The Sagaai is the engagement ceremony and begins when the bride-to-be arrives at the groom-to-be’s place with the matli, a package that represents good luck. The matli is a container which is now often made of steel and contains sweets and gifts for the groom and his family. This symbolizes the bride’s family’s acceptance of the union of their daughter and the groom-to-be. There is then a short ceremony where five women from each side of the family bless the couple-to-be which represents a promise between the two families.

Garba

The Garba is usually held the night before the wedding and involves plenty of dancing. It provides the opportunity for the each side of the family to meet, greet and have some fun before the wedding begins. The main event is the Raas which is a dance involving pairs of people and dandia sticks. The dance involves hitting your partner’s sticks while following the rhythm of the music. The Garba is also an ideal place for future couples to meet and begin their own stories.

Pithi

This is a ceremony where the both the bride and groom are covered in a yellow powder that is made into paste.  The bride and groom have their own ceremonies and usually invite their close family and friends. The Pithi is used to cleanse the bride and groom before the wedding day. The paste is said to brighten and soften the skin to produce that healthy glow.

Mehndi

On this occasion the bride’s hands and feet are adorned with mehndi, or henna. Female family and friends are also invited to have their hands adorned.

Mandap Mahurat

This is a typical ceremony performed before many auspicious events. The Pundit performs this puja in the bride and groom’s homes a few days before the wedding. The families pray to Lord Ganesh and seek His blessings.

Griha Shanti

This puja is also conducted by a Pandit and the date and time is chosen by matching the horoscopes of the bride and groom to-be. This prayer is conducted with the bride and groom’s family members and relatives. This pooja seeks to provide the couple with a happily married life by calling happiness and peace from the stars.

Baraat

The groom arrives at the wedding ceremony location with his baraat of family and friends. Many grooms choose to arrive on horseback or in a horse and carriage. The Baraat gathers together and everyone dances in celebration. Traditionally Gujarati’s did not marry someone from their own town so the baraat signified the groom entering the bride’s village.

Ponkvu

The arrival of the groom, or the Ponkvu, is the official start of the Gujurati wedding. The groom is welcomed by his mother-in-law at the entrance. She will perform the aarti and will playfully try to grab his nose. This tradition reminds the groom that he has come rubbing his nose at their door asking for their daughter’s hand in marriage.

Jaimala

Some Gujaratis will then bring the bride out and she will exchange garlands with her groom-to-be. This is called the Jaimala ceremony. The groom is traditionally lifted higher than the bride during this exchange. In modern times this is done by the groom’s friends to show that the bride cannot take the groom from his friends and family.

Madhuparka

The groom is welcomed to the mandap by his future mother-in-law. In the madhuparka the groom’s feet are washed and he is offered honey and milk. It is at this time that the saalis (sister-in-law) will try to steal the groom’s shoes. Traditionally the groom must leave the wedding with the same pair of shoes that he enters with. If his shoes are stolen, he must offer the sisters money in order to get them back.

Kanya Agamana

The bride is led to the mandap by her maternal uncle. When she reaches the mandap, there is an antarpaat (curtain) which separates her from her groom. The acharya begins the ceremony and the antarpaat is lowered and couple exchanges garlands. The wedding ceremony takes place in front of a sacred fire and is conducted by the pundit.

Kanya Daan

This ritual is when the bride is given away by her parents and the bride’s hand is placed over the groom’s. The bride’s parents do not eat before the wedding to make themselves pure for the occasion. In essence, the bride’s parents are handing over the Goddess Laxmi (their daughter) to Lord Vishnu (the groom).

Hasta Milap

The groom’s scarf is ties to the bride’s saree which symbolizes the union of their two souls. The acharya chants mantras to invoke the blessings of Goddess Laxmi and Goddess Parvati for the bride. The relatives also come together to bless the couple and shower grains of rice and rose petals on them.

