Want to Save Bucks on Your Wedding? Read on!

The extravagant wedding culture has always been there in the Indian weddings. The weddings wreck the savings of the Indian middle class families, and saving money is a big deal when it comes to arrange traditional Indian weddings. So here, I share some of the tips that can help you to save cash without looking cheap!

Slash your guest list

This is one of the easiest ways to cut down your budget.

Indeed, your wedding is a celebration and is a big day for you, but at the same time, it is also a very personal moment. It is completely up to you and your parents whom to invite. May be those people will complain later whom you did not invite, but after all, its your call.

It is advised to keep your guest list to close relatives and family, and obviously your friends.

The reception

Scrumptious food and the decoration cost millions, making the reception one of the most expensive events. You can slash the costs associated with reception by not arranging for those lavish brunches, cocktails, cakes and champagne! You can also save costs by serving the food yourself; this will not only improve your bonding with your family, but also save costs on waiters and expensive decor.

The music

In communities like Punjabi's, good food and good music define a wedding. However, this expenditure can easily be cut short by having your own DJ for Mehendi, Haldi, cocktail, Baraat and others. Make a playlist of your favorite songs, mix them, and play during weddings. You can also take help of your friends to have a personalized playlist for the special occasions.

Flowers

Flowers can easily cost you thousands. For cutting those costs, make an estimate first and then order the flowers. Keep it in mind that you order for seasonal flowers so that you do not have to pay those extra bucks on them. Yes, you can yourself make floral arrangements, and this is not as difficult as it sounds! 

It’s a good idea to order flowers without telling the florist that those are for the wedding purposes, as the prices of the flowers will automatically go up as soon as you mention this!

Saving on your wedding is not that tough, just that you would need to make plans beforehand and have some creativity!

Author Bio: Rashmi Karan

A Delicious Wedding Treat at an Inter community Wedding

I attended a wedding of a college friend last weekend. The groom is Marathi and the bride is Gujarati, and the wedding was a mix of cultures of both states, not just the matrimony in Marathi community. It was an unforgettable experience for me as I tasted such delicious delicacies from both states. Such varied and lip-smacking menu is rarely found in one wedding. There was both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food, at separate counters. This served the interests of both, without hurting anyone’s religious emotions.

Gujarati wedding does not involve items like meat, fish, or eggs, still prepare tasty dishes without these ingredients. However, Marathi community extensively uses of meat and seafood and the Maharashtrian Cuisine had unique taste and flavor. Two distinct types of cuisines were available at the wedding, which included both Konkani Cuisine (from coastal Maharashtra) and Varadi Cuisine (from Vidarbha region).

In the Konkani cuisine, there were lots of dishes made up of fish, with a great combination of grated and fresh coconuts. Maharastrians make generous use of peanuts and cashew nuts in their gravies to make the food tasty, and cook food in peanut oil. I loved the way Mackerel and Pomfret were cooked. I had so many options to choose from; both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Most of my friends loved the Bombay duck, which is the most famous fish delicacy of Maharashtra.

Since the Gujarati community is a vegetarian one, there were arrangements according to the traditional Gujarati cuisines. Most of vegetarian dishes were dishes treated with Kala Masala (a mix of various spices), which imparted a special flavor to the food. Jaggery and tamarind were extensively used in the Gujarati food to impart flavor to the vegetarian curries to have a sweet and sour taste.

In deserts, there were yummy sweet delicacies, such as Motichur Laddoos and Puran Poli, the most famous dessert of Maharashtra, which hold its own importance in the Marathi community. With such delicious delicacies, we attended a very interesting wedding, which our tongues will never forget.

5 Wedding and Honeymoon Destinations in India

So you have just had a big fat Indian wedding and are really looking forward to spending some time alone with your beloved, far away from the prying eyes of relatives and family. Honeymoons are not just an opportunity for couples to spend some romantic or relaxing time together; it is also a chance to know each other better. Weddings are a stressful affair and especially Indian weddings where the customs and rituals seem to continue for more than a week. Honeymoon gives the couple the opportunity to unwind and feel each others presence and revel in the bond of holy matrimony that they will now share for their entire life. However, romantic that may sounds, the actual task of picking up a honeymoon destination is no mean job and requires a lot of planning from both partners.

It is said that there is no honeymoon couple who have not been fascinated by the charms of the hills. Keeping that in mind, take a look at the top 5 honeymoon destinations in India:

1.      Munnar: This is the ideal hill destination for a newlywed couple as the serene hills and the breathtaking views create an atmosphere of charm. Munnar is famous for its tea plantations and it’s Eravikulam National Park which is a storehouse of rich flora and fauna.  One can also visit the beautiful Mattupetty Lake or check out the Echo Point which is said to be a must visit for all people in love.

