The Emerald Bride

Emerald resembles successful love, it embodies unity, compassion and unconditional love. So for ‘the emerald bride’ who loves everything and all that is emerald, I have selected luxurious fashion and make-up to cater for you.

The Gown

Oscar De La Renta’s sophisticated embroidered silk faille gown oozes elegance and glamour all rolled into one; a difficult look to accomplish. The intricate detailing of jewels and gems on both the bottom, top and borders of the gown is just beautiful. This piece will definitely attract attention for all the right reasons!

Oscar De La Renta’s Embroidered Silk Faille High-Low Gown

The Jewellery

Amrapali’s Floral Carved Emerald Earrings

Amrapali’s Floral Carved Emerald Earrings

Amrapali‘s jewellery is renown for their designs and high quality; and these earrings are like nothing I have ever seen before. The stunning floral carvings on the emeralds add personality to these and would compliment any outfit without the need of a heavy necklace.

Amrapali’s Trio of Emerald Rings

Wow. Wow. Wow. These rings are beauties! Emerald rings are pieces which could never go out of fashion for years to come. These have a combination of diamond and emerald which are set in silver and gold; which means you can get the best of everything all rolled into one.

Amrapali’s Fine Zambian Emerald Floral Earrings

These stunning Zambian emerald floral earrings by Amrapali are a statement on their own. This would work well with a white or emerald gown, and would not need a necklace to compliment it. The mixture of delicate small and medium diamonds and emeralds emulate beautiful flowers. The emerald and diamonds are set in gold; these can pair up nicely with an outfit with gold or silver embroidery.

The Clutch

 

 Judith Leiber’s Fern Green Satin Clutch

The sleekest clutch to accompany the gorgeous gown by Oscar De Le Renta is this impeccable fern green satin rectangular Judith Leiber clutch; simple and bold. The clutch uses a smooth silver framed push and has luscious metallic lambskin lining. This clutch could also compliment a white satin gown.

Shades Of Green Make Up By Henna-H

Heena-H Make Up

The Make-Up

If you are a bride who wants those elements of emerald in your make-up or want make-up tailored to your outfit. Then Henna-H are your point of call. Henna-H is run by Halimah Abubackers. Halimah’s incredible work has appeared in the likes of Glamour magazine and Vogue as well as Asiana Wedding magazine! They have a trained make-up team to ensure you look spectacular on your special day.

If you love what you see here, you will be glad to know all these brands will be present at The Jewel Of Mayfair this month at the stunning May Fair Hotel.

The May Fair Hotel

Let us know which piece is your favourite from this list by tweeting us @thinkshaadi and @londonkiladki.

Written by Victoria Das

Victoria is a London based blogger. She has a passion for fashion and food, with a speciality in contemporary Asian fashion. Victoria runs the blog London Ki Ladki and is the latest member of the Think Shaadi blogging family. Here’s where you can find her around the web – Facebook: London Ki Ladki –Instagram:  London Ki Ladki – Twitter: London Ki Ladki

Capturing the Magic Moment

Once upon a time, under the canapé of radiant, orange-leafed trees, on a secluded path carpeted with the leaves, that were shedding off the trees and falling to the ground in beautiful, almost dramatic motion – you stood.

Without warning, your loved one went down on his knee and proposed to marry you. Emotions flared, tears flowed and embracing each other followed – a special moment occurred. A special moment that you will forever narrate to your family and friends, who will without choice, inaccurately imagine the magical emotions expressed on that dreamy day.

Well, I believe that to have captured that special moment on camera would have been the most ideal way to remember, and share, the beautiful memories of a day that you won’t be able to re-enact. Your photos will tell a story that your words cannot explain and leave your loved ones in awe.

Gentlemen, say you want to propose to your lovely lady in December and before that heart pounding day arrives, you hire a professional photographer who will capture the moments of the proposal; secretly of course. Fast forward to February 14^th, Valentine’s Day, over a romantic dinner with your lady, you present to her a beautifully bound album with photographs of that momentous day when she said yes to your marriage proposal; imagine that! There is no better gift to take her breath away guys.

