Wedding

Essential Things to Consider When Choosing a Wedding Photographer

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It can be quite cumbersome and time consuming when you are trying to find the right wedding photographer. Besides, you want your wedding photos to be very unique and special. Doing your research and planning ahead will help you to select the most suitable photographer. This will also help you find one who knows what you want and how to produce the photos that you desire.

Has the Right Outdoor Photography Equipment

A good photographer can work in all types of environments and handle all types of situations. This is a very important thing to look for if you want to take pictures in a natural setting.

Does your chosen photographer have the right type of equipment to take the pictures that you want? Is he experienced enough to capture the special moments of your day? Can you count on him to take exquisite pictures even if the weather is rainy and gloomy outside? Talk to your photographer and address these concerns. Life happens, but you don’t want it to negatively impact your wedding day.

A good wedding photographer knows how to handle all possible scenarios, no matter what happens on your wedding day. Talking to your photographer about your concerns before your big day will put your mind at ease.

Is Your Photographer Familiar with Your Wedding Location?

If your chosen photographer has worked at your wedding location before, then he should be familiar with the location and be able to shoot all types of shots from various angles. This will also make it easy for him to shoot more creative photos. This means that it won’t take as long for him to photograph your wedding and reception.

Obviously, an experienced photographer can look at your wedding location and know where and how to take the best shots, even if he has never been there before. However, you might ask if he has ever photographed a wedding at your chosen wedding venue.

How Long Will the Photographer Stay?

A reportage wedding photographer should be available to capture every moment of your special day. This might include the pre-wedding rituals, the ceremony and the reception. You want to look back years later and see all of these special moments depicted in your wedding photos.

In advance, speak to your reportage wedding photographer and get an understanding about the number of hours that he will be there on your wedding day. Get a quote based upon the amount of hours that you expect him to stay, as well as the amount of photos that he will take. If he is a real professional who is committed to pleasing his client, he will insist on staying as long as it takes to make you happy.

What Services Does He Provide After the Wedding?

Taking pictures on your wedding day is not the only thing that wedding photographers do. There are other services that are usually available after the wedding. For instance, your photographer might offer editing services or create wedding albums. If this is possible, ask him how long each of these services will take.

It is important that you communicate with your wedding photographer. As a professional, he should respond to your inquiries in a quick manner. He should also have no problems with helping you with any photo related requests that you might have after the wedding.

You won’t be satisfied with your wedding photos unless you communicate with the photographer. In addition, he must have the right style, great communication skills, appropriate equipment and creativity.

When you first meet him, let your wedding photographer know what you want and expect. This will help him to ascertain your needs and give you exactly what you desire.

Author:

Richard Galloway is an award-winning professional photographer and considered one of the best reportage wedding photographers in Surrey. Creating -story-telling- photographs since 2007, he specialises in documentary (reportage) wedding photography.

Visit: http://www.gallowayphotography.uk.com/

Or just call for a chat about your special day: 01252 835 981

The Proper Morning Wedding Etiquette

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A good advice for making a wedding romantic and truly special is to make the ceremony debt-free and low-key as possible. Couples should save their money and not pay much attention to wedding advices features in magazines. Love is basically between the couple that will be getting married so its best they focus on each other.

A morning wedding followed by a luncheon reception is ideal, as it will give the couple enough time for their honeymoon, starting a new life and have enough energy to perform immediate post-wedding activities. Over 200 guests waiting at an expensive sit-down dinner will not add anything special to the romance.

A morning wedding will also help the couple save money and their eager energy and more than half a day to savor the moment of finally getting hitched.

Etiquette in a morning wedding

A morning wedding can be formal, semi-formal or informal. The bride can be outfitted with a short wedding dress or suit. In a formal morning wedding, the bride’s gown should touch the floor and veil fingertip or slightly below the middle knuckle of the mid finger. A fingertip veil becomes more attractive when it is used with an elbow length blusher. For a semi-formal morning wedding, the gloves and blusher veils are optional.

