Category: Wedding

The entire process of tying the nuptial knot in Bengali matrimony is very beautiful and colorful, involving many traditions and ceremonies. These rituals and ceremonies are not only enjoyable but also they hold deep meaning and history. These rituals span for several days.

Traditional Bengali marriages have multiple rituals that the bride and the groom have to perform before weeding, during the wedding and post wedding. The basic customs that symbolize a Bengali wedding ceremony are the blowing of shank (shell), ululation by the females, shehnai playing at the wedding etc – these making the wedding day bright and more inviting.

Rituals before the wedding:

Ashirbaad the ashirbaad ceremony is when the elders from the Bengali groom side shower the bride with their blessings and likewise the elders from the Bengali bride side bless the groom; ashirbaad (ashirvad) meaning blessing is the prime most ceremony in a Bengali marriage. The ceremony is performed by sprinkling rice and trefoil on the bride and groom and giving them gold ornaments. This ceremony also symbolizes that both the parties accept that the bride and the groom are going to be tied into a holy bond.

Gaye holud this is the ceremony where turmeric (haldi) is grinded and prepared by the ladies and applied on both the bride as well as the groom. In this ceremony, the groom and his family go to the brides house with brides wedding outfit, henna and turmeric to decorate the bride. They also carry with them two fishes decorated, symbolizing the bride and the groom.

Aai budo bhat this is the pre-marriage bachelorette party thrown by the friends and relatives of the bride to shower her with their blessings, acceptance and joy.

Dodhi mongol in this ceremony, about ten to eleven married women go to the nearest pond or river and offer prayers to goddess ganga inviting her for the wedding and asking her blessings for the couple; after which they bring a pitcher filled with the water from that pond. After this, they adorn the hands of the bride with a bangles one pair being red and the other being white also known as shakha and paula.

These are the main pre wedding rituals that are performed in order to bless the bride a groom, followed by the main wedding rituals.

Main wedding rituals:

Bor jatri also known as the grooms arrival, here the groom and all his friends and relatives dress up in their wedding dresses and arrive at the brides house. The groom carries with him a mirror through out the wedding, and the women on the brides side welcome the groom and his family by ringing bells and shells.

Potto bastra – where the groom is seated at the altar (chadnatolla) and only the bride, groom and the priest are present.

Saat paak this is where the bride is made to sit on a low stool and the brothers of the bride carry her and take seven complete circles around the groom (also known as pheras in Hindu marriages) and all along this the bride keeps her eyes covered by beetle leaves. This ceremony signifies that they are now tied to each other from this day onwards.

Mala badal this ceremony signifies that the bride and the groom have accepted each other. Here, they sit on a piri and exchange flower garlands three times. After this, the bride and the groom are suppose to finally look at each other in front of the entire crowd that is witnessing the progression of marriage, which is also known as subho drishti.

Sampradan the bride is then made to sit at the chadnatolla where the elder males on the bride side hand her over to the groom. The bride places her hand on that of the grooms and their hands are tied by the holy thread followed by reciting holy chants given by the priest.

Yagna the bride and groom take holy vows in front of the sacred fire, praying the agni devta (god of fire) to bless them and their marriage. Then, the bride and the groom take seven rounds of the yagna, followed by offering anjali to the fire where the brother of the bride puts rice in her hands and the groom holds her hands from behind and together they offer this to the yagna .

Sindoor dan after the anjali, the bride and groom take their places again, and then the groom puts sindoor (vermilion) on the brides hair parting. After that, the bride is made to cover her head with a new saree gifted by the grooms family as the ghoongat.

These ceremonies mark the completion of the wedding process, tying the bride and the groom as one in the process of holy matrimonial.

Post wedding rituals:

Bidaay as the name suggests its the stage of bidaye i.e. bidding farewell to the bride by her family and friends, blessing her to start a new and happy life with her husband.

Kaal ratri per the Bengalis, this is the night where the bride and groom are kept separate for one entire night, and are not allowed to see each other. Then, the next day, the bride has to prepare a meal for the groom and his family, followed by an elaborate reception party for relatives and friends.

Phool sajja once all the marriage ceremonies are over, the brides family sends a new saree to the bride and a set of dhoti kurta for the groom. The bride and the groom then retire to their nuptial room decorated with a bed full of colorful flowers, concluding the wedding ceremony.

Few useful links:
http://www.jeevansathi.com/
http://www.jeevansathi.com/matrimonials/bengali-matrimonial/

This is human nature that he started to dance when he gets happy and he doesnt want to miss single chance of creativity. Human lives in society so he has to maintain his relationship and prestige with another people. In this order many people organize events, functions and religious programs so that they can invite their friends, family member and society people. To invite guests and friends everyone needs invitation cards so that invitees may aware about program schedule.
Wedding is happiest function and day for everyone and everyone want blessings and wishes of their friends and relatives. So every family prepare list of all guests that they want to invite. Invitation card sent them to announce schedule of wedding and their most welcome presence.

