Sweetchimes Magazine January 2016 Volume 1

VOLUME 1 JANUARY 2016

PREMIERE ISSUE PRINT + DIGITAL

Say ‘I Do’ With a destination wedding Bollywood Theme Henna Night

Celebrating life precious moments!

WHY DO WE ALWAYS SKIP THE

IN THE TEAM

EDITOR'S NOTE? HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016!

Maria Bark Advertising

A couple of months ago, I had an idea. What if I created a wedding magazine? Something that someone was yet to have their very own of to fill with hints and tips, DIY ideas, trends, products and mostly important showcase what vendors near to them really have to offer.

So here goes ‌ the very first edition of Sweetchimes Magazine.

My aim is to provide you with an inspirational platform for you to plan your wedding. To help you make this journey as easy as possible. I hope that Sweetchimes will become your constant companion throughout the months of planning your wedding.

Suhania David John Sales & Marketing

Sweetchimes Magazine will pull together a community of brides to be and wedding vendors in not only a quarterly magazine, but also a weekly newsletter, blog and social network aimed at bringing the vendors to you!

The goal is to bring you the best of what the nearest vendors has to offer, along with a few national and international suppliers to mix it up a little!

It has been a whirlwind of excitement putting together this magazine and I would like to thank all the wedding vendors and suppliers who contributed to this very first issue. Thank you for your support !

Zulfadli Nasir Fashion Designer

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wedding professionals who joined in advertised and added their creative touch to this edition. Be sure to tune in online and visit our website for some ongoing wedding inspiration between issues.

We are looking forward to seeing you on the next issue.

For Advertising, please email ads@sweetchimes.com For submission of real weddings and interesting products, please email hello@sweetchimes.com www.facebook.com/sweetchimes

Cheers to life !

Vijayasri VIJAYASRI editor@sweetchimes.com In this Issue Cover photo by C-Snaps Studio

FOLLOWING US ON facebook.com/sweetchimes.com

VISITING US AT www.sweetchimes.com

RAMONA ZAMZAM & RAMI ALASHKAR

Celebrity Wedding

SIXUCA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

By Suhania David John

Music Corner You’d be surprised how much music features in your big day! The soundtrack to your wedding starts as everyone is taking their seats for the ceremony, and doesn’t stop until you and your new husband have your final dance of the night.

Choose your DJ carefully – We might be biased of course, but we believe a DJ is the one element that can either keep everyone happy and having a great time, or completely ruin the night and have everyone leaving at their first chance. Investing your time and effort into finding a good DJ that has a good reputation, uses good quality equipment, has a great personality and attitude, has great music knowledge and has worked at many weddings is invaluable. Remember, a good DJ is not cheap and a cheap DJ is not good. Like anything in life, you pay for what you get.

Pick an unforgettable entry song – This is the first moment you are introduced (by your MC) into the room as Mr & Mrs! A good MC will have warmed the room up and have them all on the edges of their seats just ready to really fill the room with electricity when you enter. The song you choose here should reflect that mood. Don’t pick a slow love song.

This is very old fashioned and boring. Choose something that says “Here we are! Let’s party!”. This is your grand entrance to your wedding reception.

Choose a great cake cutting song – Couples will often forget to choose a song for cake cutting. We suggest choosing something that is “middle of the road”. Not too soft and lovey, but not upbeat either. Think middle ground. Mostly, by the time the cake cutting comes around, people have already heard a lot of slower songs, so picking up the mood a little for this is nice.

Use a professional Master of Ceremonies (MC) – This is a big one. Many couples fail to understand the crucial role a Master of Ceremonies plays in the success of a wedding. Often couples will choose a family member that they believe is a good speaker. Being a professional Master of Ceremonies means MUCH more than just being able to speak well. There isn’t room in this article to go into the responsibilities of an MC, but the person you choose as MC will be very busy as they are YOUR personal representation to the venue and other suppliers. They are responsible for working closely with the venue and your suppliers and relay messages and happenings back to you to keep you informed what is happening. They are also responsible for ensuring the time schedule is followed as closely as possible and keeping things on track. Of all jobs at a wedding, the MC probably has the most stressful and difficult job. Oddly enough, people seem to think it is just someone to make announcements. This is only a very small part of the massive weight the MC must carry on their shoulders. We suggest hiring a professional MC and not choosing a family member or friend, because whilst you might love them and thing they are a great person, they are very likely unskilled and unaware of the true responsibilities of a wedding Master of Ceremonies. By Vijayasri.

Vickneswaran

ď ™

Kamini

WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT BEHIND YOUR WEDDING THEME? Viknes:Our initial concept was traditional hindu wedding by the beach, but we had to give it a pass due to the festive season, massive traffic in tourist attraction beaches.

However, we managed to have a very memorable one in the temple with the blessing of positive vibrations and people whom we love.

