Lohitha+Karthikeya – A match made in heaven

Do you know those couples whom we look at, and we instantly think “I want what they have!”? Well, for us Lohitha And Karthikeya were exactly that!

11 years of being by each other’s side have finally turned into their forever for this beautiful couple.

The beginning of their forever- their wedding was everything! From being filled with fun, laughter, tears to some of the biggest names in the Telugu industry gracing the event with their presence- the wedding was magnificent! Here we bring you an end-to-end recap of all the things that happened!

The Outfits

Engagement

WE LOVE THE CONTRAST! In the age of matching or complementary outfits- the couple decided to choose the less travelled path and it sure worked!

Lohitha’s ghagra with intricately detailed work, the monotoning of the blouse, dhupatta and skirt paired with bold diamond jewellery gave the entire look a classy, clean and grand feel. The bold make-up look by Sohini (@sohtouchmakeupartistry) was the missing piece for this awe-inspiring look!

What absolutely killed Karthikeya’s look is the small butta embroidery with a touch of pink on the raw silk sherwani. We love the addition of the bold necklace that makes him look like the king he is!

For her second engagement outfit, Lohitha dorns an elegant pink and green Kanjeevaram sare with uncut diamond, ruby and emerald jewellery set. Her style that is so effortlessly elegant is definitely an inspiration for us!

The Mehendi

Simplicity redefined. We see a pattern of Lohitha looking like a queen in pink!

Also, special mention to the statement earrings and maang tikka which scream “Queen!”

The Sangeeth

Bold make-up looks have never looked better! Sohini’s magic hands did wonders on Lohitha’s pretty face and we are obsessed! The shimmer filled lehenga from Origins, Hyderabad screams party and the couple’s Sangeeth was exactly that. It was filled with lots of dance, peppy music, games, kisses and hugs!

Karthikeya wore a sequined royal blue sherwani- again a complete contrast from Lohitha’s outfit- but definitely a welcome contrast.

The Wedding

The bride and groom dressed in Shravan Kummar looked perfect- a couple destined to be together.

Shimmering like a diamond in this luxurious saree, Lohitha personifies a authentic Telugu bride. The fall and the glow on the tissue saree look absoluetely stunning with the heavy embroidered blouse and border.

Dazzling in off-white embossed with gold embroidery Karthikeya looks incredible! We especially love the brooche on the his pagda and elevates the already royal look!

The Vratham

Like we already mentioned, Lohitha’s pattern of looking gorgeous in bright colours continues to her vratham look. This classic combination of pink and purple with heavy embossed work has Lohitha glowing her the last big event!

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A post shared by Sohini-SohTouch MakeupArtistry (@sohtouchmakeupartistry)

Now, remeber how we mentioned that the event was star-studded? We weren’t kidding!
One such big name was Chiranjeevi. A small anecdote that Karthikeya shared was how he told his father when he was a child, that he’d become an actor and Chiranjeevi would attend his wedding, and here is, in the present with blessings from Chiranjeevi on his big day! If this is not a true example of dreams coming true, we do not know what is!

The smile on Karthikeya’s face says it all.

So there you have it guys, a complete rundown of Lohitha’s and Karthikeya’s big fat Telugu wedding!

5 Hair Mistakes A Bride-to-be Should Never Make

Washing your hair on the wedding day

You must always remember second-hair day is always the best to create any hairstyle. Make sure you wash your hair a day before and use a serum to lock in the moisture of your hair.

Booking your hair trial too late or not taking it at all

Always make sure to do your research well and decide on your hair-do for each event well in advance. Make sure to have a trial session for each of the hair-dos too. This is will help you understand whether the hairstyle works for your outfit or not.

Changing up your hair colour at the last moment

This is a big NO-NO! Do not ever change your hair colours at the last moment. Hair colours cause damage to the hair, especially if you bleach it. This might affect the look of your hair-do and we do not want a last-minute panic attack on the hairstyle not working out right?! Also, it is always great to start pampering your hair well in advance. Start with hair with deep conditioning treatments or hair spa every month for three months before the d-day.

A last-minute haircut

Do not go for a last-minute haircut. Again, it will mess with the hairdo you have planned. Instead, you can go for regular trimming to get rid of your split-ends.

