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The eyes of a woman hide a world of mysteries. The eyes of a bride reveal hints of her innermost thoughts at a glance. The coy look she gives to her beau hides some mischief. The smile she has shows happiness but her eyes keep looking for her family. These beautiful eyes are not to be ignored. They are meant to be adorned in the most elaborate way possible, for her wedding day. Eye makeup for brides isn’t all just about elaborate ideas for bridal makeup though. There has to be balance. There has to be perfection.
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Key Components
Bridal eye makeup regime does not depend merely on the makeup artist. It depends on the time the bride invested on making her eyes look good for the day.
The Real Thing
Makeup is exactly what the name says it is. It makes up for the imperfections. You cannot leave everything up to makeup and expect to look flawless. It doesn’t matter if you have hired professional bridal makeup artists. If you have dark circles, dark patches, shedding eyelashes, and too thin or too thick eyebrows, makeup will not make anything better.
In fact, when the concern is eye makeup bridal look makes your face look worse if it isn’t done right or overdone to hide flaws. Therefore, it is crucial to get a few things right before the wedding day.
Sleep
You need to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night just to be healthy. Before your wedding, you need to sleep 7 or 8 hours every night for about a week. Your beauty sleep is irreplaceable. No matter how much work you have, no matter how stressed you are, you need to sleep.
Hydration
If you haven’t noticed, your skin isn’t the only thing that looks dull if you don’t drink enough water daily. Your eyes lose their lustre too.
Also, if you are dehydrated, your eyes will start getting irritable, making it difficult to apply makeup. Have 4 litres of water daily for a week before the wedding. In general, have at least 3 litres of water every day.
Moisturising
You need to moisturise your body and your face too. If you have oily skin prone to breakouts, your face does not need external moisturising.
But the area around your eyes always needs it. Use a dedicated under eye cream to avoid dullness and puffiness of the eyes.
Avoid Excess Cosmetics
You need to take a little extra care of your eyes if you want them to look a little better than usual. Avoid cosmetics at any cost.
Don’t put too much eye makeup. Let your skin breathe. This goes for your entire skin and not just for weddings.
Special Care Regime
Your eyes need to be wide open and bright on your wedding day. Ditch the cosmetics, use some natural home remedies. Put two slices of cucumber on your eyes for 10 minutes twice a day. Once after the shower, and once when you go to bed.
Use cotton balls dipped in a mixture of baking soda and cooled tea liquor, to get rid of the dark circles. Do this once a day for 20 minutes for at least 2 weeks before the wedding. This will make your eyes brighter and give your face a fresh look, naturally.
Eyebrows and Lashes
You will have your eyelash curler and everything but you need your eyelashes to be naturally pretty as well. Lashes and bros complete the bridal eye makeup. Unless you are wearing elaborate fake lashes for a statement appearance. Your eyebrows need to be in shape too. Take an earbud or Q tip. Dip it in some castor oil. Very carefully apply it just to your eyelashes and draw over your eyebrows with it. Make sure there is no excess because it could make your skin breakout. Also, your eyes will burn if it goes inside. Do this for two weeks, you will have naturally thicker and more defined eyebrows and eyelashes.
Get your eyebrows threaded to shape two days before the wedding so that the redness and any mark is gone.
Bridal Eye Makeup Tips
You need to follow the right makeup guidelines on your wedding day. Eye makeup for brides will take time and patience. You need to let the makeup artist take enough time. Here are some tips to help you get the perfect look.
Rehearsals
You need some practice makeup trials to make sure that the makeup artist can pull off the look to perfection. You need to sit with the designated makeup artist a few weeks before the wedding and determine the type of look you want. There should be no experimenting on the wedding day.
Cleanse
Clean your face with a mild face wash or natural face wash. Pat dry gently. Make sure there is no fabric from the towel stuck to your lashes.
Ice
Right after cleansing, use some ice on your face to make sure you are not perspiring. Close the pores to make sure no makeup will bleed.
Moisturise
Use a moisturising foundation to lock in the moisture. Use water-based one if you have naturally oily skin, and a cream based one if you have dry skin.
Concealer
If you don’t have any dark patches or dark circles. If your skin under and above the eyes match the colour and tone of the skin of your forehead and the cheeks, you don’t need a concealer. But if you do need it, don’t skip it.
Eyeshadow
You must have already chosen the shade of the eyeshadow. You can either go for a pink or reddish brown one common shade or match it with your latest bridal dresses. Make sure you are not reusing someone else’s brush. If you hired a makeup artist, buy your own brush and own eye makeup.
If you are doing it yourself, here is the guide. Start from the inside and move outwards. The second coat should be from the middle of the eyelids. Don’t do the entire area above the eyes. Blend in and fade out towards the top. Use a single shade darker for the outer part for the smoky eye effect.
Kohl
You obviously know how to apply kohl. Now, don’t make the lines too thick and leave the inner part of your waterline for some white kohl. Blend in with the black, or blue kohl that you applied on the outside to the middle.
Eyeliner
For the upper eyelid, use some waterproof liquid liner. Keep it black or make it gold or blue if you can carry it off. Make sure your hands are steady. Practice your winged liner several times before. Today your eyes have to be on fleek.
Mascara
If you are not using false lashes, which you should wear after the foundation and bases are covered and before the shadow and liners start, you will need mascara. Make sure you are putting just a single stroke for one area. Start from the inside and move out. Don’t apply the second coat even if someone suggests it like a pro.
Eyelash Curler
When the mascara dries, use an eyelash curler to shape your eyelashes. Without this, the mascara is incomplete.
Bridal eye makeup is time consuming. You will go wrong if you don’t practice it first. On your wedding day, you won’t have the time to clean your face repeatedly and do the eye makeup again and again. It will ruin your foundation. So make sure you have practised before and make sure you use the brand that suits you best. Do not let the makeup artist force you to try a new brand. If you are not that into eye makeup, go for any top brand. Make sure you are not using the makeup artist’s eye makeup for brides. Eye makeup is not to be shared. Use your own eyelash curler, your own eyeshadow, your own liner and most importantly, your own brushes.
Indian weddings are full of fun and energy. The ceremonies don’t last just for a day. There are way too many ceremonies to keep a track of. Unfortunately, some people do not get to enjoy all those events because they don’t get leave from their workplace, long enough to go through with all the elaborate processes. But people don’t want to miss out on some singing and dancing ideas for sangeet ceremony or wedding. A wedding is the only time everybody gets to dance with their family without having eyebrows raised. A well-organised wedding choreography symbolises a friendly challenge between the families, establishing “which family is more fun!”
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The Fun Ritual
India is a diverse country, culturally speaking. Everyone wants to uphold their Indian wedding traditions and practices for important events like weddings. No matter how progressive the family is otherwise, no matter how the couple chooses their marriage to be, the wedding has to have all the rituals and ceremonies right in place. So, where does the dancing fit in? Thankfully, the fun is part of the rituals. Everybody looks forward to some fun and dancing at a wedding.
Every Chance to Dance
There is a big chance to dance at the entry of the bride and the groom on the wedding day. When the mehendi night is clubbed with the sangeet night, it is all about dancing and singing. If you are really excited about dancing, you should hire a choreographer for wedding dance, of course, if you don’t already have a relative or friend who is a dancer and has the skills to pull off a wedding dance.
How to do it right
You have to be too naive to think that people looking for fun aren’t looking for some really good dancing and well-organised choreography. If the families of the bride and groom get along, they will surely be at loggerheads on the wedding day. They both will want to have the best entry, groom or bride wise. They both will want to have the best dance performances on the sangeet night. They will not leave any stone unturned to find a chance to impress each other.
So, you need some expert tips to do it right. Here is all the help you need.
Songs List
You will need to decide upon a list of wedding songs to dance to. It can be Bollywood wedding songs, Bollywood dance numbers, peppy English songs, or choreography on Punjabi songs. You will need to sit with all the members who are going to perform, get together with the choreographer if you have hired one, and determine the track list. You will need a song mixer to smoothly cut and mix the songs to make the tracks you want to dance to. Never play one full song, it gets boring.
