Salaam.
So now that wedding craziness is over, the furniture is purchased, and the apartment mostly settled, I thought I'd start to share some of the prep that went into the big day(s).
There were five events. That's right. FIVE. IN A ROW.
1. First, obviously, there was a bachelorette party. I didn't do anything DIY for it, but it could not go unmentioned. No boys and no booze, just a few lovely ladies out to have a good time. And let me tell you - we did. I don't think I had such a good workout in weeks!
2. Second, I had a small mehndi with a group of female friends and cousins. I got my bridal mehndi done by one artist, and another was there to do smaller designs for the attendees.
3. The next night, there was a traditional Bangladeshi holud. It's a ceremony during which guests wish the bride prosperity. It's called a holud because of the use of turmeric, which is made into a paste and applied to the bride's face. In addition to the blessings that she is receiving, the turmeric also serves to brighten the skin, leaving it glowing. The yellow brings out the golden undertones in our skin.
4. The fourth evening was the actual wedding. We were married by an Imam, followed by a whole night of speeches, slideshows, and schmoozing with out 500+ guests.
5. The final event was the walima, which is a reception hosted by the groom's family. It was a smaller gathering, but just as lovely.
Let's start with the mehndi and holud.
The mehndi was held in my parents' basement with a backdrop done up by one of my lovely cousins with sharees and Christmas lights. Alhamdulillah it was very nice, until it got pulled down by guests. Oops! Here's a shot of my beautiful mehndi done by Henna Cafe, and you can see the bright background!
As I explained before, the holud is a celebration of the bride. We had a small(ish) ladies-only gathering that lasted into the night. A tent was sent up in my parent's backyard to accommodate the 140 or so women and girls that were in attendance, with a stage on one side. The stage and all the decorations were done in-house. My parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and parents' family friends painted the backdrop, the stage covering, and set up the decorations. And! They decorated the buffet tables with fabric flowers! At a holud, the dinner is prepared by the host, but all the sweets (and there were tons!) are a potluck event. Every auntie bought a different kind of sweet, in addition to the amazing food and sweets my mom made. It was really something.
So now that wedding craziness is over, the furniture is purchased, and the apartment mostly settled, I thought I'd start to share some of the prep that went into the big day(s).
There were five events. That's right. FIVE. IN A ROW.
1. First, obviously, there was a bachelorette party. I didn't do anything DIY for it, but it could not go unmentioned. No boys and no booze, just a few lovely ladies out to have a good time. And let me tell you - we did. I don't think I had such a good workout in weeks!
2. Second, I had a small mehndi with a group of female friends and cousins. I got my bridal mehndi done by one artist, and another was there to do smaller designs for the attendees.
3. The next night, there was a traditional Bangladeshi holud. It's a ceremony during which guests wish the bride prosperity. It's called a holud because of the use of turmeric, which is made into a paste and applied to the bride's face. In addition to the blessings that she is receiving, the turmeric also serves to brighten the skin, leaving it glowing. The yellow brings out the golden undertones in our skin.
4. The fourth evening was the actual wedding. We were married by an Imam, followed by a whole night of speeches, slideshows, and schmoozing with out 500+ guests.
5. The final event was the walima, which is a reception hosted by the groom's family. It was a smaller gathering, but just as lovely.
Let's start with the mehndi and holud.
The mehndi was held in my parents' basement with a backdrop done up by one of my lovely cousins with sharees and Christmas lights. Alhamdulillah it was very nice, until it got pulled down by guests. Oops! Here's a shot of my beautiful mehndi done by Henna Cafe, and you can see the bright background!
My and Char's names were written in mehndi hidden in the designs. Tradition dictates that he has to find our names on the wedding night! Hehehe!!
More later, friends.
xoxo
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