Marigold Events – Indian Wedding Inspirations, Wedding Lenghas, Invitations, Cake, Decor, Wedding Blog and Website

We had the pleasure of talking to Peggy Post, one of the definitive experts on etiquette in the world. Peggy Post, Emily Post’s great-granddaughter-in-law, is a director of The Emily Post Institute and the author of more than twelve books. Her publications include the 17th edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette, Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette, Emily Post’s Wedding Planner and A Wedding Like No Other. Peggy has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC’s The Today Show, Live with Regis & Kelly, Dr. Phil among other nationally broadcast shows.

Here is Peggy on some of the common bridal dilemmas faced by Indian brides:

Evolution of Wedding Etiquette

Q. How has wedding etiquette evolved with time? What things are timeless and have stayed the same over the years?

A. Wedding Etiquette has been same forever. Wedding Traditions have changed. The code of behavior – being considerate, respectful – has not changed. Wedding Etiquette is all about making families and guests comfortable. While basic principles are important and constant, wedding manners and customs have evolved a lot. For example, traditionally, the cost of the wedding was borne by the bride’s family. Today, more and more brides and grooms are sharing costs, and it’s not unusual for the groom’s parents to pitch in as well. Grooms are more involved with wedding planning and technology plays a major role.

How to announce your engagement in today’s technology savvy world

Q. How should a couple inform their families, extended families and friends about their engagement?

A. Announcing your engagement should be based on your particular situation. Etiquette is more flexible than people realize. Ideally you would tell your parents first. Next come those whom you ask to be your wedding attendants, as well as other close friends and relatives. While telling face-to-face or on the phone are always great, it might not always be feasible. Email or text message may be fine, depending on who you are telling, and your situation. Read more »

Hello Lovely Ladies! Wedding Wednesdays just got more interesting on Marigold Events. We get many questions from brides asking for wedding advice. We will be selecting and answering “Question of the week” every Wednesday on Marigold Events. Ask your question by filling out our contact form on the right.

Q. I really want to DIY my wedding invitations. Can you give me some advice on how to go about making my own invitations?

A. Dear Bride-to-be: It is wonderful that you want to DIY your wedding invitations – they are a lot of fun. Here is some advice on how you can go about making your own invitations.

Make Samples

Start out by test driving the whole DIY invitations project. Get ideas and inspiration from your local Arts and Crafts stores and Paper stores. Do not buy paper in bulk until you are a 100% sure that you want to go the DIY route. A lot of stores would not let you return the paper because of restocking issues. You should try to produce at least a couple of different samples before you pick the final invitation. You can have your fiance and family vote on the different samples. Read more »

Hello Lovely Ladies! Wedding Wednesdays just got more interesting on Marigold Events. We get many questions from brides asking for wedding advice. We will be selecting and answering “Question of the week” every Wednesday on Marigold Events. Ask your question by filling out our contact form on the right.

Q. I am planning my wedding this coming summer and wanted to know the various options for serving food besides a traditional buffet dinner.

A. Dear Bride-to-be: Choose your wedding set-up based on your style and budget. Whether you want something formal or fun, elegant or extravagant, chic or classic, or a combination of everything, here are a few options you may want to consider:

Plated Sit-down Dinner: Not only is this style one of the very formal ones, but also very elegant. Each course is served in individual plates for each guest with the right amount of sauce, spicing, and accompaniments. Also known as “American Style” dinner, plated sit-down dinner requires assigned seating for your guests, which means that you will need escort cards in addition to place cards. The meal is timed, where appropriate courses are brought out at the same time for all the guests. This means that the guests don’t have to wait in line for their food, like in a buffet, and also gives you more control on the timeline for your reception. At the same time it also means that you need a lot of wait staff, which increases your costs. While with the buffet you can have a huge variety, with a plated sit-down menu you are limited to two or three.

