The New Indian Bride

A bride-to-be with a new perspective on the modern Indian wedding.

Catch It If You Can! July 30, 2010

Filed under: Inspiration,Uncategorized — The New Indian Wife @ 7:00 am

This week I am writing about wedding inspirations but the topic got me thinking about inspiration more broadly. It is hard for me to pinpoint the most inspiring moments of my life.  Sometimes inspiration came from a school teacher, a Presidential speech, a sunset or just a good yoga class.  Inspiration is that moment when you feel fully alive, supercharged with energy and with focus to venture forth fearlessly.  As someone once said to me, inspiration is the spark that ignites the future!  

The spark that ignited The New Indian Bride was a chat session with Mr. ABC, a fabulously gifted writer and friend.  Within a few hours of that chat, TNIB was born.  I long wanted to embark on a writing project but I never had the (you guessed it!) inspiration.  Thankfully, My Leading Man came along, we got engaged, I had something to say and Mr. ABC inspired me to say it. 

Now there is no looking back!  Writing has become an important part of my life and I can hardly remember what I was doing before this inspiration hit.  

So, when inspiration hits, grab it and never let go!  You never know where it may lead.

 

Partner In Crime July 29, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — The New Indian Wife @ 9:57 am

Where would Batman be without Robin?  Where would Bill be without Hillary (or maybe that one should be the other way around) and Beyoncé without Jay-Z…I don’t even want to think about it!  Everyone needs a partner in crime and a bride-to-be is no different. 

Every Bride needs another Bride (either recently wed or about to marry) to help guide her through the confusing maze of wedding anxiety, stress, fun and enjoyment that consumes the days and weeks leading up to the wedding.

For me that person was Miss Brand New, a former co-worker and friend who was engaged before me and is getting married in October. She is also much younger than me so my sister gave her the name “Brand New” when they met one another. 

Miss Brand New and I have shared each and every step in each others wedding planning process, sharing ideas, inspiration, money-saving tips and so much more.  The most important thing we shared was each other’s freakouts.  Those are the ugly moments when a bride-to-be crashes from the stress of minute details that most guests will never even notice but she cares so very much about. She vented her fear of not being able to find the perfect paper for her home-made invitations and I could fret about our ever-expanding guest list. 

Friends, family, bridesmaids and wedding planners are supposed to be there to help too.  But the support a fellow bride provides (especially one who is a bit removed from the day-to-day planning of your own wedding) is in a whole other league.

So if you are recently married or engaged try to be an inspiration to another bride.  You both are sharing the same experience and can leverage each other’s successes and missteps to create the wedding of your dreams.

 

Lemon Inspiration July 28, 2010

Filed under: Details,Uncategorized,Vendors — The New Indian Wife @ 10:54 am

If you watch TLC, Bravo and the Style Channel you will quickly come to believe that wedding planning requires not only elaborate inspiration boards but also creatively worded themes like Moroccan Bliss or Tuscan Love.  

For me, inspiration came not from cutting out pages of magazines or watching TV shows but rather from a simple feeling I wanted to capture.  It is that feeling of a lazy Sunday afternoon where one sits outside in the sunshine and enjoys a mimosa (or another drink of choice) with the one they love.  If those wedding shows were to give it a name it would be something like Chic, Casual Summertime Love. 

Nothing captured this feeling more than this image from Style Me Pretty. 

I love the simplicity of the lemons in the vases and the sprig like flower that fluttered from the top.  And what could feel more summertime than a wooden sign for lemonade? 

My very talented florist from Cupid’s Arrow took this image and created a version that was perfect for our daytime affair.  Here is what it looked like at our wedding: 

While I was inspired by a mood, the image from one of my favorite wedding websites helped us create a centerpiece that embodied that mood and fit our daytime affair perfectly.  

What inspires you?  Is it books, movies, pictures, fabrics, candles, a poem or another event you attended.  Tell us what you are using as your wedding planning inspiration!

 

Websites That Inspire! July 27, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — The New Indian Wife @ 9:47 am

It is inspiration week at The New Indian Bride and what better way to get inspired than by introducing you to a few of my favorite websites!  These sites not only inspired me but gave me the confidence to believe that all I envisioned for my wedding could actually come true.  I hope they do the same for you!

Maharani Weddings - Even The New Indian Bride has a little (or a lot of) Maharani in her.  This site is filled with pictures and videos of beautiful, lavish and expensive Indian weddings from across the globe.  I did not have a Maharani budget but I sure had a Maharani state of mind!  I was inspired by many fabulous ideas featured on this site and figured out ways to take what I saw and do it myself.

