7 Super Useful Pieces of Advice From a New Bride : Bridal Cheat Sheet

We love it when brides give us advice - after all, who better to give it than a bunch of girls who went through all that crazy madness called a wedding before us?  Trust us Brides, Plan B is a real thing when it comes to weddings. And you can make one when you get some real advice from the bride who knows the importance of giving it to you.

Aayushi's Wedding

That's why we got you one of our favourite real brides, Aayushi to give you a cheat sheet - useful advice that can get you through the wedding in one piece. So here we go...

# CAUTION 1: Mehendi Time

Indian weddings by Katia★ 5

I didn’t want mehendi all the way up to my shoulders and so I always dismissed the free advice about how much time getting mehendi done takes. It ACTUALLY takes 3-4 hours to get all the bridal mehendi done. So if you’re having a function where you want to move around and dance, it’s better to get a large chunk of it done before your function starts. So can have your drink and eat some yums and do the "babydoll" jig.

CHEAT SHEET: The mehendi starts from the front of your arm and that ends up covering about 3/4th of your arm, after which the back part takes only half an hour. So get the front part done the day before and sit pretty on the function as the finish the back part and mehendi on your feet!

#CAUTION 2: Eat Before The Cocktail 

Picture Courtesy: Neeharika & Ritik's Wedding 

Usually the cocktail is the first function where you will meet a million people, all of whom will want to throw a shot down your throat. So if you want to dance the night away and be able to stand upright till the end of the function, line your stomach well.

CHEAT SHEET: Eat a Sandwich (Make it whole-wheat with only healthy stuff inside if you’re worried about that flat tummy. No bloat!)!

#CAUTION 3: Buying Jewellery

Picture Courtesy: Lakshya Manwani Photography 

Go to AS MANY jewellers as you can - only to get an idea about what is out there. Different jewellers sell what looks like the same thing at different prices. That may be because of the quality/gold content/ brand of the jeweller. It’s extremely important be patient while looking for jewellery as you will find designs you like which are too expensive, or styles that you absolutely hate, but trust me, you will find what you love! Ask as many questions and get as many details - You'll live with this jewellery for the rest of your life, so be smart about it.

CHEAT SHEET: While exhibitions may not be ideal place to pick up jewellery, they are the best places to find jewellers and get ideas. Try and visit as many exhibitions as possible. There is Vivaha, BridalAsia and Design One.

#CAUTION 4: Fake Nails

Picture Courtesy: Empalada Weddings

Your hands form the focus of a lot of pictures during the wedding (ring ceremony, mehendi, pheras etc.) and the last thing you want is to have one broken nail ruining that perfect shot. Between the intricate work on the outfits (so much sequins!) and jewellery, nails tend to get stuck and they chip or break. It’s a great idea to get fake nails before the functions start to avoid a last-minute disaster and keep ’em great shots coming!

CHEAT SHEET: Call someone to come and do your and your friends/sisters nails and make a day out of it! My recco: Neelam in Delhi: 8882004772

#CAUTION 5: Make a List of People that NEED to Be Photographed / Videographed

Picture Courtesy: Priyanshu Aasthana Photography 

We often assume that our close friends and family will always be around and hence will be covered by the photographers/videographers. But here is the thing - there are A LOT of people at the wedding and you forget things at that time! It’s a good idea to get one of your family members/friends to guide the photographers or videographer.

CHEAT SHEET: Make a list of people to be interviewed and ask those people to make themselves available beforehand.

#CAUTION 6: Get an Assistant / Intern to help With Decor or Even a Considerate Sister / Cousin To Team Up

Shiv Sharma Photography★ 4.9

I remember reading an article on WedMeGood with this advice and I can’t re-enforce it enough. I arrived at my wedding venue to a stage which was not what I had thought of in my wildest imagination and jaimalas which were the exact opposite of what I wanted. Remember that you will NOT be able to over-see the decor On your wedding week and the last thing you want is to be disappointed on D-day.

CHEAT SHEET: Ask someone responsible to take over early on and exchange as many pictures as possible to make sure they understand your vision and do justice to it.

#CAUTION 7: Finish up on Your Trousseau Clothes

Picture Courtesy: Kishan & Aarti's Wedding 

Clothes which look good don’t always feel good. You’ll be dinner hopping like crazy after the wedding and you’re going to look towards your trousseau for the outfits which will help you make your first impression. Since a lot of trousseau shopping gets done during exhibitions, you may miss out the finer details of an outfit amidst the crowd. If you're a stickler for perfection, make sure you discuss all the details before-hand.

CHEAT SHEET: Ask about the fabric of the lining/churidar, whether petticoat is included with a sari, date of delivery, care for the product etc. Keep track of everything and don't keep anything for last-minute!