Wedding Adventures

This post is a little late. For some reason I struggled to complete it. This is probably because I have not done any serious wedding duties recently.

The major responsibilities have been finalised. The venue, food, entertainment and wedding attire are secured. There are still many minor responsibilities that require my attention. Accordingly to the wedding checklists, I should have the following in order:  

Seven to Six Months Before (Yes, I have six months before the big day)
1.         Select and purchase invitations.	Done, they are in the design process currently.
2.        Start planning a honeymoon.	Done!
3.        Shop for bridesmaids’ dresses.	Done, we just need our designer to work her magic.
4.       Decide on groomsmen attire.	Done, shopping for men is surprisingly easy.
5.       Meet with the officiant.	I have, many times, weekly actually.
6.       Send save-the-date cards.	The invite will suffice.
7.       Reserve structural and electrical necessities.	Working on it…
8.       Book a florist.	Working on it…
9.       Arrange transportation.	Each man for themselves.
10.     Start composing a day-of timeline.	I can, but I’m Indian. Indian folks do not know how to stick to timelines.  #IndianTime  #NotAtMyWedding  #BeThereEarly

 

My duties are by no means restricted to this list. I am currently on the look-out for an ideal wedding cake.  I want a three tier cake that tastes like something from Woolworths and looks like something from Buddy Valstro’s kitchen. Initially, I wanted a ‘naked’ wedding cake, in keeping with the modern rustic theme. Naked cakes are sponge cakes with minimal or no cream/icing. They are decorated with fresh fruit or flowers. No fondant or marzipan is used. I like naked cakes for this reason. However, fondant covered cakes have an elegant, polished look with the option of adding handcrafted embellishments and decorative patterns, while still being able to enjoy the sponge on the inside. Attention to details and perfection are close to my heart. Based on this you will probably find a fondant covered cake at my wedding. I have just learnt that the price tags on the above beauties are shocking, so do not be surprised if there is no cake at all at my wedding.

Selecting garden and reception hall décor is another task waiting to be struck off my list. We are meeting with a supplier soon and our aim is to achieve an elegant, modern rustic look, incorporating shades of coral, gold and white. I am excited about reviewing the possible décor ideas and choosing the most appropriate pieces for the final look. Our DIY centerpieces have earned the right to appear on the tables. They look good and are fitting with the theme. They just need a few candles and flowers as a final touch. I am a strong believer of ‘less is more’ even when it comes to price tags.

Over the last few months, I have been constantly reminded about how weddings have evolved since our parents were married. My father believes that I can successfully plan a wedding for more than 200 guests for half the price that I am currently paying for 200 guests. He is not entirely incorrect, which he loves to hear. However, previously wedding celebrations consisted of food for the entire neighbourhood and a venue that could fit the entire neighbourhood. Budgets are now blown on boutique venues, extravagant décor, sky-high wedding cakes, fancy photo booths, drone photography, celebrity emcees, pyrotechnics and many more. Business owners and wedding suppliers know that bridal couples are weak when it comes to planning their ‘fairytale’ wedding. They thrive on the fact that weddings are a one-time only event and create the belief that spending copious amounts of money is justifiable, as a result. It is an ironic situation as business owners and wedding suppliers claim to make your planning easier, however your wallet becomes incredibly lighter, which makes your life burdens heavier.

To prevent a hole from forming in my wallet, I have established a step-by-step plan to overcome persuasive wedding salesman:

1.       Thoroughly research and formulate a clear idea of what you want.

2.       Decide on the maximum amount you will pay for a specific item or service.

3.       If you find something you like, compare it with other suppliers or similar items.

4.       Select the best three from the lot. Choose one that best suits your criteria.

5.       If the chosen item or service is above your budget and you are not willing to compromise, the budget WILL HAVE TO BE REDUCED on other items or services that are less significant. (Be Strong!)

Planning a budget for a wedding is no child’s play. It requires good commutation, dedication and sacrifice. Similar qualities are required for marriage.

Love

The Bride-to-be

Bridal gowns & Bridesmaids dresses

Hello Blog Buddies 😊

Yesterday marked nine months to my wedding. Time is flying by and so is my money!

I am currently on the hunt for the perfect wedding dress. My initial idea of a perfect wedding dress was a puffy, glittery, princess ball gown. I blame Cinderella and her friends for this, as I have spent many years (as a kid) watching animated princesses flaunt their perfectly tailored ball gowns. As a little girl, the gowns were so extravagant I could only imagine wearing them to my own wedding. I had been brainwashed since then and it was difficult to shake off the notion.

I started shopping for wedding dresses a few months ago. At the bridal stores I would go straight to the ball gowns. They looked gorgeous however I quickly learned that they were not a true reflection of my style.  A wedding dress must reflect personal style and pay attribute to the brides personality. It must complement the bride in as many ways as possible. It should reflect a timeless beauty as it is a one-time only garment.

