Putting together a gift bag for your bridesmaids is both easy and terribly difficult. You can buy a bunch of simple stuff from the grocery store, Hershey’s bars and Vitamin water, or pick special, gourmet foods.

If you have the opportunity and time to plan, go with the latter. Your bridesmaids will be so grateful (and their tummies too) that they receive a handmade chocolate bar rather than a commercial grade.

I have been on the search for delicious foods to put in a gift basket for the girls and after attending one of the largest food shows, the Winter Fancy Food Show, I was inspired by all the amazing treats out there.

Besides that Tiffany box, you probably don’t want to eat it, here are my 10 favorite gourmet food ideas for your bridesmaids:

Wellness Teas – Stress, fatigue, crankiness, are all symptoms of wedding planning. Brides and bridesmaids, you are not all alone. Besides the usual lecture of “get more rest and don’t stress too much”, it is hard to avoid it. The Republic of Tea created a special Wellness line to help with all things we need: becoming gorgeous, active, stressfree. Even though their line was not directed for the wedding audience, I think it is secretly made just for us!

You can gift them in mini tins of six packs, which I adore, or in larger tin boxes of 36.

The Republic of Tea is available online or in fine retail stores.

Ocho Chocolate Bars – Like most women, I love chocolate. Good, dark, rich chocolate. The one thing I hate then is wasting calories on milky, sugary commercial grade chocolate. When I met Scott of Ocho Chocolates, I couldn’t be happier that someone else takes making candy bars seriously. How serious? ALL the candy bars are handmade and 100% organic. They come in four flavors: Caramel and Peanuts, Coconut, Peanut Butter, and Mocha. YUMMY!

Available at speciality stores and online at http://www.ochocandy.com/store. (FYI that the Caramel and Peanuts and the Mocha bars contain egg whites, which may not be suitable for some)

More Chocolates – There are thousands of chocolate bars out there and these are just a few of my favorites:

jcoco chocolates – A Seattle chocolatier, they make five chocolate bars, from dark (Noble Dark) to the funky (Edamame Sea Salt or Black Fig Pistachio), these bars will allow your bridesmaids to indulge and feel like royalty. Besides making delicious chocolates, they also come in bright, colorful packaging, perfect for matching your color theme!

Available through gourmet shops, check the store locator to find near you.

Bittersweet Chocolate – Bittersweet Cafe is a chocolate lover’s paradise. It is a café made to satisfy your hot chocolate and brownie cravings. If you are not in California to enjoy them firsthand, then you can always buy their handmade chocolate bars. Rich, nutty, fruity (talking about flavors, not fillings!), their single origin bars are to die for. Really, why would you ever buy a Hershey’s again?

Buy online at Bittersweet Cafe and available at selected retail locations in Northern California.

Popping Popcorn – When it comes to healthy snacks, popcorn is all the rage today. 479 Popcorn has turn popcorn eating into a Michelin star affair. Lovely packaging – check. Delicious flavors – check. Healthy – check.

From Black Truffle + White Cheddar to Sea Salt Caramel popcorn, there is something for everyone. And what bridesmaid wouldn’t love something decadent and healthy?

Available online or at speciality retail stores.

Going Nuts – At some point during wedding planning, you go nuts. Why not really go nuts with a handful of pistachios? {Har har, get my joke?!}

Chai Time – For those of us needing a chai fix, means spending thirty minutes watching tea boil, adding spices, straining and drinking. That’s not really possible when a wedding is days and hours away. Tipu’s Chai Now teas are perfect. A one serving fix to get your chai needs fulfilled. Available at gourmet retail and tipuschai.com

Hot Oats – Oatmeal for breakfast may not be sexy but it can be healthy and delicious. Love Grown Foods created these cute “to-go” cups of oatmeal, perfect for bridesmaids during last minute planning and dressing. Available from lovegrownfoods.com.

