As much as The Sari-Clad bride loves to bring you fun and sometimes kitschy ideas for your wedding, sometimes we just have to get real with you guys. Silly rituals are a built-in feature in most weddings but we feel that the following traditions are definitely worth avoiding.

Discloser: At the same time, it is YOUR wedding, so if any of these traditions are near and dear you, all the more power to you!

Having a bridal shower AND bachelorette party. Pick one event and save your bridal party’s sanity and wallets.

Bridesmaid uniforms. We know the idea of all your bridesmaids wearing the same sari/lehenga/salwar kameez/gown is nice in theory—but it’s horrid for the girls themselves. Give them a color scheme or particular dress style instead—everyone will be much happier.

Matron/Maid of Honor. What if your best friend happens to be a guy? You can definitely have a ‘Best Man’ or skip the tradition all together and keep all of your besties on equal footing.

The bouquet toss. We’re convinced that these two were invented to make single people feel awful. Believe it or not, most of the single ladies at your wedding have no desire to get onto the dance floor while you shove your ‘Ha, I’m married and you’re not!’ memorabilia onto them.

Eating old cake. We think that the idea behind saving the top tier of your wedding cake for your one-year anniversary is sweet, but the thought of consuming it is icky. Have your baker make you a fresh version of the top layer of your wedding cake for your anniversary.

Skipping nooky before the wedding. Wedding-night sex will be special no matter what, because it will be the first time you’ll be together as husband and wife, so don’t starve yourselves beforehand! Unless your opting for an arranged marriage and have never been intimate together–in that case, good luck!

An immediate honeymoon. Don’t skimp on your travel plans because the wedding ate up your honeymoon budget. Take a few months or even a year to plan a full-scale honeymoon and go on a smaller getaway right after the wedding.

Niki:

Hello, I am writing you from Vancouver, Canada. I just recently got engaged to a man from France. We are planning a Hindu ceremony for this summer close to his hometown in the south of France. I am finding many obstacles in arranging a Hindu ceremony from so far away and in an area that does not have a large Indian population. The first hurdle that we have encountered is trying to find a Pundit (Hindu Priest) to perform the ceremony. So far, the only Pundit that we have found lives in Germany. Do you have any ideas? Thank you for your time and any assistance you can give!

Dear Niki,

First of all, Congratulations!! The Sari-Clad Bride is always excited to hear about new couples tying the knot! Thank you for contacting us and we would definitely like to help you jump over those hurdles of planning a wedding from so far away. We do have some ideas that may help you. First of all, we would like to inform you about the Hindu temple in Paris listed below:

This is one of the larger temples in Paris. Please contact the temple for their Pundit availability. I am sure it will be cheaper for them to travel within France rather than bringing someone from outside the country.

Since the distance and expenses are usually the big issues with planning a destination wedding, the Sari-Clad Bride also suggests you contact local wedding planners in France to help you with finding a pundit as well as other necessities locally. Remember, a planner provides all types of service and you can pick and choose what you need – you don’t have to spend a lot of money on having a planner plan your whole wedding but he/she can help you with planning certain aspects of the wedding. Some planners we recommend are:

Additionally, if you need to fly someone in and flights are cheaper from England to France than from Germany, below is the information of a great priest from UK who does travel for weddings depending on availibility:

Keep checking us out as we will soon bring you vendor spotlights on some of these contacts that may help you make a wiser choice!

Hey readers! First of all, thank you all so much for keeping up with our blog! We love and appreciate you all! We encourage you to ask us anything related to weddings. While it may take us a while to get back to you because of current workload or just to find the right answers, we promise to try our best to get back to you as soon as we can! We deeply apologize if it causes any inconvenience to you So please bear with us! We do appreciate your patience

Recently one of you asked the following:

Where can I find Gujarati singing groups for a wedding on the East Coast (US)? Please help. Thanks. Looking for a group of live singers and musicians for a Gujarati Hindu wedding — a group that performs traditional Gujarati geet (songs) and Gujarati garba and Hindi film songs. Please post groups, website links, and contact information if possible. Thanks.

