Whether you are engaged or in the middle of planning your dream Indian wedding, it’s time to set those new year’s resolutions and kick off the kickstart those new year wedding goals maharanis! Thankfully, we have a few pointers to guide you in the right direction. From wedding wellness to budgeting, here are our go to tips for the bride to be.
Tag Archive for: Events
Meet the Designers: Gaurav Gupta, Varun Bahl and Sunita Shekhawat
Brides to be, don’t miss out on your chance to shop the latest Spring/Summer bridal collections from leading Indian designers this week!
Aashni + Co, the UK’s leading, Indian high fashion multi-brand store will be hosting a Spring/Summer 17 bridal and luxury prêt trunk show on Friday 9th June between 11am – 6pm.
Visitors to the store will have an exclusive opportunity to meet Gaurav Gupta, Varun Bahl and Sunita Shekhawat.
As a UK exclusive, fashionista’s will have the chance to discover and browse the avant-garde and fashion forward designs by Gaurav Gupta; the delicate and feminine styles with an edge by Varun Bahl; and exquisite, heirloom-worthy jewels by Sunita Shekhawat. Shoppers will also get an insight into their heirloom and existing jewellery pieces at the show from an expert and are invited to bring their pieces along.
The collections will comprise of winning bridal ensembles and trousseau staples as well as pieces for the entire wedding squad, presented by the fashion luminaries themselves.
The Spring Summer 17 Bridal & Luxury Prêt Trunk Show
Friday 9th June, 11am – 6pm
Aashni + Co, 47 Ledbury Road, London W11 2AA
It is somewhat refreshing every now and again to attend a wedding showcase that is minus the pomp and show.
Earlier in the year I was fortunate to be invited to a beautiful and intimate showcase presented by the team behind Sundar Weddings and Mint Leaf Lounge Restaurant in London.
Set in the heart of the central business district, Mint Leaf Lounge provided the perfect backdrop for couples who are looking to break tradition and opt for an intimate wedding. A touch of romance in the city! Let’s face it; an Indian wedding is incomplete without a serving of sumptuous delicacies. What a better way to highlight this than host your wedding at a stylish and sophisticated Indian restaurant.
After the success of organizing a wedding reception at Mint Leaf last year, Ajay and LaToya Patel of Sundar Weddings decided to demonstrate how the classy restaurant can be transformed into a luxury setting. Whether it’s a mehndi function, engagement or even your legal wedding, Mint Leaf Lounge has a range of event spaces and can tailor a package suitable for your special occasion.
Sundar Weddings partnered with a host of talented wedding vendors on the day to highlight their beautiful work.
Vaishali Shah of Ananya created all the stationery for the Romance In The City showcase, including the logo, invitations, supplier name cards, order of service booklet, mehndi stationery, place cards and menus. She spoke of how she created the stationery and the experience of working with the other suppliers on the day.
“Our stationery designs were created to reflect the opulence of the occasion as well as the prestigious venue of Mint Leaf restaurant. Printed on a luxurious pearlescent cardstock, its sheen added a glow to the overall effect of the stationery. The gold lettering and design on the placecards and menus echoed the gold of the table linen and gold rimmed glassware. The RA monogram placed within the diamond shaped design, outlined with swirls and scrolls, emphasised the unique identity and personality of the couple. The same outline of swirls and scrolls was repeated on all the stationery to create harmony and cohesion of theme through the items of stationery. We hand finished the stationery with crystal embellishments to add that extra wow factor.
For the mehendi stationery, we used brighter colours of orange and green, to reflect the more vibrant, fun celebration. We also created cute monogrammed coasters for the drinks as well as ‘advice for the newlyweds’ cards. These advice cards are a great way to add a little fun to a wedding and were left on the tables for guests to help themselves. The cards allow guests to write a few lines to the bride and groom with their advice on how to make a happy and lasting marriage, and they also double up as a keepsake for the couple.
At Ananya we love working with different vendors and suppliers; each brings a fresh vision and a new dimension to an event – all of which help to create an overall effect with stunning results.” – Vaishali Shah, Ananya
To add to the grandeur of the occasion, models were dressed and styled accordingly for three “wedding events;” civil wedding, mehndi/sangeet and wedding reception. The team behind the styled shoot did an incredible job, setting the mood and tone for a fabulous wedding party.
Bonnie of Dress Day was a key force in the styling of the model shoot. Here’s what she had to say about pulling off each look.
“Ajay and LaToya explained to me in great detail what they wanted to achieve on the day. The concept was shared – they wanted to show how a restaurant, Mint Leaf Lounge, could be completely transformed for a wedding venue, and that they were looking at three settings – the mehndi, wedding reception and civil wedding.
I used the colour scheme to pull all three looks together through each supplier. Based on the brief by Sundar Weddings, I discussed what look I had envisaged, so that their contributions were in harmony with the overall showcase. After some liaising, I coordinated with them to bring this vision to life.
In the end I was thoroughly pleased with the styling and how well everybody worked so seamlessly together to create each unique look.” – Bonnie Marshall, Dress Day
The reception table was without a doubt the highlight with Ananya, Niru Venkat Floral Design and Jones Hire adding an element of opulence to the venue space. Specialty wedding cake decorator, GC Couture supplied a range of bespoke tiered wedding cakes that tasted just as amazing as they looked.