Chutney in a Squeeze - I never thought the day would come when you can have chutney that comes in a sexy, squeeze bottle. Seriously?! How do you not love these chutney bottles from Bandar Foods. And the spicy mango and mint chutneys are good, really good. Why buy those old mason jars with peeling labels when you can buy these guys?

Available online or contact them for large orders.

Ginger Candies – We South Asians love ginger. In our tea, in our curries, in our dals, there really isn’t anything we don’t have ginger in. Finally, some folks in the US realized the same thing: ginger is delicious and healthy and can be added to just about anything! My two favorite products from them are the Ginger Syrup and the Gin-Gin candies.

You never knew that ginger could be so sexy, did you?

Buy wholesale online or at a store near you.

Baked Lentil Chips – Mediterranean Snacks figured out a way to make chips healthy and still tasty. Most of us crave chips at one point or another and this bag of Cracked Pepper or Roasted Red Pepper will have your taste buds dancing and keep your pant size happy. Win win for all! Oh, and it is delicious with Bandar’s chutney.

Available at most retail stores or check online for locations.

In addition, you can include water or coconut water for hydration and other snacks. You don’t need to pick all the foods from above. Pick your favorites and add in whatever else you feel your bridesmaids will love. Go for quality over quantity.

And of course, don’t forget a thank you card and something personal (an inspiration article on DIY personal items coming up!).

Filed under: Inspiration by Preeti

Elephants play a significant role in South Asian, especially Hindu weddings. From carrying the groom on the baraat to praying to Lord Ganesha, we see elephants everyone.

Even in baby showers, elephants are loveable, intelligent, wonderful creatures. It is hard not to fall in love with them!

If you want to incorporate elephants in more than just invitations and stationary, go big. Literally. Think about getting a wedding from one of these amazing cake artists.

Forever Elephants – For a pair of elephants to last a lifetime, choose ones made out of clay. This Love in Gold couple can be your cake topper and keepsake long after the cake is devourvered.
Karly West, The Republic of Cute, Cleveland, OH.


 
Bite size of big - Elephants maybe the largest animal walking on land but that doesn’t mean you cannot turn them into bite size cakepop bites. These pink and blue cake pop elephants are sweet, tasty, and perfect.
Bianca, Cake Pop Princess, United Kingdom

 
A Royal Wedding – Ivory elephant wedding cake with gold and royal purple details. It is fit for a rani and raja!
Studio Cake, Menlo Park, CA.

 
The Golden Age – For a regal and elegant look go with cakes that are bold and beautiful. Purples, magentas, and marigold orange with trims of gold will give you that feeling. Plus, want to eat the cake topper elephants now? These lovelies are made from modeling chocolate and fondant; perfect for the sweet tooth.
Butterfly Bakeshop, New York City, NY.

 
Maharaja’s Dream – This fabulous groom’s cake screams royal. Inspired on her trip to India with beautiful, real elephants painted, Heather created a groom’s cake fit for a maharaja.
Heather Barranco, New York City, NY.

Have you had an elephant wedding cake at your wedding that you would like us to feature? Contact us and let us know!

Filed under: Cakes & Sweets, Inspiration by Preeti

Who says you have to be Indian to have an Indian wedding or celebration?

That is exactly what Andrea, recently married, did. She and husband did not have an Indian wedding, in fact neither are Indian, but that did not stop her from putting together a beautiful Indian inspired wedding rehearsal dinner.

Andrea loves weddings. And she LOVES Indian weddings. What could be a bigger honor than incorporating Indian elements into a rehearsal dinner? Nothing, really.

I couldn’t be happier to feature an more exciting, happy, and open couple as Andrea and Daniel.

We had such a lovely conversation that she shared all her details and DIY for you lovely brides!

Inspiration
I have long been inspired by Indian culture and Hinduism, but my obsession with Indian weddings took off while I was living in Brazil. There was a TV series call “Caminho das Indias” which told various stories about Indians and Brazilians. It was quite famous, and the BEST episodes were the ones with the gorgeous, extravagant, colorful Indian weddings.