Signature Dance Moves
Do not avoid the signature dance moves of the tracks you are dancing to. Copy them perfectly. The signature dance move of any song usually comes at the chorus part so you have at least two opportunities to nail it. If you are feeling creative, you can create your own signature step for the first chorus, it will surprise the guests. But at the last chorus, go back to the signature dance move from the actual music video and do it perfectly. This is how you win a dance!
Planning
The planning has to be perfect. The space you need, the clothes you wear, the duration you play each track for before moving on to another, everything is crucial. But the most important thing is to find the time to practice. You already have a lot going on. Both, the bride’s and the groom’s families are busy planning the wedding. Yes, the caterers and the wedding planners are doing their job but they can’t just be left on their own. They need supervising and assistance from the client if they are to deliver exactly what you want. So, while many important people are busy with the other arrangements, have some young people and the dancers of the family come together to plan out the dance sequence. This has to start at least a month prior to the wedding. You won’t even get to meet every day. Time will fly. So get working.
Entry
The entry dance will be very different from the sangeet ceremony dance. There is very little scope here, time and space wise. But that does not mean you will enter with some lousy steps just moving your hands about!The choreographer for wedding dance needs to pay enough attention to the wedding entry scene. The people accompanying the bride or groom need to be serious about it. You need a good idea about the space you will be entering through, whether there will be a flight of stairs, whether the gateway will be narrow or broad, and so on.
Preparation
You need more preparations than just the choreography and song mixing. You will need to buy your clothes according to the dance songs you are following. No no, you don’t have to change into a costume or anything. But you need to think about the shoes. If you are not comfortable dancing in heels, you will need a pair of pretty flats and an assistant to carry the shoes around to switch in time. You need people to clear the pathway so that the plan does not fail just because there is a crowd where you were supposed to dance. These little things need to be thought out.
Stage rehearsals
When you are going for a full out dance performance you will need to see the stage. You might have too many or too few people on the team to fit in or fill up space. You might need to find a convenient place to keep the stereo boxes if there isn’t already a designated spot. If you want to enter dancing, you need to gauge the pathway from the entrance to the stage. So, a stage rehearsal is a must. The positions, the start time for the music, all depends upon it.
Dress rehearsals
You will practice the dance routine in your shorts and tees but on an important day, you will be on stage in flowing lehengas and sarees. The boys on the team will be wearing suits that hardly give them any room for movement or sherwanis that they might feel too heavy in. So, you all need to practice in similar outfits. Do not wear the exact outfit you will at the mehendi or wedding lest you end up ruining it.
But you do need to wear flowing, poofy, and uncomfortable clothing during practice so that you know what moves you can pull off on the wedding day clothes. For example, if you are going to wear a lehenga, dance in a long flowing skirt. If you are going to wear a saree, practice in any heavy saree. If you are going to wear a suit or sherwani, dance in a collared up shirt and trousers. Find your comfort moves and be prepared for the uncomfortable ones.
Like Music like Clothing
You need to make sure that your outfit is not too out of place for the songs you are dancing to. Go for some Punjabi wedding dance performance songs because those songs go with just about any bright and beautiful outfit. If you are going for an English track, maybe you’d need to wear a Western gown, lehenga will look odd. So, choose the songs accordingly.
Live Background Music
To pep things up a little, go for some live background music. Get a band to play. Yes, that is corny and cliché, but it screams WEDDING! Get a DJ if you want to do something trendy. Have some dhol playing. The best thing would be to have your relatives and friends sing along to the music. This is the most enthusiastic moment you will ever get. So, be extra. This is the day.
Refreshments Room
This is a crucial part of the entire package. In between and after all that dancing, your folks will be dehydrated and exhausted. But you all will have to look your best for the next performance, and for the rest of the day. A Punjabi wedding dance performance is full of energy and you have to pull off at least one Punjabi dance routine with vigour.
So, you all need a dedicated refreshments room with air conditioning, mirrors, comfortable chairs, and cool water, fruit juice, and sodas. Just ask the host for the room with AC and mirrors, and arrange the rest for yourself. Cool off, fix your makeup, hydrate yourself and get ready for the next dance.
When you have thoroughly planned the routine and practised the wedding choreography, all you need to do is look the part and be confident enough to pull off the best wedding dance routine anybody has seen.
The sangeet night is a hectic yet fun night right before the wedding. The women of the family and their friends are all excited after hearing the ideas for sangeet ceremony. But they are also nervous about the arrangements for the wedding night. The haldi, sangeet, mehendi, wedding, everything commencing in the span of 24 hours is a tad bit overwhelming. The decorations, songs list, dance moves, everything must be ready by now. The only thing left is putting on the beautiful dresses for sangeet function and getting set to groove.
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Key Components
Set the Bar just Right
Your mehendi dress may or may not be your wedding dress, depending on the time gap between the two events. In many cases, there is time for a change. So plan accordingly. If you are changing into fresh and latest Indian bridal dress after the mehendi function, or if the mehendi was held a day before the wedding, you need to be very careful in choosing the outfit. You need to look like a bride to be. But you cannot outdo your own wedding dress. So you need to set the bar at the exact spot, right below the wedding dress and the reception dress. The dresses for ladies sangeet that you are looking at need to be of a very different colour combination compared to the wedding dress.
12 Sangeet Function Dress Ideas
Sangeet function dresses can be fun if you use a little bit of imagination. Instead of sticking to the confused long shopping day routine, get together with your bridesmaids and friends and figure out how to add a personal touch to the evening.
Disney Princess Theme
Wear the Cinderella dress or the Belle dress. Get your bridesmaids the Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, and Merida dresses. Give them all an eastern touch with a lot of poof with embroidery on. Maintain the signature colours of the iconic Disney princess dresses to let the theme stand out.
Bollywood Theme
This isn’t a unique idea, but it works. After all, you will be dancing to some Bollywood songs. The sangeet ceremony songs list contains mostly Bollywood wedding songs. You will pick up some steps from Kareena, Katrina, and whoever is your favourite. So, why not look the part? You can go for the Chammak Chhallo dress or the latest Kaala Chashma dress. If you want a royal affair, go for Pinga or the Dola Re outfits. You will look stunning in these dresses. You don’t have to find an exact match. Just take inspiration from these Bollywood outfits.
Traditional Monochromes
Traditional outfits in red, purple, pink, and maroon will never go out of style. Go for monochromes but in different shades. Team up a royal blue blouse with a turquoise saree. You will look amazing. Add in a few moves and you are good to go.The conventional monochromatic style will be the perfect dress for ladies sangeet. Anybody can sport this style. But if you are the bride, make sure there are some contrasting embellishments on the monochromatic saree. Your own wedding sangeet function isn’t the place for you to go minimalistic.
Contrasts
Matching colours in different shades is fun. It takes attention to intricate details. But if you want something more fun, go for statement colours. Team up a bright coloured blouse with a pretty safe coloured saree. For example, pink blouse with a blue saree, or a yellow blouse with a brown saree. This style looks good when both, the saree and the blouse are all plain, without any prints. But since they are sangeet function dresses, there must be some golden or silver contrasting sequins and embroidery on the borders of both the pieces.
The Sassy Bride Outfit
The sassy bride will dance alright but she won’t let go of her bottle of champagne. She will wear whatever she is most comfortable in and she will make it look good. She will have her shades on of course. She is the one who will choreograph some new moves instead of just copying Bollywood dance moves. This bride deserves a poofy lehenga that she can flaunt for photographs. Her choli can be a short one. She has the abs to flaunt.
Floral Prints
Floral prints are so out that you cannot wear them even if you love them. But your wedding, or your friend’s sangeet is the day nobody will dare to question your choices. This is the day you can wear the trendiest outfit during the haldi and change into something extremely corny for the sangeet. Bring floral prints right back in for this wedding season.
Kashmiri Outfits
If you are performing to a song like Bumro, you need to have a Kashmiri outfit with all its accessories. If you are a Kashmiri yourself, it will be amazing if you wear a traditional Kashmiri dress for sangeet ceremony. Wear the trendiest outfits for the wedding day but keep it traditional to the roots for your sangeet function. Pose for the camera as many times as you can. These outfits are timeless.