Plan your hair accessories

Plan out your hair accessories as and when you decide on a hair-do. Make sure to source matching hair accessories to our outfit that are comfortable and not hurting your scalp.

5 Easy Swaps For an Eco-friendly Wedding!

Weddings are a gala time for many Indian Families. It is a celebration everyone wants to indulge and be generous in. However, our generosity should never be a burden to Mother Earth. It somehow doesn’t justify the spirit of the celebration.
The amount of plastic Consumption and Disposable waste in any Indian wedding is massive. So brides, grooms and families, it is high time you rethink your wedding planning strategies so as to minimise your carbon footprint.
And here as an effort from our side, we present to you some Eco-Friendly swaps which you can easily follow for any wedding.

Wedding dolls as return gifts

Disposable cutlery
The mere mention of it brings so many images of litter in our minds. A huge number of cups, plates, spoons and glasses are used in every wedding and all of it becomes kilos of trash in a couple of hours. So much that it could simply fill up your living room. Think Again, is it really worth it?
Opt for reusable Glassware/Steel or ceramic cutlery for this, I am sure a mere call to your wedding planner or your decorator would do the trick. And if it’s not your cup of tea, there are many innovative small scale companies that are producing Eco-friendly cutlery. Encourage them by giving a wedding order to them.

Return Gifts
No one returns home without a lil’ something from the hosts in Indian Weddings. While these gifts mostly comprise of storage boxes, Haldi Kumkum and some fruit/sweet. All wrapped in tons of plastic and additionally the storage boxes which are made of plastic derivatives.
Well think about it again, why not gift something which is hand-made, like some handmade wedding dolls or Haldi/kumkum placed in wooden boxes, this way not only you are doing a favour to the mother earth, but also encouraging the lost arts and the artisans. This set below is from Sri ram Samruddhi.

Wooden haldi kumkum boxes in a handwoven basket

Decor
Have you ever observed how every single imported flower comes wrapped in plastic while the decoration is going on? And those flowers unfortunately do not do justice to our Indian Culture. Thank yourself later and opt for some Desi Marigolds and Jasmines for the wedding decor. They do not come in packaging and also have a wonderful fragrance and we assure you that your pictures with that background would be beautiful.

Country flowers for wedding decor, courtesy: Cineyug

Blouse Pieces
This is exclusively for South Indian weddings where we gift sarees/ or at least Blousepieces to the near and dear. But did you know all those polyester fabrics do not decompose naturally? Fabric waste is a massive problem in the world today. One way to beat the problem in vogue is to opt for some handspun pieces like Ikkat or Kalamkari, They are lighter on the pocket and yet always in style.

Kalamkari Blouse fabrics

Wedding accessories.
Try to go to a Wholesale market close to you to buy all your wedding accessories without packaging. If buying loose items, try to fill them up in reusable containers or in paper packaging and I am sure you would bag great prices at flea markets.

Wholesale markets for wedding accessories

So we have given you some easy to follow tips for a great Eco-Friendly wedding. Make sure to follow them and let’s change the way weddings happen one step at a time.

Bride In Focus: Haarika Reddy

Some marriages are made in heaven, some by parents and some in foreign countries where you manage to find a home in a person. One such bride, Haarika Reddy found her love like this-in a foreign land, amongst strangers, she managed to find her home. 

We instantly fell in love with their love story and immediately wanted to do a blog on their wedding story-so here we are! 

Completely smitten in love, Haarika and her partner had the task of getting their parents approval first for marriage. You see, Haarika’s from Bangalore, from a proper South-Indian family, while her husband’s from a North-Indian family in Chandigarh and this struck a problem. But, true love wins and after months of trying the couple finally managed to get the nod from their parents for their wedding! 

With the wedding being 9 months away and Haarika being completely lost about Indian wear, she started her research. She wanted to bring in a perfect mix of north Indian style and South-Indian style to her clothing and she did exactly that! 

As we all know, there are 4 main events for every South-Indian wedding-Engagement, Mehendi, Muhurtham and the Reception ( two Receptions in Haarika’s case) and she had to design every aspect of her outfits by herself! Here’s how she did it. 

Engagement

For her engagement, Haarika had to select two sarees-one when she was leaving home and one where she had to change into during the engagement. Haarika chose darker tones for her first saree-a green and dark pink one and then for the change she chose a lighter pink and lavender saree to coordinate with her groom who was wearing a beige suit.

