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BRIDAL CULTURE

5/10/2018

0 Comments

 
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Rejuvenation

A recipe for Bridal Health and wellness

​Photographer: Meraya Studios
​
Directed & Styled: Breath of Henna & The Sai Lens

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“As she sits in her room alone, she wishes she could sleep another night in the ocean of fabrics flooding her room from floor to armour. Her mehndi would get ruined so she puts on her robe to get ready. As she pauses for a moment, she reads a letter; unopened and marked with her name. The sun begins to set and she pulls out her grandmother's haar (necklace); an heirloom. A relic binding three generations and souls…”
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BRIDAL DIARY: I was brought in to adorn Mashiat for her third Bridal Henna experience (well first diary) but third mehndi application. Her husband Tadmir had booked their honeymoon trip to Greece and she wanted to feel like a Bride again. This touched my heart and I was overjoyed that she had asked for a platinum diary for her vacation. We had consulted over face time and her details were highlighted by her enthusiasm on screen.

A henna diary versed her years of true love, Bengali quotes, a dulhan, enchanted florals, MT monogram, his name and a lace composition on her exterior hands and feet. Seen below is her digital diary which was first hand rendered to include all her details. No bride should ever be forced to have mehndi on her hands especially of those lines that are not her own. A henna diary is the journey of the bride, which includes her reflection through family, desires and love story.
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I believe that a Bride’s henna moments should not only reflect the cultural associations of henna but who she is as a woman.
These stills were captured to express the importance of time and transitional periods. After adorning many brides and hearing their stories, the application of Mehndi is a much needed period of cleanse;  so often forgotten or packed away with wardrobe of ones youth and history during wedding season.

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Adorned the beautiful Mashiat who recently got married in Bengladesh. This diary was a PLATINUM B Diary which was rendered beautifully with her love story and personal details. She is wearing a printed tulip saree from Chandan Fashion, denim of her own and a vintage blouse from Chosen Vintage.

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REAL BRIDES



One Bride had mentioned that she was financing her wedding as her father had long passed and her mother was her sole supporter. She did not want to burden her mother as she had no savings and had worked a half day before we had met. As my fingers wrapped around arm, the warmth of my fingers transferred into my other non-dominant hand and she felt a sense of comfort. I have been told to possess powers of healing or comfort but this was something we both shared. This was a moment she needed and I was glad to be there. You need to be healthy and happy but not everyone has a support system or can ask for one. Every bride walks a different journey and for that reason, her diary should be her own.
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​ADVICE




​I believe that this moment of clarity is needed and having a bridal stylist for your special day provides our communities with a deeper understanding of marriage. Our families need to understand that a bride is a whole of her own kind; her view on the world is one of multiple lenses and so sees culture through colour first and not with meaning.  As the time of marriage is within hours, the process in planning a blissful marriage can be slow and steady. This style shoot is for the working woman, the woman providing for her family, the woman who begins her day with free spirit, the woman who may be a mother, the woman who has a second chance in marriage, a woman who is accepting of change and diversity within marriage.

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My advice to the bride of today, take some time to meditate with the ones you love, a few fingers in counting.  As you near your special day, turmeric blended with oils and yoghurt will be used to exfoliate your skin, enjoy it. As you bathe in milk or a luminous mixture of oils and water, allow it rejuvenate your skin for a new path; a journey involving another whole world. As you have prepared your look through pins and screenshots for your sangeet or mehndi, allow others to adorn you whom you trusted or hired. Family and friends will rejoice alongside the bellies of drums and dancing glasses filled with lassi and refreshing cocktails, take part.

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Team Credits:

Meraya Studios
Mashiat
Breath of Henna
The Sai Lens
Chandan Fashion
Chosen Vintage



For Bridal Styling and personal stories, please email: sailensbooking@gmail.com


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Love & Tea

8/6/2017

1 Comment

 

Love 
    & 
Tea

Photography: Monika Mistry

 
COME into the garden, Maud,
  For the black bat, night, has flown,
Come into the garden, Maud,
  I am here at the gate alone;
And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad,        5
  And the musk of the rose is blown.
 
