“Mehfil -E-Khaas” Ulf “Mehfil – E- Sama” – Nidhi & Sagar

 Nidhi & Sagar’s Sangeet night was set at the IVY Restaurant Banquets, Chembur, Mumbai – India.  The theme for the evening was Qawwali. Qawwali is a Sufi musical tradition that stretches back for more than 700 years. The roots of Qawwali can be traced back to 8th century Persia (today’s Iran and Afghanistan). Ghazal was the chosen mode of delivery for Qawwali night.

As we entered the hall, the first thing that caught our eyes was the Mehendi counter where Mehndi artists were at work bringing some beautiful art to life. Before the Qawwali session began, the evening was kicked off with some dance performances from family and friends. The first piece was performed by 9 sisters of the bride on a hit Bollywood number from the movie “Khai Po Che” and stirred up the crowd and other family members also joined in the fun and the next performance was done by the Uncles & Aunties of the bride followed by 2 very adorable kids doing the Lungi Dance which set the pace for the next act from the brides friends and cousins who danced to the tune of Dhol Baje & Drama Queen.

The kids were chosen as the best dancers and were given gifts for the entertainment displayed.

The groom entered a bit later and everyone got their Qawwali gear on, the topi & the legendary scarves. This set the Mehfil-E-Khaas into motion and professional qawwals took centre stage who started off with a song that offered praise to the almighty. Post which some real classics were performed. Professional Qawwals like Sunil Menon took the Mehfil to the next level and delighted the audience with some sublime songs.

The Qawali night was an inclusive one which involved the audience into the act and there were Qawwali competition between the bride’s side and the groom’s side along with some amazing jugalbandis. The family and friends at the event participated and enjoyed its every moment.

 

If you are planning to have your own Qawwali Night for your Sangeet, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Get an experienced Orchestra & some really good Qawwals

2. Seating arrangement in front of the stage with a Gaddhi (Thin mattress)

3. Costume: Get the attire right, men should have a Kurtha on (A short Kurtha to go with it) and the women can sport an Anarkali suit or a bold colorful saree.

4. Do not forget the legendary accessories that are must-haves to go with the attire. The Qawwali topi & scarf. The Topi needs to be colorful. The scarves can be tied on the hands or/and tied on the neck like a bow-tie.

 

If we missed out any essentials, feel free to add on to the list in the comment section below. #Sangeettips

Gearing Up For A Portrait Shot!

“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” – Edward Steichen. Here are some easy tips on how you can look good in portrait photos

1)  Breathe:

The key to a good shot is to breathe. Exhale and inhale a few times. It will help you to stay calm if you are nervous.

2)   Posture:

Posture is essential. Sit up straight. Imagine a string pulling you up gently. Choose a stool instead of a chair. If you are standing take a moment and relax your knees.

Find your best angle:

It is best to avoid taking a photo of the face straight-on. A straight face allows for no shadows, which makes the face look wider and adds the extra “ten pounds” cameras are known for.

Get a few test shots done

• Move your head, keep tilting first to your right and then to your left
• Lower your eyes then look at the camera for the shot.
•  Angle your face slightly away from the camera, so that shadows are created along the cheekbones and the nose.
• Tilt your chin down. Having a high chin looks unnatural, but also positions the camera to look up the model’s nose

As with the face, taking a photo straight-on will add weight and make you appear out of proportion. Instead, turn at a ⅔ angle to give a slimming appearance to your body. To get the right footing try angling one foot away from the other at about 90 degrees. Shift your weight onto one foot and angle the toes down on the other. Doing this will accentuate the muscles in your leg and make you look thinner. As far as the hands go, always bend your fingers and wrists. If you keep your hands next to your face, close them slightly or tuck them partially in your hair. Have your hands near your pockets or slightly inserted.

3)   Don’t tense up your forehead and lips, relax it!