I always wanted to have one, but neither my husband nor I are Indian. We thought it would be great fun and a wonderful tribute to Indian culture to invoke many of the traditions as a ‘mini-wedding’ at our rehearsal dinner.

Decorations
We used a lot of fake flowers, red fabric, and gold accents for a really traditional look.

We incorporated pictures of deities as well as statues and artwork that we borrowed from friends.

I made different playlists of Indian music. What Indian wedding doesn’t have music?! I made special playlists for taking pictures, eating dinner, and our dance party afterwards of course.

Clothing
We (bride and groom) ordered all of our clothing and accessories direct from India. My mom, dad and matron of honor ordered gorgeous sarees and sherwanis from India too. Everyone else bought thing locally (NJ is a full of Inidan shops) or improvised.

My husband’s family came from Bulgaria and Germany, so they improvised, but some of them did a really nice job! I also hired a local hair/make-up artist with lots of experience in Indian weddings to make me beautiful. I wanted to do traditional mendhi, but it would not have worn off in time for our Jewish wedding on Sunday (that was a bummer not to have any though).

Food
We had an all vegetarian party. We laid out lots of snacks, such a spicy wheat chips, ginger, dried peas, and nuts. We served lots of cook-at-home appetizers from our local Patidar Cash & Carry. These included samosas, spinach and onion bites, and spring rolls.

We even ordered vegetable briyani from a local well-liked Indian place, Crown of India. Since not all of guests were used to having proper Indian food, we served typical favorites of Chinese food and sushi. We wanted to ensure our guests didn’t left out regarding the food.

Jaimalas
My maid of honor, Rachel, made the jaimalas for us. I ordered the carnations from Sam’s Club and bought 12 red roses from the supermarket. She is super awesome and crafty, so with a few pictures and a bit of time, she put them together perfectly.

We exchanged them, but couldn’t keep them on for too long – they were unbelievably heavy!!!!

A couple days later we had a traditional Jewish ceremony with family and friends.

We couldn’t be happier to put together our dream wedding and Indian inspiration. Even though some found it “strange” to incorporate Indian traditions, I was so thrilled to be able to have my own “Caminho das Indias.”

Point is, do what makes you happy for your wedding. No regrets. And do it with love.

Filed under: Featured South Asian Weddings, Inspiration by Preeti

Happy New Year fabulous readers!

I want to start the new year by thanking all the wonderful brides, families and photographers for sharing their weddings.

I picked out one photo from every wedding we featured throughout 2012. Be sure to click through and see the whole collection and read the brides’ stories.

Anokhee & Mital
Photography by Mathy Shoots People.

 
Samina and Majhar
Photography by Kelly Ewell Photography.

 
Deeba & Ali
Photography by Kimberly Photography.

 
Indi of Suhaav.com
Photography by Cineture Photography.

 
Kavita & Tejas
Photography by Jihan Abdalla.

 
Mohini & Vincent
Photography by Erin Leppo Photography.

 
Vandana & Anil
Photography by Stacey Brandon.

 
Seemanti & Peter
Photography by Farnaz K Studio.

 
Kismet & Nitin
Photography by Carmen & Ingo.

 
Fiona & Mukesh
Photography by BigEye Photography.

 
Debika & Taki
Photography by Candace Jeffrey Photography.

 
Vijayeta & Chintan
Photography by Preeti Moberg.

 
Amara of Pink 2.55
Photography by Irfan Younas and Irfan Ahson.

 
Tharshini & Dushant
Photography by Divinemethod Photography.
 

 
Shobi & Kevin
Photography by Farnaz K Studio.

Nitu & Jessie
Photography by Shandro Photos.

 
Nidhi & Avin
Photography by Jihan Abdalla.

 
Jesenka
Photography by Farnaz K Studio.

 

Congratulations to all our brides and grooms! We look forward to seeing the wonderful and blessed 2013 brides!

