Wedding Stage

Wedding stage is the focal point in any Indian wedding function. The stage is the place where for the first time the bride and the groom see each other as formal soul mates. Some of the most important wedding rituals take place on the wedding stage itself and therefore, it holds a significant place in a wedding. The Jaimala ritual takes place at the wedding stage in India. This is a fun filled ritual, wherein all the family members and friends crowd around the couple. This also calls for a strong yet beautiful stage deign.

The significance of the stage can also be explained by the fact that it gives an opportunity to all the guests to see the wedding from a distance. So, the wedding stage has to fulfill many tasks at one point of time. This even stresses upon the design of the stage. Initially, simple stages were preferred with less ornamentation. Nowadays, people's preferences have changed. Most of the people go for stage decoration in accordance with the theme of their wedding.

For a traditional look you can use colors like maroon, yellow, red with silver and golden drapes. For props you can use diyas and kalash. The backdrop can be given a traditional look by setting up royal thrones for the bride and the groom. For the guests you can arrange sofas and settees. However, for a lighter yet elegant look you can go for flower decoration. Flowers can be used aesthetically to provide that fairy tale look to your surroundings. You can team this up with flowy material drapes, in colors matching your flower arrangement.

Furthermore, the shape of the stage is also vital. They are available in all shapes and sizes to suit your need. They can even look grand with the help of elaborate pillars, statuesque columns and decorated domes. This can be further enhanced by appropriate usage of colors, lights and texture. Moreover, for a finer look, the stages are detailed with exquisite carvings by the help of skilled craftsmanship. This ensures your wedding day truly becomes special in every sense of the word.


some of my sketches and ideas about stage design

Wedding Decoration

Any Indian wedding is incomplete without decoration. Not only weddings, in India decoration is a must on all festive occasions and cultural events. Decoration only beautifies the surroundings but also fills it with positive energy. It is a form of celebration and expressing joy. It is even considered auspicious to decorate the venue where such activities are taking place so as to draw good luck and prosperity. Thus, it becomes all the more important to decorate a wedding venue as well as the houses of the respective families.

Moreover, flower decoration is considered inevitable. Marigold is the flower which is used in decoration as a tradition. Draped and hung Marigold garlands are a common sight in any wedding house. Besides, the decoration of the wedding venue is a vast issue. It is usually handled by florists and decorators, which also take care of the seating arrangement. The flower decoration can be of many types. You can even have a flower theme for your wedding and spill color and fragrance around.

Flower decoration is the most sought after in weddings. You can completely change the look of your wedding venue with the help of the decoration. For an ethnic and traditional look you can go for, roses, orchids, marigolds, gerberas, etc. For a westernized, expensive and plush look, you can go for fresh flowers like carnations, baby roses or lilies or orchid. You can even decide the floral arrangement as per your wishes and budget. In case you have a theme, match the color of the flowers with the theme.

Flower decoration plays an important role in setting the mood of the wedding, so it is always better to choose seasonal flowers. Different flowers represent different seasons and accordingly influence the environment and people around. Therefore, if you have your wedding in autumn, choose colors like red, burgundy, amber, yellow and rust. For summer go for light and pastel shades like pink, sky blue, citrus tone and for winter go for an evergreen effect, white and sparkling silver.

Wedding Venues

Venue is the most crucial choices to be made for a wedding ceremony. There are a lot of things that depend upon the venue; therefore it is very essential to have an appropriate place for the occasion. Nowadays, there are many places that can serves as good venue option for marriages. In India, though most of the weddings are still conducted in banquet halls, people are becoming more experimental in choosing unconventional venue options.

While deciding the wedding venue, the first and foremost thing to be taken care of is your budget. This is because, the bigger the budget, the better the venue. The conventional and unconventional wedding venue options in India comprise of places like clubs, parks, banquets, hotels, farm houses, cruises, temples etc. This not only gives you variety but also cater to your needs better. Also, keep in mind that the venue should be in proximity with your residence so that it is easy for you to commute.

Moreover, the size of the venue should also be considered and it should be in accordance with your guest list. The more the number of people invited, the larger the venue. In order to stay on the safer side, book your desired venue way before hand, as it might not be available in the peak wedding season, owing to rush. During the peak season the rates of the places are also quite high, so advance booking will provide you with better economic deals. Don't forget to check if the venue has basic amenities like proper electricity, water and washroom facilities.

creating atmosphere using lights

sketching for a wedding party
creating mood with lighting effect






trying my hands on software to show the real look of sketch.

sketchs to reality

it was and all new and different experience designing wedding for cousin wedding.
looking at the whole set up turning from sketch to reality was truly satisfying.

there were many difficulties on the journey of making sketch a reality like making workers explain what you actually require , also to check the availability of materials, to order the materials in enough quantity so as its not short of use.