• Motorboat your lips to relax your lips
• Move the eyebrow up and down to relax your forehead

4)   If you are sporting glasses, use a non-reflective one

5)    Don’t force a smile, even worse don’t fake one

• Always smile with your teeth. People with crooked, yellowed, or somehow imperfect teeth can have the tendency to want to try and smile with their mouths closed to cover them up. Don’t do this – natural smiles always show teeth. For your portrait to look real, bare your teeth a bit, even if only through parted lips.
• When possible, have someone make you laugh. Real laughter produces some of the most beautiful photos and keeps you from having to think about your smile.
• Wet your lips before smiling, either by licking them or applying lip balm. This will prevent any unsightly cracks and will add a little more light to your face

Always remember “Be confident &  Have Fun!”

Portraits of our Photographers:

Priyal Thakkar

Sandeep Rasal                                          Aakash Dangare

    

Content Courtesy: www.wikihow.com , MichellePhan

Getting the Mandap Right!

The mandap is the focal point of all Indian weddings. Hence it is very crucial that you get your mandap design right. Here are some tips and points you need to keep in mind before finalizing on your wedding mandap.

Size & Strength:

The size of the mandap is important since most rituals would take place in the mandap; hence it is necessary to ensure that you have enough space to carry out all rituals smoothly. While freezing on the size, consider the number of people that would be in the mandap at any given point. Usually for the ceremony there are not too many people on the stage other than a few close relative, the parents, the couple and the priests, but during the garland exchange ceremony you may have lots of friends suddenly coming up to the stage and you won’t want any hazardous situation. So make sure the stage is strong enough to have at least fifty people on it.

Style & Décor:

Visit multiple blogs on wedding planning and get as many reference pictures as possible for ideas on the style. There is an array of options when it comes to choosing the style, right from open top to canopy style to dome shaped or even a back drop styled mandap. In case of an outdoor day wedding we would always suggest going for a closed top mandap to get protection from sunlight & unexpected showers. There are plenty of ways to decorate the wedding mandap. You can use flowers, rich fabric drapes or other elements such as crystal, lamps, candles etc. The décor changes from region to region. Just make sure you take the middle path, too much or too sparse is not a good idea!

Costing:

Wedding mandaps are usually expensive and we think this is one area where you must go all out! Your wedding mandap is where all the rituals will take place and therefore it has to look very pretty. If you have a tight budget, you can always cut down or replace the expensive stuff. Floral mandaps are most expensive hence you can find a way of interspersing flowers with interesting fabrics and other props.

Position & View:

According to Hindu scripts the ideal position of the mandap is towards the North-east of the venue. Make sure you keep this in mind while deciding on the placement and layout of your function or check with your Pandit. Very often, guests are socializing among themselves at weddings as they cannot see what is happening in the mandap. The mandap should always be raised by a few feet so that guests can see what is going on inside the mandap, and are involved

 

Seating:

It is very important to consider seating at weddings as you will have to sit for a long time and if the seating is not comfortable it may get difficult. The bride and groom should be seated facing east. As a ritual at Indian weddings the bride and the groom have to carry out all the rituals sitting on the floor. But this has changed over the years, now there are multiple options for low seating with chairs and sofas which are quite comfortable.

Lighting:

This is another very important area. Lighting is very crucial and it can either enhance or ruin your décor. Hence choosing appropriate and proper lighting is very important. Halogens are a complete no-no! If you have a sunset wedding ensure you have incorporated lights in your décor; even if the ceremony starts around sunset, it might get dark eventually. Lighting also adds value to photographs and makes it better for photographers/videographers to get better/ more interesting and detailed pictures and also helps them to avoid issues  of low light causing hindrances in photography. Also, too much light makes photos look very flat and gives room for pictures to loose its appeal. It would be nice to talk to your photographer before selecting your lighting style

Ventilation:

Indian weddings outfits are heavy and crafted in rich fabrics such as silk; hence it tends to get very hot during the ceremony. Thus ventilation is a must! Arrange for coolers at strategic locations around the mandap so that the place is well-ventilated during the ceremony.

We hope these tips have helped you in taking a wise decision for choosing the Mandap.