Mahira Dastoor – Marwari Gifting Ritual.!

The Marwaris are known for their lavish and intricate weddings. One of the prewedding events is the Mahira Dastor. Because the cost of the wedding run high, the maternal uncles on the groom and brides side help his sister (the mother of the bride/groom) by offsetting the cost.

“There are lots of ceremonies in a Marawari wedding. One of them is Mahira Dastoor.
It is a small pre wedding ceremony in the Marawari community. It takes place separately for the groom and the bride. It basically involves inviting the maternal side (all the mamas and maasis) of the groom and the bride (individually) and celebrating by gifting them in cash and kind. It runs along side by side with traditional music and dance. This occasion demands lavish spending but is also meant to help the mothers with the cost of the wedding.”

A colorful desert wedding in Chandigarh.!

                         One of my favourite desert wedding example till date in Chandigarh ! ;)

The details: In a farm hidden away near the border of Chandigarh, India on the 1st of March 2012. We had a registered wedding (held in a tiny little office) followed by a non-religious wedding ceremony. Our parents made speeches, we sang a few songs and popped a lot of pink champagne!

How did you plan your wedding?
I had a hundred little post its and notes and man pinterest boards. I took notes from some of the more organised brides I knew and took tips from them. Tried to tick off one thing after the other! It was manic planning. I don’t think there was any PROCESS as such-when we thought about something we would deal with it!!! We came away with many a grey hair!

Your wedding is offbeat and fun. What did you do?
The only thing that we did different to most of the weddings you see in India is that we decided to do it our way, have fun and not get stuck around cliches. The most offbeat thing? Just that the wedding was truly about US and our friends and family! I know it sounds like that is how it is (should be) at all weddings but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. I remember everything about our wedding and was very much a part of everything which was awesome!

What was your favorite part of the wedding?
Favourite moment? Every.single.moment. 

Where did you get your clothes and jewelry?
My clothes were all hand stitched by a local boutique. I fought a little to wear blue but there was no way I was going to wear red or pink!!

The jewellery was a real mix and match-I did a whole lot of shopping from Amrapali which has the most amazing jewelry which is totally my style, not extravagantly priced and wearable! I also wore some of my mums jewelery, my aunts tikka which she wore to her wedding and my mum wore at her wedding. Do you see how I had something new, something borrowed and something blue?

What advice do you have advice for brides to be planning their wedding?
Be strong, be positive, be happy, just a teeny weeny compromising and most important be HAPPY!

 (and hire a wedding planner if you can  )

Shaadi Mubarak !! :)

Color Palattes..

 Royal purple and magenta combined with cream and midnight blue create a rich feeling of love.

A princess’ favorite color…

Bright blues and pinks may feel like the gender typical male-female but when mixed with black, elegance is added and genderfying is out.

Purple hues always add a regal touch...

Candy pop colors bring out the whimsical and fun....

Orange and pink, warm and happy colors..

Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla colors – a girl’s best friend

Warm colors go well together but can be overwhelming, a dash of forest green cuts the brightness and adds an elegant feel.

Dusky primary colors with a hint of purple..

       Roses are not always red or pink. Peach roses are romantic and inspire a vintage style.

                                                          And aren’t they just happy?!

More inspiration and ideas coming up!! stay tuned ! :-D