Let me start off by saying how happy we are that you asked us to inquire into this. Too many people are used to DJs at weddings. While a DJ/MC is necessary for the after party of the wedding to be official, we seldom appreciate the fun and joy a live wedding band or singer can bring to the wedding. Not to mention it makes the experience even more unique. So below please find two very well-known and very professional wedding singers/bands based on US East Coast who not only specialize in traditional Gujrati geet and garba, but Hindi film and pop music as well:

Natwar Thakkar

999 Enterprises Inc.

58 Hillcrest Avenue

Iselin NJ 08830

732-404-1098 / 732-283-0256

info@999enterprises.com / natwarthakkar@hotmail.com / kaushal_n_t@yahoo.com

Ritesh Rathod / Rupali Acharya

Medley Entertainment Inc

291 Pinelli Drive

Piscataway, NJ 08854

347-385-8587 / 732-356-1204 / 347-724-5202 / 718-205-2016

1-866-9MEDLEY

party@medleyentertainmentinc.com

We would like to thank our awesome friend the world-renowned DJ Magic Mike from Magic Sound for providing us with all the information! Thanks Mike!

Why You Should Spend Big Money On A Good Wedding Photographer

There are many parts that go into creating the perfect wedding such as the venue location, the dress, the catering services and decorations that cost a lot of money, but one part that should not be forgotten is spending big money on an impeccable wedding photographer. While it is partly true that anyone can pick up a digital camera and shoot away because of how accessible photography has become in this day and age, it is still not the same as hiring an actual photographer who has the experience, passion and eye to create the lasting moments that a client deserves. Below are five points we at AA Creation Photography believe why it is important to spend the big money on hiring a good wedding photographer versus hiring a relatively cheap photographer or a family member that owns a digital camera.

1. The low rate photographer versus the high rate photographer- A good photographer will have the eye or vision for creating images that a person just owning a digital camera or  a low rate photographer will not have. The low rate photographer will likely only own one camera and lens while standing in the same position for the entire wedding ceremony and reception and essentially doing the bare minimum. The high rate photographer although pricey will give you lasting memories through the photographs created. A high rate photographer compared to the low rate photographer will have several cameras and lenses such as a fisheye or wide-angle lens to give a whole new perspective. The high rate photographer will also offer new angles from high and low and ultimately be well worth the money spent.

Read more

I am all about the decor, however, when it came time to plan my brother’s wedding–it was the aspect that was least budgeted for.   My father, the traditional Bangladeshi man that he is, insisted on food being his main priority and it was decided that that is what most of the budget for my brother’s wedding would go towards.  Needless to say, thousands and thousands of dollars were spent on food, while my ideas for decor seemed frivolous to my father.  When I contacted decorators for stagescapes and tablescapes that I *loved*, their ridiculous pricing seemed even more absurd to my parents.     My mother then insisted that we find someone cheaper to do the decor, a simple florist.  Then, it hit me–why not do all of the flowers and a simple stage myself?  I have always had a knack for creativity, crafting, and am a perfectionist and decided I would do  it all myself.

DIY Centerpieces and Stages seem like a tough task at first, but when you choose simple designs and easily accessible flowers–the task at hand becomes a lot easier.  I would suggest  that as a bride you do not do it all yourself, but if you have a creative bridesmaid, cousin, aunt, friend–give her the task of giving you a great visual display at your wedding!

When it came to the centerpieces, I wanted to use flowers that were the same color my sister-in-law would be wearing at the reception and when I found out it was a salmon–that as my the color of my flowers.  My mother and I loved traditional roses and they actually are a lot cheaper than other flowers such as hydrangeas, orchids, etc.  When we had our decision made, we headed straight to the Flower Mart in Downtown, Los Angeles.  Buying flowers wholesale in bulk can save you lots of money.   Also, to avoid costs always buy domestic flowers instead of imported flowers.  Domestic roses, I learned, have a scent and are cheaper while imported roses do not even have a scent and cost much more! My total cost ended up being $10 for two dozen roses–what a bargain!!