Image Courtesy: Good Food Catering

Read more »

Hello Lovely Ladies! Wedding Wednesdays just got more interesting on Marigold Events. We get many questions from brides asking for wedding advice. We will be selecting and answering “Question of the week” every Wednesday on Marigold Events. Ask your question by filling out our contact form on the right.

Q. I am trying to figure out the entertainment for my wedding functions. We will have a typical North Indian Wedding with Sangeet, Mehendi and Baraat. Should I get DJ for of those events? What are some other options besides hiring a DJ?

A. Dear Bride-to-be: Indian weddings tend to be week long festivities. As Indians, we are big on music, dance, and entertainment. While you would want to hire a DJ or band for your wedding reception, you do have other options for your pre-wedding functions:

1. Do you know anyone in your family who can play a dholak? For your Mehendi, you can get a group of your aunts together to sing traditional North Indian songs to the beats of dholak. It would make the occasion more festive and lively.

2. Consider hiring live singers for your Sangeet. A little bit of “Bari Barsi” and  “Kala Shah“  can definitely get your guests in the mood to dance.

3. Thank God for iPod Playlists! You can very well create your own Mehendi and Sangeet Bollywood songs’ playlists. Here is a reference for you: Indian Wedding Music.

4. For your Baraat, you can have a combination of iPod playlists, live dhol player and bhangra dancers. The Bhangra dancers and dhol player will definitely infuse “masti” and get people dancing.

1.    Time to update your wishlist: If your family and friends exchange wishlists for holiday gifting, now is the time to add small ticket wedding items. Salon and Spa gift certificates for that pre-wedding glow, Arts and Craft supplies from your favorite Paper Store for a DIY Wedding Invitations Project,  champagne flutes for toasting, or other accessories, are perfect for your wishlist!

2.    Keep on top of that guestlist: Here is a great time to fill all the missing gaps in your guestlist. Holidays are a wonderful occasion to send cards and every family maintains a Christmas card list. Spread the holiday cheer, and offer your help to your parents and future in laws to update their lists. Meeting friends and family at different holiday parties and events will only make it easier for you. This will not only be a big help to the families, but also help you keep on top of your guestlist.

3.    Throwing your very own Holiday Party – hold a try-out: If you are planning your own holiday party, then think about doing a test run of some of your potential wedding vendors. For example, you might want to try a new florist make centerpieces for the party, or even try out a new baker or a caterer that comes highly recommended. You will know if you should hire the vendor for your wedding by the quality of service they provide, and also, by the feedback of your guests.

4.    Try a new look: Of course there will be holiday parties to go to, and of course lots of family gatherings too! Why not go for a hair or make up trial and test out your wedding day look right before that big holiday party?!

5.    Stay Organized while having fun: Holidays are a great time when families and friends get together. It will be a great time for you to get some serious wedding planning done with your sister(s), cousins and girlfriends. May be have a sleepover pyjama party at your house, where you all work on your DIY Save-the-dates. Or have a karaoke night where you pick out all your Sangeet and Mehendi songs!

6.    Keep an eye and ear out for ideas: When you go to holiday parties and family gatherings, keep an eye and ear out for the beautiful centerpieces, serveware your hostess brings out or even helpful advice from family and friends. You can get some great ideas for your wedding decor, great tips for your registry by just observing what your hostess, and great advice from a cousin who recently got married.

7.    Take advantage of the After Christmas Sales: You can really benefit from After Christmas Sales. Most of the stores have surplus and they will offer discounts and deals, such as free shipping. Don’t miss out of these real bargains. You might be able to pick up some beautiful candles, and votive holders for the tables, or even some nicely wrapped chocolates for welcome bags or favors. Don’t forget to check out your favorite Arts and Craft Store for some great deals on DIY Wedding Project supplies!

When planning your wedding this holiday season, remember these tips and have a lot of fun! Happy Holidays!

Hello Lovely Ladies! Wedding Wednesdays just got more interesting on Marigold Events. We get many questions from brides asking for wedding advice. We will be selecting and answering “Question of the week” every Wednesday on Marigold Events. Ask your question by filling out our contact form on the right.