Varmala

In this ceremony a cord is tied around the couple’s necks to protect them from evil. These cords are traditionally tied by the elders of the bride and groom.

Mangal Pheras

The bride and groom circle the sacred fire four times, signifying the four basic human goals of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Meanwhile, the acharya chants mantras and the groom also recited them. As a fun tradition, at the end of the pheras the bride and groom will run to sit down first. It is said that the one who finds a seat first will rule the house.

Saptapadi

The groom helps the bride touch seven betel nutes with her right toe, while they recite the seven vows. With each step, the groom chants mantras in which he requests support from his wife.

Saubhagyavati Bhava

In this tradition, seven married women from the bride’s side will pass by the couple at this time and whisper blessings into the bride’s right ear.

Chero Pakaryo

Traditionally, when the bride’s mother passes, the groom will tug at her sari as a way of asking the bride’s family for gifts.

Ashirwaad

The Gujurati wedding concludes with the Ashirwaad in which the couple asks for the blessings of their elders.

Vidaai

This ceremony sees the departure of the newly married couple and involves tears of joy and sadness. The bride is often carried out by her brothers.

Ghar Nu Laxmi

The couple then leaves for the groom’s home. The bride is welcomed into the home as the Goddess Laxmi who will bring good fortune to her new home. The mother-in-law places a vessel filled with rice at the entrance to the home. The bride will then spill the rice from the vessel by touching it with her right foot. This is a symbol of wealth and the bride accepts her responsibilities towards her new home.

Aeki Beki

The couple will then often play a game called Aeki Beki in which a tray of water is mixed with milk and sindoor (vermilion). In this tray are placed several coins and a ring. It is believed that the person who finds the ring four out of seven times will rule the household. The day is concluded with prayers to God requesting happiness and love for the newly married couple.

Wedding Accessories: We have several wedding accessories including jula (swing), Palki (doli), Wedding Sofa and Love seats, Wedding backdrops, Hindu Statues, ganesh Statue, Laxmi Statues, Swami Narayan Statue, variety of centerpieces and table overlays, havan Kund, Patlas, Bhajot, Foyer Area decorations, Garbha, Dandyas, Pitthi, Vidhi, Santak decorations and more.

Why choose us?
We are inspired by creativity and are always open to new ideas. We like to work outside the box and customize decorations to your taste. We offer very inclusive packages which puts you in control without worrying about the price factor.
We will work closely with you and present you with variety of options to choose from. Our Inventory of Mandaps, Statues, backdrops, flowers, centerpieces and all wedding related accessories has been growing rapidly ever since we started in 2004 and so has been the list of our happy clients. Please take an appointment to visit our Showroom where you will be able see all these on display.
Our Showroom is now OPEN (by Appt only).

Travel Area:
We specialize in Mandap decorations and travel to neighboring states of Georgia including Alabama (Birmingham, Montgomery), Florida (Panama city, Tampa, Orlando, Gainesville, Daytona beach), South Carolina (Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, myrtle beach), North Carolina (Charlotte, Ashville), Tennessee (Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville) , Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas (little rock), Missouri, West Virginia and neighboring states. Please email us to check your location.

Telephone: 770-880-5555
E-mail: natasha@natashadecor.com

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• Start with a clean moisturized face. (Rec: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel)
• Apply a face primer. The primer helps smooth out pores and makes for flawless makeup application. It also helps the foundation stay put for longer and keeps the oils away. (Rec: SKINN Orchid Gel Face Primer)
• Follow with a foundation of your choice and apply it all over the face and neck using a skunk brush like MAC 187. Dab concealer over any blemishes. Let the foundation/concealer sink in and then set it with translucent powder using a large fluffy blush.
• For a delicate flush of color on your cheeks go for a rose-pink shade. The baked mineral blushes make for a better choice because they have long staying power and look very natural. (Rec: LORAC Baked Matte Blush – Velvet Rope)
• To highlight your cheeks bones, sweep a matte bronzer using a fan brush right under your cheekbones. Fan the color out blending it towards the temple – upwards and outward. Finish off by dabbing a shimmery highlighter just along the outer corner of your eye bone – right on top of your cheeks. (Rec: Smashbox Matte Bronzer, Jouer Mineral Powder Bronzer – Suntan, NARS Highlighter – Albatross)