 After a lot of research for what material saree to wear, Haarika found that Kanjeevaram sarees best suit her taste and went ahead with those.

She paired these sarees with a soft-pink glow make-up look and a floral bun.  These are always a great option for brides as the soft-pink glow make-up look pairs well with almost all saree colours and combinations! For the floral bun, choosing the right shades of flowers will make all the difference for the look that you want. Pink was a common colour for both her sarees, so Haarika went with a pink and white floral bun and it looks simply stunning!

Another note-worthy part is this stunning blouse that Haarika’s wearing!

Reception in Bangalore 

Choosing to go with an Anushree Reddy piece, Haarika chose a red lehenga with intricate silver embroidery throughout the blouse, the skirt and in small buttas on the dhupatta. With this look, she chose to keep her hair short-at its natural length. She wore an elegant diamond choker, with a matching pair of earrings and a small maang tika that completes the look!

What really caught our eye in this look was her decision to go with a smokey-eye makeup look. It is often rare that we see an Indian bride in a smoky eye look but Haarika wanted something different and she pulled off this bold look effortlessly! 

The groom wore a navy blue Bandhgala which was a welcome contrast to the bright red lehenga.

Mehendi

For her mehendi, Haarika wore a Ritu Kumar lehenga in a unique combination of orange and blue and we love it! She kept her hair simple and left it open and wore kundan jewellery to complete her look!

We are in love with her mehendi design! Especially the mehendi on her feet with mirror image peacocks! 

Muhurtham 

With little to no choice, Haarika had to wear a Kanjeevaram silk saree for her Muhurtham. She got this stunning saree from Prakash Silks and Sarees in Kanchipuram.

Red and gold is always a stunning combination and we notice a pattern of Haarika designing absolutely gorgeous blouses!

Look at the intricate work on her muhurtham saree-especially the back! The two peacocks embroidered on the back with her braid perfectly sitting in between them shows us just how much thought went behind her planning. 

Another stunning part of her saree is the hemming work. It completely elevates her entire look.

For jewellery, Haarika wore South-Indian traditional antique temple jewellery and is totally giving us a proper South-Indian bride look! 

Her authentic South-Indian was complimented with the groom wearing a proper silk dhoti and they looked picture perfect! 

Reception in Chandigarh 

This was her final look. She went with a rich kanjeevaram saree with a high-neck blouse and an eagle embroidery on the blouse and a matching one on the pallu. To bring in the North-Indian element to her look she wore Kundan jewellery with a high necklace. She chose to keep an open pallu to give a more trendy finish to her outfit. 

Her better-half completed the picture with a handsome sherwani and lots of smiles! 

As per Haarika’s pattern, she absolutely nailed her blouse again! Look at the cute tassels that she added with both their initials! 

When we asked Haarika what’s the one thought she had in her mind when designing all her looks she said she wanted each look to be different. Choosing a Kanjeevaram silk saree for three of her events didn’t stop her from creating unique looks with each saree! 

Ordering clothing and Jewels is now Easy Peasy for NRI’s: Bandhan Emperio

Staying afar from home is no easy joke, but life takes us to many places to provide opportunities and a chance to excel. Thanks to Globalization, many Indians are spreading the glory all over the world. On the other hand, missing their homeland is another pain altogether. Home, culture, traditions and festivities are just not the same.

Beautiful Kundan Jewellery from Bandhan Emperio

Especially for us women, who are naturally fond of festive shopping and accessories for every festival in India, no matter how much we try to stuff the check -in bags on every visit, it is just not enough. So, here is something you would be definitely excited about.

Temple jewelry by Bandhan for BE_realbride shoot

Every time an NRI follower would ask us for some exclusive costume jewelry or for some exquisite weaves, all we could do at the maximum was refer to seller who are based out of India , who would/might do shipping to the US and It was a pain staking task, undoubtedly.

Exquisite Nakshi work ornaments from Bandhan

And one day, we found Bandhan Emperio. One of a kind, Super classy designs, deals with both clothing and jewelry. But what got us really exciting was the fact that it is based out of US/Canada exclusively for all the NRI customer base. Here are their trending designs to make you fall in love with.

