Trousseau Trove at Kalki
Dec 30, 2011 Fashion & Bridal Wear
A destination for bridal wear ‘Kalki’ at Worli and Santacruz (W) in Mumbai caters to all the needs of a bride’s trousseau. From stunning lehenga cholis, rich designer sarees, elegant churidar kurtas to wedding accessories and an incredible range of fabrics, they offer a classic and timeless collection.
Shishir Gupta of Kalki spoke to WeddingSutra to tell us what’s popular at Kalki and what brides are wearing this season.
Gold is the most popular color this season, and the embroideries- antique zardozi with pearls.
Our price points for sarees range from Rs 4,000 to Rs 70,000. The non-bridal lehengas range from Rs 15,000 to Rs 45,000 and the exclusive bridal lehengas are priced between Rs 45,000 and Rs 3 lakh plus.
For the Mehendi many brides are looking at ensembles with an interesting cut—like a knee length uneven dress/skirt teamed with a corset. For the Sangeet, an Angarkha style top with a long skirt/lehenga. For the Cocktail, it’s a gown with gorgeous Swarovski stone work. For the Wedding the cut and the colours vary a lot, depending on the community the bride hails from and what she’s expected to wear on the Big Day.
Kalki is located at Prime Plaza, SV Road, Santacruz (West) and Nita Building, Annie Besant Road, Worli.www.kalkisarees.com
Tags: Bridal Wear, Kalki, Lehengas, Sarees
Dubai glitz & glamour at Engagement celebrations in Hua Hin
Dec 26, 2011 Destination Weddings
It was dubbed as the grandest Engagement and the venue was Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, one of the most popular spaces for Indian celebrations in Thailand. Dubai-based billionaire Ramesh Ramani’s son Nisarg, got engaged to Nupur Sakaria, and the wow affair was managed by Dubai’s ace Wedding Planner Rimjhim Bhagchandani.
The 300 guests who came from Dubai, Bangalore and Mumbai were mesmerized by the grandeur of an engagement ceremony. One of the guests quipped: “I’ve attended several big fat weddings, but never have I seen such a spectacular engagement ceremony. Every function was wow, but what made the celebration spectacular was the energy with which the Ramani family celebrated, and the efforts they took to ensure each and every guest had a great time. Not to forget the highly enthusiastic groom Nisarg who was personally involved in planning everything over so many months”!
The Themes
Welcome lunch- Thai carnival
Engagement- Touch of Heaven
Post-engagement party- Las Vegas
Day 2 lunch- Hawaiian pool party
Day 2 dinner- Arabian Nights and a performance by Sophie Choudry
Day 2 post-dinner party- Paris by Night
Nupur and Nisarg at the Welcome lunch and Thai Carnival, The ‘Touch of Heaven’ theme engagement
Nupur and Nisarg entering the venue for the ‘Casino comes to Hua Hin’ party- a Las Vegas style youngsters night.
(Left) Nupur and Nisarg at the Hawaiian Pool Party at the Beach Lawns. Nupur is wearing a gown by Jyotsna Tiwari and Nisarg a creation by Delhi-based designer Deepak Chabria, (Right) Nupur in an ensemble by Parul Grover
The couple enter the Grand Ballroom for the Arabian Nights theme dinner.
Sophie Choudry entertains the audience. The Paris by Night theme party
The Wedding Makers
a) Decor & Design, Entertainment & Production, Hospitality & Travel by Rimjhim Bhagchandani and Team (rimjhimevents@gmail.com)
b) Continental Food by Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa. Indian Food by Saras, Bangkok
c) Music- DJ Chetas from Mumbai & DJ Sash from Dubai. Musician-Violinist Sandeep S Thakur
d) Bartenders- www.flamingtrio.com
e) Nisarg’s wear by Deepak Chabria. Nupur’s wear by Jyotsna Tiwari and Parul Grover. Makeup by Reema Sablok
The Ramanis run Dubai-based BRR Jewellery. Nisarg schooled in Bangalore and Ooty and now works in his family business. Nupur, a Fashion Design graduate is from South Mumbai. The wedding is in Mumbai on 9th and 10th February, and the post wedding celebration is in Dubai.