Eyes

• Apply concealer all over your eyes and covering any dark circles under them. Let the concealer sink in and follow with translucent powder to set the concealer. Dab extra translucent powder under the eyes to catch any fall outs from the eye shadow.
• Apply a primer all over your eye lid. This helps seal in the color for longer wear. (Rec: Urban Decay Primer Potion)
• Using a flat eye shadow brush pat on a deep forest green shade all over lid. Apply the same color along the lower lash line using a small eye shadow brush. Follow with a olive golden green color along the outer corner of the eye, the crease and blend the two shades together with a fluffy crease brush. Apply a shimmery white-gold shade as a highlighter under the brow bone and on the inner corner of your eye. Line the upper lash line with a liquid waterproof eyeliner and use a black pencil liner/kajal along the lower waterline. Finish off with false lashes and water proof mascara.
• Using a fan brush, remove the excess translucent powder under the eyes and any loose eye shadow fall outs. (Rec: Bobbi Brown Metallic Eye Shadow – Bash, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow – Golden Leaf, Bobbi Brown Shimmer wash Eye Shadow – Bone)

Lips

• Pink pairs very well with greens and has a way of looking effortlessly feminine. Pair the gorgeous green on your eyes with a fushia pink shiny lip-gloss. (Rec: Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Gloss – Fuchsia / Fresh Berry)

Hair

• After styling you hair use a shine enhancing product to give you a good dose of healthy shine! (Rec: DevaCurl – Mirror Curls , Ellin Lavar – Instant Shine Mist.)

Finishing Touches

• Finally after the entire makeup is done use a setting spray to set your makeup. Place the spray bottle about 15 inches away from your face and spray a couple of time all over your face and neck. It keeps makeup looking fresh and you the beautiful bride looking naturally hydrated & glowing from within! (Rec: Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Mist)

In addition to asking these important questions, you can go online or to the county recorder’s office and check the public records to see if payments are delinquent and the property is in foreclosure. You may also check the property tax records and, if you find that the owner owes back taxes, then they probably are delinquent in their mortgage payments as well.

If you do end up being a victim of a venue that is foreclosed before your event then you may be able to pursue the owner of the venue for breach of contract. Before you pursue such a claim you should mitigate your damages and secure an alternative venue for your celebration. Your damages would include any additional expenses that you would incur as a result of securing an alternate venue, such as the costs of printing new invitations or making last minute travel plans. You may also have to pay your vendors additional sums if they have to make additional arrangements to perform their services at a different venue. Any additional monies that you may have to pay to your vendors can be included in your damages claim against the venue.

On the other hand, if you chose to enter into a contract after being informed by an event venue that they were in foreclosure, then your legal remedies may be limited because you chose to enter into a contract with full knowledge that the property was in foreclosure and accepted the risk that the property could be foreclosed on the day of your event. Regardless of the assurances that may be provided to you, the better option is to not contract with a venue that is in foreclosure and to find a location that is in good standing.

If the event venue is not in foreclosure it is still essential for you to review your contract carefully and to make sure it specifies what happens with the deposits you have paid in the event the business is closed for any reason.

Alternatively if you own or work for a venue that you know is in foreclosure then it is strongly recommended that you consult with an attorney and make an informed decision on whether you should be advertising your business and entering into contracts that you may not be able to honor. In the end you will end up in litigation and be responsible for paying damages to the individuals who were not able to have their event at your location.

