Category Archives: Wedding

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/

Ideas For Creating A Keepsake Of Your Wedding Invitation

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As a record of important details from your special day, your wedding invitation is uniquely a one-of-a-kind remembrance. Ordering a few extra invitations is highly suggested so you can save them as wedding souvenirs but then they will more than likely be stored away in your wedding album.

Why not create a memento of your wedding invitation that is more permanent and can be easily displayed in your home as a special remembrance. Especially since all the formal details of your wedding day appear within your invitation text date, time of ceremony, time of dinner/reception, name and address of ceremony location, name and address of dinner/reception locale as well as maybe a special verse or quote chosen by you and your fianc. The invitation design itself may also be symbolic of the colors or theme of your wedding.

Having your invitation wording permanently imprinted on a keepsake item is a wonderful way to uniquely commemorate your wedding day. Here are some suggested items that can be engraved with your wedding invitation verse:

Photo Album A great way to personalize a wedding album is to have your invitation wording elegantly engraved on the front cover. This way every time you look through your cherished wedding pictures you will be able to see your invitation verse too.

Wedding Invitation Frame Create a lasting symbol by using a beautiful glass frame to showcase your favorite wedding photo as well as feature your delicately etched invitation verse.

Glass Block A simple, but elegant, glass or lucite sculpture piece can be engraved with your wedding invitation text creating an exquisite symbol of your special day.

Commemorative Plate Easily hung on a wall or placed on an easel for table-top display, a decorative plate engraved or etched with your invitation verse will make a wonderful memento for years to come.

With all of your planning and preparations, creating a wedding invitation keepsake may not be a high priority before your wedding, but this is easily something you can have designed later since you may even receive one of these personalized items as a wedding gift.

Your wedding is without a doubt one of the most important days of your life so give some thought to creating a lasting souvenir of your wedding invitation to preserve all the details of your special day. As the years go by, you will undoubtedly be glad you did.

The Symbolic Wedding Veil

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The symbol of the wedding veil has been permanently tied to a tradition that the bride and groom not see each other the day of the wedding. The tradition holds that it is bad luck. The symbol of the bride’s veil is actually part of the old traditions when marriages were prearranged, often before they were even born. The bride would be kept away from the groom for her entire life. On the day they were to be married, she would wear a veil so that her face is not revealed until after they have been legally declared as husband and wife. This is so the groom will not see the bride and possibly change his mind. While this custom was terribly degrading for the bride, it was not customary to tell women how beautiful they are and not buildup their esteem. It was just another form of repression in those cultures.

There is another culture in Eastern Europe that is steeped in the people’s superstitions. The people of old were terribly frightened of demons and evil spirits. It is said that these evil spirits would be jealous of a newly married couples attempt at happiness through marriage. Spirits cannot do what the living do and it makes them extremely angry. The bride would be veiled from the moment she arose on the day of her wedding. The veils back then were huge, billowy, and much thicker than today’s sheer fabrics. She would eat, dress, and do everything disguised under her veil so that evil spirits could not recognize her and torment her before she could be married. The veil was only lifted after they were married and therefore protected by her husband and by God.

The wedding veil was also said to be the funeral shroud. For this reason, a woman would make the veil before she was married. It was long enough to wrap her body in on the day of her death. This would prevent the evil spirits from recognizing her as she crossed from this world to the next. Women lived in great fear in those days and while this sounds morbid, a woman’s veil turned shroud was of great comfort to her. When I girl was old enough to sew, she would begin making her veil with the help of her mother or grandmother. By the time she was married, it would be long enough to serve both purposes.

Another symbol and tradition was that the wedding veil was supplied by the husband. It is what he used to capture is bride. The groom would pick the woman he wanted and sneak up on her, throwing the veil over her and carrying her away. She wore it until after she was married so that no one would recognize and attempt to rescue her.

The wedding veil and the wedding kiss are also tied together in symbolism. The wedding veil is pushed back after they are pronounced man and wife but in some places, this did not conclude the service. The bride and the groom had to then consent to a kiss before it was legal. Since the bride could not see her husband very well and in some cases, the husband never saw the bride until he lifted the veil, it was a moment of extreme anxiety as to whether they would both consent to the kiss. It was very often the happiest or saddest moment of the entire affair. The wedding gifts were often money in those days and the groom would be counting on the monetary gain. He would also be out any wedding accessories he would have had to purchase up to this point. That means that it was a more crucial moment for the groom than for anyone else.

How I Became A Professional Baseball Heckler

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I once was a hapless baseball heckler. But I had no idea exactly how bad I was until the summer of 1996. It was then, while taking in a Jays game with a few friends, we pitched a particularly bad line towards the Twins bullpen. Looking down on Greg Hansell, the line was “Hey Hansell, where’s Grettel?”. Twins catcher Matt Walbeck turned around and said, ‘You’re the worst hecklers I’ve ever heard in my life,’. It was then I realized the need to improve my powers of harassment.