As you plan to propose and have that unique moment captured in the utmost perfect way possible, you need to find a great location. It’s like this; do you want the backdrop of your proposal to be a serene mountainous top, the crashing of waves on the sea, a group of loved ones or maybe, a luxurious dining room in a fancy hotel? Remember that the location will help in telling your love story for years to come.

PS, choose a location that your lady will be utterly comfortable with. What I mean is, say she’s a private person and does not enjoy much attention to her; a public proposal might not be such a good idea because she will feel awkward and then you will have awkward moments captured on camera. So, if for example she adores glitz and glamour, a fancy, private, dining room in a luxurious hotel would perfectly do. A head start for such locations in case you’re wondering are The Dorchester or Claridges in the UK.

Secondly, you absolutely need a professional photographer, preferably one that specializes in capturing special moments.

The day of the proposal to me, is as important as the day of the wedding; oddly though, not so many people have a record to show off the day of their proposal other than an engagement ring and their loved one beside them. That said, let’s be the ones to tell the stories of our special moments differently, with pictures, pictures which will always say more than our words.

By Ainaeny Kiwelu

Aina is a fashion enthusiast with an interest in luxury brands with a strong heritage.  She  enjoys writing and designing, publishing articles on her blog at ainaenyk.wix.com/what-i-am-saying-is and on Facebook

Photos sourced from Bigstock

The Wedding Day Present

The wedding day present is something that is traditionally given by the Groom to his Bride. It’s usually something boxed or wrapped that is delivered to the Bride as she’s getting ready, or at least that’s how I recall it.

Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the tradition – it’s a beautiful one that I’m sure leaves every Bride with flutters. It’s a gesture you wouldn’t wish to see the demise of. However why leave it as something that only the Groom does, how about making him the recipient?

A gift for the Groom….

This is something that one of our Bride’s did in quite spectacular fashion. I still don’t know how she managed to hold onto the secret quite so well. In the end it became somewhat of a covert operation. The whole thing was inspired by TV competition “Got to Dance”. There was a particular dancer that the Groom really loved and allegedly inspired him to take up that style of dancing. So much so that he was threatening to bust a few moves on his wedding day (at this point it’s advisable to Google “krumping”).

A quote was acquired, a phone call made to the Bride and she was in! Fast-forward to the wedding day and the thing we thought was still a secret was only a secret to the Groom. There were cheeky moments where the Bride would look over in anticipation of the signal that he’d arrived. Then we heard he’d been in a car accident…but not to worry he was in a taxi and was still coming.

The moment it all unfolded was pure magic – seeing an absolutely delighted Bride, an ecstatic Groom and a whole crowd of their guests engrossed in the performance was amazing. In the Groom’s own words it was “the best surprise ever”.

So although jewels, watches and other boxed gifts are always a delight to receive, taking it up a notch and thinking of something that is really representative of your Bride or Groom can be incredibly effective. Make it a real surprise if you can. And Brides…the wedding day present is no longer just a tradition for the Groom.

LaToya Patel is from Sundar Weddings, which specialises in luxury Asian weddings and events. Working with her husband, Ajay, she loves  working with couples to bring their weddings ideas to life. Examples of their work is available at http://www.sundarweddings.com. Follow her on Twitter @latoyakpatel or @sundarweddings

 

Photos courtesy of David Morgan Photography and Etsy

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: Celebrating 1000 Weeks Of Love

One legendary film maker and one iconic on-screen jodi created one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema history. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) recently celebrated 1000 weeks since its’ release onto cinema screens. I have watched this at least fifteen times and indeed it lives up to its’ title, which I can never be tired of. I am sure many others as well myself have swooned to be in Simran’s position; to find someone who has the courage to fight for their love.