Exclusive Kundan set from Bandhan Emperio

And, trust us when we say that they have been our favorite ever since we found them and have been our pick for the recent BE_realBride shoot.

Antique Jhumkas from Bandhan

While we dig up everything about anything we put up on the blog, we were stunned to see a 4.9 rating for Bandhan Emperio. And one of their followers left this message “Genuine Price when compared to others. Nice designs. Amazing Customer service. When it is going to come for buying jewels for sure, I’m gonna purchase from Bandhan Emporio:) Thank you so much”. Well, client dairies are the best and of course genuine. So here is all about Bandhan, in their words.

Bridal necklace in matte gold from Bandhan

Also not just for US/Canada customers, Bandhan do cater to Indian customers as well, so immediately follow the link to head to their page and follow their designs.

 

Decor for every event of your wedding: Ethics Events

Wedding decor has become a very tasteful choice for many individuals who want to stand out from the crowd and have a very unique wedding. Long gone are the days of standard wedding mandaps and decorations. Everyone is now looking to add a bit of their personal taste and a lot of customization to every element of their wedding decor.Why not? In fact, it is right to do a heavy research on what you want your wedding decor to look like, beacuse that heavily influences the entire ambience of the Ceremony and also is a major complementing factor for all the photographs.

Wedding Decor by Ethics Events

Today, we bring to you Ethics Events who are top notch in terms of creativity and they are very well know for creating various theme based decor across various events of wedding. Be it Sangeet, Pellikuthuru, Engagement, Mehendi or even the wedding, they have all sorted it out for you.

So if you do want to believe in what I wanted to Convey, you must have a look at their decorations at various occasions, to make a right decision.

The One for the Engagement

This is certainly where it all starts officially. Engagement is like a kick-start to all your wedding festivities and choosing a classy decor is a right way to do it, just like the flower wall decor shown below. You cannot go wrong with this decor as, every picture of you would have that beautiful floral background.

Engagement Decor by Ethics Events

The one for the Sangeet

Now this event is something every youngster in the family is curious about. If you have some movie buffs in your family tree, there is no other fun event like a Sangeet. So nail the decor with the red carpet movie theme exclusively from Ethics Events.

Red Carpet style Sangeet Decor by Ethics Events

The one for the Pellikuthuru

Pellikuthuru function is something every Bride awaits every since she is a child and hence it is very important to make sure you decor is just right as you embark on your fairy tale journey. Flower block wall is perfect and this design particularly unique from all the boring  wedding decor we see now a days.

Pellikuthuru Decor by Ethics Events

The one for the Wedding

While all these pre wedding events are on one hand, the wedding itself is on another hand . And such special events deserve all the royalty, hence here is a beautiful and royal wedding decor by Ethics Events executed recently.

Wedding Mandap decor by Ethics Events

The one for the Reception.

After all the Gala, if you are looking for some cozy and relaxing Reception decor, we have it covered for you. Beautiful English floral decor in pastels. It can’t get any better than this.

Floral decor by Ethics Events

So, loved all of them? I am sure you would. So go ahead and give a thumbs to Ethics Events here and call them on +91 81215 96595 for bookings and other customizations.

 

We bet, These are the *most* beautiful Silver creations ever

I mean seriously ladies, we are not for one second exaggerating about what we just named the title. A part of our daily job is to sieve through various Instagram and Facebook pages to present the pristine works possible. Why? Well, everyone loves master pieces right!!

Are you someone who loves silver oxidized jewelry? So much that you flood the vendors inboxes with Price please comments. And every time you buy a Silver Jewel, you promise yourself that you are never going to buy again, yet you buy on repeat mode? Same pinch!! we are like that too.

Stunning Afgan glass work from Niyathi

So we found ‘Niyathi‘, probably synonym to a Hidden Gem, yes truly it is. What a refreshing breeze ‘Niyathi‘ is from all the Silver dealers who just resell items from the manufacturers. We don’t mean they are trendy, sure they are, but making statement and stunning pieces is not everyone’s cup of tea, but ‘Niyathi‘ got the Gist very well . Well, a toast to them for all their tremendous work.

Well, here are the pieces which stole our heart, 1..2…3.. Here we go!!

Afgan glass earrings from Niyathi

We have come across various types of Afgan earrings so far, however this pair here is the finest of all? What do you think?

