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.

Are you bored of the usual themes that you see these days at weddings? Most often, either one doesn’t really see the theme shining through or the wedding does not follow a theme at all. Well, we must let you know that wedding planning is thrilling the moment you discover your perfect wedding theme. It’s simple; just add a dash of imagination to the personality of you and your partner. And, voila! You will soon come up with a unique wedding theme. Your wedding planner is the best person to consult for your wedding theme. They will be the one\’s executing it after all.

When deciding your wedding theme, it is important to focus on the combined personalities, hobbies and desires of the couple. Here are some original ideas for the perfect wedding theme!

Bitten by the Travel Bug

If both you and your partner happen to be avid travelers, then a travel-themed wedding would be wonderful. There’s a lot that can be done with this theme right from the wedding invitations to the wedding favors. You can also name the tables after places you both have visited, and perhaps place a vintage postcard from different destinations on each table! There are suitable favors such as personalized travel tags or mini suitcases filled with sugared almonds available on most wedding vendor web sites. You could even make a video of special moments shared on your travels together and air it at the wedding reception. The sky is really the limit with this theme. And, if the both of you have traveled a fair bit around the world, then this could be your perfect wedding theme!

Sports Freaks

Maybe you both met one day on the tennis courts. Or you both happen to play different sports. Perhaps, you both simply enjoy watching sports together! Well, then this could be a good theme for your wedding! From coasters to cufflinks, and décor to wedding favors, right up to the wedding cake, a sports-themed wedding would be a fun affair for your guests, besides having a special meaning to the both of you.

Seasonal Themes

Winter may be the season that most couples decide to get married. So, if this is too clichéd a theme for you, then a spring-themed wedding could be a beautiful idea. Think colorful flowers and fragrant blossoms! Spring colors include soft shades of pink, purple and yellow. But, if you’d like to go vibrant, bright red/yellow tulips and the deep purple of an iris is the way to go. The main idea is to keep your colors light and airy, thus reflecting the arrival of spring. The décor is pretty much complete with a good selection of flowers. Invitations, favors and food can also be played around with a lot if you do go ahead with a spring-themed wedding.

Fine Artists of the World

If you both happen to be into the art scene, then a fine art theme would be apt for your wedding. You can create quite a good set up around your favorite artists like Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci as well as the eye-catching works of M C Escher. It could even be a single favorite artist that you both share or you may also want to choose a different artist to be represented at each guest table. This theme is not only extremely classy and formal, but is also bound to be a good topic of discussion for your guests. Wedding favors could consist of mini easels, which could double as photo frames! Another great idea for a wedding favor is to get a calendar printed for the New Year featuring one artist per month.

Vintage Wedding

Everything vintage is back and how! Maybe you love the Victorian Era or perhaps the two of you share a passion for the good ol’ 60s! A Victorian age wedding would be incomplete without a royal horse-driven carriage, vintage wedding invitations and basically everything that exudes an old world charm. A swinging sixties wedding would be a more colorful affair. Or you could even go in for a 1920’s themed wedding complete with a vintage Rolls Royce, jazz music, pin stripes and pearls!

Once your partner and yourself have figured out a hobby, passion or desire that you jointly share, you can be sure that an aptly themed wedding reception is to follow. Contact your best wedding planner in India for more details on wedding themes!

Eco-consciousness is on the rise nowadays and most people are trying to do their bit for Mother Earth. While it’s simpler to make small changes in our day to day lives, you might think it’s tough to go green when it comes to planning parties and big events. You can have a beautiful wedding and not shed your eco-friendly ideals; it just takes a little tweaking and a rethinking of your priorities.

A green wedding isn’t a totally far-fetched idea and although you may not be able to go 100% green, you definitely could do a lot better. Firstly it makes sense to downsize your plans a bit; this will make it easier to curb wastefulness. A good brainstorming session with your wedding planner and anyone helping you plan your ‘green’ wedding is a great idea to come up with various usable ideas.