The DDLJ cast recently appeared on the hilarious television show Comedy Nights With Kapil; it was spectacular to see the great chemistry between SRK and Kajol, regardless of them being off-screen, and it was a pleasant surprise to see Pooja Ruparel (as Chukti in DDLJ) and Mandira Bedi (as Preeti in DDLJ) almost 20 years since the film’s release. If you have not seen this yet, it is a must watch!

Bollywood is well renowned for its big, imaginative and surreal films, however DDLJ broke away from this convention to a certain extent, where the dialogue all the way to its’ directorial execution seemed realistic and natural. I love each and every soundtrack composed by the musical genius Jatin Lalit and lyricist Anand Bakshi; all these classics feature India’s evergreen singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kumar Sanu, Abhijeet, and Udit Narayan. ‘Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna’ and ‘Tujhe Dekha To’ will remain to be a timeless tributes to love.

Here are my top 3 favourite scenes (it was certainly difficult to narrow it down to 3):

Pehli Mulaqat

This scene is truly hilarious, where Raj and Simran encounter each other for the first time. Raj uses his poor chat-up lines to entice Simran, but all fails.

Train Choot Gaye

Simran’s stubbornness and Raj’s pacifying creates a comical scene, when they both miss their train and end up sticking together to catch their next train. This is when the magical love story truly begins.

Palat

This famous scene is just super-sweet; Raj reveals his feelings about Simran, but in Raj-style he jokes about it. Raj’s famous “Palat” line is an example of a hopeless romantic – what every girl wants!

DDLJ will remain to be a turning point in Indian cinema and be a magical timeless classic. No matter how old you are for decades to come, it will always teach us the innocence of love and the brave hearted will always triumph.

We would love to hear your thoughts and know your favourite scenes from DDLJ. Tweet us @thinkshaadi and @londonkiladki.

Victoria Das is a London based blogger. She has a passion for design, with a speciality in contemporary Indian fashion. Victoria runs the blog London Ki Ladki and is the latest member of the Think Shaadi blogging family. Here’s where you can find her around the web – Facebook: London Ki Ladki–Instagram:  London Ki Ladki – Twitter: London Ki Ladki

 

Photos courtesy of Daleelak TV, Koi Moi, Lighthouse Insights, Filmi Geek, India Today, Pink Villa, Feminiya, Photobucket and BP Blogspot.

Intimate and Personal Marriage Proposals

It’s the time of year the Wedding Industry calls “engagement season”. So any future grooms-to-be how are you going to propose?

Firstly, a proposal should be personal to you both. For example, proposing where you first met or where you had your first date are always popular personal proposal options. It was once very popular to propose by making a very public declaration of love. However, an increasing number of grooms-to-be are now opting for very intimate and personal marriage proposals.

Here are a few more unique yet personal and intimate proposal ideas.

Incorporating her favourite hobbies. For example, my friend’s partner took her horse riding around Hyde Park and proposed as she was climbing off the horse. Very thoughtful as when she lived in Sweden (her home) she used to ride.

If there is a beautiful park or a public place you both love visiting why not ask the management or the council if you can have exclusive access in the evening so you both can have a private proposal without any passers by/total strangers.

Going on holiday to propose is quite a cliché and common thing. However, going to her favourite destination or whisking her away to her dream destination will always be a hit! To make it even more special let the hotel know, get exclusive access to a beautiful beach or a beautiful area around hotel and make it intimate and special.

Is there something you both wanted to do together? Well here is your chance. Bungee jumping, white water rafting, Safari, whatever it is propose at the end of your adventure and it will surely be special and memorable.

Doing something she always wanted to do before hand or visit a place she always wanted to go to would mean a great deal and certainly make her feel special. After all a great proposal is about creating the right moment and making it personal.

Images courtesy of Community Member: Stories by Joseph Radhik

By Ishari De Silva,

Ishari De Silva is a wedding planner and blogger, based in West London. Heading Ishari De Silva Weddings she is well versed in creating exceptional events. You can find her writing over at Ishari De Silva – Live Beautifully! Which has a roster of tips and inspirational posts on all things beauty, fashion, lifestyle and health and fitness related.