The groom’s attire is typically composed of a business, sportcoat or morning suit in accordance to the level of formality. In a semi-formal morning wedding, proper etiquette dictates that the groom can sport a dark stroller or suit without black or gray tails. In a formal wedding, a morning suit, which is composed of gray pinstripe trousers, ascot, gray vest and a cutaway coat, is suffice. The groom also has the option to wear a tuxedo if he wants to.

The groom and bride’s attire should complement each other. If the bride is wearing a casual short wedding dress, then the groom should wear a business suit or sportcoat instead of a tuxedo.

Regardless whether the wedding is during the morning or late in the evening, there is a certain etiquette that should be followed in the ceremony.

– Bridesmaids and groomsmen should assist in the ceremonies if the morning wedding is not held strictly in private.

– The bridesmaids should not have dresses that is not too eye-catching but will match the wedding dress. In addition, they should be younger than the bride. The dresses can contain more ornaments and should consist of light, graceful fabric. Flowers should serve as the main decoration.

– The wedding dress should be simple but elegant and can be decorated with few ornaments or jewels that come from the parents or the bridegroom. The dress needs to have an attractive veil and garland.

– The bride needs to be assisted by her bridesmaids in wearing the wedding dress, receiving visitors and locate themselves at her left side. The first bridesmaid for easy access should keep the bouquet and gloves.

– The clergyman should be received by the groomsmen and led to the couple that will be married. They will also serve as assistants for the bridegroom, during the occasion.

– Guests should wear something light and fresh. A breezy dress or a light-colored suit would be appropriate. Those who are fond of hats are in luck in a morning wedding, as wearing one will complement the ease and energy of the ceremonies. Dark suits and dresses should be avoided.

The Wedding Breakfast

If the bride appears during breakfast proper etiquette dictates that she sits beside her husband at the center table, while the father and mother occupy the top to bottom and greets the guests coming in. Once the cake has been cut and every one has eaten, which include offering a toast to the new couple and giving acknowledgements, the bride and groom meet with their friends and eventually exit from the ceremony.

The newly-married couple can start in their wedding journey at around two or three o’clock, while the rest of the guests and family member depart from the reception area shortly after.

Tips Of Choosing Designer Sarees And Designer Saree Blouses

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Special wedding codes should be adhered to when doing a wedding and are designed by experts. Many countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, these designs of wedding saris are preferably made from experts who are equipped with the skills on making a variety of the wedding gowns. Some of the many Indian Saris you can get in many boutiques dealing with selling wedding gowns include; Anarkali Salwar Suit, Patiala Salwar Kameez, Churidar Salwar Kameez and so on. A person can make orders of the dresses and once that has been done, delivery is done to the customers premises thus saving them many expenses which they might have incurred.

There are so many designer sarees and designer saree blouses which are among the amazing offers in most weddings and some of the dresses you can get in boutiques include;

1.Yellow Cotton Churidar Kameez: This is designed with yellow colors containing beautiful flowers printed on them together with geometric print and patch work. With different designer saris and designer sari blouses, one can differentiate them through their various colors and Patch Patti.

2.Black Faux Georgette Churidar: You can find this in black color with different patch works, sequins, resham and colors. Comes with many accompaniments when sold to customers and they become necessary to people when they are buying so that they can match with the dress. Due to fabric limitations, this dress is made in many dimensions and one can differentiate various designs by considering their colors and patch Patti patterns.

3.Serene Off-white Cotton Salwar: This is one of the amazing collections of the designer saris and designer sari blouses you can get from most boutiques and its demand is very high. Usually come in the market with many colors, designs and texture thus customers need to make the right choice when buying.

4.Beige and Blue Crepe Silk Salwar Kameez: This design is embroidered with resham, sequins, zari and patch work in form of floral and paisley designs. Many designs which usually come with this are blue faux chiffon dupatta and shantoon salwar which are in various dimensions and styles. There are very slight variations in color and Patti pattern one can get from the major outlets.