For a breeze of morning moves,
  And the planet of Love is on high,
Beginning to faint in the light that she loves
  On a bed of daffodil sky,        10
To faint in the light of the sun she loves,
  To faint in his light, and to die.
 
All night have the roses heard
  The flute, violin, bassoon;
All night has the casement jessamine stirr’d        15
  To the dancers dancing in tune;
Till silence fell with the waking bird,
  And a hush with the setting moon.
 
I said to the lily, “There is but one
  With whom she has heart to be gay.        20
When will the dancers leave her alone?
  She is weary of dance and play.”
Now half to the setting moon are gone,
  And half to the rising day;
Low on the sand and loud on the stone        25
  The last wheel echoes away.
 
I said to the rose, “The brief night goes
  In babble and revel and wine.
O young lord-lover, what sighs are those,
  For one that will never be thine?        30
But mine, but mine,” I sware to the rose,
  “For ever and ever, mine.”
 
And the soul of the rose went into my blood,
  As the music clash’d in the hall:
And long by the garden lake I stood,        35
  For I heard your rivulet fall
From the lake to the meadow and on to the wood,
  Our wood, that is dearer than all;
 
From the meadow your walks have left so sweet
  That whenever a March-wind sighs        40
He sets the jewel-print of your feet
  In violets blue as your eyes,
To the woody hollows in which we meet
  And the valleys of Paradise.
 
The slender acacia would not shake        45
  One long milk-bloom on the tree;
The white lake-blossom fell into the lake
  As the pimpernel doz’d on the lea;
But the rose was awake all night for your sake,
  Knowing your promise to me;        50
The lilies and roses were all awake,
  They sigh’d for the dawn and thee.
 
Queen rose of the rosebud garden of girls,
  Come hither, the dances are done,
In gloss of satin and glimmer of pearls,        55
  Queen lily and rose in one;
Shine out, little head, sunning over with curls,
  To the flowers, and be their sun.
 
There has fallen a splendid tear
  From the passion-flower at the gate.        60
She is coming, my dove, my dear;
  She is coming, my life, my fate;
The red rose cries, “She is near, she is near;”
  And the white rose weeps, “She is late;”
The larkspur listens, “I hear, I hear;”        65
  And the lily whispers, “I wait.”
 
She is coming, my own, my sweet;
  Were it ever so airy a tread,
My heart would hear her and beat,
  Were it earth in an earthy bed;        70
My dust would hear her and beat,
  Had I lain for a century dead;
Would start and tremble under her feet,
  And blossom in purple and red.

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​One would give his heart out when he would meet Summer's day, reading line after line in the ambiance of caffeine and haze. An overwhelming gaze appeared when She rose in her teacup skirt to not only swiftly move him, but to create a fix. One that would last an infinite set of years to hold and cherish. As She rose from her seating, the wind moved swiftly across her teacup skirt outlining a verse in florals. He saw his name..a name that she would call her own, true to her heart.
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Unwilling to share her diary's moments with anyone else, Tigger, Monika and I spent the morning with Mithu.
Define - Mithu: a woman of overwhelming intelligence and a heart filled with infinite delight. A character that devours the light and emits all of it within the darkest of nights to keep her loved ones away from hesitating surprises.
Sitting with her on the morning of July 18th, the drapes on the windows casted romantic shadows on the tapestry and mahogany table which I lay down my cones on. I usually pack light but there was something weighing over my shoulders. A process that I had been prone to since I was a mere 11 years old, was all buried. I could not bare witness to this feeling so I let myself work with the idea of Bridal outside it's regular conventional design compositions. Strange though, I had the design right infront of me but I could not figure out where to begin. I was the Artist, 'I AM THE ARTIST.' How could I have possibly let my mind go idle in the start of the appointment? This beautiful bride became a treasure as she filled her morning henna appointment with laughter and an unbearable twitch. As she spoke, I drew and as I drew she blossomed as a new Bride. We worked around a couple sets of arm rubs and intimate finger abrasion. A set of arms (front and back) till her elbow's very curves and feet (5" above her ankles) I versed her favourite poet's verses; 
Tennyson.