Filed under: Inspiration, News by Preeti

It is just a few days until Christmas and for the rest of the week, we’ll help you do last minute shopping for your bride, your groom, and even a newlywed couple.

With so many beautiful holiday and Christmas cards around, we wanted to share a few of our favorite. There are just way too many out there and choosing was difficult.

Pinterest is a fabulous way to discover new artists. Illustrator and print artist Galia Bernstein designed this beautiful peacock Christmas card. How does one not fall in love?!

Master laser artists at Intricate Creations created a series of laser cards for the holiday season. Our favorite was the cream Christmas card with cut out embellishments.

 
Ananya Cards created a set of holiday cards with bold colors and patterned motifs.

For a card that’s very cute and will ‘light’ up your life, the robot card by Janie at HappyDappyBits is charged!

 
And last, we love 3 Bees Paperie’s elegant and style Seasons Greetings collection. A mix of desi and Christmas, the whole spirit is packed into one card.

 
Oh! We cannot forget that Suhaav is making Christmas treats! Cake pops, cookies and other fabulously vegetarian treats! Check out here for more info and to preorder.

Remember, pre-orders can be placed until this Friday 21st December 2012. Orders will be available for collection at mac, Birmingham on Sunday 23rd December 2012.

Filed under: Inspiration by Preeti

Sometimes we get engagement photos that are so stunning, it knocks our lenghas off.

This was one of them. Melvin Gilbert Photography captured Letizia and Tim’s engagement photos in the romantic capital of the world, Paris.

L’amour!

When you have a shoot like this, you don’t need a bouquet of roses or a fancy lengha, you just need your sweetheart and the Eiffel Tower.

Filed under: Engagements, Inspiration by Preeti

It’s that time of year when fashion shows bring out the best, and on occasion the worst, of India’s fashion.

I pulled out the best and most interesting from the three big shows in the past month; Lakme Fashion Week, Delhi Couture Week, and International Jewelry Week. My favorite was the jewelry.

Delhi Couture Week
Ashima Leena’s collection

Bollywood icon Sharmila Tagore walks the runway

 
Lakme Fashion Week
Astha and Sidharth bring out the …Yellow?

Debarun’s gorgeous brocade work

pallavi jaikishan

Shyamal and Bhumika

Ken Ferns … also liking yellow?

Mayank Anand and Shraddha Nigam

Preeti Desai for Anita Dongre

Deepika Govind

 
India International Jewelry Week

Bollywood darling Madhuri Dixit looking fab

Fashion beauty Sonam Kapoor

Filed under: Fashion, Inspiration, Wedding Trends by Preeti

This is a special guest post by Indi from Suhaav, a vegetarian food and event styling company.

I met Preeti (brains behind this wonderful blog), at the rather glamorous first birthday bash of Under the Vintage Veil, a great wedding blog dedicated to all things beautiful and vintage. We got chatting in the not so glamorous location of the toilets and this is where this mini blog series was born.

So, what happens when an event and food stylist, approaches her own big day? Yes, after spending many a day and night baking, planning, and styling events for others, it’s my turn. There is a tall, dark, and handsome Mr. Suhaav waiting in the wings, and naturally I am over the moon. We will have a small, offbeate wedding, styled head to toe with our personalities. Along the way I will be blogging for Big Fat Indian Wedding, my own stories, tips and ideas for budding brides to be.

Where to begin?
Whenever I meet a couple for a wedding consultation, the first thing I do is sit down and ask their vision, what appeals to them, what do they love, and what makes them the couple they are. I ask them to think about this before they arrive to our initial coffee and ideas session.

So, it was time in the hustle and bustle of announcing my engagement to my large and boisterous family, to take a moment out. We sat down, and thought about what we wanted, who we wanted there, and what made us unique.