Q. I am getting married in six months and am very confused on how to plan my wedding. How should I go about my shopping. I want to have a royal wedding with traditional Punjabi touches and want to make it a memorable event. I would prefer pinks, reds and lots of gold.

A. Dear Bride-to-be: Congratulations! Planning a wedding can seem to be a daunting task, and you should break it down to smaller tasks and have a plan of action. Following is a list of things you will need to shop for:

1. Wedding Invitations
2. Wedding Outfits
3. Wedding Jewelry
4. Accessories: Bindis, Bangles, Shoes, and Purses
5. Trousseau
6. Favors and gifts for family and friends
7. Money Envelopes and other gift wrapping/packing supplies

Now that you know what you need to shop for, I would suggest picking colors for your wedding. Pink clashes with red, so I would suggest that you pick shades of red, orange and gold. These would be great colors for a traditional and royal look. You can tie in your colors in all the things you get for your wedding – from invitations, to decor, to your outfits. You can find beautiful invitations in many colors and themes on invitation websites. Here is an example of a unique invitation that I think will go along well with your colors:

For a traditional and at the same time royal look, I would suggest that you include marigolds in your decor. You can also incorporate orange gerbera daisies, red roses and chrysanthemums for accents. You could ask your decorator if he can incorporate different styles of rangoli (on floor and water) and fabrics like organza and chiffon in your wedding decoration. For shimmery look in your decor, you can ask the decorator to use strings of crystals. You could also have antique chandeliers at your venue for a royal look.

Since you are Punjabi, consider using kaleeras in your wedding decor. When you walk to the stage/mandap for jai mala, your cousins/brothers/sisters/bridesmaids will be walking along you – At that time you can have your entourage carry a “Phoolon ki Chaadar” or a sheet made of flowers over your you. You can have your decorator/florist decorate this with many different kinds of flowers, fabric and even kaleeras.

Hope I was able to provide some helpful wedding planning pointers to make your wedding memorable. Good Luck and don’t forget to have fun while planning your wedding!

Hello Lovely Ladies! Wedding Wednesdays just got more interesting on Marigold Events. We get many questions from brides asking for wedding advice. We will be selecting and answering “Question of the week” every Wednesday on Marigold Events. Ask your question by filling out our contact form on the right.

Q. I am having a small Sikh-American wedding in California. My fiance and I are planning our wedding on a budget and want to keep things simple but beautiful. How can I get Indian outfits in the US without spending an exorbitant amount of money? How should I go about selecting a venue? How can I save money on decor? What do most people do with their centerpieces after their wedding? I have looked at different Indian Wedding Invitation websites – is there a catch to them?

A. Dear Bride-to-be: Congratulations on your engagement! Here are some recommendations on how you can have a simple, and elegant wedding within your budget:

Look for Indian Outfits and Jewelry Online

Making a special trip to India or Indian Clothing and Jewelry Stores in the US for wedding shopping does require a higher budget. There are many Indian clothing and jewelry websites which can assist you here.

Here are some reasonably priced websites to order lehengas, sarees and beautiful Indian costume jewelry from*:

Home India: Bridalwear
Your Designer Wear
Utsav Sarees: Lehenga Section
Utsav Sarees: Jewelry Section

*Please note that Marigold Events is not affiliated with any of these websites.

Venue Selection: Questions to ask

When doing your venue research, it is important to check the following with the venue:

1. Do they allow outside/Indian catering?
Tip: Sometimes venues, like hotels, have Indian catering packages. Ask for them.
2. Can you have an outside decorator? Any special permission needed to install a mandap or for lighting a fire?
3. Does the venue rental cost include event rentals, such as tables, chairs, linen, china, glassware, flatware etc.?
Tip: Event rentals’ costs add up very quickly and will definitely increase your per person cost.
4. Can you bring your own liquor? Will you need a liquor license?
Tip: If your venue does not have arrangements to serve alcohol, and they allow outside alcohol, you can save money on liquor because you pay for what you use. You can always return the unopened bottles and it is not a fixed per person cost. Make sure that your venue does not charge corkage or bottle opening fee.
5. Will you need event insurance?
6. Which vendors will need permits and insurance?
7. Check with the venue if they will provide complimentary cake, centerpieces, votives, champagne toast etc.
Tip: Ask your venue if they will charge a cake-cutting fee.
8. How many hours will you get your venue for? Will that be enough time to do set up and breakdown?
9. If it is an outdoor venue, you should ask about a rain location.