Invitation card may be differing according to purpose, budget and event. If you are living outside of India and want to organize your wedding according to Indian culture then you will need Indian wedding cards. These cards not only present our wedding theme even they also represent our culture and religion. If a person belongs from Hindu culture then he will need Hindu Marriage Cards. By sending invitation cards to his guest he will notify them about function schedule and marriage theme. In this order he will send to his friends that belong from other culture or religion. From the invitation card all friends will be aware about his religion and family environment.

If you have friends or family contact outside from India then you need nice looking wedding card that will describe your culture and wedding theme and programs to your guests. You make sure that your wedding card must be eye catching and have all information related to wedding programs and marriage venue. With nuptial card your guests will be able to fix their journey schedule for attending your wedding party.

You just need to search online stores for designer Muslim wedding Invitations, Christian wedding Invitation and other religious cards. Online wedding cards store provide you wide range of latest and trendy marriage cards. If you dont have any idea that what are latest cards then you can see latest invitation cards on internet. It is best idea to search wedding cards online instead of searching here and there. Online invitation not only save your time even saves your money as well. All online stores put a section of invitation cards catalogue so you can take idea that which type of cards they are providing.

Once you have selected marriage cards for your marriage you need to check some other points too. You should check space of cards that how much space is in entire portion of cards. Is it sufficient space to place you all necessary information related to wedding and other programs. Size and design of card vary according to price so you must opt such invitation card that will carry your message to your regard able invitees.

It can be seen mostly these days that many people is following special trend in which they ask advice from any reputed company about ordering invitation cards. They ask about designs of invitation cards, latest trend about theme based wedding cards, manufacturing and printing service for invitation cards. This time couples are looking for such online store that can provide all services from wedding card selection to printing matter and shipping. No one wants to waste their important time in searching printing service and invitation card manufacturer here and there.

Apart from marriage cards many wedding cards provider company offering wedding accessories. You need to explain them about your wedding theme and they will arrange everything according to your wedding theme. You will find corresponding accessories such as RSVP cards, thank you cards, gift bags, program cards and table cards. They also provide many coupons and hot deals on purchasing certain number of Invitation cards. It will be really beneficial thing for you to select such online wedding cards shop from the point of time and money.

Orchids are very refreshing flowers to look at, hence they are very popular to use as orchid wedding bouquets. They come in various colors and shapes so a bride-to-be can have a variety of choices. Their natural beauty and charm complement well with a bride’s appearance. It’s no secret that orchids can be quite expensive so if you want to save some money from all the costly preparations for a wedding, well, you can actually create your own wedding bouquet. Silk orchids are good to use, especially when making a cascading bouquet. Other popular orchid types are Cymbidium orchid, which is a bit heavier compared to others and comes best in white, pink, green, yellow and burgundy colors; Phalaenopsis orchid which is usually used for cascade bouquets because of its flat features and look best in white and purple colors; Vanda orchids which have smaller sizes but still look great as bridal bouquet; and Dendrobium orchids which have beautiful lines and small flowers.

Here is a simple guideline in making orchid wedding bouquets for your most precious day, your wedding day:

1) Put some heavy stones in a vase halfway through. This is where you will place your bouquet while you are arranging it so that you can use both of your hands. Then, put the foam bouquet holder in position inside the vase.

2) Cut off the leaves and flowers from the stalk to separate them. Start creating stems by taping a florist wire to the base of the flowers and leaves. Be sure to use a florist tape in the taping process and a florist wire. Cover the entire wire with green florist tape which will then look like a stem. The length of the orchid stems should vary from four inches to fourteen inches.

3) Next, insert the leaves unto the foam to frame the bouquet. This will make the primary shape of your orchid bouquet. Let the longest leaf hang down straight at the center and the remaining leaves should progressively and uniformly get shorter. The green foliage must point outwards in all directions. The green stem made from florist tape can be secured to the foam using hot glue.

4) Now, you can add each orchid flower to the bouquet one by one. The orchids with long stems should be inserted first with the longest one inserted at the middle bottom portion of the foam. This will serve as the bouquet’s anchor. Place two long stems away from the center, the next one in the center and two other ones off center again. The bouquet’s bottom will be built by this. Then, start building the fuller portion of your bouquet. Insert orchids with the length of five inches to seven inches. The shorter ones with length of three to five inches should be at the center. To create a full bouquet, place these orchids in the foam. Hot glue can be used for stability.

5) To finish the process, you can wrap a matching ribbon around the bouquet holder which complement with the theme of your wedding and the color of the orchids. The wedding bouquet would look simply perfect if it fits excellently to the theme. You can also add up smaller orchids to fill the bouquet.

For additional care for your orchids, you can soak them in a solution with preservative to lengthen their life and make them look fresh all throughout your wedding day.