Ordering the flowers was the easy part… next came the vase.  Should we do taller centerpieces? Square vases? Circular vases? Shorter vases?  My mom and I wanted to keep it simple and chose a shorter vase that looked very clean and elegant  The centerpiece was quite easy–I suggest you have helpers that can assist you in de-leafing flowers.  We cut the flowers at a length that was perfect for the vase,  tied them with plastic ties (you can purchase these at your local Home Depot, or use flower ties–I find plastic ties easier and they stay tighter), and placed them in the vase.  Also, add Sprite or carbonated water to make your flowers last longer.  Lastly, add a special touch that makes your centerpiece stand out.  I had bought gold glitter sticks from Wal-Mart and cut them and placed them in the centerpiece.

And Viola! The final product of the centerpieces:

Read more

mintphotography.com

As we all know, photography is a very important element of all great weddings. After all, your wedding pictures will be the memories of your union which you will reminisce over at old age and share with your grandchildren someday. You want to make sure you capture the moments that made your day all so special. The recent press release from Tina of Tina Shah Doshi Photography provides great insider information as to what goes into beautiful wedding photography. She explains that, it is not only about choosing the right photographer but the little things the couple should do which are essential to create lasting memories. The Sari-Clad Bride is very excited to share her tips with you! So read on ladies! Read more

Zoya Couture Invitation Suite

Who are you?
Arti Anand
ZOYA Couture
1-866-611-ZOYA (9692)
zoyacouture.com

What do you do?
Wedding Invitations (Custom Design and Ready to Order), Event Stationery (Place cards, table numbers, Menus, Programs, Signage), Marketing Collateral.

Where are you based?
Washington, DC – but we often work with brides around the nation. Samples are mailed, design and proofs discussed over phone and e-mail, and final orders sent via FedEx.

When and How did you get started in the South Asian wedding industry?
I grew up around weddings! My parents owned a South Asian wedding decor company and I spent my weekends helping them with the creative design and set-up. I had been doing freelance graphic and web design for several years before I decided to apply it to the wedding invitation industry.

Why do you do what you do?
I love weddings – there’s something magical about them. While South Asian weddings in particular are so glamorous, most couples in the States have a hard time selecting invitations that marry their South Asian heritage with their modern, chic lifestyle. I love working with couples to find their individual styles and translating that to invitations that they have envisioned.

Do you work exclusively on South Asian weddings?
Not exclusively, but a majority of our brides are of South Asian descent.

What are some mistakes you see most South Asian brides (and families) make?
Playing by the rules. Throw the rule book out! Brides and families begin their discussions with how they’ve seen other people do it, or how things have been done for generations. Don’t be afraid to get creative and try things differently. Create a wedding that’s beautiful to you, as its yours to experience and remember.

Do you only cater to certain budgets only?
We try our best to work with all budgets, but find that most of our brides are generally looking for exclusive, luxurious invitations that no one else has seen or done before. From silk folios to engraved coins – our creative brides always find unique ways to make their invitations stand out!

Describe a particularly memorable wedding you’ve worked on.
The invitation suite captured in the attached image (captured by Regetis Photography) is for a South Asian destination wedding in Puerto Rico in early 2010. It has been so much fun working with the extremely creative couple and their wedding planner. They have great style and will be reflecting this design theme throughout their wedding day materials. We’re excited to see how the events come together!

What’s your number one wedding tip?
Enjoy every minute of it. Wedding planning can get stressful – but don’t let little setbacks bring you down. Remember that at the end of the day, the purpose of the day is to be united with the one you love! Best wishes with your wedding planning!