Planning weddings is so fun, but the fine print always made my dad mad!  What I experienced is that a little extra work at the beginning saves a lot of headache in the end. Here are my top tips so you can avoid any surprise charges and sail smoothly into the sunset!

First things first, the invitations…
Most often, Indian brides get their invitations from India.  The great thing is that you can get AMAZING invitation for a deep discount.  The thing you have to be careful of is extra-large, uniquely shaped or heavy invitations can cost up to 3 dollars a piece to mail.  Multiply that by 300, and you may have wanted to go with a simpler invite and spend more on your jewelry! Try and skip boxed invitations, but if you can’t live without them (I couldn’t) then at least you are well armed with the knowledge, so you can prepare your parents!

Photography and Video…
Wedding photography and video are the most important wedding vendors. They provide the images that will last generations.  Wedding photographers and video professionals are only booked for a certain number of hours.  So, if you wedding runs longer or more likely, late you will be charged for overage. This can run from hundreds to thousands an hour! The best way to avoid this is have a detailed plan of how long it will take you to get ready and take pictures.  If you are getting married at a large hotel, make sure that you factor in walking to the scenic parts of the hotel grounds, as this may eat away up to 15 minutes of your photography time! Having a detailed itinerary of your wedding day will help you and your vendors decide what you need.

The music…
Whether you are having a band or DJ at your reception their can be hidden costs associated with either type of music you choose.  Typically, the cost of the music is for the musician or DJ’s time and the rental equipment needed.  What they don’t tell you is that if your space is large (I have yet to find a small Indian wedding!) then you will need additional speakers and microphones to have a fun, loud party.  This “surprise” can cost you anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars!   This is clearly not the type of surprise that anyone enjoys, so make sure that you (and your planner) clearly explain the space with concrete numbers.  If you are booking at a hotel or reception hall, you should be able to get the exact dimensions from them.  This way there is no “confusion” or “miscommunication” about what was agreed upon, and if there is extra equipment needed the vendor will be responsible for the cost.  

Welcome bags…
I was stunned to find out some of the charges hidden surrounding welcome bags.  Some hotels charge a welcome-bag delivery fee, and some even charge you a fee for storing the welcome bags, if you drop them off before the guests arrive! This can cost up to $7 per bag.  These days, everything is negotiable, so make sure that you ask what the cheapest way is to distribute the bags, and if they are not helpful move your wedding.  Okay, just kidding, you can distribute them at the Mehndi or another function.

Chairs…
I have yet to understand why hotels don’t have chiavari chairs for each bride to use, but that isn’t the point of this tip.  After you rent chiavaris you would think that the rental companies would include all the costs, right?  Well, sometimes they add per-item shipping and packing fees, as well as, delivery fees. (Trust me, you can not deliver these yourself.) So, the chair you thought you were getting for $5 per chair is really $9 per chair.  Get a full quote including all charges from your vendor, and have that figure on the contract.  Also, make sure that you when you shop around for the chairs you do so with the TOTAL price of the chair rental, not just the chair itself!

Cake…
When I was getting married, one of the only thing that my fiancée was interested in was the cake.  He wanted to get this gorgeous, “ace of cakes” style wedding cake that made us stretch our budget.  We were going to do it until we found out that the hotel had a “cake-cutting fee” of $5 per slice! We went with the onsite baker, had a beautiful cake, and saved a lot of money.  If you have to have a particular baker than just make sure that you know the venue’s and the bakery’s fine print!

Dear Shawna : 

I just got engaged last month, and my fiancé and I are finally starting to plan for big fat Indian wedding! We are both paying for our wedding on our own, and thank goodness we have good jobs.  Indian weddings are expensive!  We have already decided on the venue, and the next thing we are coming up with is a décor budget.  Do you have any ideas on where we can skimp & save?

Keep up the awesome work!

Payal

Seattle, Washington

Dear Payal ~

Congratulations on your engagement! Indian weddings, especially the décor, can add up frighteningly fast. There are definitely some ways to make sure that you maximize your wedding budget in the décor department. Here are my tips :

To get the most out of your budget choose flowers that are in season.  These tend to be less expensive, and if you work with seasonal color ranges that helps too.  So, instead of choosing blushes and yellows in fall, choose oranges and rust.  

There are tons of flowers that are readily available year round, but the prices can vary tremendously.  Think about it this way, a red rose may only cost $3 a stem in July, but if you are getting married around Valentine’s Day, the cost can be three times higher! Flower prices are always higher around major holidays, and especially Mother’s Day. Something to think about as you set a date.

If you can, try to avoid blue flowers.  Blues are the hardest color to use and are available in a very limited quantity.  For a similar royal look, try using purples.  Purple flowers are easily available year round. The blooms will vary from tulips in the Spring to dahlias in the Fall, but you will still get the elegant royal splash you are looking for.