When doing your venue research, it is important to keep the above questions in mind. Do your budget and cost calculations based on the answers you get.

Decor and Centerpieces on a Budget

If you want to save money on decor and centerpieces, I would suggest that you go for a venue that provides complimentary centerpieces and votives. You can also look into DIY Decor projects. For DIY centerpieces, I would suggest buying flowers from the whole flower stores to save money. Every big city has a wholesale flower market.

You can reuse some of your wedding decor for your reception as well. At the end of your reception, you can ask your florist to wrap your flowers for your guests to take away. Usually the rentals are taken back by the decorator. For example, if they used a big vase in the centerpiece, they will take it back.

Here is a list of Indian Wedding decor items.

Invitations: Online and DIY

The catch to the online wedding invitations is the shipping cost, which ends up being as much as the invitations. Here are some tips to remember when selecting and ordering your wedding invitations.

If you want to save money on your invitations, you can design your own. Here is DIY tutorial for making your own wedding invitations.

When planning a wedding on a budget, it is very important to stay organized and be on top of your budget. Before I sign off, here are two references for you: Indian Wedding Planning Checklist and Indian Wedding Budget. Good Luck with the planning process!

Should you put your registry information on your wedding invitation? How about putting “No boxed gifts” on your wedding invitation? Isn’t it a norm to give cash as gift in Indian Weddings? What is the proper etiquette? In this post, I am going to add to my previous post which touched upon this subject.

In order to address these etiquette topics, my first instinct was to check what Emily Post (Renowned American Author about Etiquette) had to say about it. Here is a tip from Emily Post, paraphrased from her book “Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette” (Fifth Edition):

While a gift is typically expected in return of a wedding invitation, it certainly does not mean that you advertise a list of things you want or places you registered at on your wedding invitation. It is certainly in bad taste. This information should be communicated through word of mouth by family and friends.

Here are my $0.02 on this:

Your guests should not be obligated to select a gift from your registry, or for that matter, be forced to give you cash! Choosing a wedding gift is a guest’s prerogative – it is something that should come from their heart. You, as a bride, should see a registry as a wish list. If you get something from your wish list, then that’s awesome, if you don’t, then you get a surprise.

While inserting information about your gift registry on your wedding invitation is in a poor taste, mentioning “No Boxed Gifts” is even in a poorer taste. Even though a lot of Indian couples may be doing it these days, but to your guests it implies that money matters most to you. Guests belonging to a different culture, may be even confused or appalled by such a statement.

That being said, cash is considered an appropriate gift for an Indian Wedding. Most Indian Uncles and Aunties prefer to give cash! Why be rude and ask for it then?

Before I sign off, here are the final do’s and don’ts of asking for wedding gifts:

DO NOT:
1. Do not mention anything about your wedding registry or gift preferences on the wedding invitation.
2. Do not mention “No Boxed Gifts” on your wedding invitation. If you want money, let your family and friends tell others. Do not initiate discussion about your desire for monetary gifts.

DO:
1. Do mention a link to your wedding website on the wedding invitation. On the wedding website, you should put the gift registry information.
2. Do spread the information about your wedding registry by word of mouth through friends and family. Always add in the end, “We will treasure anything you may choose to give. Thank You for thinking of us.”

Shopping in Delhi is fabulous! It is full of cute shopping areas with nifty stores. Yesterday I was shopping around in Greater Kailash I, N Block market, and found this amazing gift and home accessories store called Kassmi. Kassmi has some amazing collection of accessories and gifts, which can be used as wedding favors, gifts, as well as wedding trousseau.

