Indian Weddings- Bridal Puja

Indian weddings are stunning productions, but they’re also known for being very spiritual. One of the religious rituals performed before the wedding day is a puja by both the bride and groom. Each is done separately with only the bride’s family present, and the groom with his family. We’ll discuss the bridal puja traditions here.

Puja is a religious offering to a deity, spirit, or divine presence and can be facilitated for many occasions, before beginning a new venture in life. The bride can perform the puja in a temple or at a home, as long as she has a shrine set up with elements that represent the deity, i.e. prints, sculptures, portraits, elements of nature.  Size or grandeur are not deciding factors in the importance of the shrine. You can offer fruit, food, flowers to honor the gods; incense is lighted and a lit lamp, aarti, is waved in front of the deity. Before you invoke the spirits, one must be in a mental and emotional state of joy and serenity, as you would want to receive the spiritual blessing in a pleasant environment.

Photos provided by various sources. Thank you to Gsravya Blogspot, Logukrishnan.net, 14gaaam

Easter Inspired Party Ideas

Easter is just around the corner, and whether you celebrate it for religious reasons or you just love to decorate and host parties, Wedding Elegance has created some inspiration boards for you to gather ideas for your Easter shindig! You can choose from whimsical pastels or go ultra-luxe a la Fabergé egg-style. Here’s a fun fact: Secular customs, such as the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts, have become part of the holiday’s modern celebrations and are often observed by Christians and non-Christians alike. There are also some Christian denominations who do not celebrate Easter. Anyone can celebrate Easter as long as they have a flair for fun!

Many of these ideas can easily be done by yourself, which is a great money saver for your wallet. If you have kids, put them to work and spend time together! We especially love the lace covered eggs–what a fun and unique twist on fancy Easter decorating. Tulip cake pops are a nice touch and super trendy right now. Oh, and the egg air terranium plant? Genius!

From left to right starting at the top Easter Bunny Sweet Skewers: Sweets Indeed Flower Cupcake Toppers:  So Sweet Party Shop Cake Display: Design Erm Air Plant Urchin Terranium: Robin Charlotte Lace Eggs: I Love To Craft Grass Egg Cups: Paper Source Flower Votive Candles: Delish Tulip Cake Pops: Toppy Pop Shop

There are ways to be colorful without being childish. Going for more bold colors as opposed to pastels will bring a more refined and elegant atmosphere to your Easter garden party. We adore those faux grass place mats! Happy Easter!

From left to right starting at the top Fabergé egg: Seven Stars and Stripes Silk Dyed Easter Egg: Inspirations by Faith Table Setting: The Inspired Room Table Centerpieces: Pottery Barn Egg Hunt Banner: 2 Mommy Scrappin

Infusing Spice in Your Wedding Decor

To Infuse a little spice in your event does not need to cost an arm and a leg. It could be as simple as bold color linen 

Adding some simple accent to your decor as to colored lanterns, charger plates, colored napkins, or just colored glassware

 Have colored flowers in centerpieces or your bouquet

Or as simple as colored Sachs on white chair, colored ribbon draped on white table cloth, or even colored ribbon for the favor boxes

pictures courtesy of bachman photography, artoflove.com,dianamlott_clink

Gaby Saliba’s 2011 Wedding Gowns

If you like Ellie Saab and Zuhair Murad, you would love Gaby Saliba. The world Known Lebanese fashion designer has participated in several festivals and has received elegance awards and oscars from France, Germany and Belgium. No matter what we say about him and his designs we cannot give it justice. Here are  few of his stunning new wedding collection for 2011 so you can judge for yourself!!

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Staycation Ideas In San Diego

Just because the honeymoon’s over doesn’t mean the “honeymoon phase” has to be!  One awesome and affordable way to replicate the excitement and adventure of your honeymoon is to take a “staycation” in your local town! With the economy still struggling to get back up, more and more people are choosing to take “staycations” in San Diego, instead of spending $$$$ to go out-of-town. Not only is this a smart way to manage your budget, but it allows you and your husband/wife to spend quality time without the stress of paying for a good time.

There are so many great spots and restaurants in downtown and the surrounding areas. Many people tend to just stick with the Gaslamp district, but just 5 minutes away, you can walk around areas like Hillcrest or visit Balboa Park and the world famous San Diego Zoo.

In Balboa Park there are always great events and museums to visit. Only minutes away from downtown is the beautiful Coronado Island, where you can choose to visit for a day to see beaches like Silver Strand State Beach or stay overnight at the landmark Hotel Del Coronado, which recently became Green Seal certified.

If you go 20 minutes north, you can stop by La Jolla Cove and grab lunch with a view at George’s at the Cove or inside the historic “pink lady,” La Valencia Hotel.

If you’re truly craving an out-of-town experience, you only need to drive an hour east or north to feel like you’re in a different city altogether. Drive up the 15-N and you can spend time at the renown golf and spa at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. To sweeten the deal, Rancho Bernardo Inn offers many specials and packages to make the most out of your weekend getaway and offers free shuttle services around town. Or you can stay at their sister resort, Temecula Creek Inn and enjoy a wine tasting journey through Temecula Valley. Their amenities include a 27-hole Championship golf course and located conveniently within minutes of 18 of Temecula’s finest wineries.

Further east of San Diego county, you can visit Julian, a small town that offers visitors a unique, country experience. Julian is a little taste of east coast rustic for the SD city slicker! Year round, the quaint city offers activities like apple picking in the fall, or the chance to build a snowman in the winter. The mountainous town is perfect for nature hikes if you’re feeling adventurous. If you take the 76-E, you can visit Cupid’s Castle Bed & Breakfast for a relaxing retreat and be a weekend princess! The owners of this local castle describe their location as “secluded in the middle of a lemon orchard… enchanting gardens will embrace you with its 400 year old oak trees, fairy grotto garden with little pond, chimes, fountains and flowers.” How wonderfully charming!

North county San Diego is home to hotels such as The Grand Del Mar and L’Auberge–both luxurious resorts! During the summer you can don your prettiest hat and enjoy a day at the horse races at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and at night dine out at exquisite restaurants like Chart House in Cardiff by the Sea. Downtown Del Mar is the perfect low key, classy counterpart to the hustle and bustle of downtown San Diego.

It’s easy to fall into ruts or have the urge to travel somewhere far to mix things up, but we hope the suggestions we’ve offered will help keep the sense of romance and adventure going well beyond the first year. San Diego County is a huge city with many sites and attractions to offer, so start planning your staycation!