Rajasthani Outfits
Talking about timeless outfits, traditional Rajasthani dresses are the most popular. Rajasthani art is India’s pride. Flaunt a Rajasthani traditional dress with all the accessories that come with it.
Twirl around in the mirror dress. Your elegance will balance the vibrancy of the outfit. Don’t shy away from bold shades for lip colour.
Multicoloured
Bicoloured or monochromatic outfits have become very common now. They look sophisticated alright. But a true fashionista can pull off multi coloured dresses for sangeet ceremony. The trick is to have varying amounts of every colour. If you have an outfit with five colours, make sure there are just two major colours and they both are tasteful. The brightest and boldest colour should be present just in a hint, to add to the dazzle of the outfit but not overdo it.
Bedazzlement
Mirrors and colours are good but not enough. Sangeet dress ideas are supposed to revolve around the liveliest of designs. Wear something with a lot of sequins and stones. However, this does not go too well with multi coloured outfits, with the exception of Rajasthani attire. Go for a single or bicoloured outfit that is heavily adorned with tasteful bling. If that is too heavy or sparkly for you, go for the classic colourful embroidery. Nothing speaks sophistication better than embroidery. Go for handmade pieces and not the lame machine drawn ones. Your sangeet is a special event. It deserves a special outfit. Tie your hair in a fashionable braid and put some stoned clips in it. Keep the makeup minimal, focusing on the lips. Your look will be perfect.
Rainbow Team
This is for a theme sangeet function dresses idea. You need prior planning with your bridesmaids for this. Let each bridesmaid wear one colour of the rainbow or more colours. Have different people wear each of the following colours. Purple, orange, yellow, dark blue, turquoise, bottle green, light green, brown, baby pink, and whatever more is your favourite. The bride should go for silver, golden, or white with gold and silver embroidery and colourful sequins.
Stand in the middle with the rainbow attired bridesmaids on either sides in a symmetrical order of shades. This will make for some of the best pre-wedding sangeet night photos. Practice some moves in formations. Let the bride not dance if she doesn’t want to. But have the colourful fairies dance around her. Don’t miss capturing the performance on a video camera.
Pyjama Hour
All the heavy dresses, the tight hairdo, the uncomfortably high heels and dancing in them, must give way to a few minutes of relaxation. It is not possible until the wedding is over if the wedding follows the sangeet immediately. In that case, you will have to stall this pyjama hour for the day after the wedding, or you could sneak this hour after the haldi ceremony and before starting to get ready for the rest of the evening.
What is the most important event of a regular personal life? The wedding. And what is the most important thing about the wedding? The feast. Whether you agree with the first statement or not, nobody can deny that the food is of utmost importance at a wedding. In fact, the food is the most important factor in any event. This is why you cannot compromise on the wedding catering service you hire. People will forget the minor glitches on a performance on the stage, wedding traditions and customs, they might not even notice what you were wearing. But people never forget what food was there in the menu and how it tasted.
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Key Components
Take Care of Half the Wedding in a Snap
We have already established the most crucial element of a successful wedding. It is an impressive feast. Once the food is taken care of, everything else seems easier. You need the caterers to get everything just right. For that, you have to do your bit too. In fact, your bit comes first, and also in the end. Here you will find out how to take care of the food part like a pro. Let’s first list down the various things that could go wrong. That way you will know which parts to pay special attention to.
Fails aren’t an Option
If on the off chance, your catering service fails to deliver the job perfectly, you can ask for a refund, and obviously, you are not making further payments. But the ideas of unique wedding celebration are ruined! This isn’t a house party with just a few tens of people attending. You cannot bring in pizza for all of them. So instead of thinking of what if things went wrong, think of how things could go wrong and avoid them. Prevention is better than cure, we all know. But in case of a wedding feast gone wrong, there is no cure, to begin with.
Possible Catering Fails and How To Avoid Them
Though the wedding caterers you hired is responsible for everything they take on, if they fail, it will be your loss. And it is not just about money. It will be an awkward situation amidst hundreds of unknown faces, letting down tens of close ones.
So, here is a list of common wedding feast fails. Learn from the mistakes of others right here.
Undecided Menu
This sounds almost impossible, doesn’t it? How can anybody forget to or simply not bother to set the menu? It’s not quite so. People sometimes leave the decision up to the caterers. They do tell you what they have planned and it sounds fine so you give them the green signal.
But for some reason, you have not taken the initiative to customise the menu for yourself, could be because you are too overwhelmed with many other things at the moment or because you are totally confused with too many options.
No matter what, you should never leave the decision regarding the most important part of the evening up to a group of strangers. It doesn’t matter how efficient they are. The food menu has to be a personal touch. Of course, the caterers could add something to the list or say they cannot make one particular thing. But that’s about it.
Altered Menu
It is totally okay to replace a particular dish on the menu with something else, for convenience, budget, or complication issues. But all that has to be run through you before being brought on the platter. The final decision must not change at the last minute.
As the client, you have your responsibilities too. You should not coax the wedding caterers to do something new at the last moment. Take your time making the plan, but once it’s done, stick to it.
No Trial tasting
It is not enough to go for a mere cake tasting. It’s an Indian wedding, there might not even be a cake. But you need to taste samples of every item that will go on the menu. Also, do not forget to taste samples of the refreshments that do the rounds in the form of finger food. You might not even have anything uncommon on the menu. But taste it anyway.
Make sure the food is perfect, the blend of spices isn’t extreme, and the textures and colours are just right. Don’t hesitate to ask for a retake of the items you did not like. Be helpful enough to mention what changes you want.
Unfamiliar Chef
The entire point of the tasting is to make sure that the food is exactly the way you want it to be. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances result in a last moment change in the chef. You might not even know about it until you taste the food for yourself after the guests have eaten.
That would be too late. So, keep a tab on the wedding catering team. Make sure that it is the same group of chefs whose food you tasted and approved.
Pressing for Exotic Dishes
When you try too hard to impress, it shows, in a bad way. Ever seen the writing of a person who has a penchant for grandiloquent vocabulary overdose but cannot even construct sentences properly? Putting too many exotic dishes on the menu, that doesn’t even complement each other, is a similar blunder. Also, don’t push the caterers to make something they are not sure about. If the elaborate gourmet dishes are a must, hire the chefs who can do it.
Unprofessional Caterers
People often forget about the wedding catering services. The food being there is not enough. The caterers should be polite, prompt, and professional. When you are not around, at the dining hall, the caterers are the standing hosts. They must have the soft skills to make your guests feel warm. Great food served by rude or inefficient caterers is a fail. Instruct the caterers to be generous with the food, beverages, and finger foods. Keep a tab on them to make sure they are doing their job.
Delivery Delay
A wedding dinner is best ready by early evening. Even if the wedding extends late into the night, there will be people who need to catch a train or hit the road before too late into the night. Unless you have arranged for accommodation for every guest, you will need to make sure the dinner is ready in time for them.
Quality Fails
The grade of the ingredients might be worse than what you had at the tasting. Caterers might just try to decrease the cost price in order to increase the profits. The only way to avoid this is to assign a trusted family member or friend to accompany the caterers when they go out to shop for your ingredients. The assigned person must be an expert in determining the quality of fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, chicken, and fish.
Quantity Fails
There are a lot of ways in which the quantity could fail. The caterers might have been miserly in their estimations. The turnout might be more than you expected. The guests you counted as vegetarians might just start digging into the non-vegetarian counter and vice versa. Make sure you have counted all heads invited. Keep about 20% extra food than estimated in both, the vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus.
Limited Options on the Menu
One big rookie mistake is to forget about vegetarians and vegans. You cannot let your guests starve because you forgot a little detail. Also, the beverages must be stocked up. Especially in the summer, there should be no shortage of cool drinks. Increase the options in the soft drinks menu. Add some mocktails. Increase the number of salads.
For the meat eaters, keep both, chicken, and red meat. Do not compromise on the food. The stomach is the way to anybody’s heart.
Lack in Seating Arrangements
One despicable myth at an Indian wedding is, “buffet means there is no seating arrangement”. No! Stop these lame excuses. Find a perfect wedding venue that is spacious enough to seat all your guests at least in turns. You cannot expect people to enjoy their meals standing in a crowd full of other people holding the weight of their plates. Be a good host. Make sure guests get to sit and rest their plates on a table while they eat.
