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Working Towards A Successful Marriage Rihanna Weds Bhargava
While you can never discount the fact that love is the best thing that can happen to anyone, it also takes a lot to keep it going strong. Knowing one another well and spending sufficient time- with each other does prepare you better for marriage.
Rihanna and Bhargava made the classic progression from friendship to love, and slowly from lovers to soul mates. They met in their freshmen year at the University of Miami and by spring semester of sophomore year, love had worked its magic. After a long seven years of courtship, Bhargava proposed Rihanna for marriage.
Planning began immediately with all arrangements taken care of by both families and friends of the bride and groom. The Naples Botanical Gardens took on a grand look on March 17. An exquisite tent was erected and decorated with gorgeous saris, delicate cushions, floral balls, crystal curtains and sheer drapes.
Wiser and now more experienced, Rihanna has priceless words of wisdom for those readying to take the plunge. She asserts the importance of giving the groom his due, and allowing him to participate with his ideas and suggestions. More importantly, Rihanna says that it is best to savor the moment slowly, or it will go by all too quickly. Stop to smell the roses, and look around, she says. While there are bound to be small snags, they are best ignored.
Vendors CEREMONY AND RECEPTION SITE
Naples Botanical Gardens
239-325-1936
www.naplesgarden.orgPHOTOGRAPHY
Sona Photography
407-694-6032
www.sonaphotography.orgVIDEOGRAPHY
Nima Films
813-885-5555
www.NimaFilms.comOFFICIANT
Hindu Temple of Florida
813-962-6890CATERING
Tabla Bar and Grill
407-248-9400
www.tablabar.comMUSIC DJ
Garib Enterprise
954-324-5571
Garibenterprise@gmail.comPhotos Courtesy: Sona Photography
407-694-6032
www.sonaphotography.com -
The significance of Mehndi in Indian Marriages
Indian marriages are known for their many rituals. In fact, the beauty of Indian weddings comes forth in the numerous traditions that are associated with a special celebration. Indian weddings are incomplete without dance, music and lots of laughter. Furthermore, Indian weddings are not a one-day ceremony. Pre-wedding ceremonies begin before the wedding and can sometimes be a week-long celebration.
Among the many traditions that are infused into Indian weddings, one of the most prominent is the bridal mehndi ceremony. This is the day when mehndi is applied on the hands and feet of the bride and even the groom. While the bride has a very elaborate pattern done on her hands and feet, the groom usually has just a token design. Mehndi is a very important part of both Hindu and Muslim weddings in India. In fact, applying mehndi designs is a custom during any celebration in India, be it Karva Chauth, Teej, Diwali, Ramadan or any other festival.
Beliefs associated with mehndi
It is a common belief that the darker the color the mehndi leaves on the hands on a bride, the more will she be loved by her husband and mother-in-law. However, the significance of applying Indian mehndi designs during weddings is not restricted just to sentiments and beliefs. Although these beliefs make the application of mehndi a much anticipated and charming tradition, the actual reason is of much deeper significance, which is sometimes forgotten in the present day.
The core significance of Applying Mehndi
Besides lending color to the hands, mehndi is a very powerful medicinal herb. Weddings are stressful, and often, stress causes headaches and fevers. As the wedding day approaches, the excitement mixed with nervous anticipation can take its toll on the bride and groom. Application of mehndi can prevent too much stress because it cools the body and keeps the nerves from becoming tense. This is the reason why mehndi is applied on the hands and feet of the bride, which house nerve endings in the body. Also, being a highly antiseptic agent, mehndi can protect the couple from viral diseases. Such diseases are totally undesirable just before the wedding and this medicinal herb can lend a strong shield. Any small cuts, burns or scratches that the couple might sustain during the course of so many rituals and customs can be healed easily with the application of mehndi. It improves blood circulation in the body and enhances general health. The initial practice of applying mehndi in ancient times began in order to protect the couple and keep them healthy.
Mehndi applied during Indian weddings is not just a plain paste of mehndi powder and water. Eucalyptus oil, a bit of clove oil and a few drops of lemon are added. These oils not only help in darkening the color of mehndi on the body but also enhance the benefits of mehndi and make the paste highly medicinal. The best part is that the smell, the beautiful rich color and the health benefits that mehndi lends act as a powerful aphrodisiac. Also, since the color and smell remain for days, it boosts the romance in the initial days of the wedding.