They have an amazing range of products, hand crafted using brocade and zardozi or dabka work, like trays, jewelry boxes, coasters, photo frames, lamps, corner tables, umbrella stands, planters, and lots more. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Smita Kasliwal, one of the owners of Kassmi, and talk to her about her work.

Zardozi work is very intricate, gold thread work, which never goes out of fashion. Brocade and Zardozi are usually used on sarees, salwar kameez and lehengas, but Smita has taken these fabrics and hand embroidery to a more unique level, by using it to design home accessories.

I found the stuff at Kassmi beautiful, practical, as well as reasonably priced. I really liked their coasters and I think that would make for a gorgeous and a very practical wedding favor. Kassmi take appointments at their store. I highly recommend shopping at this store as it has stuff in every budget range.

Next week I will be giving away a home accessory that I picked up from Kassmi. Please note that the views presented in this blog post are my unbiased views and this is not an endorsement.

My visual senses have been overwhelmed with all the shopping in Delhi. I have so much to share about new trends. Here is a brief synopsis for now:

1. Dabka work is in again!

2. Combination of brocade, net, velvet, dabka, kundan work and pearls looks hot.

3. Purple is super hot!

4. Peacock motifs on lehengas and sarees is the latest buzz.

5. Contrasting color combinations are in!

Stay tuned for more!

The following post is by our guest blogger, Ruchi Garg Kalra of RGK D’Zines. All the photos of  gorgeous jewelry pieces in this post have been designed by her design studio, that showcases different designers, and can be purchased on her website. Scroll to the bottom of the article for a special offer!

When you think of a wedding you think of love and all that went into bringing those two people together.  Most brides have dreamed of their wedding day since they were little girls.  They are excited not only about what the future holds but also everything that will go into making that day one of the most memorable days in their lives.

Apart from the choosing the wedding dress the bride will wear, the next most important selection is of the gorgeous jewelry she will be wearing.  Most brides today are looking for simple, yet elegant pieces that help make a statement.

Modern South Asian American brides of today are done with their grandmother’s traditional love of big gold necklaces and perfectly matching earrings.  Nowadays if they have statement earrings that have a hint of tradition and a hint of gold they have reached a perfect balance.  They want something more versatile and modern. They are looking for pieces with a unique sense of style and flair.  They are looking for pieces that they can wear more than just on their wedding day.

The modern American glamorous bride is trending away from traditional diamonds to statement chandelier earrings.  Statement earrings not only are bold, but they also add class and style that is timeless. Vintage inspired chandelier earrings in sterling silver with crystals, semi precious stones and fresh water pearls are affordable yet classic.  Statement Chandelier Earrings are a must for any glamorous yet classy bride of today!

RGK D’Zines is one such jewelry design studio that showcases unique pieces.  The pieces are stylish, diverse and add a mystique to your elegance. The inspiration for these pieces dates back to the Victorian and Royal Mogul era in India. Pieces are truly unique and combine the old world traditions with the new world fusion.  Their jewelry has been worn on the red carpet at the Emmys and also has adorned many Hollywood Celebrities.  Check out the collection at www.RGKdzines.com or fan them at www.facebook.com/RGKdzines and also do check out their blog at www.rgkdzines.wordpress.com.

Natasha Alam (True Blood) wearing RGK D'Zines ring at Hollywood Gala, September 2010

Sarah Drew (Grey’s Anatomy) wearing RGK D'Zines Earrings at The Emmy Event

Ali Fedotowsky , bachelorette wearing RGK D'Zines earrings at The Emmy Event

The RGK collection pieces are all either sterling silver or 24K gold vermeil with semi precious stones and fresh water pearls.

Special Offer for Marigold Events Readers – RGK D’Zines is offering 10% off to all our followers! Use the discount code “Marigold” when making purchase on their website.

