I loved so many artists out there, their work is so beautiful however, there could only be
one. In the beginning I was so confused as to who to go far. I didn’t really know what I wanted to be honest and that was a major problem. Due to this I started off by making so many enquiries with so many different MUAs. I was shocked to read about some prices to be honest and I could never justify £700+ on make up for a couple of hours no way, that’s just not me. I then decided what look I wanted and I fell in love with the traditional Bengali Bride look. Gold smokey with an intricate red lip, I just found that this would go so well with my outfit that I had envisioned in my head. I went on to looking for artists with examples of this look. I downsized my list through doing this. I then came across the lovely Nazifa from @beautybutter who I’ve been following for the longest time now and her work is exceptional!. I found some examples of this work on Nazifa’s page and just knew she would be the best woman for the job! I emailed her and thankfully she had my date and time available. The booking process was very simple really and there were no lengthy contracts just straight to the point. So that was my MUA booked with a deposit and more details would be shared nearer to the date.

The Hijab Stylist: 

I always knew I would keep my Hijab on for my big day. I’ve never taken my hijab off since I’ve been wearing it so I wouldn’t feel confident in doing so now, and it’s a huge part of who I am. I love how in recent years so many talented hijab stylists have come out to SHINE! I follow a fair few all just as talented as each other. I emailed and made the enquires as normal. Unfortunately many of the hijab stylists I enquired with were fully booked already L but nevertheless Alhamdulillah I managed to secure the wonderful @Liyanahijabstylist. Once again the booking process was very simple. Deposit paid and another thing ticked off the list. Please don’t ask me for prices as it really differs based on travel costs etc.

So now that was two of the major things booked. I pretty much booked and paid the deposit for both of these together on the same day so I felt really relieved once it was done.

Other bookings I made:

Venue Extras:

When we first booked the venue we weren’t really interested in the added extras but then as time went by we found some good deals so decided to book them as it fit in our budget. Here are all the extras we went for; a Photobooth, Slush station and an Entrance table and guest book

That’s all the extras we went for. We didn’t want a dessert table etc. as it would be a hot summer’s day and also for desserts we have asked for a trio of desserts for all guests as part of our catering so that would have fulfilled their sweet cravings.

Booking my car:

Another booking I made was for the car I would make my grand entrance in. I opted to get one 6 seater for the close ladies in my family. I went with the Imperial Viscount from Prestige carriers. I always knew I was going to go for a vintage themed car. I liked the smaller ones but then I could hardly fit anyone in it. So the viscount was the perfect decision. Once again the booking was simple, emailed them and paid the deposit. It was nice to see they had a readable contract in place. With the cars I didn’t really look around I simply saw this on Instagram and decided to check it out and it was below budget so winnnning!

Lighting:

Lighting up the house is another thing we like to do. My brother was in charge of this so he had booked me white lights for outside the house. We had it for my older brother’s wedding so I knew I wanted this too

Photography/ Videography:

I knew I wanted a female photographer as I would feel more comfortable like this. I found the wonderful @s.k_captures on Instagram. I had been stalking her work for a little while now and loved it. I emailed her and luckily she was available to do both my Mehdni and Wedding day photography. It was as simple as that. She would do my photography and give me a USB with the photos once we were done. I would then go and make a photobook my self as I really enjoy doing that.

In terms of videography, my husband and in-laws were in charge of this only because they have a lot of contacts in this sector so I really wasn't worried. I personally never thought I would get videography done but my in laws are really into their videos so looks like we are getting a video- I actually can't wait as it will be so nice to get live footage of the day

*Disclaimer- these posts were written at the start of 2020 or during times when restrictions were relaxed. Some of the things mentioned such as family gatherings, indoor shopping etc. were acceptable at the time

See you in part 4 where I go shopping for THE DRESS…