Let’s begin with the invites. You will probably sending out hundreds of invitation cards to all your guests. That’s a lot of paper! Recycled paper options are a good option and no less beautiful and you can even sweeten the pot further by using those made by non-profit organizations. The greenest and most affordable option would be to send online invitations instead.

When you are deciding on venues, choose one that makes the best use of natural resources. Since you might have more choices when it comes to the reception venue, look at places with plenty of natural light and natural beauty. Take advantage of the plentiful sunshine with day-time events outdoors. Use strategically placed and minimal lighting for night-time weddings and try and use energy-saving bulbs. Oil lamps and diyas are pretty and functional.

Big hotels and fancy halls use a lot of electricity and tons of not very ‘green’ resources. Parks, Farms and gardens make great venues and you can skip the decorations and take advantage of the lush greenery and flowers. If you would prefer an indoor event try and arrange to have the wedding and reception at the same venue, one after another. This could save possible transportation hassles and fuel consumption. Look for venues that use energy-saving products and are active recyclers. Avoid using decorations that are just going to be thrown out later.

When it comes to the food and catering, it helps to do some self catering especially if you are having something small-scale. Limit the number of courses and keep it as vegetarian as possible. To be as eco-friendly as possible ask your caterer to use only local organic produce and seasonal fruits and veggies, resulting in less packaging and less electricity used for refrigeration.

Since you are taking the effort to be greener why not pass the gift along. Give your guests saplings and seeds they can plant at home. Small potted plants make good gifts too. Going green does not mean sacrificing your aesthetic…you can have a wedding you and Mother Nature will be proud of! I am sure your wedding planner in India will be able to help you with  some good tips on green ec0 – friendly weddings.

One of the most popular wedding related trends nowadays are destination weddings. Many Bollywood celebrities in 2010 have have chosen destination weddings as they get more privacy outside the main cities in India. A destination wedding is one where the couple and their family and friends travel to a beautiful destination away from home and exchange their wedding vows away from the daily grind. It’s the perfect way to have your wedding and yet feel like it’s a vacation, a romantic break from reality. Whether you want to have it at a pretty hill station close to your home city or fly to a more exotic location, destination weddings need a little extra planning and details looked into.

If there was ever a time you thought about hiring a wedding planner, this is it! Destination weddings require more coordination and planning and having someone guide you is a great idea. Firstly if you are considering a destination wedding start planning early, 6 months to a year in advance gives you plenty of time to take care of every last detail. You will also have to decide on a budget before you begin considering places to have the wedding. There’s no point falling in love with some place before you know whether you can afford the travel, accommodations, and other costs that may arise. You and your bride or groom to be need to sit and discuss what your wedding style is; if you are a casual laidback couple, a beach wedding would be perfect, if you want a more formal do, then maybe a romantic colonial hotel at a hill-side may be more apt. As soon as you finalise your destination, start looking at all the possible venues in the area and whether they have the services you need. Many hotels offer great wedding packages that care of everything from the food to the accommodations and all you need to do is show up! Start looking at prices and tickets early – it can save you a lot of money and last-minute stress.

Planning your guest-list is important too; the number of guests does influence your budget and your bookings. Be clear as to what all you will be paying for and what you expect your guests to pay for. Be courteous and give your invitees a good heads-up so they can plan and budget for this trip too. One of the nicest things about a destination wedding is that only your nearest and dearest will take the effort to be there, so it tends to become a much more intimate event. Think about who exactly you would like to share this special trip worth, fussy people whom you aren’t really close to shouldn’t make the list! Have everyone RSVP so that you can do your hotel bookings soon and probably get some good group discounts for travel and stay. If you have the budget, organize fun sight-seeing trips for the group or collect some info on what activities people can enjoy while in the area.

Do check what travel documents everyone is going to need especially if you are planning on going abroad. With a little bit of thoughtful planning and help you can make your wedding one that nobody will ever forget!

