Mehndi
A Mehendi ceremony is an Indian wedding ritual that typically happens one or two days before the wedding. In a typical Mehendi ceremony, all of the women in the bride and groom's families, along with close friends, gather together while the bride has elaborate henna designs applied to her hands and feet.
MEHENDI
The Mehendi ceremony is an Indian custom with great significance for the bride. Women from both the bride and groom's family, along with close lady friends are invited to gather with the bride as she gets her bridal henna applied to her hands and feet. The bride's body is covered in beautiful intricate designs that once dried, leave a reddish-brown stain for days, sometimes weeks.
Many brides hire additional henna artists for the guests to get their henna done. It is a joyous event, where the aunties, sisters, and girl-friends share the joy of their beautiful bride. Often there is music playing, live singing, family dances, or even professional dancers hired to make this event memorable for everyone.
Bridal Mehendi is one of the 16 Adornments of an Indian Bride.
memorable moments
Brides, you are surrounded by the best ladies in your life,
enjoy the moment with them
Hide the groom's name in
your henna, see how long
it takes him to find it
need to know
The longer you let the henna dry,
the darker the stain
Lemon & sugar mixture applied will darken the henna
DETAILS OF MEHENDI EVENT
Where: Typically at the bride's home
When: 2 - 3 days before the wedding ceremony
Henna is a small shrub-like plant that is used to produce the red/brown paste used to apply the intricate henna designs. The paste is made from dried henna leaves combined with water, lemon juice, and eucalyptus oil. The paste is prepared smoothly and placed in a cone for easy, clean, and precise application.
Bridal Henna usually takes about 2 to 5 hours depending on how intricate, detailed, and how much surface area is to be covered. Designs range from the elbows to the finger-tips and from right below the knee to the toes.
Henna should be kept on for a minimum of 3 hours to ensure that it stains in a deep and uniform color. It is believed the darker the stain, the more prosperity is brought to the marriage.
Many brides ask the henna artist to secretly place the groom’s name in their henna design. Challenging the groom to find his name, creates an intimate moment between the bride and groom.
fun fact
Henna has cooling properties that were used to calm the nerves of the bride
It is believed the darker henna,
the more you are loved by the groom
henna after care
– Let the henna dry completely
– Do not pick at the dried henna
– Henna that flakes off will stain poorly
– Do not wash your designs off with water
- After 6 to 12 hours, let the henna flake off naturally
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
When henna was first used on brides in India, the finger-tips were covered with henna and a large dot was applied in the palm of the hand. Henna is known for the cooling and calming sensation, which helped the bride calm her nerves during the stressful time of getting married.
As time has passed, traditional designs evolved into far more elaborate designs which included floral patterns, peacock motifs, elephants, lotus flowers, and various other intricate patterns.
A trend that is more common in today’s society is making henna designs personal with tailed designs reflecting the union of the bride and groom. Adding a favorite sports team, a symbol to your career, favorite animals, etc...
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