I love shopping in Delhi! When I got married, I did all my shopping from there and really enjoyed my experience. The amazing choices, affordable prices, and VIP treatment are just a few reasons why you would go there for your wedding shopping. In this blog post, I will talk about the various shopping districts in Delhi and some of my favorite stores shopping for wedding trousseau.

• South Extension (Part I and II): Conveniently located in South Delhi, South Extension is a shopping area full of big stores:

1. Ushnak Mal: Great for Lehengas, Salwar Kameez and Chudidars. Highly recommended!
2. Nalli – Famous for South Indian Saris, especially Silk Kanjeevarams.
3. Regal: Wedding Shoes, purses and accessories. Comes recommended!
4. BG’s – Purses, clutch bags, bindis, and accessories. Very stylish!
5. Wedding Weaves – Men’s sherwanis. Amazing designs – Highly recommended!
6. Big Joes - Accessories
7. Jass Jewelers: Great for silver jewelry, accessories and gift items. Pricey, but recommended!

Shoes by Regal

Greater Kailash I: This area is also located in South Delhi, but comes with a big price tag. Worth checking out though.

1. Laffaire: Nice sarees, but a little pricey.
2. Street Hawkers: Check out the hawkers on the side of this shopping area for amazing accessories.
3. Champalal Jewellery: Beautiful diamond, and polki jewelry. Highly recommended!
4. Hazoorilal & Sons Jewellers: Nice jewelry, but a little pricey.

Diamond Jewelry by Champalal

Hauz Khas Village: This shopping area, located in South Delhi, is full of small and unique boutiques.

1. Rewaz Boutique: Amazing collection of sarees! I bought three gorgeous sarees from here for my wedding.
2. Ogaan: This is a fairly new boutique for Indian outfits.

Crescent Mall: This mall is full of designer labels and is located on Mehrauli Road. Very exclusive collections by Manish Malhotra et al!

Lajpat Nagar: Located in South Delhi, this area is full of big and small stores. Don’t forget to check out the street hawkers for some amazing accessories.

1. Roshan’s: I love the stuff here! They have the most amazing suits and lehengas at great prices. I bought my reception lehenga from here. Highly recommended!
2. Shakuntalam: Very stylish lehengas and suits.

My Reception Outfit by Roshan's

Karol Bagh: Karol Bagh is another major and oldest shopping district located in West Delhi.

1. PP Jewellers
2. Hari Shankar Sunil Kumar Jewelers
3. Beli Ram: Silver accessories and gift items. Highly recommended!
4. Janak’s: Great men’s traditional outfits as well as suits.
5. Wedding Weaves: Same as the one in South Extension.

Chandni Chowk: Chandni Chowk is the oldest shopping area in Delhi. Located in North Delhi (Very close to Lal Quila), it has a charm to it. Got to be careful of “eve-teasers” and the traffic, but otherwise if you are looking for great prices – it’s a must check out!

1. Surya Sarees: Amazing collection of sarees, and lehengas. I bought my wedding lehenga from here. Very unique and amazing prices. Highly recommended!
2. Champalal Jewellers: Same as the one in South Extension. Again highly recommended!
3. Rati Ram Ram Vinod: Lehenga and Sarees.

Rajouri Garden: This area is located in East Delhi and has big and small boutiques and stores.

1. Meena Bazaar: Good collection of suits.
2. Shakuntalam: Same as the one in Lajpat Nagar.

Other Places worth a mention:

1. Shapur Jat: Great for kurtis and tunics. Nice little shops for shoes as well.
2. CTC Plaza: Its a huge mall selling traditional Indian clothing and accessories.
3. Dilli Haat: If you are looking for favors and stationary – this is a great place to visit.
4. Janpath: Awesome and highly recommended, if you want custom table linen, favors etc. for your wedding reception.
5. Chawri Bazaar: Invitations and Stationary – great prices! Close to Chandni Chowk.

Decor is the one of the most important elements of your wedding. The look of your wedding leaves a lasting impression on the guest’s mind. There are so many extensions to decor that are not just limited to look and feel. You also need a number of things for the ceremony, which a decorator provides. Here is a checklist of decor items you must discuss with your decorator.