Finally, don’t hesitate about reusing some of your ceremony flowers for your reception. Flowers that line the aisle can easily be used at the cake table or to decorate a buffet.  If you are getting married at an outdoor location, just make sure that your florist can discreetly move the flowers.  You don’t want to have your mandap torn down the second after you say “I Do!”

Thanks for your question! And, make sure you send us an update as you get closer to your wedding day!

Wishing you love, laughter & happily ever after,
 
 
image by Aaron Delesie

Dear Shawna  –

Help! I am competely overwhelmed by Mehndi styles! I am getting married to a Scottish guy and I love traditional style, but I am still a modern NYC girl at heart.  How do I find the right mehndi style for me?

Thanks in advance!

Sheetal

NY, NY

Thanks for your email Sheetal!

There are two things that my girlfriends squealed about when they found out I was engaged…first was, “Omg, I get to wear a sari” and “And, I get to get mehdni!”  One of my bridesmaids even asked me if she could get it on her face!  How cute was she?!

Mehndi goes hand in hand with Indian brides and Indian weddings, so to help you and all my Maharanis-to-be out, I have put together some tips on how to have your ultimate wedding mehndi.

First, choose your Style…  

1. Persian Mehndi -  Just like gently waves on the beach, Persian Mehndi has a gentle rhythm to it.  Whether you choose a swirl based design or a geometric pattern will be repetitive and meditative.

2. Middle Eastern Mehndi  – Cascading figures, accented with flowers  and open spaces adorn the shape of your hand.

3. Matching Mehndi – Your artist designs a one of a kind, original design based on the patterns of your bridal lengha.  Pretty, fabulous, huh?

4. Pakistani Mehndi – Starting from your elbows and going to the tips of your fingers, Pakistani Mehndi is total coverage with intracite designs.  For Maharanis choosing this design, look for an artist who has precise designs with fine lines, and who works very quickly! Otherwise you will be sitting for more than 4 hours!

5. Rajasthani Mehndi –  Since the state is filled with many, many cultural images, so is their mehdni! Whether you choose Ganesh Ji or a Raja & Rani you are guaranteed gorgeous designs. Just like Pakistani Mehndi, this is a full coverage look, so make sure you pick your artist carefully!

6. Glitter Mehdni – Give your mehndi a modern look with a touch of glitz and glamour!  The latest designs add crystals to mehdni giving a whole new meaning to the word bling.

For more looks take a peek at our Facebook Mehndi Look Book.

Then, choose your Artist…  

Although all Mehndi artists will tell you they can do any of these options (which has some truth to it), when you take a look at their portfolio of work, you will see a certain style to it. 

If you are an Indian bride who wants any of the full coverage Mehndi style, you must look for an artist who has precise designs with very fine lines.  The work should resemble lace, and be very, very neat.  Also, ask the artist how long that type of design takes them.  Typically it should be no more than 2 hours for your arms.

Lastly, your color…  

For the rich rust color every time here is what Maharani recommends you do:

1. Wash your hands and lightly apply Eucalyptus oil to your hands.  Just a few drops is enough, you want to create a moisturized base, so the Henna doesn’t dry out.

2. As your mehndi is being applied, have one of your bridesmaids gently tab the dry areas with a cotton ball soaked in a mixture of lemon and sugar. This prevents the Mehndi from flaking off, but just make sure it is completely dry before you start touching it!

3. The final tip is the most important one of all! Place about ten cloves on a frying pan and heat them up.  Hold your hands directly over the pan (careful not to burn yourself!)  The smoke from the cloves will make your mehndi much darker, and get you out of housework for a few days!

For traditions sake you must ask the artist to hide your groom’s name in the mehndi of your right hand.  After your have exchanged your vows, shared a first dance, and dashed off from your reception, tell your groom that you have a game for them to play.  Ask him to find his name in your mehndi…but don’t’ tell him it is all in your right hand, it’s a bit funnier that way!  And, if he finds his name and wins, you get to give him a special prize…but, I’ll leave that part to you!

Good luck and send us a picture of you as a mehndi clad Maharani!  We would love to see it!

Wishing you love, laughter & happily ever after,
 

image by Aaron Delesie

I love to hear from our readers! Drop me a note at hello@maharaniweddings.com

Hi Shawna,
 
I am a recent convert to Maharani weddings. I absolutely love and adore your site! Everyday at work, I check to see your latest post – it's one of the few thrills I have during the workday:(
 
So I have a question for you – I'm getting married this August and I'm trying to go for a bit of a different desi bridal look. Specifically, I'd love to wear my hair down, under my chunni, for the ceremony. I've searched the web all over but can't seem to find what I'm looking for.
 
