What’s hot for Autumn/Winter 2010 Weddings

Winter may feel like an eternity away for most of us, but for those planning their big day it’s just around the corner! With so many things to think about; venues to book, catering to organise, invitations to send (let’s not even mention the trauma of shopping for the perfect wedding outfits!), winter will be upon those organising their weddings in a heartbeat. To take some of the pain out of arranging those crucial details here is the rundown of what’s going to be hot in the chillier months....

The Invitation: For many couples the selection of the invitation takes something of a backseat with the need to get them sent quickly taking precedence. However, the selection of the invitation is highly important, the wedding cards you choose give the guests an impression of your wedding and set the tone for your day. Matching the wedding invitations to the colour scheme you have chosen is a particularly stylish touch.

The cost of invitations can vary greatly (generally between £1 and £7 per invite) and so it is possible to find tasteful designs to suit all budgets. Wanderlust Cards, located in Glasgow, offer a range of stunning invitations adorned with delicate crystals, paper flowers, pearls and satin ribbon; these invitations certainly make a statement about your big day! 

Don’t forget to order a few extra invites for those guests who have slipped your mind!

The Cake: After diamonds, cake is a girl’s best friend and your wedding cake serves as a centrepiece to your entire day. This autumn/winter is all about colour so don’t be afraid to ask for bright icings and bold decorations! Glasgow bakery The Cake Story offers a wide range of beautifully decorated and delicious wedding cakes that are guaranteed to satisfy even the sweetest of teeth.

Gifts: To register or not to register, that is the question. Many couples feel that registering with a particular store and requesting specific gifts is too demanding and even a little rude. However, this is not the case, guests like to be given an idea of the kinds of gifts you and your partner need/want and would generally rather give you something useful than something that will inevitably end up at a car boot sale! When you are compiling your list make sure the items you include vary in price to ensure that guests’ funds are not stretched beyond their limits. Some of this year’s hottest gadgets are bound to make many couple’s gift lists with the Apple iPad sure to be at the top. Its 9.7 inch LCD touch screen, high speed internet connection and countless applications mean that Apple’s latest techno toy is sure to be a major seller, however, with prices starting at £429 your list will definitely require some less costly alternatives. For the less gadget-orientated couple how about something for their marital home,  Alessi’s love heart silver spoons are the perfect quirky gift for a loved up couple and will look perfect on any newly-weds’ dining table!

Flowers: Tradition and simplicity are key when it comes to this year’s floral trends. While red roses are the hottest bloom of the summer, autumn and winter sees the return of seasonal reds, greens and golds.

Honeymoon: Although it’s the best day of your life, getting married is exhausting! After the ceremonies you will certainly be ready for a holiday so you had better make sure you choose the perfect destination for both of you. You should choose a destination that has activities you can both enjoy; dragging your new husband around 5th avenue may not be his idea of a good time! Egypt is one of the hippest holiday destinations of 2010 with year-round good weather and a multitude of activities, Egypt offers something for everyone. Famous for its superb scuba diving, the Sharm El Sheikh resort has beautiful beaches, amazing restaurants, desert safaris and incredible shopping; a must-visit for any newly-wed couple.

Favours: Owing to the current economic climate, DIY is huge in 2010 and this extends to weddings. Wedding favours are easily made at home and by crafting them yourselves you add a personal touch to these small gestures of gratitude.  Cupcakes are currently the trendiest patisserie around so why not bake a batch and package them in decorative boxes. If you don’t fancy really getting your hands dirty you can simply buy sweets (for example from the Glasgow Sweet House) and package them yourself using tulle circles or decorative boxes.

Transport: The horse and carriage is back! Although perhaps a little over the top for some couples, the horse and carriage will be making an appearance at numerous weddings this autumn and winter. The inclusion of our equine friends is sure to make your wedding day that bit more memorable, adding elegance and a touch of old-school glamour. Carriages for All Occasions, a company based in Bathgate, have a number of different horses and carriages to choose from to ensure that you get everything you require.

Add Some Spice to Your Event

“Spice Events and Impressions helped make sure our Wedding Day was perfect. They ensured every little detail that we planned happened and it all went to clockwork. Before the wedding, they really took the time to understand what we wanted and nothing was too much trouble! Thank you!”

From invitations to outfits, venues to vol au vents, cakes to cars; weddings are an organisational nightmare! With so much to think about, planning a wedding is a huge challenge for even the most prepared couple. The obvious solution to the stress is to enlist a wedding planner, but even choosing this can be a nerve-wracking decision. Born out of a duo of skills, Spice Events is Glasgow’s best-kept wedding planning secret, proving that two heads are better than one...

Launched three years ago by Afzal and his good friend Mazhar, Spice Events offers everything you need for your big day. Each member of this small team is highly skilled in their own specialist area, ensuring that every aspect of your wedding is arranged by the best possible person for the job.

