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:

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Courtesy of Chocal8kiss

Who are you?

Chocal8kiss

Pastry Chef/Owner: Sonam Sondhi

1-888-YUM-CAKE

www.Chocal8kiss.com

Facebook Group- Chocal8kiss

What do you do?

Specialize in custom created wedding and specialty cakes, desserts, and hand made chocolates. Read more

My mother and I traveled through the Middle East and South East Asia while we shopped all over in order to prepare for my brother’s upcoming wedding in January 2010.

Our shopping list included:

-the wedding sari– check

-saris for the bridal trousseau– check

-bridal jewelry–check

-items for decor–check

We had managed to remember every little item needed for a fabulous Bangladeshi Muslim wedding…minus one important factor–the rakhis! We almost became frantic at the thought that we had forgotten such a crucial aspect.

The wedding rakhi is a bracelet that is put on by the mother-in-law of each respective bride and groom during their Holud ceremony.  It is symbolic of the upcoming union of the bride and groom and is meant to be kept on until the day of the wedding (i.e. until the nikkah/akth).

When realizing we had forgotten to purchase rakhis–we resorted to our brilliant plan–why not make our own?!  My mom and I ventured into our favorite shopping center–the craft store and bought everything we needed to make our DIY rakhis!

We bought cardstock that was flexible so it would be able to be tied around the wrist, rhinestones, and beads to ensure that our rakhis would look legitimate.  Also, we used fabric paint to inscribe “Allah” on the rakhis as they symbolize a religious union of two individuals.

And viola! This is what our final product looked like:

DIY Rakhi

DIY Rakhi

For more information on Bangladeshi wedding customs, click here.

Deanna Sanderson Helsten, an artist, photographer, and a former bride with advice provides The Sari-Clad Bride with the following photography tips:

Unless you have a personal referral from a close friend, finding the perfect photographer for your wedding is about as risky as trying to win the lottery. As a photographer, I have a good idea who is out there (and who should NOT be out there) shooting weddings. I have a few words of advice:

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Planning the wedding of your dreams in this economic climate is definitely not an easy feat. With people getting laid off left and right, companies shutting down and the national unemployment rate rising at an alarming pace, it almost seems silly to spend insane amounts of money on the perfect centerpieces or that gorgeous multi-layered cake. But, fear not—here are a few insider secrets to help you out.

Make use of the people you know.
Chances are that most of your family and friends have some skill or talent that can be useful for your wedding. If a friend sells a wedding service, ask him if he is willing to charge you cost price. Have a DJ friend?—he/she’ll definitely give you a cheap rate. Of course, free is even better (but make sure to tip well or get your friend a nice thank you gift). If your sister or cousin is great at makeup, enlist her for some of your wedding events, and save the professional for the main wedding/reception day.  Just don’t be afraid to ask—even friends of friends might be willing to help!

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 I can’t bargain to save my life, and I usually get suckered in at the slightest mention of a “discount” or “sale.” So, I am pretty easily sold—not a good thing when I should be negotiating better prices with my wedding vendors. Luckily, many of my close friends and family members have tied the knot recently and they’ve provided me with tons of useful information. They know most of the local vendors can give great referrals and one of my friends even created her own wedding planning book that I am free to use!

So, definitely don’t forget to use your friends and family members for referrals—there’s no better testimonial than that of a friend or relative. By far, the best wedding advice I’ve received has been from my inner circle Here are just a few pieces of advice I’ve found so valuable and wanted to share with you:

Look for variety and quality.
“This may seem obvious, but look at a vendor’s past work. I knew I hit a homerun with my florist and my makeup artist because I saw each one of their portfolios, which were filled with beautiful and varied styles. The reason why variety is so crucial is because it shows that a vendor can accommodate different tastes and styles. The red flags should have gone up when I was dealing with my entertainment company—they did not have a single video clip of the DJ they assigned to my wedding—and lo and behold, my DJ sucked! So, look for proof of quality before signing on!”

Jennifer K., Kentucky, 26

Make sure to schedule a trial run.
“Always, always do a makeup and a hair trial before your big day. You want to make sure you know exactly who and what you’re working with and if you don’t like something during your trial, you can make sure to correct it ahead of time. Your wedding day is no time for surprises!”

Know who and what you’re getting.
“Make sure the person you booked is the one who actually shows up at your wedding. I personally dealt with a shady photographer who had outsourced my wedding to someone that I hadn’t met prior to my wedding day! Talk about aggravating.”

Sumaiya Z. K., California, 23

Give references.
“If the vendor was referred to you, make sure you tell them that! Companies often offer great discounts if you’re a friend or family member of one of their previous clients. If possible, find out how much your friend or relative was charged and use that as a bargaining tool.”

Nancy T., New York, 29

Give yourself choices.
“I would recommend seeing at least three vendors per category but no more than five. You might fall in love with the first one you visit, but after meeting the second and third vendor you might realize that the first one was overpriced and mediocre, or the opposite might happen. You don’t want to see more than five vendors in a category because:

1. It’s a waste of time.
2. You will have too many choices, making it harder to figure out what you want.

The second thing I would recommend is seeing all the vendors for each category on the same day so that comparisons are fresh in your mind.”

Bibi B., Queens, NY, 24

Check your enthusiasm.
“Try not to show how much you love a particular vendor until the contract is signed. There is always room to bargain, so you don’t want them to think they have it in the bag. Make sure to tell vendors that they are one of many you are looking in to and that you are shopping around for the best price. Even if you do like what the vendor has to offer, come back in a week or two with an example of a better offer. I am sure your favorite vendor will make an effort to match that price!”

Find someone you “click” with.
“What was most important to me while planning my wedding was to get along with my vendors. If I found a vendor was full of his or her own ideas and completely disregarded mine, then I knew I was headed for trouble. So make sure your wedding service provider is really listening to you!”

Raisa A., Michigan, 27