Her diary from start to finish was created with her favourite verses from the famous poet Alfred Tennyson. The beautiful photos by Monika Mistry instil each and every memory from that blessed day. Her greatest companion, Tigger joined in on the action as he enjoyed the scent of lavender. We watched the lines dance on her arms as she floated above the earth with her heart locked in a chest adorned in emeralds and delight. Her grandmother came to us to see her transform into a Bride. Trinkets from the family adorned her neck and fingers. An arrangement of gifts from her mother and the voices of beloved family and friends joined us later in the evening. A woman is unaware of the changes that once were custom or known.

What happens to a Bride who is not familiar with a custom? 
Who does a Bride turn to when she is alone?
What colour does she wear during her wedding?
Does she love the conventional wedding? 
Who makes the rules?


Speaking to Mithu throughout her henna diary days as well as during her diary event, we had several discussions on customization and where Brides feel their true selves are reinstated. A Bride becomes a woman in her own element while having support. An avocado is at its ripest when it is the happiest of green, a soft firm hold around an avocado provides this delicious vegetable interest to uncover it's juicy and highly nutritious valuable personality; it's interior beauty. Mithu wished for an intimate and private affair because she was used to this element, she is my perfect avocado. Her choice of Mani Jassal was a suitable one for her transitional period. Being adorned as a Bride, you wish to be at ease and fall into a nurturing state of sheer beauty. She gracefully presented herself while being enhanced by Rav B Beauty Concepts. Her flowers in her hair and romantic updo defined her soft hues and natural tan. 

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The fairies dressed themselves in pearls so that they could mock her presence. Her beauty was that of the sun and her heart forever set to her prince. She was eternally casted in happiness. My teacup beauty. Any morning with her is spent just right. When you have a Bride who is so cheerful and affectionate, your world spins itself undone just to have her smile again. Mithu loves her indian heritage but she wanted something that would redefine it in another light. She consulted with me near the end of the holiday season when I had just arrived back from London, England. We spoke for an hour on how she loved english literature and is a teacher. Her personality was elating art's finest creations and I wanted to give her a twist on the Secret Garden while rendering her favourite poem.

For many of us who choose to contrast heavily in our wedding's desires, we would rather invest in feeling than show and tell. Mithu is that Bride. She wanted to feel the warmth of her friends and so she invited her radiant mother to her consultation. A friend, a best friend, a companion for life is your mother. Mithu's mother was a pleasure to meet and talk to about her daughter's favourite moments. They are a compelling duo. When the consultation had completed, I had the pleasure of creating a beautiful rendering for her while the elements danced and spread throughout her palms. 
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At the end of this beautiful chapter, a Bride rejoices with her adored collective of blessings. Voices who she will always be compelled by and an orchestra who she will forever be a part of. Congratulations Mithu, a beautiful Breath of Henna Bride. July 2017.
1 Comment

BRIDAL CULTURE - Bride Hania Zaman

10/20/2016

7 Comments

 
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These stories are woven in between veins, hidden away; so deep beneath our corsets. Our souls, entrenched in words that are broadcasted only through our hearts surrounded in cages of bone and blood. Here you see Hania Zaman - our BRIDE in an exuberant arrangement of thread work and embellishment. Created by one of Pakistan's finest Bridal designers ELAN. When is marriage instilled in a young girl? Why do we dream of great romance or that marriage is eternal bliss? Culture to its finest craftsmanship. A great woman always says, right after sunset 'Never wish or feel ill about your future, especially when it comes to marriage. Hold true to your being and remain strong. A great man of your desires will come and keep you happy. This is my wish' - Mama.
 


