How not to become a bridezilla: To-do and not-to-do

To give the about-to-be-wedded some helpful tips, The Express Tribune got in touch with experts from the industry.


Saadia Qamar July 24, 2011
How not to become a bridezilla: To-do and not-to-do



Getting married seems to go hand-in-hand with insomnia, stress, tension and lots of emotions. And while it may not be fair, the bride-to-be has to fight all these challenges and then also astonish everybody by looking picture-perfect on the big day.

To give the about-to-be-wedded some helpful tips, The Express Tribune got in touch with experts from the industry.

Clothes

Choosing the right designer and deciding on the colour/shades of your trousseau are challenging tasks. Fashion designer Umar Sayeed says one should have a ‘dream-come-true’ approach towards her wedding dress, but explaining this to one’s designer might be a challenge. Recently wed designer Mahin Hussain says, “The most important meeting for me was with my designer (Maheen Khan). I wanted something different and yet, something I could carry off with confidence.” Meanwhile, make-up artist Rukaiya Adamjee says it is important to “keep the heat in mind and dress according to the weather.”

Rest

The importance of sufficient rest and relaxation techniques can never be ignored. “To add an extra glow, careful attention has to be paid to one’s routine prior to the big day. Rest and sleep are essential,” says Hussain. Not enough sleep can not only increase your appetite and lower your metabolism, but can be a cause to those dark circles around your eyes, bad skin and future bad hair days.

Water

A healthy amount (eight to 10 glasses) of water can go a long way in clearing the skin and giving a healthy glow. “Drink lots of water for weeks before the wedding, you will look (and feel) better,” says photographer Tapu Javeri.

Jewellery

Jewellery designer Afroz Javeri suggests the bride-to-be should coordinate her ornaments according to the dress. But jewellery is really a personal choice and a bride can be “as modern or traditional as she likes,” says Javeri.

Diet

Meanwhile, attaining the perfect weight – not too thin, not too fat – can be a daunting task. Sayeed emphasises on the importance of the correct diet by calling it ‘key’ to the wedding preparation. Frances Largeman-Roth, senior food and nutrition editor at Health magazine, says the wedding diet should start six months before the big day. “Incorporate cardio and weight training into your workouts. Doing cardio three to five times a week for at least 30 minutes will help you blast fat,” said Largeman-Roth.



Being organised

As the date approaches, blood pressure rises and the last few days can be a real test of endurance. To try and stay calm, Hussain advises everyone to be organised on the last few days and says, “Coordination is key in the last week.”

Skin care

A pre-wedding skin care routine will help bring a healthy glow to the blushing bride. Adamjee suggests the regular use of a sunscreen and moisturiser. However, for best results, pampering must start well in advance of the big day. “Self-grooming should start a month before the rukhsati. Regular shopping trips were not kind to me and I desperately needed to get rid of the dullness on my face,” said Hussain.

Stress

Wedding nerves can kick in at anytime – and not just when you’re on the stage. The months leading up to the big day can leave you feeling totally overwhelmed. A key factor to help you stay calm during wedding preparations is to designate spaces in your home where it’s forbidden to talk about flower arrangements, guest lists or names of potential venues. Meanwhile, doing some regular sport not only helps you to get in great shape for your wedding, but is also an easy way to control and manage stress.

Hair colour

Meanwhile, Sayeed also stresses the importance of carefully selecting your hair colour. Getting the wrong hair colour can have a disastrous effect and end up making you look sickly and aged. Experts suggest that those with a warm skin tone should opt for golden shades such as caramel brown and dark bronze, while fair skinned people should stick to cool browns. Take advice from your stylist to make the correct choice of hair colour. In case one has reservations about getting a hair colour, experiment with semi-permanent colours and then make the final decision.

Shoes

Designer Nadia Hussain suggests the bride-to-be should spend ample time before finally purchasing shoes. “She should get shoes which are comfortable, if she is not used to wearing heels, she should not,” says Hussain, adding that one should keep an eye out for other more comfortable options. “A bride can wear chappals, if she is ok in them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th,  2011.