The theme was Happy!

It’s was just as simple as that.

VENDORS

PHOTOGRAPHY C-Snaps Studio VIDEOGRAPHY FrixieProduction WEDDING PLANNER Vicknes & Kamini BRIDE’S SAREE Varamahalakshmi Saree, Chennai.

MAKEUP ARTIST & STYLIST Apsara Asia Bridal WEDDING RING Joyalukkas JEWELLERY GROOM’S ATTIRE Manyavaar, Chennai.

BRIDESMAIDS’ SAREES & GROOMSMEN’S ATTIRE RMKV Silks, Chennai.

FLOWERS AND DECOR D’Chakra Creation CATERER Sai Shridi Caterer INVITATION CARD Reliance cards, Chennai.

ENTERTAINMENT GP GANEZ & Gang

WHAT WERE THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM YOUR BIG DAY? Vikneswaran: Being hitched of course! haha. It’s a day where you know you are being loved by people around you, seeing them dressed and dolled up and show the importance of your big day is just pure bliss and priceless.

YOURTIPS FOR BRIDES-TO-BE?

Vicknes: Tips are everywhere, from printed material to men next best friend after dogs which is GOOGLE. First thing first, the couples has to make up their mind on the theme of what they want for their big day and take it from there.

Always remember,stick to your initial base plan. You or your partner might get excited over things they see online and stray away from the initial plan,but constantly remind each other to stick to the plan,else its going to take a lot of time to re-plan the whole thing.

Remember,it’s very much time consuming and involves a lot of dollars and cents too to start from the beginning.

VENDORS

PHOTOGRAPHY C-Snaps Studio

VIDEOGRAPHY FrixieProduction MAKEUP ARTIST & STYLIST Apsara Asia Bridal FLOWER DECOR AND CATERER One City Grand BAllroom,Subang.

ENTERTAINMENT MD Events Asia

CLICK TO WATCH THE PRE-WEDDING VIDEO

boutique

Wedding Cakes

By Victoria Glass, Photography by Laura Forrester An elegant wedding cake is the perfect finale to a wedding breakfast.

Whether you are making a cake for your own wedding or for a friend or relative as a thoughtful gift, Boutique Wedding Cakes will show how fabulous cakes are within everyone’s reach. Expert baker and sugar-crafter Victoria Glass guides you through the process - from choosing the perfect cake, baking and decorating, how to deliver and present the cake, as well as adapting the recipes to guest numbers.

The Basic Techniques teach you how to achieve professional-looking results and step-by-step photography demonstrates clearly how to assemble your spectacular-looking cake.

As well as practical advice there are 19 stunning designs for you to follow, ranging from Classic Elegance to the Bold, Bright & Beautiful, each accompanied by their own cake recipe - from a traditional fruit cake to a green tea and ginger sponge. Whatever your taste, you can create an unforgettable wedding cake that is truly unique to you - whatever your baking ability and whatever your budget.

Victoria Glass is the author of ‘Boutique Wedding Cakes ’‘Deliciously Vintage’ ‘Baking Mash-up’ and ‘Boozy Shakes’. She is a professional cook and food writer and has contributed to various publications, including the ‘Evening Standard’, ‘Glutenfree Magazine’ and ‘Hello!’ Her bespoke celebration cake business, Victoria’s Cake Boutique, was launched in 2008 and provides beautiful, tailor-made designs. Her celebrity clients include Miranda Hart, Zach Braff, The Princes’ Trust and The Royal British Legion. She writes the popular blog, Alphabet Soup, which documents her journey to cook her way through the alphabet in one year: victorias-alphabet-soup.blogspot.com. In 2013, she launched Milk & Sugar, an afternoon tea ‘supperclub’, with fellow author, Milli Taylor and is currently the writer in residence at The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.

The Nikah is the wedding ceremony and is an important part of Islamic tradition.

After the bride- -to -be talks to the Iman of the mosque it is the time to arrange the ‘Mahar� which is a present from husband to wife.

SIXUCA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

MIOR ABDUL MALEK RAIYANI & HAZLIN HUSSAIN

December 12th , 2015

PHOTOGRAP HER S Celebrate the Tibetan New Year

NIRMAL HARINDRAN THE HAPPY REFUGEES

Photojournalist Nirmal Harindran lives in India and his long association with the Indian Express National daily helped him develop his platform in documentary photography.

He travels on assignments for news and editorials in his need to represent the unrepresented.

“Often we see the struggle and reports the crisis when we do a story on refugees. But it is a heart filling experience for me when I get to do a happy story� says Nirmal as he finds himself celebrating new year on a different date with the tibetan refugee settlement in Coorg, South India.