With more than seven years’ photographic experience Afzal knows exactly how to capture the essence of a wedding and create a lasting impression of your special day. To ensure that you are looking your best, Kanval is on hand to create the perfect make up look for you, her magical touch is in extremely high demand and her stunning make up has graced the pages of Occasions a number of times. Mazhar’s skills lies within Event Management and catering, having worked in the wedding industry for ten years and having provided silver service and scrumptious menu’s for countless weddings, he certainly knows his stuff!

How did Spice Events come about?

Mazhar and Afzal explain that they realised that by combining their separate skills they could create a unique service: “No-one does a full package”, Mazhar explains, “We do everything in-house. We do the cutlery, crockery, staff, Decor, photos, make up, everything!” With extensive hands-on experience in different sectors of the industry, the Spice Events team truly understand the inner workings of weddings and can use their expertise to make sure your day runs flawlessly.

What makes Spice Events different?

With its sights set on appealing to the younger generation Spice Events is a true breath of fresh air in the Asian wedding industry. As a young, dynamic company Spice Events has its finger firmly on the pulse and is aware that traditions are changing: “ten years ago we would only deal with the parents, now we occasionally get just the bride and groom coming in. The mother and father almost always have an input though as they are paying for it!” As Afzal points out; weddings are family affairs and Spice Events works tirelessly to ensure that everyone is satisfied with the big day. The service offered by Spice Events is extremely personal with the team working so closely with the family that they often get to know virtually the whole wedding party by name!

Spice Events is also unique in that, despite being in high demand, they choose to work on only one wedding per day. The team understand the importance of each wedding they are involved in and so opt to devote their full attention to one project at a time: “We would rather just do one wedding a day than risk someone’s big day.”

Due to their wealth of practical experience in the industry, the Spice Events team are at a major advantage when it comes to arranging the finer details: “Because we are actually in the industry and we’re not just wedding planners we know what is and what is not possible. We’ve seen how things work” – a reassuring thought for any couple! This insider knowledge means that no rash promises will be made, although the team are very confident in their abilities: “Nothing’s too hard for us to do” says Mazhar, recalling one particularly ambitious event at which the bride wanted a catwalk, dry ice, indoor fireworks and special lighting! Despite the extravagant nature of this wedding the team’s experience, hard work and dedication to their clients meant that it ran without a hitch and the bride got everything she wanted. The team “We are there to help with the venue and to manage the event on the day

Despite having never advertised, Spice Events is kept extremely busy, with satisfied clients eagerly spreading the word about this exclusive company. Each of the members of the Spice team’s talents are so well known that people are actually willing to organise their wedding date around when they are available! Kanval and her incredible make up looks are in such high demand that brides come to her before they have thought about dates, venues and outfits to ensure that she will be on hand to bring out their natural beauty.

Spice Events Website

Single Girl in the City

I’m Uzma, a single girl in the city of Glasgow discovering bargain buys, trendy places to eat, events not to be missed, the latest beauty tips… anything really that tickles my fancy as a South Asian Muslim woman living in the UK today. I’ll be sharing my diary of discoveries with you lovely readers and in return, should you have anything in particular you want to discuss, ask, or even a mission of discovery you want to dispatch me on, drop me an email and let me know. 

Sun and the City

You are always able to tell the weather is good when everyone seems to be strolling around with sunglasses on, eating ice cream, with their car windows rolled down with a bad copy of a dodgy downloaded bhangra track blaring.  Yes, this unfortunately does also happen in other streets around Scotland too, not just Albert Drive!

When the sun is out everyone slaps on the sun screen and puts on bare minimum summery clothing to relax and top up their tan. Or do they?  I dragged a few of my girlfriends out for a spot of shopping last weekend.  Whilst I rampaged through the sale racks stampeding over women who dare try and get their first I noticed that one of my friends was looking a bit lost.  She has recently started to wear a Hijab and finds it a mission impossible to shop during the summer because the majority of clothing seems to have the rest of the fabric ‘missing’ as our mother dearest would say!  

A lot of South Asian girls quiver at the thought of wearing clothes that reveal anything more than an ankle. And rightly so, should they be young strong women who strictly follow their religion and choose to wear a Hijab and cover up according to Islamic beliefs.  

So how do you dress for summer and stay looking trendy and cool (literally), and avoid having the men in your household hunting you down?  I decided to do some research for you ladies out there who choose to cover up – regardless of religion you do not have your style dictated to you by the High Streets shops.    

eShakti is what I discovered.  Okay, it may not be the solution to all your problems and I can’t promise it will make you look like the next Aishwarya Rai, or stop those irritating kids driving by you and blaring music but it’s a start and I think you might just be pleasantly surprised!  eShakti designs their own clothing but the beauty is, they allow you to customize what you buy.  You can choose the style of straps, depth of neckline, length or cut for absolutely anything that you buy from this website.  I can hear your thoughts right now and yes your right, I am an absolute legend and yes, I do love me too.  Check it out on http://www.eshakti.com/.  Drop me an email and let me know how you get on!

For more ideas and options on fashion that blends modesty and style check out the Style Covered section here.