Islamic belief is also very strong regarding mehndi and its application during weddings is a very significant part of Islamic weddings as well. According to holy Islamic scriptures, the Prophet always administered mehndi application and as a drink to people suffering from diseases. So, it corresponds to the Hindu ideology of using mehndi before weddings. Mehndikirasmis held a couple of days before the nikah ceremony and is celebrated with a lot of pomp and honor.
Mehndi Traditions
Over the centuries, mehndi has become so ingrained in Indian tradition that today the mehndi ceremony is one of the major celebrations before the wedding. A family member, mehndi artist or expert applies mehndi on the palms and feet of the bride. Elaborate designs are applied on the hands with a cone filled with mehndi. While the mehndi is being applied, other members of the family play the traditional dhol and dance to its beats. Every female member of the family gets mehndi done on her hands and feet. The entire mood of a mehndi ceremony is extremely festive.
The mehndi ceremony takes place at the bride’s place and usually, it is held a couple of days prior to the wedding. It is a night ceremony which is accompanied by relatives, music, laughter, food and a lot of fun.The mehndi ceremony for the groom takes place separately at his home. The bride and groom do not usually get decked up very elaborately at the time of the mehndi application, and their ensembles are very simple. Once the mehndi for the bride is done, the female relatives of the bride, especially her sisters, visit the groom’s ceremony. It is great fun as the would-be sister-in-law’s play pranks on their future brother-in-law and try to get some money from him as a tradition! It is a very happy occasion for both families. Traditional songs and music characterize the ceremony from the beginning to the end.
Present trends in mehndi
Although times have changed and a lot of new inclusions have been made in Indian weddings, the significance of the mehndi ceremony has grown in stature. Many families bring in DJs to play songs and celebrations that go on until late in the night. If something has changed about the ceremony, it is the designs and patterns. While only intricate Indian designs were traditionally applied in the past, brides today are experimenting with Arabic designs and Indo-Arabic designs and mixing shimmer pastes along with the traditional mehndi paste. Semi-precious stones are also embedded in the design. It is traditional to write the name of the groom on the bride’s palm. In some regions, this is also a small ritual after the wedding. The groom is made to search for his name, which is usually smartly written so as not be readily visible.
The mehndi ceremony is a reflection of the rich Indian culture, bringing together the knowledge of medicinal herbs with many lovely sentiments and beliefs. The result is a ceremony filled with fun and joy and the perfect precursor to the auspicious wedding day.
Bridal Mehndi
Diwali
Hindu and Muslim weddings
Indian marriages
Indian Mehndi Design
Indian weddings
Karva Chaut
mehndi applied on the hands and feet of the bride
Mehndi Artist
mehndi ceremony
Mehndi Design
mehndi powder
Ramadan
significance of applying mehndi
Teej
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Love in a Coffee Shop Natalie Weds Debobroto
Four beautiful years of dating convinced Deb and Natalie to take their relationship to the next level. Deb proposed to his beloved along the shores of the Seine in Paris, slipping the ring onto her finger at one of the most romantic settings in the world.
They chose to get married in St. Petersburg near Tampa, Florida, since Natalie’s mother lived there also because of great outdoor ambiance of the place.
Sunken Gardens was chosen as the wedding venue and the wedding was organized in two parts. In the morning, Natalie and Deb got married per Hindu traditions in a mandap that was set on a small stage under a canopy of one hundred year old oak trees.
The second part of the wedding was the civil ceremony planned in Irish style in honor of Natalie’s ancestry, infused with Irish flavors in the form of Celtic hand fasting ceremony and Irish blessing.
The wedding program detailed various aspects of Hindu weddings and Irish traditions for the guests. Music was one of the highlights of the ceremony. The wedding was a beautiful union of two completely different cultures.
Although the wedding turned out to be perfect, it was not without some high stress moments.
Natalie and Deb urge couples to plan ahead and hire a coordinator for the wedding day. They ask couples to not let blur of the ceremony distract them from realizing that they are now tied together in a sacred bond, one that lasts forever.
Vendors Ceremony Site
Sunken Gardens
727-892-5715
www.stpete.org/sunken/sgweddings.aspPHOTOGRAPHY
Pure Emotions Photography
336-782-7150
www.pureemotionsphotography.comMANADP DECORATOR
P.D Patel
813-787-9651
pdpatel15@yahoo.comMehndi
Munira’s Mehndi
813-403-8373
www.sites.google.com/site/munirasmehndi/HomeCATERING
Catering by the Family, Inc.
