Tag: multicultural weddings

  • #RealBride Priya: All of our photographs turned out to be better than we could have ever hoped!

    #RealBride Priya: All of our photographs turned out to be better than we could have ever hoped!

    How a small destination wedding was planned with an Indian design touch…

    Bride and Groom’s names:  Priya and Jake Moore

    Location of the wedding:  Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort
    Photographer:  Focused on Forever

    ST: What was your vision for your wedding?

    PM: I always wanted a small wedding, with our closest family and friends. A destination wedding was always my dream, accompanied by great food, great company, and a great dance floor. My dream came true with our beautiful destination wedding in West Palm Beach, Florida, overlooking the ocean at sunset. It was perfect!

    ST:  What was the most magical or memorable part of your day?
    PM: My sister surprised my husband and I by singing the song L.O.V.E at our wedding reception during her maid of honor speech. It meant so much to us that she took singing lessons, and worked so hard to make our big day even more memorable.

    ST: Why did you choose your wedding/reception dress from Silk Threads?
    PM: Silk Threads has one of a kind designs that always make your jaw drop, because all of Ruby’s designs are just that beautiful. My dress was everything I could have ever wanted, and added a unique component to my wedding. Not to mention, all of my bridesmaids looked absolutely stunning, along with my mom and grandmother who were all wearing Silk Threads designs. I would recommend Ruby to anyone!

    ST:  Anything else you would like to add?

    PM: Thank you, Silk Threads, for creating the perfect attire for our wedding. All of our photographs turned out to be better than we could have ever hoped!

    Thank you Priya and Pat – we loved working with you!

    What are the latest Indian Bridal trends?

    A Talk with Ruby Bhandari, Chief Designer of Silk Threads on the latest Indian Bridal Trends Changing fashion and trends act like a mirror for the changing cultural norms and mind sets. Today’s brides are have specific designs in mind and do not shy away from asserting their preferences. The new age bride …
  • Bridesmaids dresses – would you like to mix & match?

    Bridesmaids dresses – would you like to mix & match?

    We were looking at some of the recent bridal trends, and saw a somewhat odd trend around mix & matching bridesmaids dresses.

    Even though it sounds counter-intuitive, and we have never received an order to make mix & match bridesmaids dresses, we can see some positive (and some negative) points around the trend.

    On the plus side, you could allow the bridesmaids to use their existing dresses collecting dust in their closets – which means, they already fit, are (hopefully) based on their body type, and with minimal expense, you will earn their eternal gratitude.

    However, think of the downsides – do you as the bride really want to do color-matching for all the possible combinations – which, if at all possible, can be take precious time.  In addition, if they have different embroideries or variations, that adds additional complexity…

    Think of the possible effect on the pictures or videos for your lifetime memories…

    What do you think?

    What do I do with this Bridesmaid dress or Saree?

    Did you ever wonder why we have bridesmaids, all dressed the same, in most weddings? The tradition has now spilled over to Indian-American weddings, with interesting variations like similar sarees instead of dresses. Apparently, bridesmaids were required by law in Roman times, to be witnesses to the wedding, and to confuse the …
    bridesmaids dresses
  • #CurryandQueso or #SarisandSombreros – #RealBride Sindhu

    #CurryandQueso or #SarisandSombreros – #RealBride Sindhu

    A “caliente’” multicultural wedding!

    Bride & groom’s names: Sindhu Alexander & Michael Gutierrez

    Location of the wedding: Cityplace, Dallas

    Photographer: Amy Karp photography

    1. What was your vision for your wedding? We wanted something simple and elegant reflecting both of our cultures in the food and décor and even hashtags (#curryandqueso, #sarisandsombreros)
    2. What was the most magical or memorable part of your day?  Walking in with my parents – seeing my groom and all the love in the room and feeling like royalty in my exquisite outfit
    3. Why did you choose your wedding/reception dress from Silk Threads?  I have known Ruby since college at the University of Texas and have always thought she was an amazing designer-  and when we got engaged I knew I wanted to wear something amazing that was one of  a kind– so calling Silk Threads was a no-brainer…
    4. Anything else you would like to add?

    🙂 Not only did I get an absolutely amazing outfit- but my sister and future sister in law also wanted outfits  too- so we got to spend a whole day with Ruby designing each outfit- it was such a fun experience! Ruby took the time with each of us making sure every detail was perfect and each outfit was unique and  a few months later, it was amazing to see how the visions came to life when we all had our first fittings after the dresses came in from India. It meant a lot to me that every piece of material was hand-picked and stitched all in India. Our outfits were truly breathtaking- everyone loved them! I also had one made in my colors for my 15 month old niece who was the flower girl and there are no words for how beautiful and adorable that tiny outfit was as well!!