With the world now becoming a melting-pot and cities getting more and more cosmopolitan, multi-cultural weddings are a pretty common occurrence. A multi-cultural wedding in India can be an enriching experience with tons of different cultural customs, people from various backgrounds and twice the blessings! However planning one can be stressful and you need to take steps to ensure nobody’s toes are being stepped upon or cultures disrespected. Even if you and your fiancé appreciate the diversity, there’s always a chance that the families are a little touchy.

Firstly remember it’s your wedding and however much you two love your families, the couple need to be involved in the decision making process from the get-go. Get your families together to discuss what is important to you and your parents and likewise make a sincere effort to learn about their preferences. Tough as it may feel in the beginning, reaching a comfortable compromise is not only possible but can make for an interesting wedding that’s uniquely your own. Talk about traditions that you both would like to incorporate both in the wedding ceremony and other festivities. Try to have a ceremony in a language everyone can understand, or you can even find someone who will translate what’s being said so your better half doesn’t miss out on the significance of those special vows.

You will have to specifically look for a venue that can accommodate all your needs and find someone who is open to multi-cultural marriages to officiate your wedding. Many couples have both ceremonies; it’s a great way to take part in another’s culture and enjoy the beginning of your marriage with both families getting the customs that are most important to them. Also remember that it’s not all serious! Having a nice blend of cultural customs in the reception or pre-wedding festivities can be so much fun. Fusion cuisine and music is not only trendy but can tie together everything nicely. You can honour both heritages by playing around with the décor, food and music and celebrating each culture through different festivities. If you have hired a wedding planner, make sure you convey all your different needs so that he/she can plan a wedding for you that is a harmonious blend of both worlds.

Do inform your guests about certain guidelines regarding attire if any, and be mindful while choosing your wedding clothes for specific ceremonies that you are not familiar with. Lastly, remember that your wedding isn’t just about your different cultural heritages but also about you and your fiancé as individuals and as a couple, so definitely infuse your own personal styles in the wedding. With a little bit of tact, compromise and understanding, your multi-cultural wedding can have the best of both worlds.

It’s time to put aside the formal wedding planning and have some fun…Yes, we are talking about the bachelorette party! One night that the bride and all her close friends look forward to is bachelorette night. Strictly a girls’ night out or in, the bachelorette is the perfect way to pamper the bride and give everyone a chance to let loose and relax. Unlike the bridal shower, this one’s for your peer group only, since bachelorettes are decidedly naughty! It’s a time for the bride to have one last night of ‘single’ fun before she ties the knot.

Normally the bride’s best friend or maid of honor plans the shindig and everyone chips in. However if you are a bride that prefers doing the organising, make sure you have your best friend with you and plan a night nobody will forget. You could also include your wedding planner in the party prep if you are having something on a bigger scale. Here are a few tips to help you put together a fun bachelorette party –

Fix up dates well in advance. Make sure you discuss it with all the girl’s coming. It’s important that everyone whom the bride is really close to can make it.

Discuss potential venues or activities and make sure everyone is okay with the cost. Everyone will have to cover the bride’s expenses too. Factor in expenses like those for food, drinks, transport and gifts.

If you are planning a party for your friend, make sure it’s centered around an activity she enjoys or something that she might want to try like a belly dancing class or a spa party. Make sure everyone is comfortable with the activities planned

If the budgets are tight, plan something fun at home. Organise some fun dance music and get bachelorette games and ideas online.  Simple stuff like colorful decorations or a fun theme can make a home affair really enjoyable.

Designate – A few people can take care of different aspects of the party like arranging for the food, decorating or buying the beverages.

You could consider having a spa party which is always popular…because let’s face it every girl loves to be pampered! Many salons and spas have group packages or try and find beauticians who can home. Do something that everyone can do together with the bride like get manicures and pedicures or get your make-up done. Even a girls’ night out at the bride’s favorite nightclub or bar is a good idea. Wear your prettiest dress, biggest smile and paint the town red! Contact us at Marry Me weddings if you need any help with planning your bachelorette party!