Every bride wants the wow factor; she wants her day to reflect her personal style and her elegance. Wedding planning doesn’t have to be the most stressful experience though. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Approach your wedding planning calmly and know what you want. You know the saying, “Stay Calm, Eat a Cupcake {Drink a Cup of Chai}.” Breathe!
• If, like many you feel a little overwhelmed at first, turn to your loved ones, friends, and those who know you, they will remind you what its all about.
• Put on the kettle, take a deep breath, and remember the love, the happiness, and the vision.
• When you want to take the pressure off, talk it through with a professional, like a wedding stylist, and begin the journey.

Having decided our colours and themes, our first project was the invitation. Never was the patience of Suhaav’s wonderful designer Amanda (Truly Ace Design) tested more than with this bit of personal stationary design. The pattern is inspired by a fusion of modern design with a hint of my South Asian heritage.

Working with Amanda, we were able to develop a delicate illustration of us looking up to some small soft doves, symbolising patience and tenderness, leading to thoughts of softness, tenderness, and symbols of love. The foundation of our illustration is a quote, reflecting our faith as practicing Sikhs. The quote is an English translation of a line from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee.

I was thrilled with how Amanda was able to understand us as a couple, and capture the combination of a beautiful pattern, a couple sitting on the foundations of their very beliefs looking upwards and onwards with patience and love.

Each invite was given with a jar of our handmade cookies, embellished with a personalised tag designed by Amanda.

So, my last little bit of advice to brides is that work with those that understand you, and gain support from those who love you. Until next time, happy planning.

Filed under: Event Planning, Inspiration, Weddings 101 by Preeti

Being South Asian, most of us observe some religious guidelines during our weddings. Whether it be to not eat beef or pork or drink alcohol, we do our best to respect our culture.

But sometimes it is really hard. It’s really hard to avoid items made from leather or gelatin or silk as a bride!

Despite our best efforts to keep the food vegetarian, so much of what we wear and have is not. Gujarati choodas, are made from ivory. Do Gujaratis, who typically observe a vegetarian food diet, know how the choodas are obtained? We buy leather purses and shoes to accompany our ensemble. Silk, India’s prized possession comes from the killing of silk worms. And the list goes on and on.

Now, realistically, I cannot and do not expect anyone to have a pure vegan, cruelty free wedding. It is not always realistic and can drive you and your family insane.

Instead, read this list and think if there ways you can decrease your impact on the environment and on animal cruelty.

{Choodas – photograph by BigEye Photography}

To know what’s really animal based and what’s not, I went to one of the best blogs out there: Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings. I asked Sarah Prager, the blog and social media manager for Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings, to guest post for us. She knows her ins and outs when it comes to vegan products so we thank her for bringing in her expertise. Here’s her 10 wedding products that aren’t friendly to Hindu and Muslim traditions.

Most of us don’t think about what every ingredient in every product we use is. We use thousands of ingredients every day between clothing, furniture, and food, and your wedding day will involve even more. More of these products than you think come from animals.

Besides hurting and killing animals, using animal products isn’t eco-friendly. Each year livestock produce 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and consume 23% of the water in the agricultural industry. If you are trying to make your wedding earth-friendly, that means making it animal-friendly too. Here are 10 products to avoid:

1. Leather
Leather is the rawhide of an animal, usually cows, to create durable but luxurious goods. Most leathers in India are from camel hide to avoid conflict with Hindu values but popular brands use cowhide in their workmanship. Leather is more prominent in your everyday life than you might think. The shoes you’re wearing? The chair you’re sitting in? The handbag you’re carrying? The belt you’re wearing? Chances are at least one of them is leather.

You can minimize this in your wedding by having the groom wear shoes that are made of faux leather or cloth. There are several places you can buy non-animal shoes online such as MooShoes, Stella McCarthy, and Olsen Haus.

2. Jewelry
We all know that for a South Asian bride, jewelry is everything. Besides the gold, silver, and precious stone pieces you may wear, some jewelry contains bone or shell. Traditional choodas are made from ivory, which comes from elephants. It’s not known how these choodas are obtained (dropped tusks or poached elephants). To be safe, go for plastic choodas instead.