Improper Lighting
The lighting is very important for a wedding feast. People should get to see what they are having and where they are walking. But the light shouldn’t be too in their faces.
Hang a regular bulb on top of each table and use yellow and green lampshades. This makes eating convenient for your guests and the dining area aesthetic as well.
The catering services for wedding food must be constantly overseen by a close family member. Make sure your guests are enjoying the meal. Don’t forget to treat yourself too. After all, happy tummies means happy guests which means a successful wedding.
A wedding album is incomplete without the bridesmaid photo sessions. No matter how busy the bridesmaids are on the wedding day, there must be time to get clicked with the bride. The bride deserves to have forever pictures of herself alone, and herself with all her favourite people.
Go back to your teenage fantasies and recreate some of them. If you had not considered actually eloping with your lover, you must have at least thought about it. There is this certain romance in the idea. Get ideas of pre wedding photoshoot with your beau, like you are running away with him or elope to the wedding venue itself. You are all decked up in your bridal attire, now just pose like you just stopped running to look back with a cheeky smile. This way the photographer can get the entrance of the wedding venue in the frame as well.
Running Away
A running to the groom pose can be complemented by a running away from him pose. Be your own Julia Roberts in The Runaway Bride or Rachel Green in the pilot episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
The “marriage is scary” joke isn’t the patent of the men. If your beau has been joking around about the marriage this way, this is your answer to him. You can always tease him about getting cold feet yourself.
The Happy Reunion
Your wedding day is the day when you meet so many old friends. You had planned to meet up and the plans got cancelled every time. This is everybody’s story. But on your wedding day, friends will make it.
They will surely come for you. So, take a photo with just those friends you haven’t met in a while and put a text that makes it nostalgic but funny. Say, something like “Had to get hitched to get these ones to meet”.
Best friends Forever
You deserve not one, but lots of photos with just your best friend, or best friends. If you have a group of three or four, the photos will be more fun. Maybe some of your cousins are your best friends too. Add all the best friends in. Take lots of photos. Get a wedding picture of your squad. They are the equivalent of the Western bridesmaid. The wedding album is incomplete without the bride with bridesmaids photo. They are by your side the entire day. Get a lot of photos taken while you are in the makeup room too. Pictures taken when your hair is half done, with eye makeup all done on just one eye, all this is fun and real!
The Sassy Queens
Get all decked up and pose with champagne glasses and the cool shades. This is getting a little cliché these days. But that is the reason they are mandatory. The competition here is tough because it has been done so many times in the recent past already. But if you and your squad are the queens, you will pull it off with great oomph. Just bring out all the confidence you have and do justice to all the makeup and hard work at the parlour.
The Candid
Now, there are two types of candid pictures. One is candid that you post proudly on your Instagram with the hashtag “candid”. The second one is the one that you never want anybody to see because it is an actual candid.
Well, do both! Don’t shy away from looking your real self while having a moment with your friends and family. Pose for candid pictures too so that the best angles of your face on your wedding day are captured. But do some real candid shots too. 10 years down the line, these will be your favourite.
Nostalgic Shots
Talking about 10 years down the line, think about 10 years back. You did not even imagine you would move so far away from your parents. Of course, you knew you might marry or get a job and move to a different city. Maybe you have already done that. But the nostalgia of the bachelorette life is setting in now. Take some shots with your bridesmaids in your childhood bedroom. Talking about shots, pose with some shots with your bridesmaids for the perfect bridesmaid photo. After all, the point is, the tradition of pyjama parties in your bedroom will not change just because you are getting married.
Pearl Eyes
Photos of the bride getting a little teary-eyed with her mother, sister, best friends, or cousins, are not to be missed. Now, this is where a real photographer’s skills come in. These shots are best when taken candidly. A bevvy of beauties with slightly teary eyes and a hint of a smile, all sitting close to the bride brings out the perfect bridesmaid poses for a wedding.
All the Props
Getting back to all the fun stuff, get all the props. The huge soap bubbles, the colour bombs, the confetti bombs, the firecrackers, balloons, and maybe even the bikes that the sassy bridesmaid squad rode into the wedding. Get pictures with all of these. Make sure each bridesmaid gets focus in various photos with the bride.
One with the Guys
The bride has her groom. The bridesmaids deserve some attention with their respective partners as well. It doesn’t matter if you are next in line to get married, or if you just started going out with this guy, or even if you just got hold of him because you didn’t want to go to this wedding alone. All those guys who have come dressed to impress, deserve to be in some of those wedding photos. Do follow some tips for wedding photoshoot.
The “I only care about booze”
The first thing that came to a lot of people’s minds with the partners pose is “I don’t have a partner!” Doesn’t matter. You get to get the whole picture to yourself! Share it with booze and food though, because after all, having fun and being happy is the priority of life. And you can do that with or without a partner. It is not surprising that the women with these bridesmaid poses are the pillars of the wedding most often. Being single, they dedicate themselves to the wedding fully. They are the ones who keep things running smoothly. They deserve a drink.
One with the Parents
It is tough to get the father to be in the pictures but today, even the mother might hesitate. They don’t want to get too emotional in front of the camera. But they don’t have to! Today’s bride will come home whenever she wants.
Actually, whenever she gets a leave from her office. But the point is, the wedding is a happy day and the bride’s parents deserve to be happy and get a perfect frame standing on either side of their beautiful daughter.
Dedicated to the Siblings
If you have siblings you must dedicate some pictures to them. Even if they already got enough footage in the bridesmaid photo sessions, they deserve a dedicated siblings photograph. You don’t need to be told how to pose with your brothers and sisters. You already know each other’s angles and poses. Just get clicking! Get all the poses, smiles, pouts, fighting, grumpy face, candid, hugs. If you have more than one sibling, get pictures with all of them together, and individually. Get a lot of selfies too. This day isn’t coming back. So go mad with the clicking.
The One with the Pets
If you have a pet, you must have already decided to take a lot of photos with him or her. If you have more than one pet, it might get a little difficult to get them to pose. You cannot run around after them in your wedding attire. But you can totally get someone to do it for you. Your pets will love all the attention. Give them some props like shades, hats, bow ties, hair bands. Pose with them. They are the most special part of the family. If you’ve not already been away on a job, they will have no idea why your vacation is taking so long. You will miss them most.
The One with all the Kids
Get a picture with the kids at the wedding. They will be more than happy to pose. Make sure nobody is trying to get on your lap though. You can depict it any way you want. You could be that bride who is so ready to become a mother or the one who is still a child herself. Get the bridesmaids to pose with you in this too.
These were some of the many bride and bridesmaid poses you can pull off at your wedding. Take out some time to get the best shots because here you will not get retakes for another day.
The wedding season is prolonged this year. Irrespective of the short-lived winter, people are not shying away from having lavish wedding reception. If you are one of the people getting married this year, or anytime soon in the coming years, you must have already started planning out your pre wedding shoot locations and ideas. Wait, HAVE you thought about pre wedding photoshoot ideas or haven’t you?
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The Importance of a Pre Wedding Shoot
With all the work to be done during the wedding, you might not focus on the Indian pre wedding shoot ideas too much. It is understandable if you are not prioritising this. After all, no matter what you tell yourself, deep within you know all the trouble to make a lavish wedding is closely related to people pleasing. But a pre wedding photoshoot is for you and it is equally important. Of course, you achieve gratification sharing the best pictures on your Instagram. But that is effervescent. What remains are some special frames of the two of you together, as a couple, before you were bound in matrimony.
Plan it Right
Here are some pre wedding photoshoot tips that will help you get a perfect set of pre wedding pics at the best locations, with the best poses, and at the best price:
Take your Time: You need to have enough time to decide the location and concepts. If you have to travel to a different city for the shoot, you should have the time.
Take some Candids: No, not the fake candids that are too cliché to fool anyone. Take some real candid pictures of each other on a trip or simply, at home. These are the real moments that deserve to go into the pre wedding shoot album.
Secrecy: To get it right, you need to plan the pre wedding photoshoot months before the actual wedding. This is not a very good time to share the pictures with the world, so make sure your photographer and editors maintain the privacy code.