Not many families here in India, inquire or know much about wedding insurance available. Similar to general, automobile or health insurance, wedding insurance policies are designed to offer financial protection to couples and families from any unforeseen circumstances on their wedding day. We have heard of many things going wrong at weddings, a theft or electrical mishap at the wedding venue or the residence of one of the families is often heard of. Considering the amount of money spent on Indian weddings it might make sense to spend a small amount on a wedding insurance policy. Every country has their own guidelines for their policies and policies in India are offering the following mentioned below. In addition there are various plans for the same cover that allow you to choose the premium for the maximum sum assured and proportionate to your total wedding budget. There are also customised insurance packages for big weddings that are tailor made to meet various clients needs.

What all does wedding insurance in India cover?

Wedding Cancellation Cover –  Damage of the wedding venue due to fire & allied perils. Riots, curfew near the wedding venue. Death or accidental injury to the bride, groom and immediate family members.

Insured Property Protection cover – This can cover your house or your wedding venue.

Personal accident cover – This is for the bride, groom and immediate family.

Money Cover – Keeping in mind large sums of money kept in the house during this wedding this can cover theft.

Valuables Cover – This can cover all jewelery kept at your house during the wedding.

Public Liability Cover – This can cover the legal liability that can arise incase third party property is damaged during the wedding or third party bodily injury caused due to accidents/ damage to the venue and food poisoning during the wedding.

It’s very important to buy your wedding insurance policy in advance and not last minute so that it covers all the details and you have understood the policy well. Once you have taken a policy, remember to keep a proof of all expenses, bills, booking receipts, jewellery valuation certificates etc .. Do contact us for help with wedding insurance policies in India. You can email us on info@marrymeweddings.in for more information on wedding policies available.

Since this is our first post in the new year, We at Marry Me would like to wish all our readers & clients a very Happy 2011 with many beautiful weddings.

We would also like to thank all our brides, grooms  families that we worked with with 2010.

We look forward to creating many more beautiful events for you this year.

Keep watching this space for the latest happenings on weddings & more ..

Finding the perfect outfit for the wedding is at the top of most brides’ priority lists. Fun and exciting as it may be, it is also the cause of a lot of stress since it’s so much more important than finding the perfect pair of jeans. Many women dream about the kind of wedding outfit they want long before a wedding is even in the works and it may not translate well into reality! But don’t worry, finding bridal wear that’s perfect for you and the kind of wedding you have in mind is not that difficult because there are tons of options out there…all you need is a little patience and plenty of self-love. These are a few tips to keep in mind when you go bridal shopping:

1. Go with a vision of want you want your wedding to be. The kind of wedding you are planning should be reflected in your outfit. Also make a list of all the functions you are planning to have not only to buy your respective outfits but to make sure you don’t repeat your styles and color palettes.
2. Fix a budget range and try to stay within it! It is much easier if you don’t look outside that range at all so you don’t feel tempted to overspend.
3. One of the best parts about shopping in India is that the variety is mind-boggling. You will find everything from gorgeous saris to beautiful wedding gowns and everything in between. The materials, embroidery and embellishment work come in a huge variety that caters to all sorts of tastes and budgets. Try and experiment with different looks. You may be wearing an outfit that is particular to the region you are from for the ceremony, so try different looks for the reception or mehendi.  You might have always envisioned wearing a lehenga choli, but look at other options too so you know exactly what is out there and what looks good on you.
4. That brings us to the next tip – Ladies please be kind to yourself! Do not try clothes that don’t fit or you know is way out of your comfort zone. You may be on a weight loss or gain regimen but choose a bridal outfit that you know will suit your body type now not what will look good when you are 10kgs lighter or heavier! You may not be a supermodel but we all have features that we like…showcase your best assets and hide the flaws. A lovely neckline might flatter your killer-collar bones and frame your face, a short choli may be great to highlight a slim waist or an A-line lehenga could balance the proportions of your body; there IS definitely something for everyone! If you are wearing a gown, make sure it fits you like a dream, no tugging, stitched seams or bagginess. Go for what looks good on you not just what is trendy. Try different cuts and fits.
5. Experiment with colors. You may have always wanted a red outfit, but might find that a deep maroon or vibrant turquoise suits your complexion better. Try different shades and colors to find the perfect match.
6. Lastly always take someone whose opinion you trust along with you; it may be your mom, your best friend or even your wedding planner. If you want to wait before making a purchase take pictures so you don’t forget what the outfit looked like.
7. Here is another post on weddings shopping list for Indian bride.