Top 10 Celebrity Weddings of 2014

Love was definitely in the air this year, with celebrity weddings taking place across the globe. We saw some well known bachelors get hitched, and couples who we thought would never tie-the-knot. Some were paparazzi extravaganzas, others private affairs.

So, let’s take a look at the top celebrity weddings of 2014.

1. George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin

Without a question, the wedding of George and Amal was the most anticipated of 2014, with the famous bachelor finally finding his princess.

2. Arpita Khan and Aayush Sharma

This was a truly royal affair, with Arpita Khan, of the famous Khan dynasty, marrying in an idyllic palace and attracting some of India’s great and good, from Bollywood legends to politicians.

3. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

This Hollywood power couple took to the French countryside to cement their love, surrounded by their children, close friends and family. It was definitely the least formal celebrity wedding of the year.

4. Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha

Traditional yet stylish was the theme for Ms Mirza and Mr Sangha’s wedding, which got a great deal of attention on social media.

5. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka

Our favourite funny man Neil Patrick Harris tying the knot with his long-term boyfriend David Burtka was an especially sweet thing. Sadly photos of the ceremony were limited.

6.  John Abraham and Priya Runchal

Well, the wedding of John and Priya caught us by surprise, with John announcing it on Twitter. We’ve always thought them a fun and easy going couple, so were sought of expecting an off the cuff wedding.

7. Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra

Another out-of-the-blue wedding, Rani and Aditya have always been a low-key couple and their wedding, which took place in Italy, was far from the media’s intrusive glare.

8. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

It was a very public engagement, so of course a very public wedding was bound to be on the cards for this high-profile couple.

9. Ahana Deol and Vaibhav Vohra

Dharmendra and Hema Malini’s younger daughter Ahana Deol wed Delhi-based businessman Vaibhav Vora in a grand ceremony. This was a wedding all about good friends and family.

10. Gabrielle Union and NBA player Dwyane Wade

The American actress and NBA player stunned the press during their wedding ceremony, by having a record breaking 5 costume changes.

Let’s hope 2015 will be another year of celebrity weddings! Xx

Photos courtesy of their respective owners

Our Top 5 Sherwanis for this Wedding Season

There’s nothing more masculine, more eye catching and more beautiful than a finely designed sherwani for a wedding. Much like female wedding attire, male occasion wear has progressed dramatically in the last 15 years, with numerous collections by famed designers such as Rohit Bal and Manish Malhotra et al, exploring the many facets of sherwani design.

Finding the perfect sherwani is a lot like finding a good car, it needs to feel right, suit your individuality and above all it needs to be exquisitely designed in order to make you stand out from the crowd.

With that being said, we’ve picked the top 5 sherwani’s by some of the best designers in the business.

1. This is from Rohit Bal’s most recent collection, a resplendent piece, the mix of black and gold makes for a classic statement. The pattern is what makes this sherwani stand out, with it’s hypnotic arrangements that were inspired by Mughal prints, although to look at it, there is definitely hints of French Rococo in their too. The black collar and cuffs set the piece off superbly.

2. Amir Adnan is one of Pakistan’s premier menswear designers, favouring the classical styles, he is like a sartorial magician, who mixes just the right amount of patterns, motifs etc, with brilliant stitching, which always culminates in a mesmerising piece. This sherwani from his couture collection is, in one word, regal. First off the pattern is beautiful, yet understated, a lot like most of Amir’s designs, but note the intricacy of the collar and cuff design, with its floral pattern sewn in gold thread, it is overwhelmingly a masculine piece.

3. It’s fair to say that Manish Malhotra has been one of the leading lights in traditional menswear designs, he was in fact one of the first Indian designers to give traditional Indian menswear a makeover, with his creative approach of mixing the old with the new, the indigenous with the western. This is one of his best, it’s understated yet unique and will certainly make you stand out from the crowd. Stripes are always winner, and the rich, warming colour scheme is the icing on the cake.