813-875-2000
www.cateringbythefamily.comMusic DJ
Dudha Productions
727-418-8498
www.dudhaproductions.com/homePhotos Courtesy: Pure Emotions Photography
336-782-7150
www.pureemotionsphotography.com -
Indian Wedding Rituals
Those not intimately familiar with Indian weddings may envision large, extravagant weddings complete with loads of money, glamour, and style all rolled into one to make one of the most important events in one’s life the most memorable. However, with all the glitz and sparkle in modern day Indian weddings, the celebration is still not devoid of age-old wedding rituals. Such is the strength and solidarity signified by Indian wedding rituals. Indian weddings are solemnized with utmost sanctity, and the married couple is believed to be bound to each other for seven birth cycles.
Significance of Rituals
extravagant Indian weddings
Indian weddings
Indian wedding rituals
Significance of Rituals
A strong belief in religion along with certain dedicated ancient practices forms the foundation of many of the customary practices still being adhered to in modern India. Indian weddings are predominant examples of many of the rituals and customs that people still follow. Age-old practices that are the foundation of Indian society have given rise to certain stringent rituals followed at Indian weddings.
Tilak
Tilak
Only the male members of the bride and groom’s family attend this pre-wedding celebration. The significance of this ceremony is to bless and welcome their upcoming son-in-law, which is why this ceremony is held at the groom’s house. As a first step of introduction between the male members of the bride and groom’s family, a hawan or pooja is performed at the groom’s house. The Tilak ceremony is said to commence the wedding alliance before the actual wedding day.
Traditions aside, the tilak when applied at the space between the eyebrows, known as Ajna chakra, has a cooling effect as it tends to nullify the heat that is generated when concentrating, meditating or praying during the ceremony.
Engagement (Sagai)
Indian Engagement
Sagai
This traditional ceremony is held with opulent celebrations and elaborate decorations. The engagement ceremony sanctifies the institution of marriage, and it signifies the bride and groom are joined together for life. It is also one of the first celebrations held between the bride and the groom’s families.
The sagai is also known as the ring ceremony since the bride and groom exchange rings with each other during this ceremony. The ring signifies a never ending circle, thus once the rings are exchanged, the couple becomes one for life. A havan is performed to bless the couple, keep evil and negativity away, and harness cosmic energy so as to achieve spiritual and material goals.
Nav Graha Aarti
Nav Graha Aarti
This is a puja ceremony done in order to worship the nine planets of our solar system that govern us. Indian mythology and ancient studies state that these celestial bodies, depending upon certain factors, affect a person’s destiny either positively or negatively. The most intense impact is said to come from the nine planets of our solar system. Thus, at the navgraha puja the Gods associated with their respective planets are asked to shower their blessings on the bridal couple.
Mehndi
Mehndi
Mehndi is considered to be one of the 16 adornments of the bride. In this pre-wedding ceremony, the bride is beautified with the colors of mehndi on her hands, arms, legs, and feet. A mehndi expert is usually invited to artfully design the bride’s mehndi. The mehndi ceremony is a merry and festive occasion, an appropriate precursor to wedding celebrations. Since the ceremony revolves primarily around the bride, it is essentially a event for women.
Mehndi is made by drying the leaves of the henna plant. Henna has a cooling effect on the body – it keeps at bay the heat generated in the body out of anxiety and excitement, thus keeping the bride at ease in the midst of all the overwhelming activities throughout the wedding. Many believe that the darker the color of the mehndi, the longer will she be loved by her husband.
Vidai
Vidai
The vidai ceremony typically takes place after the wedding day when the bride officially leaves the house of her parents to live with her husband. In India, this ceremony is filled with much emotion, unlike some of the previously mentioned ceremonies. The bride’s family bids her farewell, and the bride promises to bring prosperity and good luck in her new home. The vidai ceremony implies the end of one phase of bride’s life, and publicly announces the start of a new phase with her husband and new family. This ceremony is a combination of happiness and sadness. Though the bride and her family are sad that she is leaving them, at the same time they are also happy that she is going to start a new life with her new family.
Salt – Datar
Salt – Datar
Once the wedding and reception are over, the couple goes to the groom’s house. Before entering her new home, the bride waits at the entrance for the datar ceremony. It starts with the groom’s mother or any elderly person rinsing the bride’s feet. The bride has to sprinkle milk in every corner of the house, while her head is covered. This act has a deep-rooted meaning – it signifies that incase there arises any misunderstandings between the family members, the bride will seek it out and maintain peace. She then takes a fistful of salt and places it on her groom’s hand, he in turn passes the salt back in her hand without spilling any, and this procedure is repeated three times. This way, every member of the groom’s family participates in this ceremony.
