In all its glory and beauty, Hindu weddings are steeped in tradition which many people don’t necessarily understand. In all honesty, explaining this could take a while, so we’ve tried to simplify the details and just give you the basics to a traditional Hindu Wedding and what it entails:
View this post on Instagram
Sangeet
Directly translated, the word ‘Sangeet’ means music, which is rather fitting considering what the Sangeet is about. This event has both the families of the groom and bride come together and celebrate in the form of song and dance. Put simply, this is just one huge party generally celebrated a few days before the actual wedding ceremony takes place. Wedding guests and the bridal party are able to either perform choreographed dances or perform certain songs, if they’re brave enough. Nerves aside, with amazing food, plenty of family and great music, the Sangeet is definitely one of the nights most memorable from the entire wedding celebration.
View this post on Instagram
Mehndi Party
The mehndi party, generally done 2 to 3 days before the wedding, is celebrated by the bride’s family. At this stage of the celebrations, henna is applied to the bride’s hands and feet in a decorative pattern. Mind you, this does take some time, which can be anywhere from 2 – 6 hours depending on how intricate the patterns are. Brides would hire a mehndi artist who would also apply henna to her guests who wished to have their hands decorated for the wedding as well. Applying the initials of the groom somewhere on the bride’s hands is also a tradition that seems to have been passed down from generation to generation.
View this post on Instagram
Hurdee / Haldi Evening
A cleansing prayer done by both the bride and groom. Most of the time it is separated as the bride would do so in her house and the groom would do it at his. The actual ceremony consists of a hurdee or haldi paste applied to the exposed skin of the bride and groom; their hands, feet, face and neck. The haldi paste is made of turmeric, gram flour, curd, sandalwood and rose water and is said to give the couple their bridal glow. The haldi is done the night before the main wedding ceremony and in most cases, turns into another celebratory event. Not that we’re complaining!
View this post on Instagram
Wedding Ceremony
The actual wedding ceremony is a colourful affair with guests dressed up for the occasion as they witness the beautiful vows and prayers being performed. The actual wedding ceremony is made up of a few rituals all significant to the marriage union. One of the most significant factors is that the actual wedding date is chosen by a priest. Astrology plays a very important part and hence determines the best time and date for the couple to wed. Fire is another very significant part of a traditional wedding as it is always present during a rite of passage, such as births, deaths and marriages. Red powder known as ‘indoor’ is applied to the forehead and centre part of a woman’s head, symbolizing her status as a married woman to the world. This is also why most brides opt to wear red for their weddings.
View this post on Instagram
Reception
A reception will generally follow on from the wedding ceremony which is seen as the celebration of the wedding and partying through the night. There is not necessarily a ritual performed during the reception, just a chance for the couple to mingle with their guests, be congratulated on the wedding and dance the night away. Not a bad way to end off a 4-day wedding affair.
View this post on Instagram
Bidai
The last, and probably most tearful part of a wedding, the bidai, is where the bride bids farewell to her family. In previous times, once the bride marries her groom, she is officially leaving her family to join the family of the groom. This could be her first move out from home or moving to another place where she won’t see her family that often. This is a rather bittersweet moment and usually lots of tears are shed for loved ones.
Also to be noted, these are traditions passed down from generation to generation, so modern times have changed things slightly, although many of these are still followed today.
By Yashna Balwanth
Feature image: Unsplash
Planning a wedding can be stressful. Everyone needs to be treated once in a while, and now is the perfect time. Here is your chance to win some well-deserved…
Bridal beauty is undeniably one of the most important aspects of your wedding day, no matter who you are.
We recently had the pleasure of chatting to the National Make-up Artist for Bobbi Brown, Anna Weinbeck. She has been with the brand for over 9 years and shares her insights and tips into looking picture perfect on your wedding day.
Here’s what she had to say:
Q: What is your best advice for all brides?
A: Every bride deserves to look flawless on their big day, whether you’re getting a make-up artist or doing it yourself. Make sure you’re completely happy with your make-up, if you’re not, then change it. That’s why you need to do a trial first. Be comfortable in your own skin and be proud of who you are!
At Bobbi Brown, we offer free How To lessons, so you can learn anything you want to know, from finding your perfect foundation to getting the perfect lip shade for your skin type. Pop past a counter any time and just book and enjoy.
Q: What is a trial and why is it so important?
