Stay Tuned...

 

We are thrilled to announce new and exciting things coming your way!  Please be on the lookout for brand new happenings here at RTA in the next couple of weeks ;)

 

 

Table Numbers

If you decide to have a seating chart for your wedding reception, you will need to find a ways to label each table. One of the best parts about planning your big day is adding your personal touch to your wedding reception table numbers. Creative designs offer a great way to reflect who you are as a couple and highlight your wedding theme. Whether you are modern, classic, fun or quirky, there are lots of different ways you can take your table numbers from simple to fabulous.

Although numbers are the classic choice, you don’t have to settle for a simple white card with a number on it! There are many great choices out there. Here are just a few fun ideas I found for a more distinctive and creative way to direct guests to their tables.

Recently, brides are skipping the table numbers altogether and giving each table a name! The options are endless. Here are some ideas to jump-start your own creativity:

-          board games

-          books

-          famous couples

-          movie stars

-          movies

-          favorite countries visited throughout the world

-          famous landmarks around the world

-          types of flowers

-          types of wines

-          car brands

-          natural elements like stone, water, wood, fire, etc

-          cartoon characters and superheros

-          languages

-          musical instruments

-          sports

-          sports teams

-          desserts

-          types of cuisine

-          TV shows

-          cocktails

-          craft beers

-          types of candies

-          time periods and eras

-          favorite restaurants

-          card games

One more option:

Ask your photographer to take a few photos of you holding up numbers during your engagement session. If you are using your engagements pics for “Save the Date” cards of other wedding related correspondence, this will ensure a consistent look, as all the photos will be taken on the same day.

Trend Alert: Metallic Wedding Cakes

Metallic trends are really hot right now in the wedding world. From adding these type of accents onto bridal fashion to having them on tables in the décor details these accents are popping up all over the place. One big way metallic is making a splash is on the wedding cake. You can tone it down with a few accents here and there or go with an overall metallic cake and really turn heads. Whatever you chose will make your cake the perfect accessory to your celebration. Here are some examples:

 

Baraat ideas... One horse or Six hundred horses

The traditional Indian wedding establishes a bond between two families and their cultures. The marriage ceremony is a series of colorful event spread over two to three days. One of the important and fun ceremonies is the arrival of the groom (known as Baraat) on the day of the wedding. A Baraat is a huge parade of family and friends of the groom, dancing their way to the ceremony site. This is the grooms chance to make a grand entrance with his friends and relatives, who are called the “baraatis”.

I have seen a groom enter on a horse, an elephant and even a Ferrari. A baraat is generally for about 30 minutes, during which the friends and family members dance around the groom. They usually have a Dj and Dhol player to add to the mood.

Traditionally, the Groom’s entrance is on a beautifully decorated White horse. Recently grooms are opting for different entrance options to really impress and the limitation is their imagination (And maybe rules of your Venue!)

Baraat options we have recently discussed with our clients are:

Tampa Trolleys, car, yacht, speed boat, jet ski, helicopter, elephants and convertibles.

Some additional baraat tips:

·         For an evening baraat fireworks are a beautiful addition

·         Have guests throw flower petals which will look gorgeous in photos

·         Serve light refreshments of cold beverages to guests, especially if it is taking place outside during summer

·         Consider giving matching safas or scarves to the male guests to wear. This could become favors after the procession.

Escort card ideas

Indian Themed escort cards

Escort cards come in many different styles.  There are many to choose from.  When choosing these for your big day it’s important to take into consideration what your theme or colors are for the event.  If you can’t find one that goes with your theme or colors try getting an elephant style like the ones below.  Elephants symbolize good luck and are a great way to say thank you.

Here are some examples of Indian themed escort cards that we love...

 

3 Budget Wedding Tips for a Fall Wedding

One of the best ways to stick to your budget wedding plans is to plan a wedding in the fall or winter, when fewer couples are tying the knot. Many experts agree that choosing to get married in the off season is an excellent way to save money. So after you order your affordable wedding rings online, pop the question, and start thinking about budget wedding ideas for a fall celebration.

                                     

Here are 3 fall budget wedding tips:

1. Decorations

Instead of shelling out a lot of money to the florist, consider using seasonal flowers and foliage as decorations at your fall wedding. Ask your favorite local florist if you can pay a small fee to rent potted seasonal flowers, such as mums, to decorate your ceremony or reception venues. Choose a flower color that will coordinate with your bridesmaid dresses. Or purchase inexpensive glass vases for each table at the reception, and fill the vases with small branches of colorful fall leaves and grasses collected by friends and family. Better yet, choose an outdoor venue and let the beauty of the natural world serve as your free decorations.