Photographs by Nikhil Kapur (www.nikhilkapur.com)
Watch Nisarg & Nupur’s pre-engagement film shot in Dubai and the film with highlights of the Engagement celebrations
Tags: BRR Jewellery, Deepak Chabria, DJ Chetas, DJ Sash, Hua Hin, Jyotsna Tiwari, Nisrag Ramani, Nupur Sakaria, Parul Grover, Ramesh Ramani, Reema Sablok, Rimjhim Bhagchandani, Sandeep S Thakur, Saras, Sheraton
An Artsy Proposal
Dec 26, 2011 Marriage & Wedding Trends
The Heart Bandits, a Marriage Proposal Planning company, was contacted by a very excited Sameer who needed help proposing to his girlfriend Nisha. Nisha wanted a public proposal, but Sameer wasn’t sure how to bring it all together. He ended up deciding that he would take her on a date to the beach and surprise her with a very artsy proposal.
On the proposal day, Sameer and Nisha were enjoying a relaxing day soaking up the sun, when an artist set up two canvases right in front of the couple. The artist, who was of course in on the whole thing begun painting and marvelling over his own masterpiece. Finally Sameer told Nisha that he was going to talk to the artist and make sure that he wasn’t painting them! When Sameer approached the artist, he was raving over his work and Sameer called Nisha to look at it. Just as Nisha realized that the paintings said, “Will you marry me?” in the clouds, Sameer got down on one knee to propose!
Luxury Wedding Rides
Dec 22, 2011 Marriage & Wedding Trends
So you’re a groom who loves cars, and like every groom you want to treat your bride to something out-of- the-ordinary, and give her an experience that exudes luxury and elegance. How about combining your love for cars with the grandeur of the moment? When you enter, make a splash with a luxurious stretched limousine and take your bride in style.
Shining wedding limousines with privacy partitions to kick start the just-married romance, fiber-optic mood lighting to give you goose bumps, leather upholstery to add to the plush status, electronic recliners to make you feel like King and Queen, and an exclusive bar! What more can you ask for?
One name that stands out in luxury rides hire service is LAC Auto Designers Pvt. Ltd, a design, customization and production house that specialises in mobility needs. They offer not just cars but the complete experience of luxury, exoticness and wow. To take it one step ahead, they even have an in-house designer who customizes design of the interiors to the theme of your wedding. Dress your car’s interiors and exteriors to complement the celebratory or romantic mood and you are ready to paint the town red!
For more information call +91 9899996421, 9810122622 or log on to
www.limousineauto.com
Tags: LAC Auto Designers, Limousine, wedding
‘Grand’ Baaja Baraat!
Dec 19, 2011 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
Genelia D’Souza and Riteish Deshmukh’s wedding is going to be a ‘Grand’ affair literally. The Bollywood stars wedding celebrations are at Mumbai’s Grand Hyatt Hotel. While media reports state the ceremonies are between February 4th and 6th, sources from the Grand Hyatt indicate it is sometime around that time. While it is unlikely that the family will hire a Wedding Planner, they haven’t finalised on the company that will manage the set-ups and decor; and some of Mumbai’s best Wedding Decorators are making all efforts to get a link to Maharashtra’s most prominent political family. Grand Hyatt of course is deluged with requests from wedding vendors, and calls from the media; keeping in mind all the security and privacy issues the General Manager and core team have put together a detailed instructions manual for all the teams– so for as long as possible, they’d even like to keep the date a ‘secret’.
Earlier Riteish’s eldest brother Amit, got married at Grand Hyatt and soon after Riteish’s marriage, his elder brother (Dheeraj) will marry Honey who is Producer Vashu Bhagnani’s daughter. In 2009 Shilpa Shetty’s wedding reception was held at the Grand Hyatt Ballroom. But the most spectacular yet elegant wedding that took place at the Hotel was in 2010, when the Hotel owner Arun Saraf’s son Varun married Natasha Mittal, the niece of Laxmi Mittal. The Sarafs who live in a mansion-size apartment on the top floor of the Grand Hyatt, hosted two functions at their Hotel, while the other functions were hosted by the Mittals in other hotels.
Tags: Dates, Genelia, Grand Hyatt, Riteish Deshmukh, wedding
Small is Stylish
Dec 16, 2011 Marriage & Wedding Trends
Sarthak Shah’s parties were always unique and the themes most interesting. After he got engaged, it was time for Wedding Planning and he spent a lot of time thinking of the visual communication. Obviously, he wanted a very creative invite, so he got in touch with Sindoor Couture Designs known for their good work in the field. Sindoor Shah who runs Sindoor Couture Designs shared with him the idea of a business card holder, she tells us more: “For each of the functions, there was a separate card, with detailed gold foiling at the back of each insert. It had the ‘wow’ factor which Sarthak was looking for.” Sindoor explains why brides, grooms and their families are moving away from jazzy and bulky invitations to more creative concepts.