5.Cream Cotton Salwar Kameez: Look nicely designed with floral and spiral prints where people can find many designs and styles which come along with this including blue salwar and dupatta designs. It usually unstitched and made in various dimensions with different colors.

The designs of blouses mentioned above are just a few as there are so many of them you can get in many wedding dresses boutiques and from manufacturers. Many customers who may be out of the country and need the designs, they can do online shopping by giving their specifications and personal details to the sellers. Once this is done, delivery is done on their doorsteps where they have to pay for shipping expenses and others costs which may be necessary. Due to the fact that many designs look alike, it is vital for the customer to mention the name of the designer sarees and designer saree blouses when he or she wants to purchase them and other saris online.

Importance Of Mehndi In Indian Culture

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Mehndi holds a lot of cultural significance in Indian traditions. Be it weddings, Karva Chauth or other occasions, mehndi plays an important role in all the ceremonies and festivals of India. In todays era of modernization, the new styles and designs of mehndi are coming up, adding glamour and fun to it.

Weddings being the most important day in ones life, mehndi has become an ornament for the soon to be brides. There is, in fact, one whole ceremony dedicated to its celebration popularly known as Mehndi Ceremony or Mehndi Ki Raat. Besides this, the phrase Haath Peele Karna as often heard from elders of the family is a rasam of mehndi directly synonymous to marriage. This significance maybe attributed to symbolic meaning of mehndi i.e. fertility.

Mehndi Ceremony is among the pre wedding rituals in Indian weddings performed a day prior to the marriage. Just as Haldi ceremony symbolizes cleanliness, mehndi signifies beautification. Mehndi-Ki-Raat is usually a private affair with close relatives, friends and family members, celebrated amidst lot of dancing and feasting. This ritual is often combined with Sangeet ceremony and so is primarily a womens function. The atmosphere is imbued with dholak beats and singing of traditional songs while mehndi is applied on brides hands and legs by mehndi experts. The brides mehndi interweaves the name of her would be husband and he is expected to find his name in the pattern. The female relatives of the family also apply mehndi on their palms to take part in the celebrations. This ceremony is performed by families of both the Indian bride and the Indian groom.

Even the color of mehndi is given high importance in Indian culture as the darkness of the color signifies the degree of husbands and mother-in-laws love. It depicts love and affection between the couple as it is believed that the longer it retains, the more auspicious it is. The bride is traditionally not allowed to work in her husbands home until her mehndis color fades away completely.

Mehndi is applied on all the important occasions, festivals and vrats(fasts) in Hindu culture. It is important in festivals such as Karwa Chauth, Rakhi, Diwali etc. It is also considered as a shagun mostly denoted by the pattern of large dot in the centre of the hand with four smaller dots at the sides.

In order to make this conventional trend of henna application more exciting, fashionable and fun filled, there is a vast variety of mehndi designs available today. Arabic Mehndi, Rajasthani Mehndi, Crystal Mehndi, Tattoo Mehndi, etc along with the traditional Indian Mehndi are among the most popular styles of mehndi currently. Mehndi designs majorly consist of floral patterns, religious symbols, etc. while adding beauty and uniqueness to each design applied.

Henna or Mehndi is also known worldwide for its medicinal properties. It was, in fact, used as a cosmetic in earlier times due to its therapeutic features. Mehndi is widely adopted around the world as a conditioner and dye for hair by both men and women. It is a natural dye that renders a beautiful color on hair and creates a lustrous look. Also, mehndi is popular for its cooling effects, thus, used in hot climates in India and other countries. It can also help in lowering body temperature and soothe headaches, fevers, burning feet and even hysteria or a violent temper. It can increase the luster of nails, is effective in muscular rigidity and even in Jaundice.

Henna is in vogue these days with much experimentation happening on ways of its application. It is now prominently used, especially in the West, to make tattoos on different parts of the body. Tattoos are made on arms, wrists, around the navel, the shoulder or the back. Henna is now being used for body art as well.