Amid the luxurious and beautiful setting, the show wasn’t complete without some mouthwatering food and drink and foot tapping music. Mint Leaf showed off some innovative Indian cuisine over the course of the afternoon. Guests couldn’t help themselves each time a new tray of canapés rolled out and after all this was over, 7-piece band Salut and DJ VNV Live got the party started.
The afternoon’s events were captured brilliantly by photographer, Kabilan Raviraj.
Mint Leaf offers exclusive wedding packages for Sundar Weddings clients. If you are interested in hiring the venue for your special occasion, get in touch with Ajay or LaToya.
Showcase partners:-
Event Planners: Sundar Weddings | Venue/Co-Host/Caterers: Mint Leaf Lounge | Photography: Kabilan Raviraj | Stationery: Ananya | Cake: GC Couture | Florals: Niru Venkat Floral Design | Model Styling: Dress Day | Hair & Makeup: Roshni Hair & Makeup | Indian Wear (Asian wedding shoot): Kajal’s Couture | Bridal Wear (civil wedding shoot): Sheila Harding Collections | Shoes: Freya Rose | Traditional Jewellery (Asian wedding shoot): Deeya Jewellery | Pearl Jewellery (civil wedding shoot): Chahat Mon Désir | Hair Accessories: Donna Crain Couture | Mehndi for models (styled shoot): H Beauty | Mehndi: Preeti Jeshani | Band: Salut | DJ: VNV Live
After a successful first edition on her home soil, BollyGoods founder, Promila Jain Bahri thought it was high time to take her film-inspired fashion and lifestyle exhibition to international shores.
Inaugurated by first lady of Bollywood, and wife of superstar, Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, BollyGoods Edition 2 provided a platform for South Asian designers and artists to showcase their unique talents on a global scale. BollyGoods is about fashion, art and lifestyle, highlighting the creative work and aesthetics behind Indian cinema.
From left: Founder, Promila Jain Bahri, Gauri Khan, Shivani Ahluwalia
Held at the prestigious, The Dorchester hotel, the scene was set for a busy afternoon, much to the delight of South Asian shoppers.
Eminent fashion designers, Gauri & Nainika and Manish Arora presented stunning modern and eclectic pret collections as well as up and coming contemporary fashion designer and ex-television presenter, Roshni Chopra.
Indian songstress, Kanika Kapoor and her mother Poonam showcased their recently launched fashion line inspired by the ‘chikankari’ work of their hometown, Lucknow. Loved Poonam’s lightweight summery collection which featured an array of suits, sari’s and lehenga-choli’s. A number of emerging designers were also invited, giving shoppers a variety of choice.
Popular multi-designer London boutique, Onitaa brought a variety of opulent formal and bridal couture to the show. Loved their stand.
Another designer who caught my attention was Abha Dalmia. Her traditional benarasi silk sari’s were absolutely stunning. Sadly, Abha only showcases her collections at trunk shows, so keep an eye out for her ensembles at the bridal shows around India.
Couldn’t help but take notice of the beautifully hand crafted jewellery on display from jewellers to the movie, “Bajirao Mastani,” Shri Hari Diagems and UK based Deevara Jewels and Red Dot Jewels who have recently launched a new flagship store in Pinner.
Shri Hari Diagems
Deevara
Red Dot Jewels
Models were draped in designer wear and jewellery throughout the afternoon to highlight the work of local and international designers.
See below for some of our favourite looks.
Abha Dalmia
Gauri & Nainika and Babi Grewal
Studio AV by Gaurav & Nitesh
Ms Bahri was very pleased with the success of the event and here’s a little of what she had to say:
“We’re delighted by the tremendous response and welcome that BollyGoods has received today in London. I wanted to celebrate and share the creativity from the celluloid world globally. BollyGoods is all about design and the lifestyle of the stars. People love Bollywood and are hugely influenced by its fashion and lifestyle. That’s what I want to share with discerning fans and, after several successful events in India, we have now brought BollyGoods to the UK for the first time.” – Promila Jain Bahri
London-based luxury consultant, influencer and stylist, Shivani Ahluwalia spoke of bringing the show to the UK.
“Today has given us the opportunity to showcase the art, craft and design that is synonymous with Bollywood to discerning buyers of luxury pieces and Bollywood enthusiasts alike. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved today and we look forward to hosting another edition of BollyGoods in London soon.” – Shivani Ahluwalia
Official charity partner, The British Asian Trust proudly supported the event.
Full video highlights as follows –> https://vimeo.com/167312846
Were you at BollyGoods Edition 2? Let us know or perhaps you’d like to see something of this scale in your city. Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments feed below.
*Images and content courtesy of The Maharani Diaries, Shahid Malik and Media Hive World.
For the past four years, movie stars, producers and directors alike from the Indian film fraternity have been converging on Australia’s arts and cultural capital, for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). This bright and colourful annual event, presented by Film Victoria, City Of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government, is the biggest celebration of Indian cinema in the southern hemisphere showcasing a diverse range of films covering different genres and subjects. From record-breaking Bollywood blockbusters to thought provoking documentaries and regional films, this festival is fast becoming a premier event on Melbourne’s burgeoning event calendar.