Style Me Pretty - This site allowed me to believe that the personable and charming wedding I had in mind could become reality.  Style Me Pretty is filled with chic weddings oozing in personality and all things gorgeous.  There is rarely a wedding featured here that I do not fall completely in love with.  Many ideas at my own wedding came directly from Style Me Pretty and I am sure it will inspire you as well. 

Etsy - If you want your wedding to have a DIY feel but can’t do the DIY yourself then this site is for you!  Etsy is a an online community of designers selling homemade and vintage goods.  The wedding section is simply to die for!  Everything from invitations to guests books are waiting here for you to peruse.  Several TNIB wedding details were from Etsy and several others were inspired by what I saw on Etsy. 

Weddingbee  - Real brides from across the world and all different walks of life chronicle their wedding planning experiences sharing their ideas, DIY projects, personal stories and so much more!  This site was particularly inspiring because of how much brides are willing and able to do themselves.  If these brides could do it, I knew I could too! My all time favorite idea from Weddingbee is creating a Google form to capture guest addresses.  Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/22oh5o8.

So there you have it!  The websites that inspired me on my planning path and hopefully will give you the inspiration you need too!

 

Speaking of Donations July 23, 2010

Filed under: Details,Helpers,Invitations,Simple,Uncategorized — The New Indian Wife @ 10:07 am

The wedding detail that I am most proud of from my own wedding is the donation card tucked into the napkins at each place setting.  It was a simple way to honor my father who passed before he could ever see me as a bride or even meet My Leading Man. 

These donation cards were in lieu of a wedding favor and reflected a donation my family made to the memorial book fund established in my father’s name at the library of the college where we were married.  Check out this link to see a list of books in this collection: http://tinyurl.com/2gxollu.

Creating the donation cards was a simple and fun DIY project.  I wanted to incorporate the paisleys from my wedding invitation.  However, getting the cards professionally printed with the paisley design in the desired size was more than what I wanted to spend. 

What to do? 

Well turns out a store bought paper cutter, hot glue gun, a few helpers and a bit of patience can take you a long way. 

We printed the desired wording on heavy-weight paper from our local FedEx Kinkos, cut out the paisley borders from the left over wedding invites, glued the border to one side of each printed donation card and voila, you had the prettiest little donation cards I ever saw. 

It was a simple and subtle way to incorporate my father into our wedding. 

Would you consider designating a charity for your registry or as an alternative to a wedding favor?  Did you make your own wedding favors?  If so, TNIB wants to hear from you.

 

To Register or Not to Register? July 21, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — The New Indian Wife @ 10:27 am

To register or not to register?  That is the question.

As a guest, I never liked the idea of a registry.  I am not a fan of being told what gift I should buy for a friend’s wedding.  Maybe this is because I historically purchased the wedding gift near the wedding date and most of the best stuff was already taken.  Or maybe it is because I don’t want to buy my favorite couple the green towel on their registry because well, it’s a green towel.  Or maybe because I don’t like the feeling that the wedding is about gifts. 

When it was our turn, My Leading Man and I debated whether or not to register.  Since we were on the verge of purchasing our first home we decided a registry was a good idea.  However, we agreed to not include the registry details in the invitation.  If people asked us then we would happily tell them. 

While the Indian in me just wants to give and receive money, the American in me loved the idea of recieving the exact crystal bowl that I gushed over in the store. 

The registry was a great idea!  Not only was it a thrill to see gifts arrive one by one in the days and weeks leading up to the wedding, you also receive things that you may not opt to purchase if your own dollar and cents were on the line.  I received Kate Spade frames and a Kate Spade cake server set which I adore (and never would have bought on my own).  We received glassware, vases, fancy cutting boards,  steamers, comforters and even a tray to have breakfast in bed! 

In the end, the registry is just a suggestion of gifts the couple would like to receive.  TNIB was just as thrilled with our off registry gifts (they were fantastic as well!) and the money that we were gifted. Each and every gift is a wonderful addition to the life that we are beginning together.

TNIB wants to hear from you!  What do you think of gift registries?

 

And They Live Happily Ever After (and so does TNIB!) July 20, 2010

Filed under: Mini Moon,Overview — The New Indian Wife @ 9:54 am

My Leading Man and I just returned from a perfectly blissful honeymoon (or “mini-moon” as he preferred to call it).  We enjoyed a lovely weekend in Monterey and Carmel along California’s central coast.  Super romantic, totally indulgent and thoroughly relaxing.  We discovered fabulous central coast wineries, ate the best crème brule outside of Paris, perused beautiful coastal boutiques and indulged our eyes with antiques and household treasures from the world over.  We enjoyed the sunshine, the ocean and the day dreams that follow being hand in hand with the one you love. 

