Marriage is one of the most important occasions in his/her life and I just thought of blogging about what one generally needs to start planning/preparing or make a check list of and have it done before the main day.
Though I am not aware of the customs in the all the religions , I will try to make a generalized list of what is required in all the marriages,specifically from a girl's point of view :D
Generally there is a minimum of 4-6 months period from the engagement or formalization of marriage date which is pretty much sufficient if planned well.
1.The most important is the kalyana mandapam and though mostly the bride or groom will not go through the turmoil of calling every mandapam to check the availability ,this has to be finalized first after a visit to the mandapam.Generally the mandapam will undertake the responsibility for making the arrangement of registering the marriage.Just make sure that arrangements are made for this as the couple might be travelling abroad soon after the marriage for which the bride (rarely the groom :D) might have to acquire the visa.
2.Then comes the catering , which comes as a package deal these days with all other mandapam arrangements like decoration of the main area,arrangement of pooja items,even the jaanvasam car (if required in case of brahmin marriage),the "seervarisai" of all the sweets and murukku (even packed individually and arranged in the thaamboolam bags which are to be distributed among the people who come for the marriage).
Also ensure the invitations count and design are decided well in advance and delivered well before (atleast 30-45days before marriage) so that they can be planned to be posted,couriered or given in person and make sure that there is plenty of time for this.
3.This might not be the most important in general,but this is the most important from the bride s point of view----arrangement for the beautician.
Getting a good beautician's appointment has become as difficult as booking a mandapam and this has to be given equal priority so as to avoid last minute tensions!!
Try to arrange for a beautician whose work you have already seen or experienced so that you need not end up having surprises at the end.
Even if it is a popular beauty salon , try to get a particular beautician's appointment whom you are familiar with,if not have a trial makeup well ahead-its really worth!(Anyone who reads this blog requires a beautician please let me know as I will strongly vouch for mine anyday!!!)
4.Then comes the purchase of sarees.From my own experience,I would say please try to purchase simple sarees and get a grand one for the main occasion alone.
(My designer saree is sleeping in the box for the past 2.5yrs!!!)
Also these sarees require lot of maintenance and in this fast paced world we almost forget them unless your mother or mil takes care of it (as it is in my case :D)
5.In case of artwork in the blouses,they are a good choice but a costly one.
So depending on your budget try deciding upon the extent to which you want the blouses to be designed.
Mainly make sure the tailor is good by first giving a sample blouse after which start giving your main blouses.Try giving 2 blouses at a time as bulk stitching may leave you unhappy later!!!
A week before marriage make sure the blouses fit you properly as before , because the brides may lose weight due to their diet and exercise (so as to look good for the day) and also mainly because of the emotional stress that they go through thinking about the new phase of their life (experience speaks!!! :D)
6.Then comes the accessories(bangles,necklaces,earrings,etc) for the sarees which also has to be planned well ahead.
Dreams come true in chennai egmore,Narayana Pearls in Tnagar have never let me down.
7.If you are interested in having a "jadai" for your marriage , please make sure you personally choose the one you wish for because mostly the jadai has more of colored ropes and threads rather than flowers.
If you are not so keen on jadai there are plenty of options in the market (right from plain gold to kundan work and pearls) which looks even more gorgeous.
Again there are plenty of options if you roam around in tnagar and finally one gets confused with what to wear and what not to!!! :)
8.If you are allergic to any kind of creams or powder please make sure that the beautician is well aware of it.
9.Mostly the beautician will take care of the mehandi unless you are planning to have a grand mehandi ceremony for which again I can direct you to the right people if you wish for it.
10.Ensure you have all tiny things that you may require at the last moment right from safety pins to black threads.
11.Though the groom may not have as much shopping to do as the bride,please try to ensure that the reception dress gels well with the saree the bride has chosen.
12.If a honeymoon is planned immediately after the marriage,ensure that the transportation arrangements and accomodation is planned well ahead.
13.In case of joining the husband abroad as dependent, make sure you make the visa arrangements well ahead and get an appointment for the visa interview (required mostly) a couple of days after the marriage so that you are sure that you have the marriage certificate in hand (which is the most important).Also make sure you have informed your parents where you keep the documents because you might forget it in all the hoopla :D
14.Most important,keep smiling always :-)
I have made the above list based on my own experiences few are based upon close friends marriages and I hope you guys find it useful !!!
Though there might been circumstances when you may have hardly a month before the marriage (I have seen few instances of this recently) during which you may have to make all these arrangements within a short duration you can still make very good arrnagements as friends and relatives are ever ready to help the bride/groom and the parents :-)
Hope you have a memorable time getting ready for your big day!!!
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