Mehendi planning is a delight. It's not as traditional as your wedding so you can really go with fun ideas that no one has tried before. And what's more? If you don't have a wedding planner or have got one for just the wedding alone, then this is your time to get creative. DIY-ing your mehendi is a lark if you know how to do it in the cheap with minimal efforts that will soon lead to maximum love. You already know the
DIY ideas we gave you last time on kitschy ideas, so now it's time to go with three new themes that we love - Moroccan, Parisian Vintage and Bollywood.
Theme: Moroccan
Picture Courtesy: L-R: Luxury Weddings by Abhishek★ 4.4 ; Pooja & Saurin's Wedding; DG Wedding Decor★ 5
Marrakech, Morocco, is home to famed markets, intoxicating spices, and boldly colourful tapestries. For the offbeat, bohemian bride, this exciting locale offers tons of unexpected inspiration for a gorgeous and exotic Mehendi!
What you need:
- 1 big wooden backdrop – (Your local carpenter can make this for you in 1500 Rs)
- Paint- (A big bucket of oil paint in white for 700 Rs)
- Metallic Jugs and Trays (Rent it or pick 10 of them from Chor Bazaar or the nearest mass market for 100 Rs each)
- Floating Tea Lights- Rs 359 for 100 at Flipkart.
- Bright Coloured Dupattas or cheap chiffon material (Pick multi coloured ones from Kapda Bazaar for 50-70 Rs a metre/ Borrow from your aunts!)
- Bright paper Lanterns (100 Rs each from Crawford or any local market, make sure you buy atleast 10-12)
- Cushions in bright colours: beg, borrow or bag it from a BFF. Ditto carpets.
- Hanging Bronze Lanterns: Shop at Shopclues for Rs.1200 each. Two are good enough.
Do it yourself:
Ask the carpenter to create one plank of intricate motif all over like lace on the wooden board.
Paint it in white for a clean and minimalistic look. Place it behind the bride for amazing pictures! (If the bride is wearing white, paint the board in metallic gold)
Drape the bright coloured dupattas behind the seating area for Mehendi (where the guests will sit)
Make sure you place alternate coloured ones to create that bright-hued look.
Create a cluster of 4-5 lanterns on top of where the bride is seated and drape fairy lights across them in the evening.
Spread the rest of the lanterns over the guests and seating arena.
Put up colourful cushions around and make sure an old dusty lamp your centrepiece!
Don't forget carpets.
Extras:
Serve Moroccan mint-tea in small glasses with mint garnishing. Also, remember to pour this out of the metallic jugs!
Place the floating tea lights in small glass bowls with coloured water and spread them across the area.
Paint old bottles with stained glass and gold foil: Tutorial
here.
Theme: Vintage Parisian
Picture Courtesy: Luxury Weddings by Abhishek; Henna Bespoke Weddings; Enchanting Events UK ; Vivah & Vows
Simple and elegant, vintage Parisian themes are easy and effortless if you know the essential DNA - pearls, tea cups and mason jars.
What you need:
- Vintage Teacups (Borrow or buy off the local market in bulk at 50 Rs a piece)
- Pearl Strands (Fake obviously, 50 Rs a metre from a local jeweller)
- Old Trophy Cups (Borrow it from various friends)
- Roses and Baby Breaths (100 a dozen in bulk)
- 10-12 Blue Mason jars (60 Rs each for medium-sized mason jars)
- Two wooden ladders (450-500 Rs each)
- Mix Flowers (You can pick the brightest and cheapest one in bulk for 50-60 Rs a kg)
- Two Planks of wood and burlap strings (Get it from your local carpenter for 500 rs)
- 50-60 printed B/W photos of the bride, groom and family (Owned pictures)
- Lace Dollies (100 Pieces for 200 Rs)
Do it yourself:
Try and opt for a garden-type venue for a vintage-themed mehendi.
Place one wooden ladder at the entrance and one inside the mehendi venue.
Place mason jars with fairy lights and baby breaths over each step. Place them over lace dollies.
Adorn the base with an array of flowers
As centre-pieces for tables across, place vintage tea cups with pearl strands flowing out of them. Also, use the trophies as vases for the roses. Place them over lace dollies again.
The guests’ chairs can be adored with one single rose and a bunch of wild flowers. Create a small bouquet and wrap it with a string onto the chairs/areas where the guests will be seated.
Bride Backdrop:
Place the planks behind the bride leaving atleast 4-5 feet between. Tie 5 lines of strings between the two planks.
Pin the pictures on the strings leaving a two-inch gap in between each of them. Voila! Your bride backdrop is ready.
It serves as backdrop as well as a sweet memoir of pictures.
Extras:
You can always have macaroons on your dessert counter for a vintage themed mehendi
Try and incorporate pastel colours as much as possible. You can also use a cluster of mason jars with fairy light and roses in it over the seating areas.
You can always add in a birdcage if you have money left over and stuff it with roses!
Theme: Bollywood
This is one of the most fun and favourite themes in an Indian wedding. The drama, the music and the colours will always ensure that the event is a total hit!
Picture Courtesy:The Wedding Designers★ 5 ; New Variety Decors ; Sajda Weddings★ 4.4 ; Designer Events Inc★ 5
What you need:
- Bollywood Posters of movies and stars: (Buy them off Chor Bazaar at 200 Rs each or just get a printer to print them off the internet. Use that designer friend now!!)
- Diyas (Borrow all Diwali Diyas or buy them off the local store in bulk at 10-12 Rs per piece)
- Customised Cushion Covers with Bollywood posters(Just make a couple of them from excitinglives.com for 500 Rs each)
- Indian Lanterns/ Kandils (Rs 100 a piece)
- Handmade Place cards for Food: Get thick card paper in multiple colours and navy blue & black markers
- Marigold and Mango leaves: (Buy in bulk at local vendor at 60-80 Rs/kg)
- Wooden stands with 15’x15’ place cards (Rent them out at a vendor for 200 Rs each)
- Get a picture of Kajol and SRK in DDLJ and cut out their faces. Put your own nad your brides, for a gala time. ( Cost of printing and cut-out: Max 1000 Rs)
Do it yourself:
Have the entrance lined up with traditional kandils on either side. Also, have place stands on the entrance with famous hindi movie dialogues. Make sure they are from movies that the bride and groom love for a personal touch.
Have thalis adored with typical Diwali diyas and marigold flowers as centre-pieces.
Make handmade place cards for food items with Filmy names like “Salaame Sandwich’, “Dabang 2”, “Gabbar ke Choley”. These can be made the night before with a bunch of friends.
Create
rangolis out of flower petals of marigold and mango leaves.
Place the pillows on the bride’s sides for maximum footage in pictures!!
Bride Backdrop:
Create a collage of Hindi movie posters and paste it on a wooden plank or a mount board. Place it behind the area where the bride is seated.
Alternatively, you can also create a backdrop of multi-coloured drapes with mirror strings in between.
Extras:
Include a fun Bollywood playlist and create a nice Bollywood backdrop.
Fairy lights everywhere.
Let your friends dress up as popular Bollywood actresses at their mehendi!
Borrow
charpoys, throw in a few cushions and call it a day!
- Apoorva Pagar
