lot of factors like venue capacity, catering cost, travel and accommodation arrangements in case of a destination wedding and above all your budget.

Destination wedding would require planning well in advance as a lot of logistics is involved in transporting guests and making arrangements for accommodations and so on and so forth. While selecting the wedding venue, you must keep in mind the weather conditions and the theme of the wedding. Depending on these factors you may choose either an indoor or an outdoor venue. Theme is one of the most important things and you must plan this well as two of your major elements that is, décor and food would revolve around this. Choosing the right colour palette and tying in smaller elements together is the key to create the most fabulous décor.

Once you have the theme and the colour palette in place you can go ahead with designing and printing your wedding stationery and invite. The next thing would be to look at various vendors and to book the best ones. This is very important as it’s difficult to get the best vendors in peak seasons as sometimes they are booked more than a year in advance. Vendors would include caterer, decorator, photographer, videographer, sound and light artist, make-up artist, DJ, choreographer, baraat requirements and the pundit off course!!

Then would be your trousseau shopping. Just a tip –  we would recommend you to visit all bridal expos from the moment you plan your wedding as you would come across a lot of vendors and designers at these exhibitions and may find it useful in planning your big day. Other things on your to-do-list would include shopping for gifts, making your ceremony booklets, arranging for transport or valet and procuring the necessary licenses. In case of a destination wedding the list would be longer including welcome letters and welcome baskets stacked with goodies, program booklet with details of various functions, helpline numbers, local information etc and setting up a hospitality desk to name a few.

Though the planning may seem very complicated, if you organize and time things well it may not be that hectic. Moreover you can always count on us, Marry Me Wedding Planners in India as we know how to take your stress away and make this whole journey enjoyable for you.

There was bling! And lots of it! The Delhi Couture Week had a lineup of great designers, but here you can check out some of them especially for all you brides to be.

Manav Gangwani’s collection ‘A Timeless Affaire’ was glam, sexy and over the top! Our personal favourites from this collection were the yellows!

Varun Bahl opened with a collection which was a combination of Indian and and royal French culture. Inspired by the French queen Marie Antoinette, the collection comprised of lehengas, anarkalis and saris. Royal jackets and fitted corsets were paired with Indian wear. One of our favourites from this Couture week!

We loved Shantanu and Nikhil’s combination of volume and tulle.

Manish Malhotra’s collection was true to his signature style and palette. The best part of his show was his creation on Sonam Kapoor. Stunning!!!

Our favourite part of Ashima-Leena’s collection were the gorgeous colors, so surreal……

RohitBal’s collection was one of our favourites from this couture week, and you can see exactly why….

Another of our favourites from this Couture Week was JJ Valaya’scollection ‘Tasveer’. We think his signature jackets paired withthe lehengas was just stunning.

Wedding ceremonies in India are largely elaborate and filled with many interesting rituals and customs. Most of these rituals involve some kinds of ceremonious fruits and grains used during different parts of the wedding, and an important one among them is rice. Rice or rice grains are an integral part of Indian weddings especially Hindu weddings, where it is used during the many different ceremonies. It’s not just used in the delicious pulaos and biryanis and other wonderful Indian wedding food!

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While in the some parts of the world, rice is thrown at newlyweds since the grain is considered a symbol of fertility, here in India it also has a different kind of symbolism attached to it. The rice grains also known as akshata are used in various pujas, diety offerings and religious ceremonies and also as part of many auspicious rites including the wedding. The rice grains are considered a symbol of prosperity, sustenance and abundance. It is used as offering to the gods during the wedding ceremony and also symbolically for the newlyweds to quite literally shower them with good wishes and future prosperity.

You will find the use of rice is rampant during an Indian wedding like during the entry of the bride to her in-laws home where she has to knock over a pot of rice with her foot or when puffed rice is thrown into the sacred fire around which the couple takes their pheras. Some communities also paste rice grains on their wedding invitation cards.

Stay tuned for more on the interesting bits and pieces that make up our grand Indian weddings, from Marry Me Wedding Planners in India

Yesterday afternoon I was in heaven! Ok, maybe Indian bridal wear heaven at the Tarun Tahiliani Bridal Couture Exposition 2011 at the Four Seasons in Mumbai. The theme is ‘Artisanal’ – Tarun Tahiliani’s endeavor to bring craft to the fore.