A combo of glass and Nakshi work from Niyathi

This melange is like a beautiful Ilayaraja melody. Stunning Nakshi work of Lord Krishna and varied craftsmanship, one of a piece to go straight into your vault.

Some vintage Jhumkas in Red from Niyathi

Well, calling out all the Jhumka lovers here. This tribal oxidized silver earrings are pure love. Make sure grab them before it is too late .

Statement Hand painted earrings from Niyathi

It takes a personal style to create a statement. And if you are one such woman who leave their mark every time, this Hand painted Ganesha statement earrings are just for you.

Must have silver earrings from Niyathi

Now we come to the must haves. This pair is a classic vintage and irrespective of your style, this pair is a must for all. So place your order ASAP.

Bye until next time and right now Niyathi is taking orders for some exquisite neckpieces, so make sure you check them out. Stay tuned to Brides Essentials for more such InterestingF updates.

 

 

5 Most trendy wedding blouses this Season!!

Blouses are a very interesting story which is worth a dissection today. All I am talking about the time, they were just made out a cotton/ polyester fabric even for the Kanjivarams which costed a lil’ fortune and now they have come a long way where the blouses sometimes are more expensive the Sarees themselves.

It’s a true Paradigm shift in the way we look at fashion today and the importance of the blouses that has crept in is astonishing. While handworked blouses had been the rage so far, their designs too had been ever evolving and the sky is the limit for all the creativity.

But, it is very wise to keep trend and your budget hand-in-hand when you are opting for such heavy customizations. So today I am presenting the one designer I can only think of proving some stunning creations which fits everyone’s budget. Dhanya’s. I guess you have heard her name before and yes, she has been our official designer for our BE_RealBride photo shoots.

So here we presents some blouse creations from her label which are so in, this season .

Jewellery Inspired Collection from Dhanya’s

Jewelry inspired blouses are the fast moving fashion this wedding season. Undoubtedly, the most intricate and of course a difficult feat to get the perfection. This Majestic Raw silk blouse is inspired from the vintage Bottu haram which is an array of small round Suryakanthi pendants to form one huge neckpiece. We personally feel that Dhanya’s has completely nailed the whole look. Those Kundan’s are really standing out to bring in the classiness.

Blouse Inspired from Mango Mala and Pathakam

Here is another variant of the Jewel inspired blouse creations. This time it is an unanimous favorite, the Heritage Mango Mala and the whole richness doubles up when you look up at the pathakam design twinning up on the hands. A true master piece.

Couple portrait wedding blouse from Dhanya’s

Who got bored of the Rajasthani bride and groom Handowork bridal blouses already? Well, yeah I guess, their time’s up and if you are looking  for a very personalized blouse, this portrait blouse is just spot on. I mean, How adorable is that !!

Guttapoosalu blouse form Dhanya’s

Just like the vintage Mango mala, Guttapoosalu is something very traditional and the blouse versions of it are making their mark. The best thing of all, it matches with almost all the colors. So, do not wait to try it out.

Intricate Maggam Work Blouse from Dhanya’s

Mandalas are everyone’s favorite. There is something very comforting about this design element and it is seriously legit to try it on some blouse to give your sarees that much needed uplift.

So, That’s all for today ladies, but before I sign off I really want to thank Dhanya’s for their sneak peek into some of their wonderful collection. And for someone who is budget bound, this label is a Bang for your Buck. They’ve got something for everyone, So make sure you follow them for latest updates by clicking here.

5 Elegant dresses to brighten up the Monsoons

We have now officially welcomed monsoon this week and what a relief it has been from all the scorching summer heat. After all the weddings and events this summer season, I guess you ladies would definitely need a wardrobe makeover so that it is monsoon ready.

Well, if one would ask me, I barely managed to pull off the summer with all the heavy Kanjivarams and Uber rich drapes. Thank the lord for the air conditioning, or else I would have been grilled like a chicken. However, I am not going to carry those to the monsoon again. God forbid, I don’t want to be in a saree when it rains and get all damp. Well, ya I am not an heroine in any movie , plus I do not want to ruin my expensive sarees girl.

