From Mehndi to Marriage: Punjabi Princesses from The Art of Beauty

Today on the blog, I’m so excited to welcome Carolynne Scoffield as Guest Blogger! Carolynne is an English/Maltese saleswoman, model, and writer located here in Calgary. She has been writing a personal blog for 4 years with a loyal following of over 20,000 people. She’s also a guest writer for The Art of Beauty as well as online publications such as Wild Girl UK and Model Throwdown. She covers a variety of topics including: fashion, beauty, lifestyle and relationships. She is a frequent face in the Calgary fashion scene. Carolynne has modelled for the likes of COVERGIRL, Bacardi, in our very own LUXE and the upcoming 20th Anniversary issue of Calgary Bridal Guide, by Calgary Bride.

Few cultures have weddings as extravagant as the people of Pakistan do. Not only are their weddings carried out over 4 days with lavish feasts and parties, (including the now very trendy henna (mehndi) party) but we also see some of the most beautiful and vibrant fashion, as well as unique styling for hair and makeup.

Lyana Gibert, a talented hair and makeup artist and owner of local bridal business, The Art of Beauty, teamed up with a local Pakistani designer Bushra Zarrar, owner of LaRegalia Couture, and together they styled up two models to give us a glimpse into the beauty and style, and culture of Pakistani weddings.

Weddings traditionally follow Islamic traditions. However, some ceremonies have a slight Hindu influence. Some of the customs include: Dholki (sing and dance with bride), Mehndi (henna party), Baraat (procession to the brides home), Nikah (contract ceremony), Mun Dikhai (the unveiling of the face), Rukhsati (sending off), Walima (marriage banquet), Shaadi (wedding ceremony), and Shab-i-Zifaf (the wedding night). The bride typically wears purple, pink, or red lehenga, gharara, or shalwar kameez that are greatly adorned in beads and gems. However, many brides now wear other bright colours aside from the original traditional colours as well. It is customary for the bride to wear much heavy gold jewelry, usually with large stones, (as a model, I can assure you this jewellery is even heavier than it looks! These brides are amazing). It takes many hands to get one bride dressed and ready properly, the dupatta must be secured in a certain way, the lehenga must be the right fit, the right colour, the henna must be painted properly, the bride must look the picture of perfection for her husband to be, especially for a ceremony like “the unveiling of the face.” The models Cathy and Theresa were a joy to work with. Lyana styled each one to match the dress she was wearing. With this cultural style, contouring and intense eye makeup is a must, it is essential as a bride that you hire a professional for such skill. The photos were taken at Crossroads Furniture Gallery utilizing their stunning array of home d cor and furnishings. They were taken by the talented and humble Csaba Diglics, an amazing local wedding photographer. There’s also a behind the scenes video taken by videographer Oleksandr Nadoloshko. For the best team in Calgary for cultural weddings, contact those listed in this article.