Coo Losar is the Tibetan word for new year and is celebrated every year based on the Tibetan lunar Calendar. It is one of the most auspicious day for the Tibetans and celebrated for a is celebra period of 15 days every year with major celebrations falling the first 3 days. The Festivities include Buddha chanting, prayers, dance performances by masked men, and hanging of giant Tapestries of Buddha from top of a multi-storied building.

For believers and followers its a sight of salvation and the begining of the festival.

A stream of devotees st can be seen at the gates in the morning, as a sea of maroon and yellow students enters the monastery for the morning prayers.

The sound of the drums, trumpets and cymbals reverberates in the corridors of the monastery interspersed monas with holy chants which rise to the blue sky above. Rows upon rows of monks seated on the floor chant prayers in the three-storied temple decorated in victory decora banners, tassels, canopies and a golden pinnacle.

Bylakuppe, Coorg Nearest airport Mysore (100 kms) Alternative airport Bangalore (268 kms) Other attractions in Coorg Raja Seat Abbey Falls Iruppu Falls Dubare Harangi Dam Talakaveri

The Gear Body Canon 5D MarkII

Lens It gives a sense of relaxation as we realise we are in a place away from civilzation and for a photographer, you are mostly welcomed here with smiling faces.

The landscape of Coorg district which falls on the western ghats of southern India, equally sends the air of respite for any traveler

who sets his foot in Coorg.

Now with a number of schools, nunneries, temples and monasteries, Bylakuppe looks more like an important center for the Tibetan Buddhism rather than a refugee settlement.

Bylakuppe even houses one of the largest Buddhist university.

Canon 17-40mm Canon 70-200mm Canon 40mm

Approach Documentary style

Tip Keep a low profile

The Namdroling monastery located in monas Bylkoppa in the west Mysore district in the state of Karnataka in southern India is the second largest Tibetan settlement outside of Tibet. After the Chinese took over the Tibet, the o refugees came south of Himalayas and settled in different parts of India.

The Monastery in Bylkoppa was re-established in 1972 and currently it houses over 7000 Buddhist monks and students.

Inside the monastery one fees like little Tibet and unlike any other refugee settlements, there is happiness , peace and prosperity. The Buddhists chanting the clanging of the bells and the weather will also makes one feel

that they are in Tibet.

brings forms a perfect place for photography but Accommodation can be at times it could get little obtained in and around difficult to compose an Kushal Nagar, but image without an undoubtedly one of the extended hand holding a undoub ex best places to stay in, is mobile phone or tablet to the Paljor Dhargey Ling capture the fun. guesthouse located just opposite the Namdroling monastery.

Lots of pilgrims from India and abroad visit the monasteries. It is however, a bit disrespectful on the part of the domestic tourists (the place is crowded on weekends) who generally make quite a racket in front of the monasteries, posing for photographs. Would they do the same in front of their religious places of worship, one wonders. For a photographer the crowd and the activity that it

Coorg is a place where one feels like returning to find peace and relax. Some calls this desination the Scotland of south India.

The Tibetan refugees have lived in harmony with the local people for over 60 o years now and the settlement itself has become one of he top tourist attractions of Karnataka state. This did not come easy as here even at mid afternoon people are seen watering the plants and cleaning the litter. A lot of hardwork goes behind the reason for this place being neat and clean.

And here is a place in India where we find “The Happy refugees”.

Note: • Most monasteries are open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Restaurants shut around 7 p.m. so get there early.

• Pack a torch and a basic medical kit.

• Body contact with monks (such as shaking hands) is not allowed.

• Wear modest clothing in keeping with the monastic environment.

• Leave shoes and ringing mobiles outside the main halls.

• Turn prayer wheels and circle shrines in a clockwise direction only with your right hand.

• Drinking alcohol and smoking are frowned upon and best avoided.

5 Minutes with...

Shoumik De

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Shoumik De Freelance wedding photographer and Wedding movie maker and a writer.

Self-taught photographer Interested in mystic & surrealism Friendly & helpful.

Worked in the corporate world for 11 years, left it and started following my passion.

Started photography in 1991 when I got my first camera (point and shoot) As a photographer, I have to deal with a lot of Crop and at the end of the day getting 50 half drunk and hungry people at you at the same time is no mean job.

If you are wondering why is this space uneven, then let me tell you this is how our eyesight keeps changing focus from going F11 to F1.8.

People with bad

+ PhotographySutra When the vision in your head becomes the lump in your throat… that is photography.

Ever since starting my photography business, I always get asked “So how did you get into photography?” My response is usually along the lines of “Uh, I’m not sure. It just kind of happened!” Hmm, that’s not a very good answer! But that’s really my first reaction when asked. Even though I am doing professional photography only for

6 years now but that’s not when I actually started doing it! So this leads me to actually think about how I did get started and why I decided to do this. So I thought it’d be a good story to share for all you that have asked me this question but I never gave a decent response!