Strike at the right time: People are most excited about a wedding about a few weeks before the date. This is when you should share the pictures on social media. Two weeks or a month before the wedding is a good time to build up people’s interest in your wedding.
Be Romantic and Funny: Both these elements are crucial to any successful flaunting business. But what is more important is, these two ingredients are crucial in the making of nostalgic memories as well. So, keep some romantic pictures, some cute ones, and some outright hilarious ones.
Professional Approach: Make sure the DSLR you use belongs to either of you or someone close enough to trust you with it for a few months. You want to capture the perfect moments through good lens over the course of time.
So, you know how to have a successful pre wedding photoshoot. You will be proud that you did it. Now, let us take a look at some pre wedding photoshoot ideas that you could implement at your photoshoot.
Traditional
Nothing can beat pre wedding photographs in front of the Taj Mahal or on camel back in Rajasthan. These are conventional Indian honeymoon ideas which have widely been accepted as pre wedding photoshoot locations already.
So, if you want some of the typical, classic pictures to get personalised, now is your chance.
Around the world, Together
If you are not the traditional type, if the convention is too cliché for you, go take a foreign trip. Keep in mind the pre wedding trip should not cost you too much because you still have a honeymoon to go on.
Places like Bhutan, Thailand, Nepal, and Singapore are good enough if you are looking for beautiful foreign locations for your pre wedding photoshoot. Besides, it is a totally different feeling to be travelling as boyfriend and girlfriend and this feeling is never going to come back.
Bollywood
Back to conventional ideas, you could go for some famous Bollywood poses and write your own love story to go as the caption. Just keep it really short and sweet. Maybe do a DDLJ scene at the train station, or a Titanic pose on a cruise. You can have a series of typical Bollywood romantic scenes recreated with a fresh and fun approach. It will be appreciated.
Bride meets Groom
For those who are going for an arranged marriage, the first day you met will always be memorable. Recreate the shyness and tension in the two of you for the camera just one more time. This marks how everything started. Of course, the day you met each other, you had no idea you might really end up together, that’s why this moment is so special. Or maybe you got a feeling that “this is it”. In that case, this pre wedding photoshoot idea is even better.
First Date Rendezvous
This is the love marriage equivalent of bride meets groom. If you are marrying your boyfriend/girlfriend, you must be having so many sweet memories and pictures already. But nothing feels like the first few days of forelsket where you were just falling in love, or probably just flirting.
Recreate those memories and renew the young passion before the wedding through these pre wedding photos. You might not even remember how you met but you will remember where you both were when you realised you both have feelings for each other. Go to that place for some pre wedding photos. Begin where you started.
That Ring
Take a closeup of the wedding ring pictures. Hold hands while wearing the rings and take an aesthetic picture of the rings in focus.
Let it be just the hands, clenching each other gently. This could make a perfect cover photo for the pre wedding photo album.
Pure Bliss
Capture your happiness because you just found your best friend for life. Some candid pictures will work wonders for the laughter and joy pre wedding poses. You don’t even actually have to pose if your photographer can just capture the beautiful moments together as you go on about having a beautiful day with your life partner to be.
Trouble in Paradise
Some funny pictures complete the mood of the pre wedding photo album. Involve your families in this one. Let all the troubles of a real marriage reflect in a joyful way in your pre wedding pictures.
Be it the dissatisfied look of your parents in law, or the mischievous devil faces of the younger siblings of your partner, have a “what’s in store” funny version for the married life to come.
Mehendi
The mehendi party idea is considered as a part of the wedding by many. But technically, it precedes the wedding and a mehendi picture in your pre wedding album will really set the mood to sit back and admire the next album, that is, the wedding album. The giggling turmeric smeared face of the bride will set the tone for the wedding to come.
Add this mehendi picture to the already published pre wedding photo album on social media. This will make people go back to your pre wedding album and gawk at all the beautiful pictures once again. Nothing screams “Almost married” like a mehendi picture does. Don’t forget to add a pic of the groom too with the haldi on.
Into the Future
For an amazing last picture of your pre wedding album, you should have a photograph that makes people think about the vast future that lies ahead of you. Maybe take a trip to the mountains or a nearby beach.
Get a picture of the two of you holding hands and looking into the horizon in the silhouette of a warm bright sunset. The hand holding in the last picture will complement the engagement ring hand holding on the cover. This agreeable symmetry will give you the assurance of a forever.
Personalise
If you liked these pre wedding shoot ideas, don’t settle for just that. Add in your own inputs to make the photographs all about the two of you. Take inspiration from Bollywood, Hollywood, or any romance novel, but don’t ape the characters. Be yourself and do exactly what you would in the given scenario. This is how beautiful, unique, and memorable pictures are made. To recapitulate, plan the pre wedding photoshoot well in time so that you can fly down to whichever city you want to and act out the poses you want to. Be well dressed and well-groomed and let the real smiles do the rest.
Kerala, known as God’s own country, is a tropical paradise. The waving palms and sandy beaches look no less than a dream under the shining sun. Along with the lush green vegetation and mesmerising backwaters, Kerala has a gazillion things to offer. Here is a list of top 10 things to do in Kerala that are an absolute must!
Are you one of those adventure freaks who always want to spice up their trip with some mind-boggling adventures? Then, take note of these top things to do in Kerala which will surely give you some adrenaline rush! Book from our Kerala Tour Packages to experience the thrill!
1) Go Fishing!
With an extensive wealth of water bodies, it comes as no surprise that fishing is a must-do on a trip to Kerala. Be it the vast Arabian Sea or the alluring backwaters, the many lakes or canals, or even paddy fields in the month of the monsoon – there is no shortage of choices in Kerala.
Go fishing using traditional methods like Choonda (fish hooks) or bamboo traps. Or just go to a nearby beach in the evening and watch fishermen take to the seas with their fishing nets. 2) Watch a Boat Race
Watching the traditional Vallam Kali (boat race) of Kerala is like watching dozens of spectacular giants scaling its blue-green waters for a frenzied victory. A major event during the festival of Onam (August – September), it is an important element of Malayali culture. With all pomp and pageantry, the boats set out in war-like glory. Each boat houses a whopping 120 oarsmen dressed in traditional mundu and turbans who paddle in sync with traditional boat songs. The vigour and spirit of the oarsmen are so infectious that you’ll find yourself on your toes, biting your nails, cheering for your favourite team.
Some of the most prominent boat races take place on Aranmula, Pathanamthitta, Ashtamudi lake, Kollam and Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha. 3) Experience the Thrissur Pooram, Thrissur
The most famous temple festival in Kerala, Thrissur Pooram will captivate your senses with its vibrant colours, pomp and splendour. It was introduced by the Maharaja of Cochin, Raja Rama Varma, famously known as Sakthan Thampuran in the 18th century. The festival takes place at the Vadakkunnathan Temple every year in the month of April-May and usually goes on for a week. The festival officially commences with Kodiyettam (Flag Hoisting) by all the participating temples.
The most popular attractions of the festival are the innovative patterns and varieties of Vedikettu (fireworks), an exhibition of more than 15 elephants in elaborate gold plated ornaments (nettipattam) flanked by ornamental fans made of peacock feathers (Aalavattom), sacred bells and decorative umbrellas. 4) Spend a Day in a Houseboat
Imagine being suspended in time, in the middle of nowhere with only mother nature and the cosmic stars to give you company. Not only are they charming but they are well-equipped with modern facilities, from cosy air-conditioned rooms to sundecks. They usually come with a crew of 3 men – an oarsman, a guide and a cook. You can go for a cruise and soak in the mesmerising palm-fringed landscape and at night, enjoy the company of the star-studded sky.
The best part – you can catch your own fish here and savour it immediately. The food served is usually local cuisine. Some of the most popular locations for house-boating are Alappuzha, Kochi. With many places to visit in Kozhikode. 5) Watch Female Priests Worship the Snake God
The history of Mannarasala Temple dates as far back as the creation of Kerala itself. According to a legend, Parashuram had to appease the Snake God, Nagaraja in order to make the land of Kerala fit for human habitation by desalinating the land with the help of snake poison. And hence, at Mannarasala a temple was dedicated to Nagaraja. Set in a forest glade at Haripad, the temple is a major pilgrimage site and has about 30,000 images of Snake-Gods.
