Indian Brides: The Tamil Bride

(Image Courtesy : Tanishq)

The traditional wedding attire for Iyengar and Iyer brides from Tamil Nadu is a 9-yard Kanjeevaram silk saree draped in madisar style. The madisar style of draping the sari is a little different and more complicated than the regular style of draping a 6-yard saree. These sarees are usually in hues of green, maroon or red with a heavy gold zari border and buta work.

The other Tamil brides usually opt for the regular 6 yard saree but in contrasting colour combinations like green and red or yellow and maroon. Tamil brides are heavily bejeweled with lot of flowers and gold jewelry. They usually adorn stunning pieces of ancestral temple jewelry studded with precious stones. The bride also wears a special kind of neckwear that is comprised of small sized gold coin pendants.

Apart from the regular bridal jewelry, brides from Tamilnadu wear unique jewelry around their waist and hair. Oddiyanam –an attractive waist belt worn to keep pallu, pleats and folds intact. The bride also wears something known as Nethi – which is the traditional wedding jewelry for the hair usually made of pearl and gold.

The bridal hair do varies from community to community within Tamils. Like for example Iyengar and Iyer brides wear buns on one side their head- known as kondu which are decorated with flowers and gold accessories while other brides from the region, plait their hair and deck them with fresh orange and white flowers. Flowers complete the look of a traditional Tamil bride!

The Proper Way to Remove Makeup

Avoid leaving makeup on through the night - It can clog pores, especially if it is thick makeup or there is a lot on. It is the key to keeping skin looking gorgeous, especially. However, it can be tricky to make sure all of it is gone.

Remove any eye makeup Use a gentle makeup remover just for eye makeup. Regular makeup remover can irritate the eyes. Make sure you get most off, if not all, of any eyeliner and mascara you had on, as well as some eye shadow.

Steam your pores Drape a towel over your head and hold it over a sink of hot, steaming water. This opens your pores and is easier for cleansing.

Remove your lip color Apply a small dab of makeup remover to your lips, and gently rub it in with cotton.

For your eyes For a perfect eye shape, use a small brush to blend a medium tone color from just below the brow arch downwards in a semi-circle motion. Line your eyelids with a pencil and blend a darker shade into the crease and outer corner. Shadow application should be from inner to outer corners. Complete your glam look with ultra dramatic lashes. Sweep some mascara across the lashes to complete the glam look. Always apply mascara in a zigzag motion, this helps in avoiding clumps.

Use a gentle face wash Most of your makeup should come off on this stage. Be sure the face wash is gentle and you don't scrub harshly. Your skin has been covered in makeup all day and it needs to breath!

Remove any eye makeup that ran while you washed your face It's pretty common to see a bit of mascara or eyeliner under your eyes, and very easy to remove with a dampened cotton swab.

Close your pores with a splash of cool water Rub in some moisturizer to soothe your skin.

Pat your face dry with a towel and rub in a light moisturizer The rigor of the removal of makeup can dry out your skin in irritation. Soothe this with a light moisturizer. <a href="http://khushsingh.com/">Khush Singh - Celebrity &amp; Indian Bridal Makeup Artist</a>

Indian Brides: A Gujarait Bride

Image Courtesy : Anil Tohani

The traditional outfit of a Gujarati bride is a saree draped in the Gujarati style. There are two basic types of wedding sarees in Gujarat the Panetar, which is a white sari with red bandhini border and the Gharchola, the traditional bandhini sari red in colour, with crisscrossed woven gold squares, enclosing small ethnic bandhini motifs or auspicious symbols like a lotus or a peacock embroidered in gold in the center.

Image Courtesy : Anil Tohani

During the wedding ceremony the bride wears a Panetar which is considered to be the last garment she receives from her parents. During the ceremony her mother in law gifts her with a Gharchola which signifies that the bridegroom’s family is ready to take all her responsibility from that day on. Most Gharcholas have traditional patterns like “bavan bagh” that is Fifty-Two Gardens or “Ras Leela” which is the depiction of Lord Krishna dancing with his Gopis and are woven and dyed in Kutch, but the final red color is given in Jamnagar. According to an old belief the waters of Jamnagar are said to have auspicious properties which when used for dying a bridal Gharchola saree will produce the most brilliant shade of red that a bride can ever have for her wedding ceremony.