I went to bookstores, the library, and anywhere else I could think of. Remember, this was 1996, and I didn’t have an internet connection… yet. As soon as I did, I posted the simple question in a few newsgroups – “What is the funniest thing you’ve heard yelled at a ballgame?” Soon there were dozens of suggestions, then it was hundreds. Now I’ve collected about 2500 of the best. Some the zingers?

How about…

* How’s your Japanese?
* I’ve seen better arms on a snake!
* You couldn’t save anything at WalMart!
* You’ve got less hits than an Amish website!
* Take off your coat, you’re inside!
* You couldn’t throw a party!
* You couldn’t pitch a tent!
* I thought only horses slept standing up!
* How can you eat with those hands?
* I’m gonna break your cane and shoot your dog!
* You’ve had fewer hits than Vanilla Ice!
* Hey, Dracula, wake up your bat!
* Do you want my autograph?
* Come on Cinderella, get to the ball!

Or a bit edgier (But still family friendly)…

* You couldn’t throw rice at a Chinese wedding!
* There is more heat in an Amish home!
* I’ve seen better hit and runs in the ghetto!
* You’re about as washed up as the Gulf Coast!

And some very original ones…

* This infields got more holes in it than OJ’s alibi!
* I’ve got internet stocks in better shape than you!
* I’ve seen better sliders at White Castle!
* There’s more holes in his glove than a Florida presidential ballot!
* I’ve gotten better calls from my ex-wife!
* Nice uniform, where’s the Star Trek convention?
* This must be the Top 40 Countdown, the hits just keep on rolling!
* I’ve seen a better move by U-Haul!
* This pitcher is pac-man…walka, walka, walka, walka!
* You couldn’t save a Word file!!
* I haven’t seen a slide like that since Enron!
* The graphics on your personal website suck!
* Did you buy that swing from GNC?
* Did you make the call on WMD in Iraq as well?

Anything personal, racial, or obscene has no place at the ballpark. Neither does physical contact like pouring beer on people or throwing coins – both way over the line. You stay safely away from the line with lines that are topical, witty, and original. For example in Dodger Stadium shortly after the brawl in stands a few years ago, which was started when someone snatched the cap of Chad Krueter’s head — a fan behind the Dodger dugout yelled at Chad : “Hey Kreuter, I just bought your cap on eBay!” Which was a fantastic line meeting those 3 criteria.

Important Information Your Wedding Photographer Should Tell You

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Getting spectacular photos for one of the most special days in your life will depend on doing research and choosing the right professional for the job.

So, how will you recognise the right wedding photographer who will create the most amazing pictures for you? Ease of communication with your photographer will be one important factor in ensuring your happiness on the day. Here are some other essential bits of information that your wedding photographer should also provide you.

Cost of Getting to the Location

Regardless of their professional location, wedding photographers will often be willing to travel. You need to get a good idea about the mileage costs that you will have to deal with.

Make sure you are getting a specific figure right from the start. Hidden costs could be a snag in your wedding planning, and an unpleasant surprise. A good professional is going to give you all of the details that you need to make up your mind. Transparency is essential, especially when it comes to pricing policy.

Style

What kind of style are you looking for? Do you want to get romantic black and white photographs? Are you interested in staging something or do you want the pictures to appear natural?

Talk to the photographer about your preferences and (if possible) keep (well-meaning) relatives out of the discussion.

Everybody has some idea when it comes to the aesthetics of the wedding album. However there is also a famous saying that -too many chefs spoil the broth-. The final decision is and should solely be yours to make.

1. Discuss ideas with the photographer that you are interested in working with.

2. Take a look at their portfolio and ask questions in advance.

3. A good photographer should be able to provide ideas and suggestions that will make the original concept even more spectacular.

4. You could also get detailed information about the pros and possible shortcomings of the photography style that you are interested in (giving you a balanced perspective) so you can make the best decision.

Number of Photos

A reputable wedding photographer should also give you a good idea about the number of wedding photos you can expect.

You could also inquire about the number of hours that the photographer will be working and the number of photographs these hours could translate into. In the beginning, it may seem like a really big figure. You may hear something like 400 or 500 photographs.

But consider the pre ceremony, the ceremony itself, the reception and also the photo session you are going to have with your significant other. You will probably need several hundred photographs to capture all of those special moments!

Types of Products Available

Finally, you should discuss personalisation possibilities. Reputable wedding photographers will consult you on the best wedding album style. They will also suggest the creation of personalised products such as thank-you cards or wedding favours for your guests.

You need all of this information to get an accurate idea about the amount you will need to spend on wedding photography and the results you are going to get.

Talk to your wedding photographer about the costs, the style of preference, the need for the provision of props and the number of photographs that you want. Make sure that your idea is understood and that the photographer will be willing to capture your special day bearing your requests in mind.

Author:

Richard Galloway is an award-winning professional photographer and considered one of the best wedding photographers in Surrey. With over 7 years experience, he specialises in -story-telling- wedding photography commonly known as Reportage.

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

www.gallowayphotography.uk.com

Or call for a no obligation discussion: 01252 835 981