4. If you’re looking for an unabashed, ornate statement piece, look no further than the mighty Tarun Tahiliani. This is from his 2014 traditional groom collection will blow quite literally blow your mind. Tarun has well and truly put his all into this creation. Th jacquard patterning is lifted from the Mughal period, looking at this it’s definitely from the ostentatious reign of Akbar. From top to bottom, no space is left unseen to, as the rich pattern covers every inch. If you wear this, it will definitely give you a sharp confidence boost.

5. Raghavendra Rathore is the master of creating collections that are drench in ethereal fantasy, this also extends to his menswear collections. This recent piece, with its handsome pairing of gold and purple, it’s a supremely attractive creation. A unique factor is that it does away with the traditional collar, yet certainly doesn’t skimp on the traditional pattern design. It’s one of the most unique that we have come across, in the sense that Raghavendra is clearly pushing the creative limits.

In the end, it’s all about what you think looks good on you, but we feel that these five designers really know how to make a man look his best at a wedding.

Photos courtesy of the designers featured

Top 10 Necklaces For Your Sangeet

Whenever we speak of Sangeets it conventionally strikes notions of traditional attire for the bride-to-be and jewellery to accompany this. However I have searched high and low for necklaces with the elegant traditional look, which has been added with chic touches. For any brides-to-be, here are the Top 10 necklaces for your Sangeet.

1. Now this is what I call a showstopper; if you want to make a statement this is certainly a masterpiece diamond necklace by Gehna Jewellers to indulge in for a Sangeet. Jacqueline Fernandes had been spotted wearing a similar piece last year on the catwalk and has started to trend. The diamond and emerald stones are a match made in heaven and the gold finish adds that traditional touch. This piece will add glamour to any Sangeet outfit and create the WOW factor!

2. Amrapali’s 18k gold plated silver necklace is a gorgeous and bold statement piece, which has been handcrafted with gold plated floral beads strung together. This would suit a contemporary outfit with either simple or heavy work with elements of gold hues.

3. This Vilandi fusion necklace is the perfect portrayal of where traditional meets present-day; the use of ruby and emerald square cut stones creates that contemporary look, whilst the round-cut american diamonds, gold finish and round white pearls adds traditional touches. This statement necklace could pair up with most Mughal or royal influenced Sangeet attire.

4. Manish Arora is the talk of the town at the moment and if you are a fan of his contemporary jewellery, then you will love his Naho necklace. Although this does not follow the conventional heavy necklaces that are normally worn at a Sangeet, this is certainly unique and daring. The colours are perfect to suit a Sangeet outfit, especially with the gold-plated enamel with swarovski pearl beads, miniature orange hearts and tiny deep lime green grape charms. This is a fun and quirky piece, which is perfect for the modern bride who is looking for something different.

5. Art Karat’s Aahana necklace is just dazzling, the colours and choker style necklace is faceted with ruby, white sapphire and kundan stones with an adjustable dori. As this uses a number of colours it would suit outfits which have simple kundan work and add more character to it.

6. This delicately detailed Chandrani necklace by Art Karat is exemplary of traditional Sangeet jewellery; with the use of multiple colours in the ruby, green onyx and clear kundan stones. This is an elegant customary piece which will compliment your traditional outfit gracefully.

7. Gehna Jewller’s Kaleidoscope necklace ticks the boxes for the ultimate traditional necklace, with its’ gold and coloured gem stones, rubies, emeralds, pearls and kundan work. Also the middle feature piece gives the necklace extra character; a royal mughal style outfit would work superbly with this.

8. Estelle Deve’s gold-plated pewter necklace meets the Starbust Trend as picked up by ELLE India, which consists of any jewellery with bursts of diamonds, diamonds and more diamonds! This is a simple yet a bold statement piece which will add glamour to an outfit with heavy gold thread work, border or embroidery.