                                                                                                       stage at reception 

                                                                          

decoration at sangeet sandhya

natural flowers with contrasting back drop

                 

Sangeet sandhya

Indian wedding celebrations include a number of pre-wedding functions such as the Sangeet party and bridal Mehndi functions besides other serious rituals like exchanging vows and the ring ceremony.

The Sangeet remains the most vibrant and fun part of an Indian wedding. Today, the Sangeet is often celebrated on a grand scale and is generally a themed event with the couple’s family and friends performing choreographed dances and skits. In Hindu customs, music is the soul of any wedding celebration and so the Sangeet function too is abound with enthusiastic dancing and singing coupled with the sound of live performances. Often, professional singers who belt out popular film songs along with traditional wedding songs are present at this Indian pre-wedding function. The Sangeet night is made up of food, drinks and dance galore.

The Pithi Ceremony

A couple days before the wedding, the bride and groom each organize a pithi ceremony (also known as a haldi ceremony) at their respected homes. From this point until the time of the wedding, the couple should not see each nor should they leave the house. The paste serves as a cleanser for the body and soul and signifies the bride’s preparation and welcoming into adult married life. The haldi in some Indian communities also signifies protection, hence why the couple cannot leave the house after the ceremony.

Mehendi

Among the many traditions that are infused into Indian weddings, one of the most prominent is the mehndi ceremony. This is the day when mehndi is applied on the hands and feet of the bride and even the groom. While the bride has a very elaborate pattern done on her hands and feet, the groom usually has just a token design. Mehndi is a very important part of both Hindu and Muslim weddings in India. In fact, application of mehndi is a custom during any celebration in India, be it Karva Chaut, Teej, Diwali, Ramzan or any other festival.

The occasion of Mehendi is one of the most important pre-wedding rituals. It is fun a filled ritual, which is celebrated mainly by the bride’s family. Different regions of the country celebrate the ritual in a different way according to their own marriage customs, rituals, and culture.

The ceremony is mostly held at bride’s place or sometimes in a banquet hall on the eve of the marriage ceremony or few days before the marriage. On this occasion a henna designer or a relative applies mehendi to the bride’s hands and feet. There are few places in India where it is a ritual that the first motif of henna or mehendi is applied by the bride’s sister-in-law, whereas in some places the first mehendi motif is said to be auspicious if applied by bride’s mother.

Beliefs associated with mehndi
It is a common belief that the darker the color the mehndi leaves on the hands on a bride, the more will she be loved by her husband and mother-in-law. However, the significance of applying mehndi during weddings is not restricted just to sentiments and beliefs. Although these beliefs make the application of mehndi a much anticipated and charming tradition, the actual reason is of much deeper significance, which is sometimes forgotten in the present day.

Present trends in mehndi

Although times have changed and a lot of new inclusions have been made in Indian weddings, the significance of the mehndi ceremony has grown in stature. Many families bring in DJs to play songs and celebrations that go on until late in the night. If something has changed about the ceremony, it is the designs and patterns. While only intricate Indian designs were traditionally applied in the past, brides today are experimenting with Arabic designs and Indo-Arabic designs and mixing shimmer pastes along with the traditional mehndi paste. Semi precious stones are also embedded in the design. It is traditional to write the name of the groom on the bride’s palm. In some regions, this is also a small ritual after the wedding. The groom is made to search for his name, which is usually smartly written so as not be readily visible.

The mehndi ceremony is a reflection of the rich Indian culture, bringing together the knowledge of medicinal herbs with many lovely sentiments and beliefs. The result is a ceremony filled with fun and joy and the perfect precursor to the auspicious wedding day.

Ring Ceremony

Ring Ceremony is one of the vital Pre-Wedding Ceremonies. Which is held day or 2 days before wedding. Ring Ceremony is also know as as engagement, mangni and sagaii in some other parts of the country. Tradition and rituals are still alive in India, arrange marriages are still common in India. Traditionally parents would choose their children’s partner to ensure their wealth would stay within the same caste or to form alliances with another religion and were sometimes determined at birth. in this ceremony groom and bride exchange there rings as symbol of love n devotion . This is the main charm of Indian weddings. Herein lies the essence of Indian customs and traditions, extremely ritualistic. Indian Hindu Marriages are still following the Vedic rites and Purana Philosophy.