    Thank you Sindhu – you and your family looked adorable!IMG_1498 - Copy

  • A Crazy Punjabi Wedding: #RealBride Reema

    A Crazy Punjabi Wedding: #RealBride Reema

    Bide & groom’s names: Kanwar (Preet) Singh & Harleen (Reema) Singh
    Location of the wedding: Dallas & Houston, TX
    Photographer:  Blink Photography & Film (Houston, TX)
    1. What was your vision for your wedding?
    Our motto for our wedding was “a crazy punjabi wedding”. We both come from extremely large, Punjabi, very cultural and traditional families, which meant lots of dancing, singing, and celebrating!
    Most importantly, our vision included a weekend filled with lots of emotion, lots of color, and lots of love! Fortunately, that is exactly how it played out.
    2. What was the most magical or memorable part of your day? 
    The most memorable part of our Wedding weekend was seeing each other at the Sikh Temple on Saturday morning. It was definitely amagical moment because it was the day we had been planning night and day for the past year! Lastly, it was a very beautiful thing to see both of our families becoming one!
    3. Why did you choose your wedding/reception dress from Silk Threads? 
    First off, I have known Ruby Didi since I was a little girl. I loved her style and swag! Growing up, I always bought all my Indian outfits from Silk Threads. That was definitely not going to change when I found out I was getting married.
    One quality I love about Ruby Didi is that she will NEVER let you leave Silk Threads if you are not 150% happy with your outfit. That is exactly what I needed for my wedding. I knew that I could tell her my vision and she would know exactly what I wanted. She can read my mind when it comes to outfits! Lastly, I knew Silk Threads would go above and beyond for me to make sure that I looked my absolute best!
    Thank you Reema and Preet, and Congratulations again!
  • Need matching outfit for the Groom – #RealBride Sonia

    Need matching outfit for the Groom – #RealBride Sonia

    #realBride Sonia ShahGreat feedback from #RealBride Sonia:

    4star

    We want to thank you and your team for helping us with a last minute outfit situation! You really saved the day and we appreciate the speedy service. Sending pics soon! The clothing collection here is beautiful, and we recommend to anyone looking in the Dallas area! Looking forward to working with you in the future!
  • Five must-have requirements for great wedding pictures

    Five must-have requirements for great wedding pictures

    bluebride1Let’s see…it’s your special day and you and your family have been preparing for months. You have picked a beautiful location, have it setup with gorgeous decor, are decked up in your finest outfit (preferably from Silk Threads!) – but who will be capturing these special moments to last you forever?

    Yes – the wedding photographer

    Selecting the right photographer can make all the difference – so based on our years of interacting with a range of wedding photographers, here are the 5 things you must consider:

    1. Hire a professional – it goes without saying that you should check out the portfolios of at least a couple of professional photographers to see which one suits your style. Price is a factor, but should not be the first one.
    2. Can you do two? – How big will be the team covering your events? Can they have multiple people stationed at different parts of the location? If you can afford it, you can see if you can two different companies can shoot the events for you to give better viewpoints?
    3. If you like the photographer, book as soon as you can. Enough said.
    4. Make sure you brief the team on what they should be looking for. Yes, the creative juices need to flow from everyone involved – but it is your wedding! If you have certain ideas, work with the team to see what the best way they can implement them.
    5. Assign someone to work with the guests – if the guest need to be photographed, assign one of your friends or relatives who knows them to make sure they are ready and giving their best shot – and make sure to brief the photographer…

    Check out the picture above of #RealBride Sunny Patel – what an excellent shot by Z Molu Photography…(and shows off her beautiful outfit designed by Silk Threads too…)

    Good luck…

     

     

  • How Bollywood influences South Asian American Weddings

    How Bollywood influences South Asian American Weddings

    Karan Johar has probably had more impact on our weddings than anyone else in recent history” – states a recent article in The Hindu.

    For those of you who haven’t heard of Karan Johar, he is a prolific Bollywood producer/director/writer and talk show host, who films show over the top wedding glamour – which in turn has shaped the nuptial ideas of a whole generation of South Asian Americans.

    A great quote in the article from a wedding planner: “In fact, I once organised a Tamil Brahmin wedding where the bride was so influenced by Bollywood movies that she wanted a Punjabi  jago  as part of the event. This is where the aunt dances with a pot of lamps on her head. We had to bring in  dholaks  and train the aunt to dance…”

    We asked Ruby Bhandari, Chief Designer at the Dallas-based fashion company Silk Threads, about what she sees trending with new brides and grooms.