9. Art Karat’s intricate Indra necklace is faceted with captivating small kundan gems; if you prefer a lengthy necklace this is ideal. With the added miniature pearls and golden balls on the chain, this would couple well with attire with pearl work or even without it. A blouse with a round neck or high neck or anarkali would be the ultimate pairing for this Indra necklace.

10. This Diva necklace is perfect for those who plan to wear attire with hues of red and pink and prefers longer necklace. Art Karat’s incredible Diva necklace has been crafted together using white pearl, zircon and ruby jewels and a white gold finish. An outfit which has more simple work around the neckline and chest area would pair up greatly with this.

One piece of advice I would with agree with from Shilpa Shetty Kundra  was in an interview with ELLE India: “The jewellery shouldn’t overpower you and [you should] wear what you are comfortable with.” I hope this gives you inspiration on jewellery you select for your Sangeet.

Let us know which piece is your favourite from this top 10 list.

Written by Victoria Das

Victoria is a London based blogger. She has a passion for fashion and food, with a speciality in contemporary Asian fashion. Victoria runs the blog London Ki Ladki and is the latest member of the Think Shaadi blogging family. Here’s where you can find her around the web – Facebook: London Ki Ladki –Instagram:  London Ki Ladki – Twitter: London Ki Ladki

Christian Louboutin’s Mumbai Bridal Suite

To wear the red soles of Christian Louboutin is a dream for every single bride in the world. Now, brides in India are particularly lucky, being treated to the unique experience of having the brand’s first bespoke bridal studio, which opened in Mumbai earlier this year.

The studio was inaugurated to mark the first anniversary of the launch of Louboutin’s Indian flagship store. You can just imagine the cheers of joy which erupted across  Mumbai when Louboutin finally opened it.

Beautifully structured from teak, brass, and hand-carved wood, sourced from local markets, the first floor, the Horniman Circle boutique, has been designed to cater to all needs a bride can possibly imagine, with the perfectly crafted perfection that one  would only expect from Louboutin. Unashamedly decadent, with a superb fusion of modern and antique charm.

The service at the stuido allows brides to pick their dream shoe, and then tinker with colour, fabric, heel height, even ornamentation – adding an extra bit of sparkle with solitaires and gemstones, to create that one-of-a-kind pair, added to this, the needlework is meticulously undertaken by artisans in Chennai, and all made by hand in their Paris atelier.

There is also the option of a made-to-measure service, which allows couples to personalise their shoes with a monogramof their, along with the option to create tattoo or henna-inspired design

And to make you feel at ease, there is a drop-down table in the atelier which has be called the sari table, meant to rest your beautiful bridal sari or lengha to help you find your sole mate!

Christian Louboutin has a long-standing relationship with India, starting at age 15 and has since been a frequent traveller to the subcontinent. He is also well aware of the grandeur of Indian weddings. His knowledge is evident in the way he meticulously crafts for the Indian bride, having a deep understanding and passion.

“The scale, the importance, the excitement… it is difficult to understand unless you have been fortunate enough to attend one.”  he says “Weddings in Europe are not as detail-oriented as compared to here. For example, for the mehendi ceremony, it is important for the henna design to be seen, so you would need to wear a pair of sandals.”

It takes about two to three months for the bespoke wedding footwear to be delivered. We know it will be worth the wait xx

Images courtsey of Christian Louboutin

The Perfect Wedding Awards 2014

The Perfect Wedding Awards 2014 is back and the shortlist is now out! We are really proud this year to see a number of our Community up for nominations.

Have a peek at their beautiful creations and vote for the Think Shaadi Community xx

Abigail Bloom Cake Co.

BerinMade

Cakes by Krishanthi

Maisie Fantaisie

There’s also a ’Reader Recognition’ award so you can vote for someone you feel deserves a special mention! Vote now you’ll also enter our prize draw to win a luxury spa break!