1.Bulky and hardbound cards are usually much more expensive
2.Lesser paper means less wastage, and is more eco-friendly
3.Packaging the invitation in keepsake boxes or holders serves a dual purpose- the boxes or holders can be used later.
4.And most importantly, unusual invitations stand out!
Sindoor Couture Designs www.sindoorshah.com
What comes to your mind when you think of Parsi weddings?
Dec 16, 2011 Marriage & Wedding Trends
Elegant women dressed in beautiful Garas, Patra ni Machchi and Lagan nu Custard? Bhavna Kohli tells us more, with inputs from Delhi’s ace Wedding Planner Meher Sarid.
Baugs
Most Parsi weddings in Mumbai are conducted in the Baugs followed by a reception at the same venue. The weddings in other states takes place at the Parsi Agyari (Fire temple) compound, where there are dharamshalas attached with boarding and lodging facilities.In Mumbai, the two most popular baugs are the Seth Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Baug (commonly known as the Colaba Agiary), Malcom Baug in Jogeshwari and the Allbless Baug at Charni Road.
Decor
Generally Parsi weddings are white weddings, with touches of pale tones of baby pink, pale yellow, pistacchio green etc. The entrance to the venues always has a Toran and Chalk.
The bride enters the wedding space accompanied by the ladies in her family, carrying the Sagaan Ses, the Wedding Ses and the mawa macchi (sweet in the shape of a Fish). The Ses is a huge silver platter, with silver elements which include sprinklers, a cone, a silver paan patta, a silver supari and silver nariyal.
Garas
There is hardly a woman who doesn’t want to own a beautiful Gara and one gets to see the best Garas at Parsi weddings. Unknown to most non-Parsis the bride does not wear a Gara, it is typically the family members and guests who wear Garas! Most brides wear white (as it stands for purity) in French Chantilly lace, with delicate pink sequence work on it. The lady best known for resurrecting garas in Mumbai is Naju Davar and now the business is run by her daughter Farzeen Daver. Ahmedabad’s Dhun Chinoy is also working hard to revive the dying art of hand embroidered Garas. For those seeking more affordable Garas there are stores like Pushpam at Charni Road and Mahavir at Matunga. The Parsi men & the Groom wear the traditional White Dagli with the black topi.
Photograph Courtesy: Khurshed Poonawalla
Lagana Bhonu
How can an article on Parsi weddings be complete without a mention of the delectable meals. While vegetarian food is also served the meal also known as Laganu Bhonu is largely a non-vegetarian affair. The food is served on banana leaves and some of the typical dishes in the meal are Laganu achar (a sweet carrot pickle), saarya/saali wafers, Chicken pulao with masala dal, Patra ni Machchi or saas ni machchi, Sali Boti and Laganu Custard. The popular caterers in the community are Tanaz Godiwalla who is based in Mazagaon, Catering & Allied (Joss) by Farrokh Khambatta, Jimmy Caterers and Bomi Patel. In Delhi, Dhun Bagli is most sought-after for her delectable food, which is home cooked for the largest gatherings. In recent times, there has been a slight departure at select weddings, where even Italian or Thai is served.
Tags: Allbless Baug, Decor, Dhun Bagli, Dhun Chinoy, Garas, Laganu Bhonu, Mahavir, Malcom Baug, Meher Sarid, Naju Davar, Parsi Weddings, Pushpam, Tanaz Godiwalla
Gifts with a Conscience
Dec 15, 2011 Marriage & Wedding Trends
The market maybe buzzing with grand gifting ideas but there is a section of society who think a little differently. Many brides & grooms want to give and receive gifts that support a cause– and NGOs with creative wares and unique new services like www.wishberry.in have stepped in to fulfill this need.
Pouches & phone covers, bangles & bindis by NGOs
In India, we may have not the concept of favors, but at Mehendis most families give a gift to the girls, often bought from NGOs. In Mumbai, many NGOs participate at wedding shows and shopping extravaganza and in their stalls you’ll find beautiful and often not-so-expensive creations– coin pouches, mobile phone covers, bangles, bindis, beaded coasters, dining mats, book marks or jewel boxes.