2. Food

Work with your caterer to create a budget wedding menu that includes fruits and vegetables that are in season. This choice is better for the environment and may also save you a fair amount of money by selecting produce that is plentiful and available at this time of year. Butternut squash, pears, and tangerines are just some of the bounty of the fall harvest. Butternut squash bisque, a mixed greens salad with tangerine dressing, and pear tartlets all sound delicious and seasonally appropriate for a fall wedding.

3. Attire

If you get married in the fall, you may benefit from bridal stores attempting to mark down the wedding gowns they still have in stock after the spring and summer wedding seasons. If you are having an indoor wedding, then a sleeveless wedding gown will still serve you well for a fall wedding. If you are planning an outdoor celebration, then you may wish to find a coordinating lacy shawl or elegant shrug to stay warm. If you find a more elaborate shawl, then it would likely be best to opt for a very simple gown. 

Getting ready for your Big Day!!

Every bride wants to look her best for her big day.  Here are some great workout moves to do to get you in perfect shape.   

1.       For a sleek, smooth torso try these moves:

·         The Twist

a.       Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Imagine holding a ball in between your thighs. Squeeze your thigh muscles, then pull in your belly and tuck it under your pelvis (so you're in a slight sitting position). Lace your fingers together and place your hands behind your head.

b.      Keeping your chest high, slowly twist from side to side without moving your lower body, so that your upper body turns from facing left to facing right. Keep it slow -- you won't get the full benefit if you're relying on momentum. Repeat 40 times. Yep, you heard us right -- 40!

·         Standing Side Crunch

a.       Stand in the same position as you did for the twist, with your abs tucked in and your toes facing front (but drop the imaginary ball!).

b.      Lift your left knee toward your left arm bringing your elbow down to meet it. Hold, then return to the starting position. Repeat it on the right and do a total of 20 repetitions on each side.

 

2.       To firm up that all-important rear view try these upper- and lower-back workouts

·         One-Arm Row

a.       Stand with your left side next to the front of a bench (or a coffee table, or a couch). Place your left foot and left hand on the bench, bending your right knee. Keeping your torso parallel to the ground, grasp a dumbbell with your right hand. Let your arm hang straight down with your palm facing your thigh.

b.      Slowly pull the dumbbell up and back until it's in line with your hip. You should feel a muscle contraction in your upper back (that means it's working!). Repeat 10 times, then switch sides.

·         Pullover

a.       Lie on the floor with your knees bent, hip-width apart, and feet planted. Grab a dumbbell with each hand and extend your arms up over your body, so that your arms make a 90-degree angle with your torso.

b.      Keeping your elbows slightly bent, slowly lower the dumbbell back behind your head as far as you can; you should feel a stretch in your back muscles. Next, lift the dumbbell back into the starting position above your body, squeezing your back muscles as you go up. Do 10 repetitions per set. 

3.       If you want toned triceps and biceps, try these moves.

·         Bicep Curls

a.       Standing with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, pull your tummy in and tuck your pelvis under. Hold a heavier pair of dumbbells down at your sides with your palms facing front.

b.      Keeping your elbows at your sides, slowly curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders. Reverse direction and lower the dumbbells into starting position -- avoid locking your elbows. Do 10 repetitions per set. Slow and steady wins the race here -- you'll get a bigger benefit from the exercise if you use concentrated, controlled movements. If you feel like you're whipping the weights around to get them up, your dumbbells are too heavy. Downgrade to a smaller weight so you can move more comfortably.

·         Tricep Dips

a.       Sit normally on a sturdy, non wheeled chair. Place your hands on the front edge of the seat (fingertips facing front) and your feet on the floor, hip-width apart and a little bit ahead of you. Slowly slide your bottom off the seat of the chair, keeping your hands where there are.

b.      Keeping your arms close to your body, bend your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, allowing your rear end to descend past the edge of the chair. Using your arms to lift you, reverse direction and push yourself back up to the point at which your arms are straight. Work up to 15 dips per set. 

Working out and eating right go hand in hand when trying to look your best.  Make sure you also follow the below steps to get the maximum benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

1.       Get plenty of sleep.

2.       Make sure that you're feeding your whole body -- mind, spirit, and soul

3.       Drink plenty of water.

4.       Do things that you enjoy with your body -- walk, bike, dance, make love, hang with friends.

5.       Happily and guiltlessly indulge now and then.

Flowers this Summer

Opt for flowers that will stay fresh throughout the entire day. Hawaiian blooms, such as orchids, are a great option (check out cymbidium and dendrobium orchids). Birds-of-paradise, tiger lilies, and even roses will survice the high temperatures. Buying local flowers is another way to go; blooms that are in season in your area will more likely survive a long day in a bouquet. Check with your florist to see which ones will work for your venue.

