Tips for your wedding day…

1. Wake up refreshed. Get to bed at a decent hour the night before so you can be your best.

2. Eat a breakfast that is high in protein and complex carbs. This food will take a while to break down in your body and keep you going, which is Important since you can go long periods without eating.

3. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready. You want to be able to relax and have a good time with your bridesmaids, not stress over whether you'll finish in time.

4. Make sure you try your bridal makeup, hair and dress in advance so that on your wedding day the process is smooth.

5. Wear a dress shirt when getting your hair styled. Brides often wear T-shirts that have to be pulled over their freshly coiffed hair at the end. Dress shirts, however, can be unbuttoned without doing any damage to you.

6. Don’t overdo the perfume. Heavy perfume can make you feel nauseous and even attract bugs.

7. Don’t forget your wedding day survival kit.

8. Take a few selfies. These candid shots make a fun counterpoint to your photographer's stylized professional shots.

9. But other than that, put your phone away. Nothing is happening that's more important than your wedding, OK?

10. Get loose before you walk down the aisle. Do some light stretching to release tension and get your blood flowing so that you don't —gasp — pass out.

11. Be magnanimous. Greet everyone with a smile even if it's your second cousin whom you haven't spoken to in a couple years because she said that thing. No one likes an angry bride, and you won't like being one either.

12. Keep one person close to you all the time, be it your cousin or friend who has good rapo with you so that they will exclusively look after your personal things. They can even help you to relieve your tension.

13. Appoint someone to save you from chatty guests. Inevitably someone, whether it's your great aunt  or the dad of your old college roommate, will talk your ear off seemingly unaware it's your wedding day. That's why having someone to politely pull you away is a must.

14. Have a moment with each of your parents.

15. Remember why you’re there. Amid all of the fun and celebration be sure to take a moment to look over at the person you're pledging your life to and reflect on the incredible journey that lies ahead of you both.

Happy Wedding…

Tips to Strengthen your bond with your in laws

A wedding is a great occasion for two different people to come closer. And along with it comes the coming together of two families with versatile personalities. It’s a balancing act for you as a new bride to adjust in a new home. As a daughter in law you need to keep certain things in mind while dealing with your in laws. Your spouse’s family is now your extended family, and molding your life around them is imperative. A few tips on this aspect will help you strengthen your bond with your in laws.

It’s your home so don’t treat yourself as a guest in the new home. Don’t be indifferent.

Getting up on time is a golden rule you must follow.

Every family has a set of unwritten rules to follow. Ask your spouse about the general principles that are followed in the family.

You need not make your spouse your mouth piece for every small thing to be told in the house.

Speak for yourself. Be open to suggestions.

Be soft and tolerant. Accept and act. Impulsive outbursts will do no good.

Have patience. Let it not be my family or your family; make it as our family.

Be yourself and go with your understanding nature. Be cordial.

Accept that things will be different and may change for the better.

Mutual understanding and genuine interest in making things work should earn you brownie points as a newlywed.

Dress according to the occasion. Poor dressing sense can be a big turn off. You can always make things easier if you discuss the dress code with your mother in law before hand.

Drawing parallels and constant comparisons will put you in bad light. Harping on the negatives of somebody or something is a strict no no.

Following these basic ground rules will team you well with your in laws. Trust begets trust, and therefore maintains positive relationships with your in laws.

Happy Married life…

Emergency items you need to carry on your wedding day

Most Indian weddings are held in a marriage hall, a resort, at a hotel, and, nowadays, even in exotic locales. Naturally you and your family must carry everything you need to this venue. Here are a list of items which you as a bride must carry; most of these are ignored, forgotten or not given due importance:

Painkillers: A typical Hindu ceremony involves lot of things like dealing  with smoke, hymns and long hours. By the end of it, you may have a migraine or headaches or feverish… So better you carry of your emergency medicines to the venue…

Safety Pins: Indian wedding dresses like lehengas and saris with long “palloos” definitely need to be hitched up so that you are comfortable. Your professional makeup artist/stylist will definitely carry safety pins, but it is essential that you keep these handy too, so you can quickly fix your attire (yourself) during the ceremony.

Makeup items, extra Bindis etc: weddings are quite emotional, and you don't want your mascara running (especially during the Vidaii ceremony). Make sure you carry the right shade of lipstick, blush, mascara etc so that you can do ‘quick touch ups’ every now and then. Bindis tend to fall off too, so keep extra ones handy.

Deodorant/perfume: If you are wearing fresh flowers (especially jasmines) then you probably won’t need these but tiny Deo-sticks can help keep your underarms dry.

Eye-drops: wedding ceremonies have you sitting around the fire and a great deal of smoke. Do carry a tiny bottle of eye drops so your eyes do not appear red.

Gums and mints/mouth-fresheners: You should not have bad breath on your special day. These items can ensure that!

Facial tissues: Everyone knows how necessary these are-you can dab sweat, wipe off extra makeup or even your sweaty/ clammy hands.

Talcum powder: This item comes in handy for dabbing off oil/food spills from your expensive bridal attire- helps you get stains off quickly, at a later stage.

Glue sticks/scissors, tape: There isn’t much you can do about a broken shoe heel (other than change your shoes) but glue sticks, tapes and scissors can come in handy when fixing small jewelry items. In many Indian weddings. So, craft items like these can be helpful in fixing stuff that might have been damaged during the commute from home to the venue.

A few snack items: You as a Bride will usually get to eat last (which is the norm in most Indian wedding ceremonies) so make sure you keep a bottle of water, a small snack (chocolate bars, cookies, apples etc) for a quick bite every now and then.

These are just a few bridal emergency kit items.

Additionally, you may carry hand sanitizes, sunscreen, antacids, moisturizers, nail paint remover, cotton balls etc.

This kit will help you to have a memorable day which is flawless and perfect in every way!

Happy Wedding

Tips for Applying Bridal Mehndi

Ideally the color of mehndi should be rich and deep maroon.The following tips will help you, the bride to get the Perfect color of mehndi on your wedding day.

1. Mehndi should be applied two days prior to your wedding day.

2. Hair removal must be done at least a day prior to the application of mehndi. Otherwise mehndi can wax off along with hair.

3. Manicure and pedicure should also be done before the application of mehndi because once mehndi has been applied; contact with water should be avoided as far as possible.

4. As soon the mehndi paste starts to dry on your hands and feet, dab it with cotton wool dipped in a mixture of lemon juice and sugar. This will help to hold the mehndi paste in its place and further help to enhance the darkness of maroon color.

5. Mehndi should be left for at least 6 hours without allowing it get wet with water. You may wrap your hands and feet with the help of a cling film. The ideal time to apply mehndi is at night as you can go off to sleep after application of mehndi.

6. Avoid bending your wrists and fingers, while the mehndi paste is wet.

7. Remove the mehndi paste at least 6 hours after application with the help of a blunt knife or simply by brushing it off. Do not wash your hands yet.

8. Keep your hands and feet warm. Apply Vicks Vaporub or nilgiri drops. Put some cloves on a heated pan and let them smoke. Hold your hands at a little height above the pan. The aroma of cloves and the heat will help to enhance the color of mehndi.

9. Avoid contact with water as far as possible till your wedding day.

10. Body glitter and bindis may also be applied on your hands and feet to match the color of your outfit.

Happy wedding...