The significance is that just as salt blends with any food and adds taste to it, so would the bride blend with the family members and maintain love and harmony.
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Love in on Online World Bijal Weds Tarish
The Internet can be a beautiful thing. Particularly when it comes to bringing people, such as Bijal and Tarish, together. The couple married on April 7, 2012, at the Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida.
Bijal and Tarish first met through Shaadi.com, a prominent online matrimonial site. They met in person on February 18, 2011,in Palm Beach Amidst India Fest celebrations, and after this, there was no looking back. The couple began dating and traveling often to Michigan and Florida to visit each other. It finally dawned on Bijal that it was time to deepen her relationship with Tarish, so she moved to Gainesville, Florida, to be closer to him. Tarish helped Bijal drive to her new home in Gainesville, Florida, and soon after on May 24, 2011, Tarish proposed. The proposal was rather unexpected, though Tarish did propose in the most adorable fashion over breakfast in front of his mother and sister. He did not have a ring and was certainly not dressed for the occasion. He spontaneously blurted out his intention to get married to Bijal, after which he was quick on deciding the type of ceremony function and some close friends he would like to see at the wedding. Although at first it rather difficult for Bijal to absorb the idea of a wedding so spontaneously proposed by Tarish, she eventually that she was ready to share her life with Tarish and tie the knot.
Deciding on the wedding venue was not all that difficult, since the couple wanted West Palm Beach, the place where they first met, to be the setting. They decided to hire Virtues Events to take care of every detail required to organize their dream wedding.
Their events included mehndi, Sangeet, and the main wedding, followed by a reception. On April 5, 2012, the mehndi was organized at the Downtown Hyatt Palace of Palm Beach. The guests were welcomed with bags that included a wedding program, directions to the venue, and some snacks and bottles of water. The mehndi venue was well decorated with flowers and candles appropriately placed to enable dance sessions and other fun-filled moments. The sangeet and mehndi was the official start of the wedding function and signaled the fun to in a venue aptly decorated in bright colors. The mehndi artist sat on the center stage, catering to the requirements of each and every female guest at the venue for all their mehndi needs. The Bandhini theme was selected for the Sangeet function, wherein the guests danced freely to lift the occasion with perfection.
The main wedding ceremony was held at the Palm Beach Convention Center in the midst of palm trees. The environment was perfectly romantic and exuded a radiance so desired by the couple. Bijal entered the venue along with her brothers Jay, Alpesh, Kalpesh, and Rakesh. The ceremony was indeed very enticing, which enthralled every guest in attendance. The wedding ceremony was followed by vivid celebrations, in which cocktails freely flowed amongst all the guests. The caterers, Taste of India, had the most delectable Indian vegetarian snack items available in the open food bar. Apart from variety of pakoras, the food barin cluded paneer masala, chilli corn, idli masala, and samosa.
The wedding ceremony was followed by an exotic reception, which was held at the same venue. The guests were eagerly crowding the dance floor to rejoice the occasion with perfection. The immediate families, bridal party, and couple also danced their way to the floor, to tunes rendered by the DJ Ace. The dinner buffet was authentic Punjabi cuisine, also catered by Taste of India. With speeches made by the bridesmaid and the groomsmen, the reception party ended on a celebratory note with thank you speeches made by the bride and the groom.
Bijal attributes the success of all her wedding events to her vendors, namely, Virtues Events, Taste of India, Ace DJ, and Divesh Photography. Even today, Bijal cherishes every moment of the ceremony, be it her photographer Nidhi assisting her in wearing the bridal outfit or eating six ras malai all on her own without sharing with anyone – not even Tarish! Such are the memories of weddings!
Photos Courtesy:
Devish Photography
954-980-4835
devishphoto@gmail.com
Vendors WEDDING PLANNER
Virtues Events 561-309-3786
www.virtuesevents.comWEDDING DECORATOR
Virtues Events 561-309-3786PHOTOGRAPHY
Devish Photography 954-980-4835
www.devishphotography.comCATERING
Taste of India 561-721-8600
www.tasteofindiafl.usMEHNDI
iBrow Studios 561-642-0501
sumaiya_waheed@yahoo.comVENUE
Palm Beach Convention Center 561-366-3029
www.pbconventioncenter.com