Planning a wedding can be stressful and a lot of work.  The last thing you want is to add to your stress by finding out that your event location is no longer in business. Remember that one of the most important parts of your wedding is the location, so do some detective work and ask the right questions so you are not locked out of your own wedding. By taking these additional steps you can reduce the likelihood that your special day will be ruined or worse, canceled.

Telephone: 770-880-5555
E-mail: natasha@natashadecor.com

http://www.natashadecor.com

Shop for engagement rings
This obviously applies to the couples who are planning on exchanging rings during the engagement ceremony. For the brides who already have their rings, take some time out to just stare at them. South Asians traditionally both exchange rings at the engagement so it would be worth your time to read up on diamonds. Whether you choose to shop together or keep your choices a surprise, make sure you keep communication open with one another to avoid any disappointments later.

Start organizing
A wedding is not something you can simply plan “in your head,” contrary to what your mother believes. You will have to take pen to paper and write ideas and lists down so you can keep track of them. Amongst your notes, articles you find, flyers from bridal shows, business cards, vendor contracts, etc … there will be a lot of paper! Find an organizational binder or folder for all this information. Also buy a small notebook to write down different ideas you come up with. Above all, remember the best way to organize your plans is to use a computer. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of these dates and delegating responsibilites to family members and friends. Keep things as organized as possible now so you can relax with a massage on the beach during your honeymoon.

Determine the date
This is the most important decision you’ll make, besides choosing the person you’ll be marrying! Some will need to contact pundits or other officiants to determine an auspicious wedding date. If this is not the case, choose a general time frame in which you want to get married; after one of you has completed graduate school, during a certain season, etc. Keep in mind that if you anticipate many out of town guests will be attending the events, try securing a long holiday weekend. The drawback to this is that many services will be booked if you don’t plan well enough in advance.

Decide on a budget
Yes, the dreaded budget. In the perfect world this wouldn’t exist but unfortunately it’s a reality and it’s important to set out a detailed budget before you begin planning. It is impossible to realize every cost that will come up, but it will be a lot easier if you divide everything into categories. Don’t forget that your parents will have a number of items that you may not even know about, like buying gifts and sweets for all of your relatives. Always overestimate your final budget as there will likely be small expenses that will come up along the way.

Choose your bridal party
These are the people who have been there for you through thick and thin, and who you will have to rely on them during this planning process. Choosing your bridesmaids and groomsmen can be fun yet difficult at the same time, so make your decisions carefully. Don’t worry about having an equal number of people from each side; you should only choose those people you are closest to. Also determine how involved you want them to be in your wedding. Will they stand out at your wedding wearing matching outfits or would you rather not make it that formal? If members of your bridal party have never been in a role like this before, point them to the Wedding Party section of this site for lots of tips and advice.

Prepare a guest list
You don’t have to start collecting everyone’s mailing addresses yet but you should set up a tentative list of people you want to invite. Divide everyone into groups – Bride’s College Friends, Groom’s Parents’ Family Friends, Bride’s Co-workers, etc. If you find that you are well over your limit, it is easier to cut out a whole group (i.e. your childhood friends from elementary school) than to choose individuals from different groups. Remember that this guest list will change often but it is important to start writing names down early so you don’t forget anyone later.

Envision your wedding event(s)
Are you dreaming of a traditional wedding, not very different from the one your parents may have had? Or do you want to throw the social event of the year? This is the time to figure out how formal you want all of your events to be, and not just the wedding and reception. Do you want the pre-wedding parties to be cozy and hosted at your house, or have live singers and dancers at a restaurant? Just keep your budget in mind before you get excited about flying your favorite bhangra group from the UK down for your reception!

Start planning your engagement ceremony or party.
Events like this are typically done soon after word of your upcoming marriage has been announced. However, if you know you will not be tying the knot for another 2 years, you may want to schedule the engagement event in between now and the wedding. If you are planning a religious ceremony, have your family do some research on securing the officiant and venue. Many couples choose to have a religious ceremony, following it up with a social celebration. This event can range from a lavish party at a hotel banquet hall, to a BBQ with your close friends and family in your backyard. Use your imagination with this one; it will be great practice for the wedding and reception!