The unique thing about this place is that the temple is headed by a priestess, who is the central figure of the area. People usually come to her seeking comfort and blessings. The best time to visit the temple is during the main festival, Mannarasala Ayilyam (September-October) when a procession of serpent idols are taken out in all pomp and glory. 6) Walk on the Streets of Fort Cochin
This water-bound piece of exotic land is well known for its art galleries, colonial architecture and the Chinese fishing nets. But what you’ll notice the moment you set foot on Fort Cochin is the quaintness of the village. To just stay here, walking its streets aimlessly, reposing on the seashore, doing absolutely nothing will quite suffice your senses because the place is charming, to say the least.
At night, the place takes on a whole new aura – roaming its streets is almost like wandering in a dream with a wish to never wake up. The cosy cafes, modern galleries, spice markets, the Portuguese-Dutch-British influences and the myriad cultures that you’ll encounter in the streets will captivate you to stay here forever. 7) Get Rejuvenated in an Ayurveda Center
The magic of Ayurveda is world-renowned. Needless to say, a day spent in an Ayurveda Center is a day well spent on your tour to Kerala. Considered to be the world’s oldest medicine system, Ayurveda is an important part of Hindu culture and history. The whole notion of Ayurveda is to promote the well-being of the human body through the use of herbal treatment and maintaining the balance of the bodily systems. It is a wonderful alternative to western treatments.
With Ayurveda centres established in almost all the main cities of Kerala, you won’t find any difficulty in finding one. If you are obese, or if you have diabetes, hair problems, stress or even if you want to relax in the best way possible, then drop in one of the centres. It’s a deadly package of serene beauty and rejuvenation. 8) Explore the Local Gastronomy
If you thought of just idlis and dosas the moment you read local gastronomy, then you really thought small. Kerala is more than just idlis and dosas. If you care to dig deep enough, you’ll find a treasure trove of food loaded with subtle flavours, lovely colours and simple yet diverse tastes. You’ll be quite amazed at what locals here can do with simple ingredients like banana, coconut and rice. You’ll find banana chips, fritters, a vegetable to go with rice; in fact, banana leaf, the flower of banana and even the bark of banana tree finds a place in Malayalam cuisine. From rice, you get the well-known idlis and dosas and not so well known puttu, appam, adda, idiyappam, pathiri, to name a few.
Try these for a fulfilling breakfast – puttu kadala, appam stew, pathiri & chicken curry, adda, idiyappam & egg curry. Seafood is also an essential part of the cuisine – you can gorge on tapioca & fish, fish curry, fish biriyani, oysters and prawns. 9) Explore the Spice Markets, Kochi
Kerala is not called the ‘Land of Spices’ for no reason. It attracted the Portuguese in the 15th century culminating in Vasco da Gama’s arrival in Kozhikode, and even now, people from all parts of the world flock to this place for its abundance of spices. Even the cuisine of Kerala, famous for its hot, spicy, sour and tangy flavours, uses a lot of spices. Its pleasant aroma will entice you from miles away, so you won’t have any difficulty finding a spice market in Kerala, the most popular one being in Jew town, Kochi. Walk into one of the markets, feel the smell of spices seeping into your pores and take a whole lot of them back home and experiment with your food. These little hydrogen bombs will burst into your mouth with a truckload of flavours. 10) Watch a Cultural Program
Kerala has a treasure trove of a vibrant culture which is evident in its dance, music, cinema and theatre. To miss savouring is to lose a chance of understanding the essence of God’s own country. Watch a Kathakali performance, a 400-year old dance drama which uses only gestures, facial expressions and music to communicate the complex emotions of the characters; Mohiniyattam, a folk dance of Kerala which uses sensual movements to enchant its audiences; Thiruvathirakali, performed by women which celebrate the female energy and feminine grace.
These are but a few examples. You’ll find a lot of cultural centres in major cities of Kerala where you can spend a delightful evening – in Kochi; there is Cochin Cultural Center and Kerala Kathakali Centre. You can also visit nearby temples to know about any upcoming cultural event.
11) Explore Wildlife in Kerala:
About 24% of Kerala is forested and it is home to some of the biggest wildlife reserves in the state. There are quite a few wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala and some of the most prominent ones are Begur Wildlife Sanctuary in Wayanad, Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Choolannur Pea Fowl Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park, Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary and a lot many others. Between them, the flora and fauna of Kerala is preserved in all its glory and the state is one of the biggest repositories of medicinal plants. Wildlife national park in Kerala consists of Bengal tigers, leopards, grizzled giant squirrels, Nilgiri tahr, mugger crocodile, viper, python, king cobra and more, along with a varied number of birds. Kerala also has the largest number of domesticated elephants which are used as a part of festivities and processions round the year and also used as a part of safaris.
12) Pilgrimage tour in Kerala
Kerala has many notable places of pilgrimage for people practicing various religions and faith and one can book pilgrimage packages as well. The Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple is one such pilgrimage site where devotees throng the temple during March and April during the annual rituals. Most simply come here for the mouthwatering paalpayasaam. Anandashram is more of a holistic center, situated 15 kms from the town of Bekal. Founded by Swami Ramdas, it is preaches holistic living and philosophy for the betterment of the mind and soul. The Ananthpura Lake Temple is truly a pilgrimage site with the temple being open round the year to devotees of various cast and creed and from all religion. The Arthunkul Church is well known for its Christmas celebrations and followers of Christianity come here from all over the state.
13) Museum hopping in Kerala:
Kerala has a rich history of art and architecture and most of them are preserved in the number of famous museums in Kerala. One of the most notable ones is the Archeological Museum, situated in the complex of the Thrissur Zoo. It houses relics from Indus Valley Civilization as well as ancient scrolls and manuscripts written on palm scripts. The Hill Palace Museum in Tripunithura, Kochi is perhaps the best museum in Kerala with 49 buildings strewn around 59 acres of land. Others are Kerala Science and Technology Museum, Krishnapuram Palace Museum Mural Art Museum, Napier Museum and a lot more. All of them reveal the ancient heritage as well as the technological advancements that have undergone Kerala over the years and infuses the viewer with knowledge about its history and demographics.
14) Waterfalls in Kerala
Kerala is home to some of the most breathtaking waterfalls in the country. They are one of the major tourist attractions and not just the falls but the surrounding landscape too provides breathtaking features. Some of the most notable ones are Adayanpara in Mallapuram, Arippara in Kozhikode, Aruvikkuzhi in Kottayam, Attukad in Munnar, Kanthanpara in Wayanad and many more which dot the states at various points. These waterfalls in Kerala have been instrumental in shaping the terrain of the state over the past thousands of years and still today, they do not fail to mesmerize with their beauty and great strength.
15) Festivals in Kerala
The culture of Kerala is a mix of Aryan and Dravidian cultures and the various festivals reflect the spirit of both the ancestries. The Malayalam Calendar is the basis on which the festivities and rituals are planned and if the minor and local celebrations are taken into account, more than 10,000 celebrations are held in the state each year. The most important of them is of course, Onam festival in Kerala, the harvest festival and it is also the state festival of Kerala with there being at least 4 days of holiday. The other celebrations are mostly temple festivities, often known as Poorams and it usually involves taking the deity of the temple out for a procession around the city on the back of a richly decorated elephant and the procession is a no- holds bar show of lavishness in praise of the gods. After the deity is brought back to the home temple the devotees usually offer flowers, coconuts and rice as a part of the rituals before the idol is immersed in the holy water. Many such Poorams are held frequently at various times of the year like the Vishnu festival in Kerala.
How to Reach:
Kerala can be reached by NH 17 and 47 by road. It is very well connected to Mumbai via road and one can travel through Kochi. Salem can be reached through NH 47 through the Palakkad District. Kerala RTC buses also run frequently from major cities.
One can reach the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Station – one of major stations in the state. Other stations are at Palakkad, Kollam, Chengannur among others and trains from all over the country come here. The international airports are located in Trivandrum, Cochin and Calicut. One can travel within Kerala either by local transport or also take boats from one point to the other through the backwaters which provide both relaxation and transportation.