Style Covered: Blending Modesty with Style

For women who choose to adopt the hijab, shopping on the high street to create a stylish wardrobe that adheres to modesty can prove a bit of a dilemma. Luckily, when it comes to successfully combining Western fashion with an Islamic dress code and tailoring trends to reflect both your personality and beliefs, there are a few women who, when it comes to style, have it covered. Jana Kossaibati, the editor of Hijab Style and designers Sophia Kara, Hana Tajima Simpson and Sarah Ellenay talk to Occasions on how to dress with modestly in mind.

Elenany by Sarah Elenany

The past few years has seen a market for faith based fashion take shape with the emergence of a multitude of blogs, websites and designers that advise and cater for women who wish to be fashionable yet stay true to their beliefs and express themselves through the clothes they wear.

Imaan Collections by Sophia Kara

Jana Kossaibati is the editor of Hijab Style, one of the first style guides for Muslim women launched in the UK in 2007. The blog began as a reaction to the lack of mainstream fashion appropriate to the needs of Muslim women and a lack of inspiration in the Muslim fashion industry. Hijab Style aims to bring up and coming Muslim designers to the public’s attention and promote new brands which specialise in modest fashion.

“We see a great range of styles amongst Muslim women, which reflects everyone’s individuality, yet all have modesty in common,” says style-savvy Jana. “Modest dressing means that you’re relieved of the pressure of your body being on constant public display and your personality is what really shines through. Muslim women are increasingly choosing to make their style more reflective of who they are as a whole, rather than just sticking to traditional garments.”

Maysaa by Hana Tajima Simpson

Demand is finally being met by supply, with contemporary designers offering women of all ages more options by fusing Western and Eastern fashions and reconciling stylish clothes with Islamic traditions in a celebration of culture, faith and individualism. Hana Tajima Simpson is the creator of Maysaa, an online clothing line that offers a fresh and innovative take on modest clothing. The recently launched label that can be found at http://www.maysaa.com/ has been met with an abundance of praise, made popular by Hana's elegant designs which incorporate muted colours with classic cut in a collection which includes maxi dresses, long skirt, hooded tops and scarves.

“Muslim women are the same as non-Muslim women in that they are both just trying to find clothes and a style that belongs to them. That's no easy task for anyone, but when you have almost no one designing for you it becomes so difficult,” says Hana.

“I design in a very personal way, I want that connection to the people who buy my clothes, I think that's why Maysaa has become so popular. The more I can make a design specific and intimate to me, the more it becomes something people can identify with because there is a truth to it. I came to Islam because it made sense to me. There is an incredible amount of truth and beauty there when you look beyond media coverage.”

Those looking to achieve a balance between trendy and tradition should look to Elenany; a contemporary brand of clothing launched in May 2009 at www.elenany.co.uk Ideal for young British Muslims, Elenany is unique in its incorporation of modesty with a distinctly urban style and cutting-edge designs.

Elenany by Sarah Elenany

The young and edgy London-based label screams urban chic and has been praised as a bold new fashion label that gives modesty some serious street cred. 

“Fashion is about classic, timeless design.” Sarah observes. “I think it’s important for Muslim women to make a strong statement in their dress but you don’t have to reveal your body to appear feminine. My clothing skims the surface of the body; creating an elegant silhouette, which is modest, yet chic and stylish.”

Her collections include stylish raincoats and jackets with built-in protection for hijabs, smartly cut yet baggy trousers and hoodie dresses decorated with dramatic graphics based on Islam.

For more traditional clothing that still allows women to convey a sense of individualism and creativity, Sophia Kara created the Imaan Collection after being shocked by the lack of stylish and suitable clothing for Muslim women.

Imaan Collections by Sophia Kara

Coming from a background in fashion, Sophia used her experience to create her own clothes that reflected both her personality and beliefs and after an abundance of compliments from other Muslim women she launched her own clothing line Imaan in 2006 at http://www.imaancollections.com/

“Sisters would stop me in the street and ask me where I got my abaya from.This showed me other people were struggling as well and I thought: if these women are feeling even a fraction of how I first felt then I have to do something!” says Sophia

In her designs Sophia indulges in a rich variety of fabric, texture, colour and embellishments while keeping the outfits loose and modest.

Maysaa by Hana Tajima Simpson

While some may argue that the “showy” nature of fashion clashes with the core values of modesty, both are ultimately about self-expression; how modern Muslimahs can present their beliefs, values and personality through their clothing. Hijab is not only concerned with dressing modestly but also how you carry and conduct yourself, so when it comes to deflecting attention and blending in, surely a woman who looks comfortable within herself through dressing to suit her personality will appear less conspicuous, regardless of the colour or style of her clothing and should rightfully combine both?

Considering the ongoing debate over what constitutes modesty, balancing fashion and hijab will continue to prove difficult, yet the diversity offered by these popular modest clothing lines is a promising foundation for a developing faith-based fashion market, which will allow Muslimahs to rock their own individual style in a modest manner.

Written by Laura Smith