So, I was frantically searching for some designer labels to find some easy to carry dresses. While I am not an over the top, larger than life sort of a girl when it to styling, finding a designer who reflect elegance was more important to me. Luckily, my prayers have been answered. I found this designer label Bhargavi Amirineni through a common friend. Her designs were such a feast to an eye and her style is so comfy. So , I thought why not introduce her designs to you, wonderful patrons and encourage some good work.

So, here are some of the designs which probably are as comfy as a breeze.

Floral Maxi Dress from Bhargavi Amirineni

A lovely floral dress with a boat neck detailing. The double shaded fabric really adds up a lot of richness to the entire flow and a maxi length in this creation would be an ideal pick for the upcoming monsoons.

A mom and me Peplum top and skirt from Bhargavi Amirineni

This design is from Bhargavi Amirineni’s exclusive Mom and me collection. However, the dress was too adorable not to share. For those ladies, who do not have a peplum style top or something as you unique as this, it is high time you try out something like this.

An Elegant Shibori dress from Bhargavi Amirineni

Well, who doesn’t love tie and dyes? It’s so versatile that it is a must have for every women’s wardrobe. And here we are drooling over this amazing Shibori patterned dress. The combination is so light and a perfect compliment for monsoons. Also, the length is just perfect, so that you can avoid all the back splashes.

A lovely Benarasee Create form Bhargavi Amirineni

Like it is for a ” lil’ black dress”, for us Indians “that one red dress” is something Mandatory. So here is the Monsoon version of it. Rich Banarsee paired to a lighter fabric on the umbrella cut, you better not miss this style for the “all season must have” this dress is.

Lovely wine colored dress from Bhargavi Amirineni

Whatever  may be the season, sometimes Kanchivarams are inevitable. But, if you are not in a mood to drape them, just wear them. Talking about this beautiful Kanchivaram dress, I would suggest you have at least one such style to save for a rainy day, here of course an actual ‘rainy day’.

Love them all? So why wait? Head straight to their page to show some love here or else call them on+91 95911 14588 for orders and customizations.

 

 

 

5 Stunning Vaddanam Designs under 5000 INR!!

Jewelry is a natural love for women through out the world and when it comes to our South Indian women, with so many forms of ornaments, they have too many options to choose from. From the smallest Maang Tika to the Uber grand Vaddanam, there is something for everyone. Wait!! did I just say Vaddanam, I know its probably the heaviest of all the ornaments for a South Indian woman,but it’s pure love. However, raising cost of the gold is something we must be really worried about and Investing so much on ornaments which just see light once in a decade is not something you must really consider.

So, here is our option, buy something artificial, its guilt free, you can wear it any number of times without any fear and also at a fraction of what you are willing to pay for an original item. And while there are so many outlets and stores out there, we just dug gold in the heart of Charminar, it’s Shubham Pearls and Jewelry. Oh boy,  designs are with incredible detailing and as a small challenge, let me show you their Vaddanam designs which are under 5k rupees. Yes, you read that right, it is Under 5000 INR. So, here we go!!

What is the first thing which comes to our mind when we visualize a vaddanam, A gold belt with a Lakshmi devi motif in the center. I guess it is almost impossible to not have a traditional vaddanam without Goddess Lakshmi Devi, So keeping with aesthetics, here are two stunning waist belt designs.

Jaali Design vaddanam from Shubham Pearls

CZ and Lakshmi Vaddanam from Shubham Pearls

Priced at 2950 INR and 3400 INR, these are a best bet any day. So grab them from Shubham Jewellers right away before the stock lasts.

The next popular design with Vaddanam has always been the Peacock or famously called the Mayura design. And to keep with the rich trend of Diamond vaddanam, here is a masterpiece which is definitely going to turn you bonkers. This design is completely done in CZ with a intricate workmanship. However, the price is super affordable at only 4600 INR.

Diamond finish CZ vaddanam from Shubham Pearls

And here is one more design in CZ for the love of Peacocks and this design too is a super bargain at 4900 INR.

Peacock design Vaddanam from Shubham Pearls

Last, but not the least this design pattern is so versatile, this is everyone’s favorite. The Uncut style Vaddanam. This design is special for the way it presents a garden design so intricately. This design is priced at 4450 INR

Uncut Style vaddanam from Shubham Pearls

 

I know you are in love all the designs, but let me remind you that you need to grab them before they are gone. So head to Shubham Pearls and jewelry page or call them on to place an order.