1. Flowers for the hair: A lot of the brides like to adorn their hair with fresh flowers. Be it gajra made of tuberoses, roses or even orchids – these can really add a great accent to your hairdo.
2. Bouquet for the bride: Bridal bouquets can be as simple or elaborate as you want. Recently I saw a bouquet of roses with rhinestone accents, which looked absolutely gorgeous!
3. Bouquet for the bridesmaids: The bridesmaids bouquets would be simpler that the bridal bouquet, but at the same time should match in terms of the colors and flowers with the bride’s bouquet.
4. Milni Garlands: A lot of the families have the tradition of “milni” right after baraat, where the male members of the bride’s family greet the male members of the groom’s side. Its a real fun and joyous tradition, where they garland each other.
5. Flower petals for Puja Thalis and Aashirwaad: Flower petals are needed for Aarti thaali, when the mother does aarti to the groom, for various offerings during the ceremony as well as for Aashirwaad, when the bride and groom are showered with flower petals by family and guests. This element can be overlooked sometimes, and it’s always nice to remind your decorator to bring extra flower petals.
6. Trays for Jai Mala, Milni Garlands and Puja Supplies: Its always nice if your decorator can provide nice trays for this stuff.
7. Ganesha statue(s): This can be used to decorate the entrance of your ceremony or reception area, as well as many of these can be used in Aisle Decor.
8. Diyas or Lamps: You might want to incorporate diyas or oil lamps in your decor.
9. Jaimala: These are the garlands used during the wedding ceremony by the bride and groom.
10. Aisle Decor: This includes pillars, fabric swags, floral arrangements and flower petals.
11. Ribbon to block the Aisle: This is crucial to prevent your guests from walking along the aisle.
12. Mandap: This includes the mandap structure/pillars/draperie, mandap florals, mandap chairs, cushions and the fire pit or the havan kund (Very important!).
13. Doli/Palanquin: This is totally optional, but definitely adds a nice touch to the ceremony.
14. Decor for the ceremony and reception chairs: This could be pomanders, sashes, bows or chair covers.
15. Boutonnieres and Corsages: These are again optional. But often times, the groom and groomsmen would wear boutonnieres for the reception.
16. Gift box/ Birdcage: You might ask the decorator to provide and/ or decorate these.
17. Centerpieces: You will need these for guest tables, sweetheart table/ head table, cocktail tables, place card table and guestbook/pictures table.
18. Tealights/ Votives: You will need these to accent all your centerpieces.
19. Sweet heart table Set up: These days more and more couples are going for sweet heart tables with very creative set ups. Discuss the different options with your decorator.
20. Flowers for the cake: Fresh flowers look gorgeous on the cake.
21. Special Linen or overlays: You can order specialty linen or overlays for the guest tables, buffet tables etc.
22. Rose bud or a flower for each place setting: Again a beautiful touch!

Planning an Indian Wedding just got easier! When I was planning my wedding, I hunted and hunted for a wedding planning website for South Asians. I was looking for a resource, where the wedding planning tools and forums were customized for Indian brides. Well guess what – now that resource is here. It’s called Indian American Weddings, and has been launched by Neha, owner of Marigold Events & Launching Frog (that’s me!) and Payal, owner of Intell Marketing.

Indian American Weddings began as a vision aspiring to make an Indian Bride’s wedding planning experience easy and enjoyable. The inspiration and ideas have stemmed from Payal and my personal experiences, when we were planning our own weddings and discovered a lack of planning resources for Indian Weddings in the US. We envision brides benefiting from a social network that would enable them to share thoughts and ideas with each other and communicate interactively with vendors.

Indian American Weddings is a unique wedding planning community for engaged couples and their families. It is the first interactive site to enable brides to network with other brides and vendors all over the country. It is, in essence, a virtual wedding expo, where brides can virtually see vendors’ products and services, communicate with them, and network with other brides – all without shelling the expenses of travel or time to a wedding expo.