Calla lilies signify magnificent beauty and are available in white, black (which is more like a rich burgundy), peach, purple and yellow. These are some of my all time favorite wedding flowers because they look so polished and sophisticated. They look great with long stems on their own or calla lilies can be cut short and put into a bouquet or flower arrangement along with roses. Many lilies are bad in bouquets because the pollen can get on your dress, but this problem is less common with calla lilies.

For the color of your flowers, check out which flowers will be in bloom around your ceremony and reception site, and consider bold versions of those hues. For an outdoor or semiformal wedding, think violet, hot fuchsia, mango, magenta, and green. Wine colors and deeper shades are appropriate for formal weddings, like dark red roses or deep purple lilies. When it comes to casual weddings, sunflowers are a great option since you only need a few to create a vibrant pop of color.

Roses signify love and happiness and can be found in many different colors. They are the most essential wedding flower and they look great alone or paired with pretty much any flower. Summer is the best time to have roses in your wedding because they will be cheaper from a florist or you can even gather your own from your garden for a DIY flower arrangement.

You have plenty of summer centerpiece arrangements to choose from. If you're having a formal ballroom wedding, go for tall vases overflowing with a mix of bold and deep-hued flowers accented with feathers or gems. To create a modern vibe, display monochromatic green, orange, or even yellow blooms in clear Lucite containers. During the cocktail hour, daisies in simple Mason jars will perk up the space. Or look into potted centerpieces so guests can take them home as favors.

Other popular flowers for a summer wedding include: aster, azalea, carnation, cornflower, chrysanthemum, delphinium, heather, iris, jasmine, lilac, marigold, peony (which is actually only in season in May), sweet pea and tuberose. You can mix and match these different blooms to create floral arrangements to match the color scheme of your wedding.

Interview by: A Simple Toast

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by a wonderful colleague of mine about Indian weddings.  Her name is Eileen and she is the CEO and founder of A Simple Toast where you can create personal and corporate gifts that are really fun.  You can read more about her company at http://asimpletoast.com/.

Many of our readers are not familiar with Indian weddings.  In a nutshell, can you tell us what makes these weddings unique?

The most prominent thing that makes Indian weddings unique is the fact that they include multiple days of festivities. The first few days leading up to the actual wedding day are filled with smaller ceremonies and festivities to pamper the bride and groom and also to introduce the two families together.  Working with a wedding that includes many days of festivities, involves working with many vendors.  Each event occurs in a different venue and requires its own set of decorations, food, and entertainment. Once the wedding festivities go into action, all of the vendors involved work like a well-oiled machine working together in order to deliver services that are above and beyond the client’s expectations.

On the wedding day, before the wedding ceremony starts groom processes into the ceremony space usually on a horse or car (Called a Baarat). After this there are smaller rituals done on the groom and then the main ceremony starts with the brides and grooms families. The ceremony lasts hours long and is based off of ancient Vedic traditions.  The ceremony occurs in a Mandap; a raised structure that can be very ornate.  It is very dynamic and involves participation from immediate and extended families. 

Indian weddings are not based off of one main ceremony but many smaller rituals and ceremonies that the bride and grooms families participate in throughout a course of several days.  They are filled with vibrant colors and lots of good food!

We saw on your website that you offer elephants for the groom.  What in the world is involved in bringing an elephant to a wedding event?

I have been asked this request many times in my professional career.  It’s actually not as hard as you would think as there are companies out there that cater to renting elephants for events and especially Indian weddings. 

As an event planner, maintaining a high level of security for the guests processing in the Baarat and for the animal is always the first priority in a process such as this so the presence of fire and police are extremely crucial. 

With that said, there is a lot of communication involved with city officials and police and fire officials in order to secure permits to close streets and have security present.  On the flip side, there are a lot of counties/cities and even venues that do not allow permission for elephants to be present at events.  In this case the client has to opt for a horse or car.

A lot of clients think that it would be very cool to have an elephant at their event without thinking about the financial costs associated with this kind of request.  The cost to just rent the elephant can be in the thousands of dollars without adding city permit fees and fees for having emergency services present.  In the end the client has to think about if they really want to go through all the red tape and financial costs to wow their guests.

In the United States, where do most Indian weddings take place?

A majority of the weddings that I have done have been in hotels and banquet halls; however Indian weddings can take place wherever a client wants.  I’ve done weddings in parks, museums, and loft spaces.  They could also be in exotic or unique venues like boats, and piers. 