Tarun Tahiliani’s collection comprised of lehengas, saris, gowns and men’s sherwanis along with jewelery by Forevermark. Indian artisanal skill, patience and technique produce fine craft which is coupled with European tradition of tailoring and structured draping to produce a novel blend of Indian finery and layered western construct. He has combined Western and Indian techniques to cerate contemporary Indian Couture using the finest materials, weaves, jewels, Swarovski elements or techniques.

The collection in nudes and of course the more traditional red and golds had us wanting to get married all over again. What we were completely in love with was the use of tulle, lace and silk – so delicate and perfect for the bride!

One of our favourites, the Swarovski Elements encrusted bustier with a tulle sari in delicate shades of grey, embellished with tiny floating flowers and a hand embroidered threadwork border.

Another favourite – love this nude silk fluidly draped concept sari embellished with Swarovski Elements with a stretch embroidered diamonte blouse.

An ivory shell appliqued on tulle sari with a strappy diamonte blouse embellished with Swarovski Elements.

Lets not forget the men – the sherwanis were regal with applique and majestic embroidery.

Our personal favourites for the men – the classic black bandgala or sherwani

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A pair of payals or anklets is considered one of the items in a woman’s solah shringar or sixteen adornments, according to certain Hindu customs. While most bridal jewelry serves to bring the attention up to a woman’s face, payals tinkle merrily on the bride’s hennaed feet. A favourite accessory or jewelry to Indian women of all faiths and communities, the payal is a subtle way to accessorise your bridal outfit.

There are many Indian traditions associated with this pretty accessory; often payals with their little bells were worn by new brides to announce their entry into their husband’s home. Traditionally, the bride was gifted a pair of anklets by her maternal uncle before she left for her new home. This custom continues today too in many households where the parents or the uncle buy payals for the bride and of course brides buy them too for their wedding trousseau.

Payals are designed differently in different parts of the country. They may be in brass, silver or gold, with intricate designs and carvings or even simple metal ropes or chains and often with tiny bells attached. Brides often pick payals with some work like kundan, diamonds, crystals, coloured stones or meenakari work for their wedding outfits. You can even pick coloured beads and stones and customize your payals to match each outfit. Silver payals are often favoured by Indian brides because gold is considered a sacred metal and it is considered to be inauspicious and disrespectful to wear it on the feet, according to some customs.

Whatever the traditional stories behind this ornament may be, it looks super pretty peeking out from under the wedding saree or lehenga. All the more reason to pamper yourself with a fabulous pre-wedding pedicure!

Keep reading for more details on the various beautiful Indian bridal Jewelry, at Marry Me – The Wedding Planners in Mumbai.

Wedding décor and wedding food are probably the most important elements of wedding planning.  Both of these have to complement each other. While most wedding decorators and caterers have pre-set packages to choose from, we don’t think it is a great way to choose the décor and the wedding menu for your big day!

First step is to choose your theme and colour palette. Next, start moving on and planning your décor and food, which fits with your chosen theme and colour palette. While the other things are pretty much taken care of, one thing we have noticed as wedding planners is that the buffet décor is something most people overlook. This is very important. You may serve great food but, the presentation is equally important! Here are some tips which may be useful while planning your buffet setup.

The basic setup at any buffet will remain the same, but adding attractive elements will enhance the look. Instead of serving food in traditional chafing dishes, you could opt for platters of various shapes placed on different levels to create layers. This sets a whole different mood. According to your theme you can choose whether you want to go with ceramic or glassware.

Fruits and vegetables can be used along with flowers and some decorative elements to make attractive centre pieces instead of just flowers.

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For a more rustic feel, preserves can be directly served from jars, which are usually used for storing. Also instead of placing all food in platters or serving dishes, you could have bite sized portions of food served in small individual dishes or small shot glasses depending on the nature of food being served.

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Adding candles to your wedding décor will give it a more relaxed look, but we would not recommend it. Safety becomes a big issue with kids around and don’t forget, sometimes the fragrance of the candle may overpower the food.  Another thing you can play with is lighting though we would suggest very subtle mood lighting.

For special counters like cheese you can display a variety of exotic cheeses along with nuts, crackers, wine and grapes as these go perfectly with cheese. You could also have a special area for wine connoisseurs to enjoy cheese and wine – a wine bar maybe?

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And of course, the always popular – live stations  – these will make your buffet interactive and fun. This way food can be customized for your guests.

We hope these tips come in handy for you to spice up your buffet décor. Let us know your tips and ideas…