    “South Asian wedding culture is ever evolving”, Ruby says. “We see new brides on a weekly basis, and most of them are second generation South Asian Americans – they may have had infrequent trips to India when they were younger, but now they rely on popular Bollywood movies to guide them from a fashion perspective. In addition, these movies are also heavy on so-called wedding customs (or Rivaaz) – which creates a co-mingling of the culture and traditions behind the wedding – leading to some interesting outcomes. We also get a lot of inter-racial weddings, where we factor in choices of both sides for their wedding trousseaus and menswear”

    In fact, Bollywood has created a whole ecosystem around South Asian American weddings – a visit to any of the South Asian American themed Bridal Shows will show a host of vendors showing beautiful wedding decor – from traditional to minimalistic modern – as well as standard, but fusion, trappings of any wedding – from wedding cards to favors to food.

    As the article concludes, “Irrespective of the kind of marriage — interracial or within communities — one thing is clear. while the path to marriage in the Indian-American context can be distinctly different from a true Indian matrimonial experience, at the end of the day the quest for a “happily ever after” remains the same…”

    Now all we need is ShahRukh Khan…

  • What are the latest Indian Bridal trends?

    What are the latest Indian Bridal trends?

    A Talk with Ruby Bhandari, Chief Designer of Silk Threads on the latest Indian Bridal Trends

    Changing fashion and trends act like a mirror for the changing cultural norms and mind sets. Today’s brides are have specific designs in mind and do not shy away from asserting their preferences. The new age bride can be a career woman, fashionista, social butterfly or reserved book lover – who needs a bridal wear or outfit that will suit her individuality and enhance her personality.

    Let us discuss with Ruby Bhandari, Chief Designer at Silk Threads, about some of the designer Indian bridal wear that will suit every modern woman and respect her unique tastes throughout wedding journey.

    How does a New Age Bride dress-up for Pre-Wedding Ceremonies?

    Ruby Bhandari Says…..

    Subtle and Chic Outfit for Haldi/Mehendi Ceremony:

    The Haldi ceremony kicks off the Indian wedding events. In this casual wedding event, a bride can wear relaxed light Indian attire in shades of yellow or orange. Comfortable and lightly embellished subtle Indian fashion suits and lehngas will be perfect for Haldi ceremony.

    Mehendi is another pre-wedding event, which is a casual fun affair. For this event, a bride can wear an outfit that will suitably get along with the Mehendi theme – but not too heavy and elaborate. Brides should choose relaxed outfits and avoid longer sleeves, practical for applying mehendi (henna), as well as the dancing which is sure to follow…

    What should be the look of a Bride for a lively Sangeet Ceremony?

    Ruby Bhandari Says…..

    Look Vibrant on Sangeet Ceremony:

    The modern Sangeet ceremony has families of both sides performing choreographed dances to the tunes of Bollywood songs. This requires the bride to look vibrant and radiant just like a Bollywood beauty. For this ceremony, brides can dress-up with traditional lehengas, designer anarkalis, salwar kameez or Indian Saree. Pleasing colors, interesting cuts, right amount of shimmer and some attractive offbeat touches to the Indian bridal outfits will enhance the look and will make the bride to stand out in the sangeet ceremony.

    What should be the Attire of a Bride for a Modern day Pre-Wedding Cocktail Party?

    Ruby Bhandari Says…..

    Indo-Western Look for Cocktail Party:

    For cocktail parties before the wedding, some brides have a dress code or a themed event. Incorporating cocktail parties into Indian wedding gives an alternative to the brides for ditching the traditional outfits to adorn a gorgeous look in Indo-Western gowns or cocktail dresses. Remember, minimalism is the key but your subtle jewelry and accessories can make you stand out.

    How can a Bride look gorgeous on her Wedding Day?

    Ruby Bhandari Says…..

    Adorn a Dazzling Look on the Wedding Day, and match it!

    Brides can shine, dazzle and make a statement on the wedding day by creating their favorite Indian bridal wear, and matching it with the groom, as well as the rest of the families. We at Silk Threads can help you create the custom look you desire – be it traditional, contemporary or a hybrid.

    Silk Threads creates beautiful flair, drapes and gorgeous hemlines that will suit every requirement of a modern Indian bride looking for a dream outfit. Give us a call today at 972-432-9599.

    Silk Threads Understands the New Generation of Fashion and Strives to Deliver the Best!

  • Fusion Themed Wedding: #RealBride NIMRA

    Fusion Themed Wedding: #RealBride NIMRA

    Nimra Chowdhry and Scott Meadows
    Married August 14, 2015 at the Dallas Palms, Dallas TX

    Photographer: Greg Blomberg

    Fusion weddings are gaining popularity as multicultural couples are exchanging vows.  Nimra, who is Pakistani and Scott is American chose to express both their cultures on their wedding day.