A: A trial is where you and your make-up artist will discuss the look you want on your wedding day and apply the make-up. This is important as you might want a certain look but as soon as you see how it looks on you, you aren’t as happy as you thought you’d be. It will also give you an idea of how long the make-up lasts. After the trial is your opportunity to change anything that needs to be changed. I always recommend to my brides that they take a look at their make-up in as many different lighting situations as possible, and also take as many photos with flash and without to see if the colour of the foundation blends in seamlessly with the rest of their body.
Q: How do I look after my skin before the wedding?
A: Taking care of your skin before your wedding is of utmost importance. You want to make sure that you have fresh, healthy, glowing skin on the day of your wedding. The best time to start changing your skin regime is 6 months before your big day, as this will allow you to see if you have any reactions to facials/peels or any new skincare products you want to try out. The last facial you can go for should be a week before your wedding, but that’s only if you’ve done it before and you know your skin won’t react or flare-up. Make sure that you use a lot of hydrating products; I love our Hydrating Skincare range as it just balances the water levels of your skin and it’s also anti-bacterial so it will prevent any spots from forming on the skin.
Q: What is the best foundation to use on your wedding day?
A: I always prefer to use a foundation that doesn’t have an SPF as this is usually the ingredient in foundations that causes flash back. Flashback is where your face looks a lot lighter in photographs. My go-to foundation for all brides is our Skin Foundation Stick as it suits all skin types and skin shades with no SPF and buildable coverage. I love to use it with our Vitamin Enriched Face Base as a primer as this creates a smooth canvas and the foundation applies seamlessly.
Q: What is the most popular look brides go for?
A: I found that the most requested looks for brides are a smokey eye, very glam or natural beauty. A smokey eye is a very dark and dramatic eye perfectly balanced with a soft nude lip and bronzer. At Bobbi Brown, we have a Smokey Eye Mascara and beautiful eye palettes to help create this look perfectly.
A very glam look is more of a winged out liner, bold lips and lots of highlighter. Luxe Lip is a great option here as the colour pigment is beautiful and lasts all day.
Natural beauty is just a better version of yourself; soft eye makeup, pretty pink blush and a soft lip.
Q: What are the most important products to have on your big day?
A: An amazing primer; this will set the tone for how the foundation applies and lasts during the day.
No Smudge Mascara; it won’t budge the whole day or night.
Luxe Matte Lip Color; in your perfect shade, this lipstick will stay on for hours
Q: Is there anything you should avoid on your wedding day?
A: Please do not go for any tints the day before, be it your hair, brows or lashes. If you need to fill in your brows, go for our Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil to fill in any gaps. If you do change your products or go for a facial a bit before your big day and you see your skin is reacting, apply some Skin Relief Remedy – it will immediately reduce redness and help calm the skin. Try to go for a facial wax a week before your wedding, if you go later and your skin is a bit red, apply a little bit of Instant Full Cover Concealer over your foundation to neutralise any discolouration.
Feature image: Supplied
On a couple’s wedding, they should be able to do what makes them happy. Even if the guests have to shut their eyes or bite their tongues. Call…
The wedding cake is the cherry on top of a beautiful day. Who doesn’t love to share a sweet treat with loved ones? Over the years, cake decorators have been wowing us with their incredible creations and taking the art of the wedding cake to new levels.
Unfortunately, however, we cannot all be cake extraordinaires. Sometimes, people get it wrong. Here are some of the most…unique wedding cake fails.
The Bubble Blunder
The Drip Disaster
The Tiffany’s Terror
The Gradient Gremlin
The Floral Fright
The Weedy Wonder
The Misspelt Malice
The Peacock Perplexity
The Layered Lump
Image: Unsplash
What started as a group of runners getting together after work is now a sought after addition to many a couple’s wedding photos. They call themselves the Wedding…
As the backdrop to your wedding, your wedding arch quite literally frames your ceremony. Flowers, fabrics and unusual shapes bring your wedding arch a unique, personal touch guaranteed to wow your guests. Here are some ideas to elevate your wedding arch:
Flower power:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bse0c15lGEl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/BziTmsDAANc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3JtUbKAEXo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3LCJCDAJeD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1uDEBtITCA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzO2HOVpUcQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Boho bride:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgtQkpASOc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxK5zscgSnp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3NxKLSnpnX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Quirky:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0YAA3Ij9kh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3MsrrDjtC8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Lcob1JoWk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ULL7yhJ49/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/BopMrBSF3An/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Image: Unsplash