2.      Coorg: This place is also referred to as the Scotland of the East and not without reason. Coorg, or Kodugu as it is locally called, is for couples who enjoy both heritage and adventure with their dose of nature. One could visit the Dubare National Forest Reserve and enjoy the wildlife or visit the TalaCauvery which is said to be the source of the river Kaveri. This hill station is also an ornithologist’s dream come true as the place boasts of 25% of the species of birds found in India.

3.      Uttaranchal: There are just so many beautiful places to cover over here that one cannot mention a particular place.  Nainital, Auli, Mussorie, Corbett, Rishikesh, Kausani, Ranikhet, Almora, Kanatal etc. The entire of Uttarakhand is a visual delight to every visitor.

4.      Manali: This has been a classic favorite for people across all generations and yet, this place fails to lose its appeal. Though Delhi and including Shimla, Kullu etc makes the whole Himachal scenic, Manali is a special charmer. Places of interest include Rohtang Pass, Solang Valley, Vashishth Kund, and the famous Hirimba Temple among others.

5.      Lakshadweep: Not leaving out the beaches from our list, this pristine beauty can give many an international location a run for their money. It is clean and a plastic free union territory and the unspoiled beauty of beaches like Minicoy, Kavaratti, Kalpeni, and Agatti will surely capture your hearts.

To know about more honeymoon locations in India, for all seasons, write to us at: apoorv@bollywoodshaadis.com or nandita@bollywoodshaadis.com

Importance of Madhubani Paintings in Bihari Weddings

It was the first time that I saw the Madhubani painting at the wedding of a friend of mine, and became a fan of the painting style. A Madhubani painting forms an integral part of weddings in Bihar, particularly North Bihar.

For weddings, the females of the families paint different areas of the house, including the wedding hall. The

A Wedding Procession

paintings depict a variety of religious stories and scenes, and represent Hindu deities. A painting called "Kohbar" is drawn which is a main attraction of the wedding and this depicts bride and groom performing different rituals of wedding. Ram Sita wedding is an important theme of the Madhubani paintings, which is also considered very auspicious.

Symbolism in Madhubani Paintings

The paintings make extensive use of animals, gods, and Bihari brides and grooms. Every depiction in the painting keeps an important symbolic meaning, which make the paintings more interesting to understand. The commonly used animals are fishes, serpentine's, peacocks, turtles, etc.  The fishes depict good luck, fertility and procreation, turtles define stability of the married life, peacocks symbolize eternal love, and serpentine's are denoted as divine protectors from evil eyes.

Ram Sita Wedding

Madhubani Painting Themes

A Madhubani painting is based on the Hindu Gods and Goddesses, which are supported by beautiful and Bihari wedding. Other attributes are borders of double lines, floral patterns, abstract paintings, deities in the form of abstract art, bold use of bright colors, and many more. The human faces are defined with big eyes, pouting lips, and pointed nose.
traditional geometrical patterns, and are the essential components of a

The main attraction of the Madhubani paintings is the use of natural and organic colors. To give an ethnic and rustic look, the paper is still coated with a thin layer of cow dung and then it is painted with the bright colors.

Author:

Rashmi Karan

Hindi Brides

India is a land of mixed religion and customs. Marriage in the country is celebrated with high spirits. With rich cultural base and traditions to practice, marriage is accompanied by day’s celebration in the country involving a grand eve on the wedding date followed by feast, but cynosure in the wedding remains the bride. Decked up in most beautiful “shaadi ka joda” with accessories adding sheen to her persona, Indian bride reflects splendor and stands in the limelight. This article speaks about beautiful Hindi brides and grandiose celebration involved.

Hindi Bride

Hindi bride is a holistic term used for brides in various states of the country, but predominantly Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are the Hindi speaking belt. The populace in these states prefers Hindi over their vernacular speech. They need not necessarily to be of any specific faith, indeed they can be of any religion. Not all, but major chunk of the populace is of Hindus who have entirely different style of wedding and celebrations.

Following the Hindu mythology, matching of horoscope and gotras is essential in the communities .It is a strong held belief to get the “kundli matched” hence therefore proper matchmaking of the bride and groom is done for eternal bond of the duo. Once the horoscopes match, then only other proceedings takes place.

Marriages are considered as an important institution and therefore the auspicious occasion is marked by various customs and traditions to be implemented. Since the day marriage is fixed, both the families commence preparations. First ceremony marking the fixation of marriage is ring ceremony or engagement. Customs and traditions may vary as per the religion and play a major role as in what will be the ceremonial thread as Muslims have different ceremonies than Sikhs and so on.

Be it any religion but Hindi bride is the center of attraction, the attires worn by the brides involves rich embroidered lehangas with red and green patterns being the prominent colors preferred.

Author:
Subhadra Bhadauria