Best Time to Visit:
The best time to visit Kerala is between the months of January and April. The temperatures are very pleasant because Kerala never has very cold winters. The temperatures around this time are a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius. The monsoons here are very dreamy because the hills are extremely lush and green and June to November transforms Kerala into the Garden of Eden. The rivers are full and full of fish and it is the best time to have sea food as well. The trees are full of flowers and fruits and the vacation will become all the more memorable because of the scenic beauty of the state. No wonder it is called God’s own Country.
Where to Stay:
Kerala is so diverse and there are so many districts here that it is better to book rooms according to an itinerary. Depending on which areas of Kerala you want to explore, you can book rooms from the OYO website or app, from where you can book hotels in luxury stays or in budget hotels. You can also book rooms based on how close they are to airports in Kerala, the railway stations, or the bus stops. Transportation for sightseeing in various parts of Kerala can also be arranged from most hotels. Alternately, you can also stay in houseboat as mentioned above. No matter where you stay, there will be always something in Kerala to enhance your pleasure and love for this wonderful state.
The hotels in Kerala are known for their hospitality and you will be enthralled by the warmth extended by the staff. If you want to experience Kerala and the goodness it has to offer, then you must embark on a trip to Kerala right away and get ready to explore!
There are five seasons in Sikkim and opinion is usually divided on which is the best season to visit the state. While many believe that the Autumn season, from October to November is the best time, some argue that the best time is between April and May – during Spring. Autumn is one of the peak seasons in Gangtok and Sikkim as the sky is clear, offering incredible views of the mighty Himalayas. And in Spring, Sikkim is decorated with flowers of different hues and varieties making it beautiful as a paradise.
However, depending on the kind of traveller you are, this northernmost state can be visited during other months too with each month or season offering you a different experience of the place. Summer and Monsoon months are best for bird watching and visiting waterfalls. Whereas, winter months attract people due to abundant snowfall. Here we present you an all year round weather report of Sikkim for you to decide when to plan your Sikkim holiday.
Sikkim and Gangtok Weather Year round Weather Report
Sikkim and Gangtok Weather in September, October and November (Autumn)
Average temperature in September, October, November – Max: 16°C, Min: 10 °C.
Monsoon ends and Autumn starts in September.
It is a good time for adventure activities.
The Pang Lhabsol Festival, which is dedicated to worshipping Mt. Kanchenjunga, is celebrated with much fanfare.
It is the season for cherry blossom.
The sky is clear, giving beautiful views of magnificent mountain ranges.
Hindu festivals of Dassain (Dussehra) and Lakshmi Puja (Diwali) are celebrated across the state.
Lhabab Duchen, which celebrates Buddha’s descend from heaven to earth is also celebrated all over the state in these months.
Good time for trekking to Green Lake and Dzongri La.
Sikkim and Gangtok Weather in December, January and February (Winter)
Average temperature in December, January and February – Max: 7°C, Min: 4°C.
Good time to enjoy snowfall at places like Yumthang Valley, Lachung and other high altitude areas.
A perfect destination to ring in the New Year.
A mela is organised on the river bank in Jorethang on the occasion of Maghe Sankranti.
Zero Point is often closed and lakes are frozen.
Roads to North Sikkim destinations like Yumthang are covered with snow.
Good time to visit the entire state except for high altitude areas.
This season has the least rainfall.
Mangan music festival is held between 12th to 14th December, every year.
Lossong, the harvest festival is celebrated with much jubilation all over the state.
Good time to visit monasteries for annual dance festivals.
Sikkim and Gangtok Weather in March and April (Spring)
Average temperature in March, April, May – Max: 20°C, Minimum: 11°C.
March marks the start of spring in the state.
Rhododendrons bloom in Varsey-Uttarey.
Primula flowering takes place at Changu Lake and Nathu La.
Good time to visit the Valley of Flowers.
Good time for Trekking, River Rafting and other adventure activities.
Fresh rhododendrons and other flowers bloom.
Lakes are no more frozen.
Good time to visit Yumthang Valley.
Sikkim and Gangtok Weather in May and June (Summer)
Summers in Sikkim begin by April-end and continue till June.
Average temperature in April-end, May and June – Max: 22°C, Minimum: 13°C.
June marks the start of monsoon.
Perfect time to visit waterfalls.
Saga Dawa that marks Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death is celebrated all over the state.
Ideal time for bird watching.
You can witness Monsoon flowering at Changu Lake, Kupup, Nathu La and North Sikkim.
Drupka Teshi that celebrates Buddha’s first teaching of the four principles falls in this month and is celebrated amidst much show.
Around 600 mm of rainfall takes place each month.
Bhanu Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya is celebrated all over the state.
Best Time To Visit Gurudongmar Lake, Sikkim
Gurudongmar is a sacred lake at an altitude of 5430 m. It is the second highest lake in Sikkim after Cholamu Lake. It is believed that Guru Padmasambhava sanctified it. A source stream for river Teesta emerges from it.
It is only 5 km away from China’s border. The water is considered so holy that many tourists collect its water in bottles. The lake remains frozen from November to mid- May; hence the best time to visit Gurudongmar Lake is from April to July.
Best Time To Visit Changu Lake, Sikkim
Changu Lake, also called Tsomgo Lake or Tshangu Lake, is a glacial lake located in the East Sikkim district, only 40 km from Gangtok. It is present at an altitude of 3780 m. Tourists need a Protected Area Permit to visit Changu Lake as it is situated close to the Chinese border. The lake is frozen in winters, and it is the time when tourists can best enjoy a Yak safari on snow. Weather is often unpredictable at Changu Lake and the best time to visit the lake is between April to September as it remains either entirely or partially frozen during other months.
Best Time To Visit Zero Point (Yumesamdong), Sikkim
Zero Point or Yumesamdong is famous for snowfall that takes place from December to April. It is located at an altitude of 4663 m, only a few kilometres before the Chinese border in North Sikkim. One needs to do an overnight stay at Lachung from where Zero Point is almost only two hours away. However, the weather at Zero Point is unpredictable and during extreme winters, Zero Point gets closed due to heavy snowfall. The best time to visit Zero Point is between March and April.
Flowering Season in Sikkim
The arrival of Spring heralds the beautiful flowering season in Sikkim. Hills and valleys are resplendent with flowers of beautiful colours, welcoming the sunshine and spirit of the Spring season. Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Orchids and other flowers decorating the state like ornaments, is one of the most mesmerising sights one can ever see. Yumthang Valley is one of the best places to enjoy this Spring bloom.
Best Time To Visit Rhododendron Sanctuaries, Sikkim
Sikkim has two Rhododendrons sanctuaries. One in Singba and another one in Varsey. The Singba Rhododendron Sanctuary is located in North Sikkim near Lachung. It has forty species of Rhododendrons.
Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary is located in West Sikkim. A beautiful trek laden with colourful Rhododendrons from Hilley leads to the sanctuary. Needless to say, the best time to visit the Rhododendron Sanctuaries is during Spring months of March, April and May.
Festivals in Sikkim
Having a mixed population of Hindus and Buddhists, Sikkim boasts of several rich and colourful festivals that are celebrated with much exuberance.
Snowfall in Gangtok
Snowfall in Gangtok is rare. However, places like Tsomgo Lake, Kupup Lake, Lachung, Lachen, Yumthang and Zero Point witness heavy snowfall during winters. Therefore, winter is the best time to go to Sikkim if someone wants to see snow. However, the cold is harsh during the winter season, so pack right.
Best Time To Visit Gangtok and Nearby Places
Gangtok is a destination that can be visited any time of the year. If you want to enjoy harsh chill and snowfall in some other areas around Gangtok, then winter is the best season. Weather in Autumn gives an unobstructed view of the Himalayan mountain ranges. If you like mild chill and blooming flowers, then for you, Spring is the ideal season to visit Gangtok.
Changu Lake, also called Tsomgo Lake or Tshangu Lake is a glacial lake which translates to ‘Source of Lake’ in the Bhutia language. Located in the East Sikkim district, 40 km from Gangtok, this beauty in blue is perched at an altitude of 3780 m. The azure colour of the lake turns into ice white in winters. The journey to this one of the most beautiful lakes of the Himalayas is highly adventurous, as the road is quite steep and gains elevation rapidly.