Happy Shopping!!

Of the many colourful functions that are part of our big fat Indian weddings, the mehendi is undoubtedly one of the fun-nest! Generally a women-only event, your mehendi party is like a tamer more family friendly version of the bachelorette and every age group gets to be a part of the festivities. Different people from all over the country hold this pre-wedding ritual in varied ways keeping with their customs, however there is a common thread that runs through them all…they are all a fun, gala celebration.

Mehendi is used as a way to adorn the bride before her big day and the women in the family and close friends are all invited to do the same. Professional mehendi artists come prepped with gorgeous designs in a variety of styles and fragrant cones filled with henna.

The mehendi function is also one that’s filled with music; in many homes the elder women sing special wedding and mehendi songs and play the dholak, teasing the bride about her upcoming nuptials.

Mehendi ceremonies come in all packages, from small intimate gatherings at home to bigger functions at a hall or some outdoor venue. Whatever you decide to do, a few special touches will make your function an event that everyone can enjoy. If you have a wedding planner in India, find out about venues that are right for your gathering and recommendations for mehendi artists. The décor makes a big difference too. Even if you decide to have your mehendi at home, you can spruce up the space with bright cushions, flowers, curtains and wall hangings. Warm colors like henna green, yellow, red, orange always look great and are super festive. Plan your theme beforehand so that you can get small knick-knacks like decorative lights, bells, floating candles and colourful vases to match. Good lighting is a must whether at home or at a hall, you can have brighter lighting for areas where the mehendi is being applied and dimmer mood lighting in other areas. Since music is such a big part of Indian wedding festivities, make sure you have a good sound system and enough space to dance…no Indian wedding is complete without song and dance! Since most of the guests will have mehendi on their hands, try to serve plenty of finger foods and sweets instead of messier dishes.

The mehendi party is one that most women look forward to and even the women on the groom’s side sometimes have their own shindig. It not only signifies the beginning of a bride’s journey but is a great way for the bride and her busy entourage to let their hair down and relax with family and friends, while still doing something wedding-related.

For some time now, the whole world knew that Kate Perry and Russell Brand wanted an “Indian” wedding. After all, the American pop star and her English comedian beau got engaged in Jaipur at the Taj Rambagh Palace Hotel on New Year’s Eve! Well, we got the news that the two are slated to get married this month in or perhaps around Delhi. Read on to find out more!

It has been reported that the two have planned a weeklong wedding extravaganza. Looks like their guests that include Rihanna, Noel Gallagher and Taylor Swift are in for typical 7-day big fat Indian wedding!

The wedding invite has apparently been sent out to guests who have been asked to keep aside a week in mid-October for the wedding celebrations. And, the invite reads: “Meet you in Delhi in October. Dates to follow. Please allow seven days for this event.”

In spite of Russell Brand’s claims that his wedding to Kate Perry will be a mundane affaire, we beg to differ! A 7-day wedding celebration! Suspense regarding the actual locations! Sounds anything but mundane to us! This has got to be one wedding we are dying to get the scoop on.

On a related note, the 35-year old British comedian slipped away from his stag party last week to gatecrash an Indian wedding reception in London! Maybe, he wanted to get a taste of India (being away from India) for one last time before he ties the knot!

Watch this space, for we will bring you more news about this very exciting English-American wedding!