Shilpa Shetty’s Wedding Madness!

Gorgeous Shilpa Shetty who’s known for her perfect body and Big Boss fame finally tied the knot with long-time beau, business tycoon, Raj Kundra! After seeing Shilpa in so many bridal avatars in her movies, we were super excited to finally see her as a a real-life Bollywood bride!
Engagement
Shilpa and Raj held a small, private [...]

Stranded By Limo at Bachelorette Party!

A fellow bridesmaid and I were in charge of booking the limousine for our friend’s bachelorette party. After pricing several vendors, we found something on Craigslist (yes Craigslist! I know, I know! Never again!). They looked very professional; they had a website and everything! So we called the guys up and booked a white limo for [...]

Visit South Asian Brides Network

Jul

16

Dubai: Gold Galore!

Dubai Gold Souq = SHOPPING HEAVEN

When stepping into the shopping complexes in Dubai, your eyes will first be greeted by GOLD–almost everywhere! Gold shops in Dubai, in my opinion, are more prevalent than clothing, or even food!

My mom and I had began our 3 and a half week venture to begin my brother’s wedding shopping and it all started in Dubai. My mom and I thought our two day shopping trip was far too short, but we managed to purchase a storm and in my opinion, Dubai = shopping haven!!

It is always easier to travel when you have family internationally and I recommend always taking a local when shopping abroad unless you’re familiar with the area. It was my mom’s first time returning to Dubai since the 5 years she lived there during her adolescence and my first time in Dubai so we were excited to bring on the shopping!

Dubai Gold Souq

On our first day, we ventured into Sharjah to begin our shopping excursion and it all began with gold shops in Gold Souq. We were surrounded by gold to the point where our eyes begin to just see yellow lights. Growing up, I thought only South Asians had a fascination with gold, but rest assured, people in the UAE are just as obsessed. The interesting aspect of shopping in Dubai is that it is, in essence, a cultural hub; there is jewelry from all parts of the Middle East/Eastern world along with food and clothing as well. Stepping into a jewelry store, you can expect to find traditional Gujrati wedding jewelry to even the most precious gems of Jaipur–kundan.

Dubai Gold Souq

However, salesmen in Dubai-like all parts of the world-sense tourists! As I’ve mentioned previously, be sure to take a local when buying high-value items such as jewelry. Without my uncle’s help, my mom would have thrown away hundreds of dollars because the salespeople definitely sensed we were tourists.

In addition to Dubai being a Gold Haven—there are also tons and tons of fabulous places to shop for clothing. I absolutely fell in LOVE with the salwar kameezes/suits available in Dubai. I found one of my favorite shops–Bareeze–there and went completely insane buying anything that I laid my eyes on in the store. Bareeze also sells fabric by the yard; Bareeze chiffon embroidered sarees would make a great addition to any bridal trousseau! Dubai, in my opinion, is heavily influenced by Pakistani fashion and I was able to buy tons of kameezes that I would not find anywhere else aside from Lahore and Karachi.

If you are a South Asian bride and you have a little extra money to splurge–do it in Dubai! You will not be disappointed; you’ll find all that your little heart desires–jewelry and clothing from several South Asian designers ranging from Pakistani, to Indian, to Arab–you name it! Shop your heart out in Dubai!