love exists

in the realm of
culture.
DEFINE: BRIDE
   BRIDE
OF THE
ERA

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Quoting my dear Mama isn't to raise any form of bewilderment. She tells the truth. We work hard to maintain a balance between life, family, honour, respect, fitness, health, meditation and everything else you can possibly imagine. So why not wish for the best, the greatest; your greatest! This is how she was raised and millions of other young girls. To be calm and collect while the world is in turmoil. If your family ever needed you, you either complete your work in advance or you let your breath be your regime. Can you imagine how life would be if with every breath you breathed another thought, another movement. Every step you took was to build your home with love; fervidly contending to your children and significant other. We need several minutes to complete a task, how is this possible? As we grow, we acknowledge our mothers and run around aimlessly trying to build our own force in our homes. My tongue raging endlessly in English after coming back home from school, exhausted while she drinks her cup of tea. I didn't know she was relaxing. She never once needed to, or made it seem that way. MASHALLAH. She listens and till today she is there. A Bride is a woman defined by her upbringing; her mother, if not present, then her father, a sister, a guardian. What I love about this this photograph which was taken by the very talented Athena Blude is that this portrait evokes Hania's eternal elevated state as a BRIDE. Her memories extended in her long hair, woven up towards the sky and gracefully dressed by the heavenly veil. Her jewels are subtle as she wears her simplest all gold set. This is her moment and she remembers all that she was told, heard, read, wrote and folded in secrets close to her heart. Within one breath, she remembers it all.

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Jun 22
I am absolutely in love with your work
and would be ecstatic if you could do my bridal henna!
My wedding is on

August 12-14
​
2016 in CT/RI.
Hania Zaman
​
Hand drawn by Sarah Hussain of BREATH OF HENNA. Now seen in ink on Bridal Henna Diaries. 2016
​
 
It was a blessed summer's afternoon in Toronto during Hania's consultation. Streams of sunlight were highlighting both of our faces while she was sitting in a cafe in Connecticut. While talking to her, all I could focus on was her smile, saturated in summer's eternal bliss. Was she ever so delighted to talk to me about her henna affairs. The smile channeled its way into discussing her appeals into the detailing of Bridal henna and that she adored intricacy. Why would she not? She had two beautifully crafted ELAN gowns for her wedding and reception day where labyrinths of embellishments and threads would talk history. ELAN ELAN ELAN. I was interrupted by a thought where all I could think of was, this was it! An explosion of cultural dialect and Pakistan's exquisite realm of art and design. Memories of my mother's valima (reception) gown flew into place as a flock of doves to a seeded temple. My mind started to tick and tock and then suddenly an assembly line formed into a very tight; inflexible area and I said YES! Within hours before I boarded my flight to LGA airport, Hania had received her Bridal rendering and was ecstatic. I am more than overjoyed with her Bridal Henna Diary as it's my most treasured artwork within Bridal Henna.
Dearest Athena, you have instilled beauty, memories of our childhood into these opulent wedding photographs for dearest Hania and Zahan. Traditions are evoked from the veiling of floral bangles and ornaments adorning her Mehndi (day 2) stain.​
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While creating art, our bodies sculpt and bend into unknown entities. When I work on a bride, I lose thorough sense of my surroundings. It is a state of complete bliss. The distance is only inches away from the form it begins to take. The being I adorn transforms from Bride to be to the BRIDE. I can hear her speak and we share a conversation which whirls alongside harmony. The florals here take the shape of wings and encompass air. The vines are paths we paved together, leaf by leaf; bulb by bulb to write her story (her world). This is not my first time adorning a Bride, each one is different; Hania's Bridal Diary began with the same root of every other Bride; earth, Mehndi. Why was this different? The elation seen in these photographs is illusory. Her aunt had brought in a delicious meal for the two of us but we were both unconscious as the BRIDE OF THE ERA fabricated herself in front of our eyes. It began to rain; the moment when a Bride is bathed as she is to be of her purest state at marriage. We sat in her backyard and moments passed as we were safely guarded inside by the swarm of bees surrounding our drinks of conversation. We went inside to get the work done as her friends were coming. Her best was definitely her sister. 
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Our moments are not to be accepted by others but they for us to accept. The waves will continue to rise and the sores will hereafter, wash away. Hania is a Bride of the Era because she was simple with fine taste. Gorgeous is an understatement. If a woman of culture approaches you in couture and her smile draws light towards your heart, consider yourself the luckiest. You have been touched by a spirited soul. If she is your Bride and keeps you smiling, reflect on your breath and say Mashallah.
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Congratulations Zahan and Hania. May your love be your fairytale. Always and forever a love's dream. 
Moments captured by: ATHENA BLUDE
Henna: BREATH OF HENNA
Bridal Couture: ELAN
MUA: Beauty by Amani
Hair: Aferdita
2016
7 Comments

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