A beautiful wedding venue makes a wedding celebration special. It not only sets the mood for party, but also reflects a couple’s style and vision. Today, most couples opt for banquet halls or wedding halls that are located at convenient locations as their wedding venue. This is because of the creative freedom that these banquet halls provide to the couple to effectively incorporate their ideas and portray their thoughts. Moreover, these venues are picked based upon the convenience that they offer. In order to create an extraordinary wedding venue, you need to start by jotting down all the ideas you have in mind for your wedding. Make a list of all the things and ceremonies you want to include in the entire wedding function. If you want a theme wedding, it is important to decide the theme of the wedding in advance and apprise all your guests of it of they can make their preparations accordingly. Also, arrange all the things required for the set up of the theme of your choice at the venue.
An Indian wedding is incomplete without flower decorations. Make an advanced booking of the flowers that you need. Gather ideas from everyone in the family ad friend circle ad pick the ones that appeal to you. When deciding on the decorations, make sure your estimations are easily realizable. There is no point making elaborate plans when you do not have enough time at hand to see through these arrangements and in the end putting up a haphazardly managed show at the wedding.

The mandap in a Hindu wedding and the aisle and altar in a Christian wedding take the center stage. Special emphasis needs to be laid on their decorations. Professional help can be sought for their beautification. Their placement in the banquet hall or wedding hall should be pre-decided. They should be present in a place which is the center of the entire location. The bare walls of the banquet hall can be decorated with flowers and the couple can infuse creative ideas to make the location beautiful.
Before you finalize the wedding hall as your wedding venue, make relevant enquirers regarding the catering, decoration, parking space, dance floor, music, etc. so that you do not have to go through additional trouble to arrange all this. Hire a professional wedding decorator if you are short on time and still want grand arrangements. These professionals have experienced teams who handle such situations with grace and unmatched swiftness. Your wedding hall should be large enough to accommodate all your guests and the props. Also wedding catering is an important factor to be considered when planning a wedding. At times, wedding catering is provided by banquet hall providers themselves. This option is even more convenient for couples and they opt for it more often than not. All in all, a banquet hall or a wedding hall is preferred by couples because of the range of options that it offers.

Planning for a wedding is no easy task, even with the help of supportive family and friends you can find yourself exhausted to the born, here is a list top 10 wedding facilities in Calgary, Alberta worth reviewing if you’re hosting the big event in Canada.

Abbeydale Community Hall

Offers an upstairs hall ideal for family events, office parties and yes, weddings, the hall can accommodate a maximum of 80 people. Rates for renting the hall are $250 per event plus an additional damage deposit of $150 (required at booking time). The hall offers a full commercial kitchen for an additional fee of $50 plus GST and is available for booking on weekdays only. There is also the main hall with a seat capacity of upto 170 people costing $425 with $300 damage deposit.

Scarboro Community Hall

This 1200 SQ hall has legal max capacity of 170 people and sit-down dinner capacity of 125 people. Rental rates include access to tables, chairs, standard kitchen, dishes, glassware and cutlery. 20% discount for weekly/monthly users.

Edgemont Community Hall

The Center offers banquet facilities for groups up to 200 people as well as a boardroom and small meeting room. It features include:

* Beautiful Mountain View

* Outside patio

* Maximum capacity 200 people

* Full kitchen facility attached

* Approximately 250 sq. meters

* Round or long banquet tables

* Upholstered seating

* Microphone and podium

Triwood Community Hall

Facility available for rent for special occasions. Service offering include:

* facilities for all occasions

* full service catering

* bar service

* superb food and quality service at reasonable rates

Springbank Links Golf Club

This facility offers a spectacular clubhouse with a huge 3,500 sq.ft. deck located only 21 minutes west of downtown Calgary.

Beddington Heights Community Center

Has a main hall with licensed capacity of 400 people: Facility offerings include:

* Meeting rooms (40 seater capacity)

* Gym

* Commercial sized kitchen

* Podium

* Outdoor skating rink

Cedarbrae Community Hall

This is a 350 seater capacity facility located in 11024 Oakfield Drive SW. Offerings include:

* Meeting rooms

* Standard kitchen

* Public address system

* Gym

* Outdoor skating rink

Silver Springs Community Hall

Facility located on the north bluff of the Bow River it Calgary’s northwest. The community offers views of Canada Olympic Park and the Rocky mountains. Offerings include:

* 212 seat capacity

* Commercial grade kitchen

* 60 seat capacity meeting room

* Public address system & podium

Montana’s Cookhouse Saloon

Facility is a friendly, down-home, casual restaurant with a fully licensed lounge and a menu featuring more than 100 items, including smokehouse ribs, rotisserie chicken and a mile-high mud pie.

Danish Canadian Club Of Calgary

Facility caters to wedding and other special events of upto 350 people. Has several rooms of differing sizes, including the Valhalla Hall ballroom (635 max), the Tivoli hall (114 max). Facility also offers free meeting room or ballroom with food order.

Others include:

Heather Glen Golf Club

The Carriage House Inn

Epcor Center for the Performing Arts