COMMENTS (4)

Furheen | 13 years ago | Reply

I would recommend the Express tribune should mention what class of people a certain article caters to!

Do you, the author, honestly belive an average Pakistani household can manage to go.. umm designer wedding dress minimum Rs. 600k- check; designer makeup and shoot 140k- check!; weekly facials and spa treatments a month before the "rukhsati" 50-75k- check!

I know these figures cuz my sister just got married! which made me ( someone who started working at 17 before most "slackistanis" even started college) think twice before even getting the vague idea of tying the knot! I cant help but agree with Mr. Saigol, your article is for the UBER superficial ( i will spend millions on something totally tacky just cuz its designer)- all show and nothing substantial! I am not going to get into the details of where their income comes from! But my foriegn education and work experience still hasnt gotten me a paycheck newhere close to what they blow on a single mindless worthless and tasteless gathering- did i mention mindless? the sole aim for such gatherings is to get a "one up" on the idiot who blew his/her money the last time!

Please dont think i am shunning the article this is very useful to certain cohort of people but I doubt they would need these tips; they are the front runners to be the most superficial and materialistic excuse of life!

Fashion designer Umar Sayeed says one should have a ‘dream-come-true’ approach towards her wedding dress, but explaining this to one’s designer might be a challenge. thats not the only challenge one might face. He states and YOU mention him as if his designs are available to the masses! His dresses easily .. VERY EASILY run over half a million! there goes my dream come true approach!

Hussain, adding that one should keep an eye out for other more comfortable options. “A bride can wear chappals, if she is ok in them.” SERIOUSLYY??????? am not even gonna bother gracing her with a wordlash!

Finally am not against fashion am not against looking good, but I have an issue when a label slapped onto something makes it 50 times the cost price! A useful article might be the one telling our Mango people! (aam loog) where to find the best for their money- which at times put our "so called" designer labels to shame! (tried and tested)

Siddique Saigol | 13 years ago | Reply Useless article. Except rest and diet, the remaining "tips" read like commercial advertisements. I was appalled by the article-as if Pakistan is only inhabited by the "Slackistan" youth! The article, spanning the entire page, connects only to the upper class would-be "brides" who need, not guidance, but to be top in the race of fashion, make up, clothes, jewellry and what not rubbish - perfectly suited to the waster kids of the parents who have made ill-gotten wealth and have cash but no class! Its an article which misdirects the young girls of this poor and unhappy country. What about thousands of common Pakistani girls who have to get married in the next couple of years- what is the advice this article or newspaper has for them- of families who have simple but ethical parents with honest earnings- not to be thrown around "beautifying" their daughters with the type of things suggested and PUBLISHED by the newspaper? . Wake up Tribune- Wake up Pakistanis. By the way, I am no pauper, God-fearing person as the Slackistan kids and their parents may be thinking. I am an upper class Pakistani, highly qualified from the best university in the USA with loads of money. I have always believed in honest earnings and proud to have always paid full income tax. God has been very kind to me. I have a daughter (well-qualified from USA and now working in a top organization with a handsome salary) who will be getting married later this year. The suggestions which come for would-be brides in the article are the last things I was expecting to read. Although my daughter can afford (ten times over) all the things suggested but she too was aghast at the article and saddened by the thinking of the "experts". How about publishing a few suggestions for the educated and "honest" parents and their would-be bride daughters? Instead of a grand gala wedding which enriches the designer boutiques, beauty salons and jewllry shops, perhaps a simple ceremony, with a simply dressed bride, few close relatives and dear friends and no mehndi, no jahez, and no typical upper class pooh popular with the corrupt bureaucrats and tax-evading businessmen! Come on Tribune- you can bring a change! You should be the people's newspaper- not a loud speaker of the rotten upper class.
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