When hosting Indian weddings in some of these venues however you have to think about the logistics very carefully.  Most Indian weddings have an average guest count of 500 people so the venue has to be able to hold this volume.  In addition, 99% of these weddings involve a horse for the baarat so the venue has to be ok with allowing this. Aside from a few requirements, Indian weddings are like any other wedding and can take place where any other wedding can.

What was one of the most difficult requests you ever received?

The most difficult request that I’ve ever received aside from the elephant would be a helicopter landing as part of the Baarat.  The problem wasn’t the request but the avenues that we had to go through to be able to fulfill the request.  The groom wanted something elaborate for his procession and they had already signed the venue, so the most logical action would be to have the helicopter land in their parking lot. 

We found a couple of helicopter companies that were a perfect fit for this type of event.  We went as far as talking to the Department of Transportation in NJ to get the proper paperwork approved, but in the end we could not deliver this request, because we had a very hard time getting permits from the city for the landing. The groom ended up renting an exotic car for the baarat.  Sometimes fulfilling requests such as this don’t turn out positive and it’s out of our control.  These outcomes can be really disappointing as we spent so much time trying to work with the state to work something out.

Finally, what is your favorite part of planning weddings or events?

There are many parts of planning weddings that I enjoy, so this is a really hard question to narrow down.  One of my favorite parts is the look on the clients’ faces when I present them with an idea that they love.  Another, and this might seem a little cliché, is on the day of the events.  The stress-free feeling that the couple expresses to me that they have throughout their festivities because of all of the work that I put in is something I don’t think I will ever get used to.  

10 Ways Bridesmaids Can Help the Bride

1.      There's more to being a bridesmaid than parading down the aisle in a lovely pink saree. Celebrate your friend and her groom by helping her out and adding some extra fun to this often stressful, but very special time. Here are some of our best ideas, to inspire you to go above and beyond your bridesmaid duties.

2.      Take responsibility for the gift baskets or bags for out-of-town guests' hotel rooms. Include a welcome letter, maps, relevant phone numbers, snacks, postcards, city souvenirs, and suggestions for fun activities.

3.      Ask the bride when she expects the wedding invitations to be ready and plan an informal gathering. Ask each bridesmaid to bring something to eat, turn on the stereo, and divide the duties of writing addresses, stuffing envelopes, and putting on stamps. Not only will you have fun, but you'll also be helping the bride finish a very tedious job!

4.      Offer to supply wedding favors or escort cards for the rehearsal dinner. If it's a more casual affair, offer to make simple centerpieces.

5.      Ward off prewedding jitters by creating a distraction -- get tickets to a play or dance performance, one that you know she'd be dying to see if she weren't so busy planning the wedding.

6.      Ask what she's drinking at the reception and keep her cup full. Brides seldom make it through the crowd to the bar (just be sure her cup doesn't run over).

7.      Offer to be the end-of-the-party, final once-over girl -- collect the cake topper and toasting flutes, make sure Grandma is escorted to her car, etc.

8.      Take her wedding outfits to the cleaners after the wedding. Get her outfits preserved for when she returns from the honeymoon.

9.      Pack a honeymoon "in case you forget" bag: Include a disposable camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, moisturizer, saline, and other toiletries a hurried bride might forget to pack.

10.  Stock the couple's kitchen with food for their return. The worst trip is the one to go to the grocery store the night you return from paradise. Help them avoid reality for just one more day.

Food tasting

Every season there seems to be a new trend that arises in the wedding world.  One trend that I recently came across is having tasting events at your party.  Whether it is food tastings or beverage tastings these events at your wedding can be very interactive to your guests.

One popular tasting idea is a tea tasting.   You can showcase exotic teas from places where you’ve traveled or regional teas from where your family is from.   Giving a little history about each tea and the significance to you can add to the experience.  Having an attendant pour into guests’ glasses elevates the experience for your guests.

For wine lovers a wine tasting is a perfect fit.  There are many vineyards that offer these at events or you can hire a sommelier come in and lead the tasting.  Pairing the wine with cheese also enhances the guests’ experience.  Your guests can get some education as well as party the night away!

Coffee tastings can end the night on a great note.  Hiring a coffee expert to teach guests about different roasts and locales can really be a hit.  Adding personalized little bags of coffee as take always will ensure guests won’t forget your big night.

When deciding to add a tasting event at your party, remember to hire people from reputable companies who have the credentials to host such events.  Remember to understand who the audience will be so that you can create tastings that reflect your guests’ preferences.  And always remember to have fun!