    Nimra worked with designer Ruby Bhandari and her team to create the perfect reception dress out of gold tulle with emerald and gold embroidery.   It was the ideal wedding attire selected also to compliment the lush landscape of the Dallas Palms.

    ST: What was your vision for your wedding?

    Nimra: Our wedding theme was Fusion—a combination of vintage, and contemporary with both Pakistani and American cultural styles. The most magical part of the day was whirling around during our first dance!

    ST: Why did you choose Silk Threads to create the outfit for your special day?

    Nimra: I choose Silk Threads because I wanted a reception dress that was expressly desi-inspired but with a western touch. I did not want to wear a traditional Pakistani dress nor did I want to wear a traditional American/Western style dress. Silk Threads designed a dress that was complex in both style and patterns, and it incorporated all of my dress ideas.

    The wedding day is one of the most treasured and unforgettable days in a brides life. Whether she chooses a traditional ethnic saree, designer Indian bridal lehnga or fusion gown,  it has to be unique and made to compliment her. Silk Threads offers a variety of custom styles and designs to choose from. – The Silk Threads Team

  • I FELT LIKE A PRINCESS! – #RealBride Neetha

    I FELT LIKE A PRINCESS! – #RealBride Neetha

    Bride’s name: Neetha Devdas

    Groom’s name: Sanjay Sharma

    Wedding date: June 27, 2015

    Location: Sheraton Dallas Hotel

    Photographer: Lomesh Patel Photography

    Here are some thoughts and tips from our #RealBride Neetha:

    ST: What was your vision for your wedding?

    Neetha: 
    When we first started out we really didn’t know what exactly we wanted. But, after talking with our families, our decor designer and wedding planners, and of course, just thinking about who we are, we went with a traditional Hindu wedding with a modern fairytale garden theme. Between the breathtaking mandap with the hanging vines and gorgeous flowers, the shimmering tables and candles, and the stunning gown I was wearing…I felt like I had stepped into a fairytale. I felt like a princess and I will never forget that feeling.

    ST: What was the most magical or memorable part of your day?

    Neetha: I think the most memorable part of the day was seeing everyone out dancing and enjoying themselves. I can’t describe how wonderful a feeling it was to look out and see all the people from different parts of my life coming together. There were so many family members who love me unconditionally, friends from childhood and on, and so many new faces all in one place at one time dancing and laughing, and celebrating with us. It is a moment I will never forget. And, I think it’s what makes weddings so wonderful.

    ST: Why did you choose your wedding dress from Silk Threads?

    Neetha: There are so many reasons why I chose Silk Threads for my wedding attire. First, Ruby Bhandari is amazing to work with and she has a great eye for fashion. She is honest and cares deeply about what she sends you out into the world wearing. I felt like she was excited about making me feel beautiful and comfortable in my clothes for one of the most important days of my life and she was invested in making sure things were perfect.

    Secondly, there was a lot of attention to detail not only in the making of the dresses, but even the jewelry and how to pull off the draping of each dupatta. All of this helped me to really put it all together and envision how things would turn out.  

    Lastly, the main reason I trusted Silk Threads was seeing my sister Geetha’s beautiful reception outfit a few years back and knowing others who have been very happy with their wedding attire. It was easy to trust that my outfits would turn out great having seen it happen before!

     

  • Our stylish #RealBride Vanita!

    Our stylish #RealBride Vanita!

    Vanita has had a long relationship with Silk Threads, more of a family than one of our designers and merchandiser. So naturally we were very excited when she got married in 2014! (Now we are working on her sister’s wedding outfits – coming this Summer!)

    Here are some amazing pictures from her reception, with both Vanita and Nauraj setting fire in Turquoise!

  • Unique Proposal: #RealBride Sofia

    Unique Proposal: #RealBride Sofia

    1. Where did you meet your husband?

    We first met in college as freshman at Texas A&M. We were friends throughout college, after graduation we started dating.

    2. How did he propose?

    He proposed at the Kimball Art Museum in Ft Worth. He told me we were going to his coworkers wedding so I needed to get dressed up. However, said lets stop by the museum first since we were early. We walked around and viewed the artwork, then when we walked around the corner he had a caricature displayed in the courtyard, a picture of him proposing to me! He got on his knees and i said Yes!

    3. Why did you come to Silk Threads?

    I was referred by my friend

    4. Did you have a wedding outfit in mind?

    I had an idea of what my wedding sari would be

    5. Do you have any advice for brides to be?!

    On the actual day, just relax, enjoy the moment, take as many mental pictures as you can, and soak it all in. Don’t worry about anything including what little things need to be done because ultimately it does not matter because you are about to marry the love of your life!