3. White Sugar
A lot of white sugar is refined with (animal) bone char, so many people seek out vegan sugar. Most supermarkets carry vegan sugar but you could even use brown sugar. Since sugar is part of all things sweet, ask your baker to use a cruelty-free sweetener in your wedding cake.

4. Wine & Beer
Not even the alcohol for your cocktail hour is necessarily animal-free! There can be animal products either in the drink itself or in the process that makes it. While there might be dairy or honey inside the beer or wine, there might be actual animal (not just their products) in the filtering process. Isinglass (fish bladder) is a common filtration product. The best resource for determining the animal-friendliness of an alcohol is to visit Barnivore, a guide to alcohol.

5. Silk
Silk is the most popular material for South Asian wedding saris, but it is made from a process that kills silk worms (gassing or boiling them). Satin, chiffon, and tulle are all made from silk as well. Alternatives like polyester, nylon, and rayon look and feel similar to silk and are non animal based fibers. But, these manmade fibers derive from plastics, a petroleum based product, and come with ecological concerns. No easy choice here!

You could also try “peace silk,” a new type of silk popping up around India and the world that is made with an alternative process that does not kill the silkworms. You can limit your bridal trousseau to fewer silk items, use part of your family collection (hello Mom!), and buy from eco-friendly shops.

6. Medicine
Maang tika giving you a headache? Pop a pain-killer, but make sure it’s not in a gelatin capsule. Gelatin is made from cartilage, skin, tendons, ligaments, crushed bone, and internal organs of pigs, chickens, and cows. Not Hindu, Jain, or Muslim friendly.

If you don’t want to be eating or touching gelatin, stay away from Jell-O, some yogurts (check the ingredient list), matches, sandpaper, marshmallows, and most painkillers.

7. Dental Products
Look out for glycerine (sometimes made from animal fat) as an ingredient in toothpaste. Glycerine can also be found in some mouthwashes, and floss can contain silk or beeswax.

8. Dyes
From food coloring to hair dyes, many are based in either insects or other animal products. This got a lot of press when Starbucks was forced to stop using cochineal extract red dye in their strawberry frappuccinos because vegetarians were upset that it is made up ground-up beetles. Non-vegetarians weren’t happy to learn that either! Don’t worry though, henna is animal-friendly so your mehndi is safe.

9. Photography Film
Essentially all traditional film is made with gelatin (see Medicine). Fortunately, most wedding photographers now use digital which is animal-safe. Digital photography is also more eco-friendly because of less use of paper and chemicals. And besides, all of the colors of your wedding will be sure to pop even more when they can be enhanced digitally.

10. Make-Up
Sometimes there are even some animal products in make-up. Gelatin is a culprit again and is often called collagen in the ingredients list. Besides make-up also using crushed bugs for coloring or collagen as part of the ingredients, make-up products abuse and heavily test their products on animals. There are many products today that are vegan and cruelty free.

Look for the “leaping bunny” icon that indicates a product is animal-friendly. Lush bath products and The Body Shop are a couple favorites.

When you are planning your wedding and doing your bridal shopping, think about how you can reduce your impact on animal based products and improve your spirit. There are no easy answers so the most important thing is to be aware of what you’re purchasing.

Filed under: Inspiration, Weddings 101 by Preeti

We love bright colors and flowers so what better way than to put them together?! SYPhotography along with Design House put together this fabulous mehendi inspired styled shoot.

Filled with roses, carnations, and hydrangeas!

{Supplier Love}
Photographer: SYPhotography
Hair Stylist: Nina Rene Hair Stylist
Event Designer: Design House
Invitation Designer: Royal Charms
Dress Designer: Ghazala Asam Fashion Designer
Makeup Artist: Faces by AM

Filed under: Inspiration by Preeti