A mix of adventure and natural beauty, the journey to Changu Lake or Tsomgo Lake is one of the most exotic highlights of travelling through Sikkim.
Places To See Near Changu Lake
Nathu La Pass
The Nathu La is a Himalayan pass that connects Indian border to the border of Tibet in China. Its elevation is 4310 m, hence the presence of oxygen is low. Since Nathu La is a restricted area, only Indian tourists are permitted to visit here, that too with special permits. What makes it more exotic is the fact that the pass lies on the old Silk route.
Baba Mandir
Baba Mandir is a shrine dedicated to martyred Indian soldier Harbhajan Singh. The brave army man who died during the Indo – Sino war is believed to protect the soldiers stationed at this harsh terrain of India and China border through his spirit. The intrigue of this place increases with the fact that Harbhajan Singh is respected by Chinese soldiers too.
Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary
Kyongnosla is a wildlife sanctuary located 31 km from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. The exotic and rare Red Panda can be spotted here, along with beautiful birds like Blood Pheasants. You will find colourful rhododendrons and orchids along with trees like Juniper and silver firs. It also gives gorgeous views of the city of Gangtok.
Jhakri
Jhakri or Banjhakri, as it is often called, is a theme park in Gangtok. This park is based on a shamanistic (magical religious healing) theme, has a beautiful waterfall and is full of greenery all around. It has magnificent and elaborate sculptures as per the ideas of shamanism.
Tseten Tashi Cave
It is a natural, 20 ft high cave located only at a kilometre distance from Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary. Named after the famous Sikkimese naturalist Tseten Tashi, the cave has a passage that leads to the top.
Best Time to Visit Changu Lake
January to March
The Tsomgo Lake is a thick and pristine sheet of ice during these months. You can enjoy a yak safari on the snow along the bank of the lake.
April to September
The snow starts melting in April, and you begin to see frozen lake return to its original state. The colourful rhododendrons and orchids around the lake during this time make it a sight to behold.
October to December
The lake starts freezing again from October. During this time the migratory birds from the coldest corners of the world take refuge in the partially frozen water of this lake.
Changu Lake Weather
Summer (April to September)
Summer heralds with the start of melting of the ice. The weather is pleasant and the temperature goes above 20 degrees Celsius in peak summer months like June.
Winter (October to March)
The start of freezing of the lake marks the onset of winters. The temperature dips below 0 degrees and the lake is entirely frozen by January.
Travel Tips
Changu Lake is a protected area owing to its proximity to the Chinese border; hence a Protected Area Permit is required to travel to this place. Indians can get their permits from the Police Check Post, and foreigners can get theirs from the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department and Police Check Post.
Twenty-eight mountain peaks, twenty-one glaciers, 227 high altitude lakes, five hot springs, and over 100 rivers and streams. And you are still wondering what to do in Sikkim?
Breathe the crisp mountain air, escape to the least populated state of India and see the world’s third highest peak, Kanchenjunga.
Sikkim is the second smallest state of India, inhabited by India’s most friendly people – charming and slightly shy. Plunge into a world full of snow-capped mountains with breathtaking views, green mountain valleys occasionally interspersed with rice terraces and groves of flowering rhododendrons.
10) Eat, Drink, Travel, Repeat!
Bid adieu to your monotonous routine. Instead, adopt a new one. At least, for the time you are in Sikkim.
To really savour the true Sikkimese atmosphere, visit a village tongba-bar for some local millet beer which has strong ritual importance among the tribes, strong enough to give the drinker a mild kick.
Dishes to savour are Thukpa/Gya-Thuk (noodle soup with vegetables), Kinema (traditional fermented soybean food), Chhurpi (cottage cheese), Momos, Mesu, Tama and Masauyra Curry.
9) Visit Monasteries
Sikkim has more than two hundred monasteries, temples, churches, mosques and gurudwaras. Some of the famous monasteries are:
Rumtek Monastery: Demonstrates the best of Tibetan architecture, houses some of the rarest Buddhist religious art objects, the priceless Black Hat (Vajra Mukut) studded with rubies, diamonds, gold and other precious stones.
Enchey Monastery: Its sacredness is attributed to the belief that Khangchendzonga and Yabdean – the protecting deities – reside in this monastery and these powerful deities always fulfil the wishes of the devotees.
Dubdi Monastery: One of the three oldest monasteries built in 1701, Dubdi means ‘the retreat’. It is located near Yuksom on a, and one has to travel by foot to reach it.
8) Adventurous Activities
Mountaineering: Situated in the very lap of Mount Kanchendzonga, the third highest peak of the world, Sikkim naturally offers a unique opportunity to explore the Himalayan mountains.
Trekking: With the help of the adventure division of Sikkim Tourism, treks can be hatched. The best period for trekking is from March to May or somewhere between October and December.
River Rafting: Two rivers – the Teesta and Rangit gush through the paradisiac country, proving it to be a heavenly abode for river rafting.
Others include yak ride, mountain biking.
7) The epitome of Natural Beauty: Lakes
Most of the lakes in Sikkim are considered sacred and steeped in flawless natural beauty.
Tsomgo Lake: Situated 38 km from Gangtok and at an altitude of 12,400 ft, the lake derives its water from the melting snows of the mountains surrounding the lake. It is also home to brahminy ducks and remains frozen in winters. Special tourist permits are required for a visit.
Gurudongmar Lake: One of the highest lakes in the world, located at an altitude of 17,100 ft and remains completely frozen in winters. It is believed to have miraculous properties and is associated with many legends.
Other famous lakes: Khecheopalri Lake (West Sikkim), Lampokhari Lake (East Sikkim), Menmecho Lake.
6) Visit the Valley of Flowers
Yumthang, popularly known as ‘Valley of Flowers’, is home to the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary. It has over twenty-four species of rhododendron, the state flower. Located at a distance of 148 km from Gangtok, it is a paradise for nature lovers with a fascinating blend of flora and fauna and breathtaking scenic beauty.
5) Take A Dip In Hot Water Springs
There are many hot springs, the most important being Phur Cha-chu at Reshi, about 12 km from Jorethang. Other hot springs are Borong Cha-chu, 7 km from Ravangla and Ralang Cha-chu, a one-hour trek from the Ralang monastery.
Sulphur baths in Sikkim’s natural hot springs are popular in February and March.
These natural spas are said to have strong curative powers, that help in healing physical and mental aches.
4) Flora and Fauna
Sikkim has recorded 552 species of birds and 690 species of butterflies.
It is home to around 5,000 species of flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primula species, 36 rhododendron species, 11 oak varieties, 23 bamboo varieties, 16 conifer species, 362 types of ferns and ferns allies, 8 tree ferns, and over 424 medicinal plants.
Nowhere in the world in such a small area can one find flora and fauna of all varieties: Blood Pheasant, Red Panda, Blue Sheep, Rare Snow Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Orchids and Rhododendrons.
3) Sacred Caves
Spread in four directions are the Four Sacred Caves – Sarchog Bephug in the east, Khandro Sangphug in the south, Dechen Phug in the west and Lhari Nyingphug in the north.
Buddhist texts suggest that it was after a series of meditations in these caves that Padmasambhava was known to have blessed the sites of some of Sikkim’s future monasteries and stupas.
2) Passes Of Sikkim
Nathu La
Located at 14400-ft, Nathu-La links India with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
It is one of the highest motorable roads in the world and is richly surrounded by alpine flora.
Jelep la
Located at 13,999 ft in East Sikkim District, the famous Menmecho Lake lies below the Jelep La Pass. The route is scenic with forests of rhododendrons blooming in spring.
1) Buy Yourself A Souvenir
Thangka painting is a unique Sikkimese art which consists of hand-painted religious scrolls in brilliant colours drawn on fabric.
It is not merely a decorative piece but a powerful aid to tantric meditation.
It is said to bring auspiciousness and peace and drive away evils, depending on the deity painted on the scrolls.
So, choose the things you’d like to do on your trip to Sikkim and return with an experience you will cherish forever. If you have a long tour, why restrict yourself? Try and cover all of these.
