Up next, an incredibly intimate ceremony under an exquisite floral mandap!

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The ceremony is coming up next!

See you in just a bit with the first part of their breathtaking ceremony; the mandap by Alankar is too pretty!

See you super soon at the radiant ceremony!

Come back soon to check out their elegant wedding portraits!

Be right back with exquisite portraits of the bride and groom!

But alas, I am so happy to announce that we have a WINNER! The 2012 Mehndi Maharani goes to…

FINALIST NUMBER 8: Neeta of Mehndi Designer!

The fabulous Mr. K explains why Neeta’s talent captured his eye:

As I had said, I was looking for unique and different creative styles in henna designing for bridal henna. Dholi, bridal figurines, faces are not what I’m looking for, I’m looking for creative works.

This artist has truly stretched her diverse thinking and I am incredibly impressed with the clarity/neatness in her line drawings and shapes.

The use of other material and mediums made the final decision for me, that this is our winner. Not just an artist, but an artist thinking differently-now that’s what I like.

WELL DONE!!!

Ash Kumar

I congratulate Neeta for her amazing accomplishment in becoming this year’s Mehndi Maharani! Your work is truly beautiful and inspired.

Again, special thanks to Mr. K, ALL our finalists and every single one of you who voted. Now let’s get back to some more beautiful Indian weddings and celebrate with a toast to Neeta!

As you know, we sorted through hundreds of submissions to find the top ten finalists for this year’s Mehndi Maharani contest. The winner, chosen by our readers with the help of celebrity henna artist Ash Kumar, will be crowned the BEST mehndi artist in America.

As I rifled through the contestants, one entry particularly stood out to me.  Nayalesh impressed Mr. K, the Maharani Weddings staff and myself with her mehndi talent, but we were all floored to find out she is only 13 years old!

To honor this budding artiste (as well as young entrepreneurs everywhere!), I am proud to announce Nayalesh as the winner of this year’s Mini Mehndi Maharani contest!

Nayalesh has been practicing henna for three years (almost a quarter of her life!), and no one can deny this girl’s got talent! Congratulations Nayalesh, we can’t wait to watch your gift grow!

Stay tuned for our next Filmy Friday feature set in beautiful Toronto, Canada, and REMEMBER: today is the LAST day to vote for your Mehndi Maharani!

Remember, it’s up to the Maharani Weddings community to choose their favorite henna artist, so please remember to check out ALL ten finalists and vote, vote, vote!

A bit about about Sumeyya: ”Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do.” This quote by Sufi saint, Mawlana Jalelleddin Rumi, is something of a personal mantra. I firmly believe that when one is passionate about something, it shows through in their work and hope that this is apparent when people view my henna work, or receive henna services from me.

If Sumeyya’s work truly moves you, make her your Mehndi Maharani by leaving a vote (aka comment) below. And remember, you have to Friday, July 27, 2012 at midnight to make one of these amazing henna artists’ dreams come true!

I’ll meet you back here tomorrow for Filmy Fridays!

Now I present Vidushi from Neena’s Mehendi…

A bit about Vidushi: I love mehendi because we do not just do it as a profession, but as an important opportunity to bring positive energy to the bride’s home and leave her with good wishes and blessings as she embarks on a new journey.

Isn’t her work lovely? If you think Vidushi’s work is the loveliest, however, you are going to need to vote! To do that, just leave a comment below!

Coming up next: the phenomenal reception to this Indian wedding and the FINAL contestant for this year’s Mehndi Maharani!