After visits to several bridal stores I have a good idea of what I like and what is characteristic of my style and personality. I have familiarised myself with the variety of styles available, I learned about the fabrics I like and what complements my style. I have come to the conclusion that I like a mermaid style dress with straps of some kind as I lack the necessary fatty tissue in the required area for a strapless dress. I like detailed bead work on the dress with a touch of crystals. There is an ongoing debate about an ivory or white dress, but I will let that be a surprise.

The design process for the bridesmaids’ dresses is also underway. We have decided to get the dresses custom-made in order to get the perfect fit and design. Furthermore it allows us to display some of our own creativity in terms of dress design and fabric choices. Our first shopping trip was a successful one; we found an embroidered lace fabric with rhinestones. We all loved the fabric at first glance and decided that it will be used for the bodice of the dress. It is a pale shade of gold with darker rhinestones. We were going to pair the bodice with a coral bottom; however this may change in order to achieve a more elegant look. We have a talented dressmaker/designer, who we are working with to ensure our designs are practical and budget friendly. The design we have chosen is a full length, A-line/princess cut dress with an illusion neckline (see picture below). It is basically a fitted bodice that narrows at the waist with a flowy long length bottom.

The groom and groomsmen’s attire is less complicated. The groomsmen’s suits will be a shade of taupe with white shirts, tan shoes and a matching belt. The plan was to pair this with a coral tie and a matching floral pocket handkerchief, however this is dependent on the bridesmaids’ dresses. The groom is in search of a matt finish cobalt/navy suit. Our many Pinterest and Google searches have shown us that the colour exists, we just need to find it. We have taken into consideration that a navy suit will reflect different shades at different times of the day, depending on the type of light available. We need to make sure that the colours we choose altogether are complementary as we do not want to look like a group of circus moneys.

Shopping for wedding attire is a big deal! I want my wedding retinue to enjoy the experience as much as I do and look good while doing it.

The countdown down has begun! #9months

Love The Bride to be 💕

 

Illusion neckline

 


Sneak peak of embroidered lace with rhinestones

I said Yes!

Dear Blog Buddies.

I have some exciting news!

Exactly a year from today, I will be walking down the aisle in a white dress. Yes! #12 months. The planning has begun and the main game players have been put into place. We have secured a venue, a décor supplier, DJ, videographer and photographer.

Yes I am getting married!

The planning began in September 2016 when my fiancée decided it was time to pop the question. We were in Vietnam with an amazing group of people. Being the Champ that he is, he located one of the highest buildings in Hanoi, Vietnam equipped with a fancy roof top restaurant to go down on one knee. (See pictures attached below).

I said yes! And here we are eight months later…

We decided that our wedding and reception will be an intimate one with 200 of our closest friends and family. In an Indian family this is probably one of the most difficult tasks. If you are Indian, you would know that if we have the same surname or if we grew up in the same area as children, we are considered family or we will find a way to connect you to the family tree. For example, my grandmother’s sister’s secondary school teacher’s daughter who married my grandfather’s cousin’s grandson, (with the same surname as me) now becomes my cousin. We call them 45th cousins. Cousins that become your cousins because your great grandmother knew their great grandfather. So you can imagine the difficulty we face. If I considered all ‘my cousins’ the 200 guests will only be ‘45th cousins’.

I have accepted that planning a wedding will bring about some form of stress and maybe frustration at times. However so far, it has been joyful and exciting, not only for my fiancée and I, but for our parents as well, specifically our mothers.

Considering all the elements of planning a wedding, my fiancée and I are definitely having a great time putting some of our best skills to work. I have a great love for décor, craft and creativity. Thus deciding on a theme, colours and matching decorative items and ideas is bringing me great joy. My fiancée who is equally excited, is a manager in a finance team. His task is to ensure that I, I mean we, do not blow the budget. One of his other tasks is to continuously remind me that I'm not Kim Kardashian and that I cannot get Versace or Balmain to design my wedding gown. Fortunately he draws up excel sheets as we go along, so when the Kardashian tendencies show themselves, he exorcises them with a quick view of the budget. We’re a great team!

We have chosen a modern rustic theme for the wedding and reception. It is a combination of nature and/or natural elements put together to create a nature-like ambience. We are planning a garden wedding with an indoor reception. The venue we have chosen is ideal for this and for the theme we have chosen. It is surrounded by trees; two lawns of green grass, a little garden walk way and a glimpse of the ocean. Shade of coral, gold and white are the selected colours. In keeping with the modern rustic theme, we are going to make use of natural flowers, glass jars and warm lighting. We have collected a variety of glass jars and I have a few DIY ideas up my sleeves. If all goes well, we will be making our own centerpieces.

Our wedding attire has not been selected as we are still gathering ideas and styles. If time permits, my next post will include details about this, our retinue and an update on the planning.

The wedding bells have begun to ring!

Love
Verusha