The Gujarati bride is decked with royal and expensive gold, kundan and diamond ornaments. Her hair is tied back neatly in a stylish bun or braid over which the dupatta is attached with a pin. A matha tikka is pinned through the parting of the hair with a chain. A bindi is put in the centre of the forehead below the matha tikka. Heavily jeweled necklaces along with equally heavy earrings are worn. A bajuband or armlet is tied around the forearm and a combination of gold and glass bangles are worn on the hands. A waist band is tied on the waist. The bride also wears anklets and toe rings around the feet. The most beautiful ornament which beautifies the brides look is the nose ring known as nath. This is put on the left nostril which has a long chain and the end of the chain is attached to the hair.

It is believed that the tie and dye technique was brought to Kutch from Sindh by Muslim Khatris and the locals have inherited this art and incorporated it in their lifestyle. Hence the bride wears a bandhini saree which is highly unique to the region.

Booking a Wedding Trial with a Professional Makeup & Hair Artist

It’s no secret that good makeup artists are in high demand all year long but in particular during peak spring/summer wedding seasons. It just makes sound sense to book your chosen makeup artist well in advance. I recommend spending some time looking over different makeup artists portfolio’s and this can be done easily over the web. Find someone who’s style is similar to your own. Look for reviews and recommendations from past clients. Once you’ve chosen your favorite artist, contact him or her and book a wedding trial. I always suggest booking a wedding trial as far in advance as possible however essentially carrying out the trial 2 -3 months prior to your wedding day. The earlier you book your trial the more likely you are to get the most talented and "in demand" artist working for you on your wedding day. Most makeup and hair artists require a deposit before confirming your date. Find out the terms and conditions of your chosen artist and be sure you are clear on how your date will be held. You may also need to put a deposit towards your wedding day prior to your trial taking place if you are concerned your wedding date may be taken by someone else. "In demand" artists are often booked a year in advance especially during the popular summer wedding weekends.

Before your trial, be sure and take clippings of makeup and hair styles from magazines that you like. Be open and honest with your artist, tell him or her if you have any skin or hair problems and be honest about what you really want from the experience. Listen to your makeup artist, take his or her advice on what works for your skin and hair type. The best professional makeup and hair artists have been well trained and should have a keen eye for detail.

Work closely together with your artist and the results will be incredible and exactly what you were hoping for.

<a href="http://khushsingh.com/">Khush Singh - Celebrity &amp; Indian Bridal Makeup Artist</a>

Indian Brides: A Punjabi Bride

Image Courtesy : AJ Studio

The traditional Punjabi bridal wear is Shalwar and Kameez along with a heavily embroidered Dupatta which would cover the head. The outfit is usually of Patiala style. This was originally the attire of the royal families of Punjab. The Patiala Shalwar has many pleats that gather towards the waistline and drape below gracefully. The Kameez is a knee length fitted top. Usually the outfit is in hues of Red with a lot of embellishments intricately embroidered with unique motifs and sequence.

Image courtesy : Rob & Lauren

The bride traditionally wears gold jewelry and matching foot wear. The parting of her hair is decorated with a gold ornament called the Tikka. The bride wears bangles made of ivory known as Chooda. These are White and dark Red in colour and hold great significance to the bride. They are usually in multiples of four and according to the tradition the bride must wear it at least for a year after her marriage. But nowadays brides wear the Chooda only for a month after the wedding.

Friends and sisters-in-law tie Kalire, a hanging ornament made of gold or silver on these bangles. Kalire’s are encrusted with dried coconut and dried beetle nuts. It is said that after the wedding the bride rubs her hands against each other to drop the Kalire on the heads of unmarried girls, and who so ever gets the Kalire first is expected to get married within a short period.

There is a similar tradition practiced by Catholic brides. Towards the end of the wedding celebrations, when the bride is about to depart, she throws her bridal bouquet to a group of unmarried girls following her, and whichever girl catches it is expected to get married next.