Packaging Elements by Shraddha Charitable Trust
Yesteryear model and fashionista Rasna Behl tells that most of her friends source gift boxes, decorative packaging and serving plates from NGOs who produce some great quality products. She did the same when her son got married, “I visited Shraddha Charitable Trust in Mahalakshmi where young autistic adults are empowered with special skills to create various eco-friendly, artistic articles and handicrafts. The wedding was a simple affair, what was heartening was that everyone appreciated the simple, elegant gifts and packaging elements.”
Gifts with the Invitation Cards
Accessories Designer Sarika Mehta Desai states: “This year I received three invitations where the accompanying gifts with the invites were created by NGOs. My good friend Neha Thirani, for her sister’s wedding chose Shraddha Charitable Trust to source the chocolate boxes to go with the cards, she even put in a little note about the Trust in the box, to help spread the word.”
Akshaya Patra Foundation
In their reception invite TVS heiress Lakshmi Venu and Infosys scion Rohan Murthy requested guests not to carry gifts or flowers and enclosed a small note on Akshaya Patra foundation, a charitable organisation that provides children in public schools with wholesome meals for lunch, and requested guests to make contributions to the foundation instead.
Wishberry.in
Gift registry site www.wishberry.in has introduced a special feature on ‘charities’ where couples can choose a charitable cause close to their heart and ask their friends to donate their gift money to a charity rather than spending it on buying gifts. Here’s a sample of a charity gift registry created on the site www.wishberry.in/Priyanka-Ashish-s-Wedding–11907 where the bride & groom have requested friends to bless them by donating to NGOs like Pratham and Akanksha.
The big fat Indian wedding will get bigger by the years, but a small yet conscious decision on the part of couples can help the needy and the deserving. What better way to start a beautiful journey together.
Tags: Akshaya Patra Foundation, Gifts, NGOs, Shraddha Charitable Trust, wedding, Wishberry.in
Wedding@ the Speke Resort in Uganda
Dec 14, 2011 Destination Weddings
Khushboo, the daughter of Uganda-based pharmaceutical barons Meera and Rishi Vadodaria married UK-based Saeed Hernandez at the sprawling Speke Resort in Kampala, Uganda. The celebrations commenced with a Welcome Dinner at the Vadodaria’s private mansion where the guests witnessed performances by traditional Ugandan locals. The Jodha Akbar theme Sangeet was at the Golf Course Hotel where the ambience was of the royal Mughal times. The Traditional Wedding took place in the Ballroom where the bride and groom dazzled in creations by Tarun Tahiliani and jewellery by Mehrasons. The Grand Reception was held the next day, in a marquee by the lake, the theme was glitz & glamour and the entertainers both from Egypt and India.
The newly-weds with the bride’s parents and sisters
Mumbai’s popular wedding coordinator Pradeep Gidwani helped the family with wedding arrangements from Mumbai. Besides Pradeep, those who flew in from Mumbai included DJ Nawed Khan and stand-up comedian Umesh Pherwani who entertained the audiences at the reception. Ace Hair & Makeup Artists Shaida and Jaywant Thakre dressed Khushboo for all the functions.
The Sangeet
Khushboo and Saeed with his mother and sister
The Reception
Tags: Jaywant Thakre, Kampala, Khushboo Vadodaria, Rishi Vadodaria, Saeed Hernandez, Speke Resort, Uganda
Power Wedding@ Taj Falaknuma Palace
Dec 14, 2011 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
Shazmeen, the daughter of Tata Sons Limited Director Ishaat Hussain is marrying Rustom, the son of prominent businesswoman Zinia Lawyer of London Pilsner fame. Early this week, the wedding was held as per Parsi traditions at the Agiary in Colaba. On December 16th and 17th the Muslim wedding and post wedding celebrations are at the spectacular Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad. On the guest list are the who’s who of Corporate India and prominent names from the world of business and politics; since Rustom’s mother Zinia and uber-glamorous sister Farah (who is married to business baron Riyad Oomberbhoy) are popular figures in the society circuit, many society divas are expected to be there.
The Hussains hail from Lucknow and live in Mumbai’s most prestigious address—NCPA Apartments. Shazmeen was earlier married to film-maker Shaad Ali Sahgal of Bunty aur Babli and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom fame.
Tags: Ishaat Hussain, Rustom Lawyer, Shazmeen Hussain, Taj Falaknuma, wedding, Zinia Lawyer