In addition to the social networking aspect, the website offers to brides and couples all the tools and resources needed to help design, organize and plan the perfect unique Indian Wedding. The word “Indian” is the key – not only do we help you customize your planning to include all the Indian glamor and nuances of an Indian wedding ceremony, but we can also help you customize any other Indian event you may want to include like Engagement Party, Mehendi, Sangeet, etc.

Website’s Highlights for brides:

• Your Personal Profile Page with Photogallery: Create a detailed personalized profile of yourself and your upcoming wedding. Upload photos, and write about yourself. The wedding planning tools are linked to your profile. Your wedding planning research can be accessed by you through your username and secure password from any computer.
• Planning Checklist: Manage your wedding planning tasks and track the important details so you don’t miss a single step.
• Create your Budget: Set up your wedding budget and track all your spending to keep your wedding expenses in line.
• Create your Guestlist: It’s a Guest Database! Manage Guests, input their addresses, track Guest info (invitations, RSVPs, gifts, seating, thank you’s) – all with our Guest List Manager.
• Appointment Book: A handy tool to record all your appointments and reminders so you are perfectly scheduled for each day of your wedding planning
• Create Events and Invitations: Send out your save the dates for each of your wedding events with a click of the button and manage the RSVP’s from here.
• Planning Calendar: Your wedding planning is a calendar view and organizes all your appointments, upcoming events and due checklist items in one place.
• Research Binder: Your Wedding Planning Notebook where you can save notes, links, images of products and services you are considering but haven’t yet finalized.
• Guestbook: Post on your buddies’ walls and keep them up to date with your wedding planning. Post on a vendors wall to make inquiries or contacts.
• Get advice from other brides on the forum: Network with other brides, share tips and ideas, post questions. It’s amazing how much you can learn and share with others just like you.
• Add buddies: Friend other members of the site and them to your buddylist. See where other brides are in their planning process. Look at the profiles of your bride and vendor friends, check out their photogallery and write on their guestbooks.

There is a plethora of Indian vendors offering products and services to meet the Indian wedding market needs, however, they have always competed with families traveling to India to fulfill these needs. To these vendors, we offer a revolutionary new channel to market their products and services to a targeted customer base and form affiliations with other vendors in the business.

Website’s Highlights for Vendors:

• Free Business Page and Listing: Design your personalized business page highlighting your products & services and offering exclusive promotions and sales.
• Guestbook: Post on your buddies’ walls and keep them up to date with your services.
• Photogallery: A picture is worth a thousand words. Showcase your products and services with a collection of photos and images.
• Appointment Book: A handy calendar with customer appointments and reminders so you are perfectly scheduled for each day.
• Planning Calendar: View all your appointments in a calendar view.
• Manage Clients: A client database that manages client names, profiles, addresses, interests.
• Interact with other brides on forum: An Online vendor expo – interact with brides interested in your products and services. Make customer contact online!

The website has been beta launched, and we would really appreciate your feedback!

Finding Indian bridesmaid outfits can be a major challenge. You may want the exact same sari or lehenga for your bridesmaids, or if you are having a hard time finding exact outfits, then you may want something that goes well together. I strongly recommend that your bridesmaid saris match the colors of your wedding. I would stay away from buying the same sari in different colors. If you are having trouble finding the exact same sari, I would go with one color with a slight variation in pattern. I strongly believe, that one color looks more elegant. Here is some inspiration for bridesmaid saris:

Magenta Bridesmaid Saris with a turquoise border

Blue bridesmaid outfits - Although the outfits are different, they blend well together

Vermilion Colored Bridesmaid Saris

Orange Bridesmaid Saris

Mustard-Green bridesmaid saris

Maroon bridesmaid saris

Sea green bridesmaid saris

Fucshia bridesmaid saries

Pink bridesmaid saris

Plum bridesmaid saris

Red bridesmaid saris with golden work

Lavendar and pink bridesmaid saris

Purple bridesmaid saris