Author Sara Estrada

Tying traditions into wedding themes is not a new concept, but TV shows like Dancing with the Stars and So you think you can Dance have really brought one theme into the limelight over the past few years.

Bollywood! Vibrant colors, vivid, exotic, elaborate themes designed around the North Indian wedding culture make for a rare and truly memorable event. Elements that are important are Music, Live Bands, and DJ companies and even traditional song, the Indian wedding is about joy, music and fun.

The wedding flowers were specifically designed and customized for this bride using mirrors, candlelight and tons of brightly colored flowers. There were traditional foods from a talented caterer such as Indian Naan bread, Kebabs, and Raita, these were all washed down with delicious Mango and Banana Lassi.

Typically the Indian Themed wedding lasts up to 3-4 days so be prepared for a long weekend. The best wedding location to have an Indian theme wedding is a rented tent like a Mandap, Maharaja or Raj tent or a beautiful Garden wedding. Be sure to use a reputable wedding and event rental company.

There is no end to the opportunities available with Theme weddings. There are Sports themed, cultural themed, location based themes like Country weddings, City weddings, Beach front weddings, Coffee House weddings, Vintage theme weddings and the list goes on. Whatever theme you choose, whatever wedding cultural aspects you tie in; know that those that have some significance to the two of you will be the elements that your wedding guests will take home and treasure for years to come.

You don’t have to be from Mumbai to have a Night of the Raj or Bollywood event, just a little sprit of adventure is all it takes. Let your imagination soar.

Images provided by Pix of Life

Goodtime Entertainment, Flowers by Sweet Flowers & Events, Classic Party Rentals

As the mother of the groom, I was as excited as the mother of my future daughter-in-law when wedding plans were announced.  I also wanted to do something really special for the bride. I came up with the idea of a surprise rehearsal bouquet.  Not any ordinary floral bouquet, this one! The bouquet would pay homage to great family romances through the ages. The goal was to combine glitter, glamour, sentiment and style.  Everyone agreed it exceeded my expectations!

I started by soliciting brilliant brooches, elegant earrings, handsome hatpins and other vintage chic pieces of family jewelry.  The response was overwhelming!  As I received these heirloom pieces from grandparents, aunts, cousins, sisters and friends, I photographed each piece and had the donor pen a few lines documenting the history of the piece. How wonderful to know that the lustrous rhinestone starburst pin originated as a birthday gift to her grandmother from her beloved husband!  Most of the contributors also included a bit of advice for the bride-to-be. What fun! The advice ranged from wise and solemn to humorous and somewhat racy – definitely reflecting the personality of the giver!

What a blast assembling the bouquet! I picked up all the supplies – 8” foam ball, wedding tulle, hot glue, floral pins and a plastic bridal bouquet handle – at a local craft store.  To create a frilly domed top, I cut the foam ball in half and attached the tulle with floral pins.  Separated the jewelry finds by size, shape and color. The glitziest pieces were centered on top, secured with floral pins, and I worked my way around the piece.  The system was largest to smallest, paying attention to the shapes and colors.   Once the bigger pieces were positioned perfectly, I rounded it out with elegant drop earrings and dazzling diamond topped hat pins. As a final touch, I used the smallest pieces and earrings to ensure total coverage. Fortunately, I remembered to leave some space at the bottom to attach the handle!

After wrapping the bouquet handle with more tulle and criss-crossing it with satin ribbon to match the wedding colors, I attached it to the bottom of the jeweled dome with hot glue.  Hot glue ensured the tulle and ribbon wrap stayed in place and didn’t distract from the overall design.

My son’s future wife was overwhelmed when I presented her this sparkly bouquet! She loved the scrap book assembled with the pictures and histories of the individual pieces.  We all had a blast reading the marital advice the donors had included!

Not only was her bouquet well received at the rehearsal, it earned a place of honor at the cake table at the reception.

Some advice – leave plenty of time to assemble your treasure. It took about two months, from sending out requests to the final assembly. Consider a theme that reflects the personality of the bride-to-be or the motif of the wedding. Above all – have fun!

Are you wondering how to add your own personal touch to rehearsal dinner? Centerpieces are a great and fun way to change things up a bit while adding to your evening!

Our journey: Your rehearsal dinner is an opportunity to get together with those closest to you before your big day. Many of your friends and relatives may come in from out of town to celebrate your journey together. By placing photos of you and your soon to be hubby on each of the tables, you allow your guests to relive the journey of your relationship together.

Green Goddess: Those of you interested in the outdoors may want to bring in fresh flowers, pine-cones or local fruits for decoration. Use a bowl instead of a vase to float flower blooms in water or to fill with colorful fruits and vegetables. Apples, oranges, squash and pears make great centerpieces.

Leave a Message: If your rehearsal is a more casual affair, you can include notebooks, journals and or even butcher paper, to encourage your guests to write down words of wisdom, funny quotes or their well wishes. This is a great way to keep a memory of your evening.

Whether you decide to go casual or upscale, the choice is up to you. There are no limits when it comes to planning your day. One thing is for sure: it will be a day to remember!

Images provided by: Marcia L. Johnson Floral Artistry and My Floral Bliss