The family members and relatives of bride and groom meet on this Ring Ceremony. The bride and the groom are laden with gifts, jewellery and clothes from each other’s family. They also receive gifts from the other guests. Often the bride’s family bears the expenses of the ceremony. The groom’s side also receives gifts from the bride’s side for the prominent family members, like the mother father, brother and sister of the groom. This gift includes clothes jewelry and other accessories.

accept for designing at wedding

Hindu marriages are the most lavish and extensive. They extend over a period of four to five days. They are highly traditional and strongly adhere to the ancient customs and traditions. Moreover, wedding is considered an important religious practice in Hindu religion. It is held as one of sacred sixteen sanskaras or sacraments. It is not just the bond between two people but also between two families. The Hindu marriage is primarily divided into three segments, pre wedding rituals, wedding rituals, and post wedding rituals.

Pre Wedding Rituals
The pre wedding rituals comprise of engagement, tilak, sagai, sangeet and mehandi. The Engagement can also be called the ring ceremony, wherein the prospective couple exchanges rings. Next is the Tilak ceremony, in which the bride's brother applies tilak to the groom and gives him gifts. After this, the Sagai ceremony is conducted in which both the parties exchange gifts. Then comes the Sangeet ceremony, wherein the female members sing and dance to rejoice the occasion. Just before the wedding, the Mehandi ceremony is organized, in which mehndi is applied on bride's hands and feet.

Wedding Rituals
The wedding rituals begin with the Jaimala ceremony, in which the bride and the groom exchange flower garlands. After this, they are taken to the mandap where the Kanyadaan ritual is performed. In this ritual, the bride's father gives away his daughter to the groom, while the priest chants mantras. After this, the Mangalpheras take place around the sacred fire. They also take the seven vows called Saptapadi, and promise to abide by them throughout their lives. After this, the groom puts sindoor or vermillion in the bride's hair parting. This is followed by tying of mangalsutra around the bride's neck by the groom.

Post Wedding Rituals
The post wedding rituals comprise of vidaai and reception. In the Vidaai ceremony the family of the bride gives her a sobbing farewell. Before leaving, the bride throws back three handful of rice and coin over her shoulders, towards her parental home. This is done to ensure wealth and prosperity remains in her home forever. On the arrival at the groom's house, the new couple is welcomed by the groom's mother, with a traditional aarti.

at wedding this are main accept for designing in each function :-

Wedding stage

Wedding mandap

Wedding centerpiece
Wedding venues

Flower arrangements

Entrance gate

Wedding car decoration

Doli designing
Sitting arrangements

WEDDING RITUALS

Wedding in india are considered to be sacred and sanctified ritual. they are long ritualistic and elaborate affair with lots of pre-wedding ,post wedding ritual. Indian marriages are known for their many rituals. In fact, the beauty of Indian weddings comes forth in the numerous traditions that are associated with the special celebration. Indian weddings are incomplete without dance, music and lots of laughter. Furthermore, Indian weddings are not a one day ceremony. Pre-wedding ceremonies begin before the wedding and can sometimes be a week long celebration.

pre - wedding functions

ring ceremony

mehndi

pithi

sangeet

wedding functions

marrage

post wedding functions

reseption

BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING (CASE STUDY)

Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate, spent over Rs. 220 crores for his daughter Vanisha’s wedding in 2004. Looking beautiful in a red and gold Sandeep Khosla and Abu Jani lehenga, she married Amit Bhatia, a banker. The engagement was held in the Palace of Versailles and the wedding took place in the Chateau Vaux le Victome in France. 

The engagement dinner was organised at the Jardin des Tuileries and the best Indian chefs were flown in for the preparations. 

For the reception, fireworks were arranged on the Eiffel tower. It was also reported that celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Shahrukh Khan were paid a whooping £300,000 for their appearance. Apart from them, other B-town stars like Aishwarya Rai, Akshay Kumar and many more performed at the wedding. 

It was also reported that Javed Akhtar wrote a special play based on the couple's love story, which was performed by Mittal family members. Guests from India were flown down in twelve private jets. The wedding celebrations lasted for 6 grand days.

Cost: 220 crore approx.

survey

During my visit to India in Easter breaks i asked different group of people about what they think of Indian wedding and also which accepts is important in Indian wedding.

questions asked are

1. What is your dream wedding like?

2. Do you prefer wedding designers?

3. Do you agree that wedding designers can gave or change over all look of wedding?

4. Are wedding designers / planners important in today's scenario?

5.What is the main focus in Indian wedding? 

The big fat Indian wedding

Weddings are a once-in-a-lifetime affair. If you can afford to splurge, why not?

