The Sari-Clad Bride team loves pretty things and we went ga-ga over all the gorgeous bridal ensembles we saw at Shyamal & Bhumika’s NYC showcase on Thursday, April 22nd. Shaadi Studio (a wedding planning studio for South Asian-Americans) teamed up with our friends over at CitySaheli for a “A Night of Glitz & Glam with Shyamal & Bhumika” last night where brides (and non-brides) in New York City had the chance to to preview Shyamal & Bhumika’s gorgeous 2010 bridal collection, sip on cocktails, munch on some yummy food (vegetable manchurian, anyone?),  get free makeovers from BridalGal and meet the designer up close and personal.

Colors, Colors, Colors!

BridalGal founder, Lilly Rivera giving a guest a pretty new makeover Read more

Hi Sari-Clad Bride,

I’m getting married in a hindu ceremony in December. I have been looking for modern hairstyles to wear under my chunni that covers my head, but all I find are traditional buns. I was hoping you could post some pics that are of more modern hairstyles that are not all buns. Thanks so much!

Sincerely,

Priyanka

Dear Priyanka,

It’s hard to find the perfect hairdo that’s modern and will look great with our Eastern wear. We scoured the web for a few examples and we are also checking in with our professional hair experts to bring you some step by steps! Feel free to browse through the following looks for some inspiration in the meanwhile.

Topsy-Turvy Bun

A Modern Beehive

The Anarkali Movement

Braid-it

Bridal Bedroom Hair

Bohemian Rhapsody

Side-Tuck

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.

the gorgeous Shilpa Shetty as a real-life Bollywood bride!

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! Read more

Courtesy of David Schwartz Photography

For Desi brides-to-be that are going to don a beautiful white wedding dress on the day of their wedding, The Sari-Clad Bride recommends adding a mantilla veil to accent and complete the look with a South Asian flare.  Traditional mantilla veils originated in the late sixteenth century in the warmer regions of Spain and are used throughout the Latin American community as well.  As such, this veil is a very ornamental and is often times made of lace.  Similar to ornate dupattas that South Asian brides adore, the mantilla veil provides brides with a similar look of elegance with the perfect detailing.

Check out the stunning photos of a friend of The Sari-Clad Bride: Sara!

Courtesy of David Schwartz Photography

Inspirational Tip: If you’re wearing a lighter-colored or pastel sari for your wedding, consider adding a Mantilla veil for a unique look.

The best part of being a Desi bride is all the goodies we get in our bridal trousseau, including makeup! If your hubby or his family need a few pointers on what to include in your trosseau, send them an email about Cargo’s Hands of Hope Eyeshadow. The jewel-encrusted box is simply gorgeous and has nine lust-worthy shades perfect to match with those saris and salwar kameezes you’ll be rocking at all those post-wedding dinner parties! Each eyeshadow has a decorative ‘hassa’ hand design mimicking the design on the palette cover.

The palette also makes for a great Bridesmaid gift, especially since it’s only $29!

courtesy of Ayesha Khan

Singhar by Ayesha
www.singhar.com
SingharBeauty@aol.com

Who are you?
My name is a Ayesha Khan and I am a Stylist.

What do you do?
I mainly do makeup along with hair and styling for brides, models and anyone who is in need of a makeover.

Where are you based?
I am based in New York.

When and How did you get started in the South Asian wedding industry?
Being a model myself, I started doing makeup for fashion shows and photo shoots since I was 18 years old. One thing lead to another and people started asking me to do their wedding makeup. Every time I would attend a South Asian wedding, I would see a pretty bride with beautiful clothes and jewelry but not appropriate makeup. This inspired me more to become a makeup artist. Read more