Even while minimooning, I was thinking of TNIB.  My readers joined me on the road from Miss to Mrs with more encouragement and support than I ever imaged.  The last few weeks I have been contemplating the future of TNIB and even solicited your help.  And help you did! TNIB readers voted overwhelmingly for me to keep writing TNIB (57%) and many asked me to start a new blog (35%). Your comments, emails and personal conversations were inspiring.

Apparently, nearly 6500 hits to the blog do not lie. 

You like what I have to say sooooooo I am pleased to announce that I plan to keep saying it!  I will chronicle my life as a Newlywed (being a daughter in law, learning to make prontas, decorating our home, unpacking wedding gifts and dealing with all the ups and downs that are sure to make up the first year of marriage).  I will also continue feature new, unique and economical twists to the typical Indian wedding.  I am on the quest to change the landscape of Indian weddings from the over the top, ostentatious displays we typically see to the more personal, more elegant, simplified weddings that I love.   

I hope you will continue to join me on this journey! To keep up with TNIB please either subscribe to the blog (see link on the right side of the home page), follow me on twitter @newindianbride and on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-New-Indian-Bride/137879446232424?ref=sgm.

As My Leading Man says, we are just getting started.

 

DJ Play My Tune! July 16, 2010

Filed under: Helpers,Uncategorized,Vendors — The New Indian Wife @ 3:03 pm

TNIB is all for taking help from friends (as discussed in the previous post), friends of friends and even friends of your little brother. 

Meet Manu.  The cutest dhol player and DJ a wedding could ever ask for!  Manu and my brother have been best friends since college and we were delighted that Manu was willing and able to DJ our sangeet and wedding.  Manu is a doctor doing his residency at Stanford who just happens to DJ for fun.  After getting off a 36 hour shift, Manu drove his equipment from San Francisco to LA for our festivities.  He arrived a few hours before the sangeet, took a power nap, put on his very GQ pink outfit and rocked the night away at our Pretty in Pink Sangeet.  The next day he was ready bright and early to play the dhol as the baraat arrived and DJ our afternoon reception.   He played everything from Hindi love songs to Bhangra to New Kids on the Block (as an ode to my teenage days!) He knew how to keep the party moving, keep the guests dancing and the smiles beaming.

Manu helped create a beautiful memory of our wedding day and that is truly the very best gift I could every receive. Thank you Manu for being a perfect addition to our wedding!  We are so very grateful for wonderful friends like you.

Manu is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Check out his website www.klasikhz.com and for DJ requests email him directly at manu.uberoi@gmail.com.

 

Get By With A Little Help From Your Friends July 15, 2010

Filed under: Helpers,Uncategorized — The New Indian Wife @ 9:55 am

The Beatles got it right when they sang “I get by with a little help from my friends.”  They were talking about the support friends provide in matters of the heart but the tune applies to weddings as well. 

Do you have a friend who dances or sings? Perhaps he/she is willing to perform at your wedding.  Do you have a friend with beautiful handwriting?  Maybe she will be willing to help address wedding invitations.  Do you have a friend with a well equiped iPod? Maybe he/she will be willing to DJ one of your events. 

Friends can be a tremendous resource in the planning and execution of a wedding.  Just think of all the people you know and all the talents they possess.  Your network of friends is a vessel of talent waiting to be tapped and I say, tap it!

This New Indian Bride had great experiences working with friends and would not have done it any other way.  If friends offer help and what they are offering is something you can envision as part of your wedding then I say go for it!

Involving friends is not for everyone.  For those of you who want the fanciest of centerpieces you may not be happy with the DIY version that your best friend is able to create.  Others may prefer to deal with professional vendors rather than deal with the stress or loss of control you might experience by having a friend in charge. For some working with friends can backfire and create hard feelings for years to come. 

If you do take help from friends be sure to be specific on what they can do and be clear on what it is you want.  Doing so will ensure there is no room for miscommunication or disappointment.

 

Monday Morning Quarterback July 13, 2010

Filed under: Overview,Uncategorized — The New Indian Wife @ 9:10 am

As the DJ spinned his last tune, as the centerpieces were lifted from tables and as all the guests piled into their cars and headed home, I looked around the wedding venue and took a moment to soak in the beautiful day that just unfolded in front of me.  I could not be happier with the way it turned out.  

Now that a few weeks have passed, there is some Monday Morning Quarterbacking going on.

You already read about the seating chart debacle (again, our apologies!), the sweetheart neckline created some extra boobalicious action during the wedding ceremony (to the horror of my mother), and I should have hired a professional photographer or appointed a specific person to capture our departure from the Doli & Dinner.  The sparkler send off was truly beautiful and I wish there were pictures capturing the moment. 

Weddings are a celebration of love and happiness.  They are not a competition to create a perfectly, flawless event.  While there were some small things I may have done differently, I am simply over the moon by how the entire day transpired.  For me it was the perfect start to our lives together.

 

 
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