Indian Wedding Trends: SJS Events
[caption id="attachment_56727" align="aligncenter" width="510"]
Craig Photography by Elizabeth[/caption]
As you get ready to plan your dream wedding, how do you know what hot trends are in and what is out? Through lots of research planning weddings and in speaking with several different vendors in New York, we have compiled a list of creative ideas that will give your wedding the WOW factor that so many Indian weddings are missing.
- 1. As we all know from attending other Indian weddings, most brides think that a buffet line is the way to go since it is easy and takes the guesswork out of presentation - Wrong. Many elegant weddings today are moving away from buffet lines and shifting to sit down or family style dinners. With family style dinners, you can have your caterer serve foods in large bowls (like at a restaurant). The sauces will not run and it makes for a clean presentation. Your guests can pass around the food so they do not have to leave their table. Also, you can ask your florist to garnish the plate with your favorite flower to add a little extra pizzazz. Your guests will truly feel as though you took the time to create something special.
- 2. A hot trend for 2006 is providing sparkle to your wedding cake. Out are the sugar-paste flower toppers and the plethora of flowers all over your wedding cake. The "hot" thing to do is to use crystal monograms or rhinestone jewels to add accents to your cake. This trend is so hot that even Swarovski Crystals got on the bandwagon and came out with Swarovski Crystal Monogram Cake Toppers. Go to sites like www.favorsbyserendipity.com to help you find what you are looking for.
- 3. Speaking of wedding cakes, why not give your cake the special attention it deserves by having it displayed under its own mini tent or gazebo? The new trend is to have your decorator put up a small tent over the cake table. You can also go all out and add lighting behind the cake table reflecting off the tent or have spotlights on the cake. Why shouldn't your cake be the center of attention?
- 4. In 2006, many stylish brides are opting to spend less on flowers and more on monogramming instead. Monogramming your cocktail napkins, ribbons, wedding favors, and cake are all in vogue. And how about having a monogram on the dance floor in lights? Talk about a personalized wedding! Websites like www.fairytaleweddingstore.com and www.createafavor.com can give you a host of choices on what to monogram.
- 5. How many times have you heard sitar and tabla at a cocktail hour? Deviate from the norm and tell your dj to play something hot like salsa music or jazz. It makes for a fun and festive cocktail hour. To get even more creative, why not hire a local salsa or jazz band? Most of these up and coming bands would love the exposure and you can always negotiate a price.
- 6. We all know that Indian weddings are a great way for parents and aunts and uncles to get together, but what about the younger generation? Going straight home after your wedding is so out! If your wedding is taking place in an area where the fun goes on well into the night, why not give your younger guests an after-party at your favorite lounge? Send out Evites to the after-party a week or two before your wedding. It is a great way to keep the party going long after the aunties and uncles are in bed.
- 7. Save your money on elaborate wedding programs. Our suggestion … go for a simple one page card that thanks your guests for coming and lists the parents, the wedding party and any other important people you want to mention. Place this in a beautifully decorated envelope (with your monograms on it, of course) and hand them out to your guests. They will get the message without having to read the book.
- 8. Another hot trend for 2006 is to go all out for the cocktail hour. The trend is to have a 2 hour cocktail hour and have anywhere from 15-20 appetizers to serve to your guests. Hip brides are offering an international cocktail hour with items such as Mini Quesadillas, Thai Spring Rolls, Jalapeno Poppers, Fried Raviolis, Garlic Shrimp, Seekh Kababs, Chicken Hara Kababs, Mini Pizzas, Chilly Paneer, and Masala Mushrooms. With items such as these, your cocktail hour will have a special flair and your guests will have the opportunity to stuff themselves. And this way, no one is waiting for the speeches to end so they can eat!
- 9. A growing trend is to choose a favorite photo from your engagement shoot and then having your photographer enlarge it and put a matte around it. This can now be used as a signing board for your guests. Your guests will get a kick out of seeing the photo and you can put this in a frame to cherish as a memory of your special day.
- 10. Ordinary white linen is losing favor and colorful linen with alternating schemes is all the rage in 2006. For example, choosing one kind of table linen for table numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and so on and having a completely different color scheme for table numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and so on is hot. This unique decorating technique gives your tables some character without making your room look monochromatic. Since Indian weddings are so colorful anyways, why not incorporate that into your linen selections?
Remember, in order to give your wedding that WOW factor and make it a spectacular and unique event, you need to take some sure risks which steer away from the norm. You want your guests walking away feeling as though you really put thought behind your big day. The good news is that with a little planning, accomplishing all of this is so much easier than you ever imagined.
___________________________________
Let the professionals make your dream wedding a spectacular reality.
Sonal Shah, of
Sonal J. Shah Event Consultants, LLC, is the premier Indian Wedding Planner in the New York / New Jersey area. The company plans events and weddings nationwide. For more information visit
www.sjsevents.com or call 917-742-7449 to find out about our Specials.
As you get ready to plan your dream wedding, how do you know what hot trends are in and what is out? Through lots of research planning weddings and in speaking with several different vendors in New York, we have compiled a list of creative ideas that will give your wedding the WOW factor that so many Indian weddings are missing.