Isn’t it interesting…both these cultures are so different yet, some of the traditional practices they follow have similar significance.

Indian Brides: Kashmiri

(Image Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/youngdoo)

Kashmir Pundit brides wear beautifully embroidered lehengas, usually red in colour with a lot of glitz. If not Red, it can be Pink or Yellow in colour.  They also wear a head gear known as Kalpush. It is an extensive cap folded three or four times and is lined either with silk or cotton from the inside. A white color cloth known as Zoojh is wrapped in three to four layers over Kalpush and a glace paper is stitched over the Zoojh. This entire head wear is known as Tarang. The lehenga has a lot of zari work done using golden threads and is blended with Kashmiri embroidery. The Dupatta is put over the head wear and enhances the look of the bride.

The bride adorns heavy gold jewelry around the neck, gold bangles on the hands and Paayal and toe ring in the feet.  A special and very unique ornament known as Dejharoo is worn by a Kashmiri bride. Dejharoo is a pair of gold pendants hanging on a gold chain through the holes in the ear lobes. This holds the similar significance in Kashmiri pundits as a mangalsutra does among Hindus. A waist band which is two meter long and a half a meter wide is also forms an integral part of the bridal wear.

Kashmiri Muslim Bride

Kashmiri Muslim brides wear beautifully embroidered traditional outfit known as Pheran, which is a long loose fitting robe and is well suited for the cold weather conditions. It is usually Red in colour. They wear a similar head gear to the Kashmiri Pundit brides but it is known differently.  They call it Kasaba. It varies from the Tarang as it is simply a cloth of any colour of your choice which is held tight by silver pins and trinklets. It is decorated with gold embroidery and embellishments of silver pendants hanging on the forehead.

These brides usually wear heavy bunches of silver jewelry which shines and can be noticed from a distance. The jewelry also, includes heavy Jhoomar style earrings which are supported by thick silver chain, necklace, bracelets and Paayal around the ankle.

This was just a peek into the Kashmiri culture. As you see there is so much diversity within the two kinds of Kashmiri bridal outfits but at the same time they are similar in some ways. Stay tuned for more on Indian weddings & Indian brides from Marry Me!

Indian Brides: Malayalee Bride

The bridal attire of a Malayalee Hindu bride is very simple and elegant. The traditional bridal dress consists of a two piece cream colour saree called Set Mundu with a thick woven gold zari border. But very few brides choose to dress in the traditional Set Mundu today. Instead they opt for expensive Kancheepuram silk saris, which are available in plenty of bright colours like red, maroon, magenta, green and blue.

Though the bridal saree is quite simple, the jewelry complementing it is very unique and heavy and forms a very important part of the bridal attire. The jewelry designs are inspired by nature or temple statues mainly consisting of motifs like paisley, rice grains, melon seeds, cobra heads or birds and usually crafted in red and green semi precious stones. The jewelry from this region is commonly known as Temple jewelry.

A Malayalee bride is heavily decked with bridal jewelry from head to toe. The piece of jewelry worn along the parting of the hair is known as Netti Chutti. It is very similar to Mang Tikka which is worn by brides from northern parts of India but the design and style of a Netti Chutti is very different from a Mang Tikka. Typical hanging earrings in the shape of an umbrella known as Jhimkis are worn and suspended by an artistic chain called Maattal which goes around the ear. The hair is adorned by a stone studded ornamental chain which is worn over the plait is known as Tirukkuppu. The bride also adorns various gold necklaces with designs inspired by temple borders and comprise of a gold disc in the centre with different designs and motifs of goddesses. These necklaces are traditionally called – Nagapada thali, Laxmi thali, Palakka mala and Kasu mala. The bride also wears a combination of gold and stone studded bangles along with other pieces of jewellery like gold anklets known as Padaswarams, a waist band embellished with pearls and stones, a stone studded nose ring and a gold armlet.

Though Malayalee bridal jewelry is known for its bold and heavy designs, brides these days are opting for more contemporary designs and are switching from the yellow gold to diamond and platinum jewelry.