A smile lights up the Delhi-based businessman’s face as he soaks in the spectacular décor — pink and gossamer silk tents illuminated by cut-glass chandeliers, gold candles anointing 100-odd tables, sheer satin drapes, throw cushions in amber silk and the air infused with rosewater sprinklers!

Meanwhile, Chadha’s 1,200-odd guests sip pink champagne circulated by liveried waiters on silver trays, munch on canapés and then help themselves to a 54-dish buffet comprising Thai, Italian, Malaysian and Indian food. The lavish feast is followed by a specially-choreographed Bollywood-style dance where everybody grooves to Indian movie songs!

The industry, it seems, is completely recession-proof! It has simultaneously spawned a welter of ancillary businesses like event management, honeymoon planning, catering, flower arrangement, on-site wedding portals, wedding fair organisation, henna making, choreography, wedsites . . .

Not long ago, an Indian wedding meant a modest ceremony supervised by harried parents helped along by close friends and relatives. No more. Today, family and close friends watch in awe as an army of event managers and sundry professionals come marching in to orchestrate the proceedings.

                            Elaborate dining arrangements complete with silk tent, 

                            crystal cutlery, expensive wines and gourmet food make 

                            it an unforgettable experience.

A long guest list, a colourful and extravagant venue, a lavish feast and professionally-managed ceremonies are prerequisites for most modern Indian weddings.

Experts say there are many growth drivers for the big, fat Indian wedding trend — economic prosperity spurred by disposable incomes, a consumer culture and a prolific rise in the number of individuals and companies to cater to that segment of well-to-do citizens who want to outsource everything for their nuptial festivities.

Interestingly, for those who can’t afford it all, banks act as saviours. Many Indian banks have specially earmarked “wedding loans” to help clients overcome financial constraints.

“Weddings are considered the highlight in a person’s life and every effort is taken to make the day special and memorable,” says sociologist Salma Siddiqui. “These events are community affairs, and nobody wants to be seen skimping. Lifestyles fuelled by better salaries, more travel and greater aspirations have also fuelled this trend.”

UK-based Indian tycoon Lakshmi Mittal — a regular on the Forbes’ richest billionaire’s list — showcased the quintessential Great Indian Wedding to the world. For his 32-year-old daughter Vanisha’s marriage to 36-year-old Amit Bhatia, over 1,000 guests from all over the world were invited with 20-page-thick silver-cased invitation cards. Events were staged over five days in some of France’s most famous settings.

                           Flowers flown in from Holland, Thailand and Bali to give 

                           that special touch to a wedding.

CORE WEDDING THEME

Themes in Indian weddings till recent times were decided by the cultural background of the bride and groom. The traditions and practises of the culture was what formed the décor and theme of the wedding. But now with many intercultural marriages taking place and also the want to be unique, it has given rise to the concept of theme weddings and it is slowly gaining popularity here too. It creates a memorable experience for everyone and will definitely be a talked about affair among the guests. Though people in India are slowly experimenting with different themes nowadays, they are still conventional ones like royal themes, romantic themes and fairy-tale themes.

Royal Theme

This larger than life theme is the most popular one among the affluent in India. This theme requires a big budget so it is chosen mostly by those who can afford to splurge lavishly. This is probably due to the rich royal heritage of the country as it was ruled by many kings and monarchs till 50 years ago. It is a vintage style where the bride and groom look like an Indian prince and princess or king and queen. The first choice of location for such wedding is usually portions of palaces or royal buildings for complete authenticity. But in case of their unavailability and to also make it more affordable, luxury hotels and resorts are chosen as they can be decked and decorated to look like a replica of a palace. The décor, ambience and menu of the wedding are always elegant and opulent.

Romantic Theme

This for the obvious reasons of romance and love is the most popular theme for weddings. It is especially popular around Valentine’s Day which is the hot favourite day among many couple to get married.  As the name     suggests the décor and theme is soft, subtle and romantic. Flowers, fountains, lace, satin, candles and colours of red and pink are some of the important aspects that form the décor of this wedding. It can be indoor with beautiful draperies or outdoor under the stars as long as beautiful music is playing in the background. Everything about this wedding must be welcoming and enchanting to not only the couple but to the guest too.

Fantasy or Fairy-tale Theme

A fairy-tale or fantasy theme is ideally the re-creation of the setting of popular fairy-tale stories such as Cinderella etc. It is not necessarily a copy of the exact theme and is usually just certain aspects taken from it and modified to suit the occasion and look more contemporary. This is relatively a new theme in the Indian wedding scene and is one of the most popular ones in western countries. More than for wedding ceremonies in India this theme is more appropriate for receptions and cocktail parties. It is romantic and is what every girl dreams of when she is little, making her truly feel like a princess on her big day.