Do you have any ideas on how to wear hair down and loose while still having the chunni cover your head?
 
Any tips/suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks and keep up the fantastic work
 
Gita

Hi Gita –

Congratulations on your engagement! What a fun time in your life, make sure that you soak it up!

So, this is a tough one to tackle because there are SO many variables. 

What is your hair type?

How do you feel with your hair up?

Are you doing your hair differently for the reception?

What material is your chuni?

How heavy is the chuni?

See what I mean?! So, here are how the best way to break it down to make sure that you look like the ultimate Maharani on your big day!

Rank on the scale of 1 to 5 how you FEEL with your hair all the way up. (1 being the lowest and 5 being a total knock out)

If you said 1 then having your hair all the way up is definitely not an option for you.

If you said 2 or higher then this makes the chuni dilemma a bit more flexible.

Next, rank your chuni on the scale of 1 to 5 on how heavy it is. (1 being light and airy and 5 being the most detailed part of your outfit)

My husband always tells me if you take care of the worst problem first, then the rest seem easier, so let’s tackle the girl who doesn’t like to wear her hair all the way up (1) and has a super heavy chuni (5)

This type of bride (Miss-heavy-chuni-with-her-hair-down) should play with hairstyles in the half up/half down category. Whether that is truly half her hair up or just a few pieces, the key is that you must create a hill to anchor (so to speak) the chuni into. With some soft curls and the framing of the chuni around your face, no one will be able to tell your hair is up. If Miss-heavy-chuni-with-her-hair-down, has very fine hair the key to this fix is clip in extensions.  They can be added to the top of her hair to provide more stability for the chuni to rest upon.  Another fantastic tip is to not wash your hair the day of your wedding.  (The horror, I know!) There is something about dirty hair that provides more support for these types of heavy chunis.

The other option for Miss-heavy-chuni-with-her-hair-down is to order another chuni just to be worn for this purpose.  Have a chuni made in the same fabric as your original chuni in a super light version.  A modified border with a little bling or embrodiery throughout but that is it.  You can then wear your heavy chuni draped forwards or backwards on your shoulder, and then wear this one over your head. I was Miss-heavy-chuni-with-her-hair-down on my wedding day, and I used this method and it worked fabulously!

So, for anyone who ranked your hair 2 or higher or chuni 4 or lower, you are in luck.  If you absolutely must wear your hair down you absolutely can. Although, I do not suggest that any bride wear her hair all down with a chuni draped over her head because it has the tendecy to get messy and look flat very, very quickly. Not to mention it gets in the way and is annoying. If you must, you can, but the key word here is hair trial!  Make sure that you have someone experienced do a trial with your chuni for you to see and play around with, or if you are doing your own hair make sure that you and your MOH/BFF/Mom practice a few times to get the hang of it.  (Tip for the DIYs : using brand new bobby pins makes it easier too because they just tend to stick better!)

Good luck and send us a picture of you looking like a Maharani!  We would love to see it!

Wishing you love, laughter & happily ever after,
 

image by Aaron Delesie

I love to hear from our readers! Drop me a note at hello@maharaniweddings.com

Dear Shawna,

I am getting married in late April and I am not a very traditional bride. I am having a hard time nailing down a color palette. I want to stay away from the traditional red & marigold combination that I have seen in so many Indian wedding pictures, and Indian movies!  I want something festive and vibrant, but at the same time more modern and trendy.  The only colors my maids and I have come up with is Rani and Orange or the Teal and Purple Peacock color scheme.  Both are nice, but I want something different…any ideas?

Thanks!
Sheelpa
Cleveland, Ohio

Hi Sheelpa –

Color schemes are a big decisions for your wedding day.  They sent the tone, the mood, and the attire. The solution to your dilemma is to take a shade of a traditional color and pair it with something modern.  I put together two inspiration boards for you to see how what I am saying plays out.  In this case, I took lovely shades of yellow and paired them with something unexpected and unique.  Either of these color stories could play out for your late spring/early summer wedding.  The first is more casual and the second is a bit more formal. Each has an individual romantic charm, it is just up to you!

Lemon and Sky Blue:  Light and fresh, this color palette could be absolutely breathtaking.  You could wear anything from crème to rich red, and have bridesmaids in lemon yellow saris.  Heaven!

Gold and Amethyst:  Strong and formal, this color palette has royalty written all over it.  This could look like a movie set – picture guests dressed to the nines, elegant cocktails, and servers wearing white gloves.  Magical!

Either way, you can't go wrong and you will have a glorious day!  Make sure you let us know how it turns out!

Wishing you love, laughter & happily ever after,
 

image by Aaron Delesie

 I love to hear from our readers! Drop me a note : hello@maharaniweddings.com