Search for vendors
Use the Vendor Directory on this site to start searching for vendors in your area. Give yourself time to contact a few in each category so you can find the right fit for you and your wedding. Use our Vendor Guide section to make sure you know the right things to ask potential vendors before booking any. Also check out reviews other people have written to get a better idea of the vendor’s personality. Set up personal meetings with all vendors and go prepared. Remember that these vendors are there to make your wedding perfect, so ask all the questions you need to ask!

Follow these 10 steps and you’ll be on your way to planning the perfect South Asian wedding!

Telephone: 770-880-5555
E-mail: natasha@natashadecor.com

http://www.natashadecor.com

Hindu weddings are meant to take place under a canopy Mandap. Although, modern Indian weddings often take place indoors, but still honor the traditions of a Mandap canopy with seating on the ground or on chairs.   Mandaps traditionally were made of just red & Green fabrics with a canopy.  However, in the last 15 years Mandaps have become the focal point of wedding ceremony.  There are now a variety of materials used in making the Mandaps including fiber glass, crystal, wood and they come in variety of designs and colors.  Mandaps also come in different shapes like Square, round, oval, hexagonal and open.

Mandaps

We are a full service Wedding decorations company located in Atlanta, Georgia and we travel through Southeast and Midwest. We have the largest selection of Mandaps.  Natasha is the most unique Mandap decorator offering a huge selection of Mandaps and variety of wedding accessories.  We specialize in South Asian Weddings, and Indian wedding decorations with Mandaps, Mandap decorations, Aisleway Décor, Reception décor, Garba, Mehendi and sangeet decorations.  We cater to Hindu weddings, Muslim Weddings, Ismaili weddings, Christian weddings, Sikh Weddings, Punjabi Weddings, South Indian Weddings, Telugu weddings, Bengali weddings and all other traditional religious weddings.

We carry the largest selection of Mandaps in the Southeast.  We offer a wide variety of Mandaps including Roman Column Mandap, Sankheda mandap, Delvada mandap, Fabric Mandap, Cloth Mandap, Wood Mandap, Devdas mandap, Gold Mandap, Crystal mandap, Aishwarya Mandap, Jhoda Akbar Mandap and several more. Please click on the enquiry Tab above and setup an Appointment to our Showroom.

Wedding Accessories: We have several wedding accessories including jula (swing), Palki (doli), Wedding Sofa and Love seats, Wedding backdrops, Hindu Statues, ganesh Statue, Laxmi Statues, Swami Narayan Statue, variety of centerpieces and table overlays, havan Kund, Patlas, Bhajot, Foyer Area decorations, Garbha, Dandyas, Pitthi, Vidhi, Santak decorations and more.

Why choose us?
We are inspired by creativity and are always open to new ideas. We like to work outside the box and customize decorations to your taste. We offer very inclusive packages which puts you in control without worrying about the price factor.
We will work closely with you and present you with variety of options to choose from. Our Inventory of Mandaps, Statues, backdrops, flowers, centerpieces and all wedding related accessories has been growing rapidly ever since we started in 2004 and so has been the list of our happy clients. Please take an appointment to visit our Showroom where you will be able see all these on display.
Our Showroom is now OPEN (by Appt only).

Travel Area:
We specialize in Mandap decorations and travel to neighboring states of Georgia including Alabama (Birmingham, Montgomery), Florida (Panama city, Tampa, Orlando, Gainesville, Daytona beach), South Carolina (Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, myrtle beach), North Carolina (Charlotte, Ashville), Tennessee (Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville) , Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas (little rock), Missouri, West Virginia and neighboring states. Please email us to check your location.

Telephone: 770-880-5555
E-mail: natasha@natashadecor.com

http://www.natashadecor.com