Few useful links:
http://www.jeevansathi.com/

Rajasthani Marriage Rituals

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India is popularly known as the land of cultures, the only place where you find unity in diversity. The country has 28 states with a number of languages and customs practiced in each region. The availability of variety in almost everything from food to clothes, religion to language, has helped in making the lives of the people more lively and interesting.

Among all the states, Rajasthan is a place which is popular for the prevalence of its colors and food. Rajasthani dance is also famous all over the world with the different and
Vibrant lifestyle these people have. Rajasthan is also famous for its forts, havellis, palaces which are the major source to attract a large number of tourists. The colors and the majesty of Rajasthani culture can be witnessed in a Rajasthani marriage.

The marriages of Rajasthan are directly proportional to the colorful, strong and vibrant nature of its natives. The wedding food of Rajasthan constitutes of mouth watering dishes like Gattee ki sabzi, Dall Bati Churma, Papad ki sabzi, missi roti, daal makhani, shahi kadi chawal, shahi paneer, moong ka halwa, motichoor ke ladoo and saunth ke ladoo. The Rajasthani bride and groom are dressed in their traditional manner with the bride wearing dark color mostly in red ghaghra- choli and the groom wearing kurta- pyjama of any color with a dupatta complementing the color of the grooms dress.

Following is a brief description of the common ceremonies practiced in Rajasthani matrimony:

Pre- marriage rituals:
Engagement: Engagement is the ceremony, which marks the beginning of the courtship period of the couple. In this the Rajasthani bride and groom exchanges rings between each other, accepting the bond formed for a life- time. The ceremony takes place in front of all the relatives and friends to seek their blessing followed by feast and celebrations.

Ganpati Sthapana: Blessing from the god of intelligence, Ganesh ji is taken by bringing his idol home and getting that placed the temple inside the house. The ceremony takes place at the house of both the parties i.e. bride and the groom.

Pithi Dastoor: In this ceremony, turmeric paste is applied on the hands and the feet of the bride and the groom. The ceremonies take place in their respective places, after which the Rajasthani bride and groom are not suppose to move out of their houses, till their matrimony ceremonies are complete.

Mehfils: This basically corresponds to the gathering of the Rajasthani bride and the grooms families in either of their houses, where they celebrate their bonding with taking part in the famous Ghoomar, Dance of Rajasthan. All the family members dance together, which is followed by a lavishing dinner.

Jnaeva Ceremony: In this ritual, the groom is made to wear a pious thread in the Havan or the pooja in front of the sacred fire, signifying that either the groom will enter the married life or will take renunciation from the materialistic world.

Palla Dastoor: The father of the groom visits the brides house with the wedding dress and jewelry for the bride.

Toran or Toranchar: On the day of the Rajasthani matrimony, the entrance of the brides house is decorated with colorful flowers and straws, which are hit by the groom to prevent his, would- be bride from the evils eye. This ceremony is called Toranchar.

Wedding Ceremonies:

Granthi Bandhan: The brides father gives away the responsibility of her daughter to the groom, called kanyadan, after the application of turmeric paste on the brides hand.

Paani Grahan: This is the ceremony, where the groom takes the responsibility of the bride by taking her hand into his, signifying the acceptance of the relation.

Phera Ceremony: The Rajasthani bride and groom take the seven circles around the sacred fire symbolizing their oath for being together for the next seven lives.

Satapadi: This is the ritual where both Rajasthani groom and bride takes seven steps towards the direction of the Sun God, signifying each others support in all walks of life, whether its good or bad, happiness or sorrow. From here onwards, they are declared husband and wives.

Bidai: After the completion of all the marriage ceremonies, bride moves towards the house of her husband leaving her maternal home to lead a new and happy married life.

Few useful links:
http://www.jeevansathi.com/
http://www.jeevansathi.com/matrimonials/rajasthani-matrimonial/