This week I passed my biggest henna artist rite of passage yet: My first Bridal Mehndi!
I took a lot of time and thought before stepping into the very special ritual of bridal mehndi and the wait was definitely worthwhile. My bride has been a regular client from the very beginning of my henna career – one of my earliest clients even – and so she has seen my growth from an early, passionate hobbyist to a full-fledged professional. She was absolutely the most fitting choice for my first bridal!
Here’s a little history:
And to really give me the full Baptism By Fire experience, my bride selected some truly mesmerising designs originally by Bharathi Sanghani (of www.ArtisticHenna.com) for both the inside and backs of her hands. These were then adapted with embellishments featuring my current favourite elements (vines and leaves). I started with the insides of her arms (the most complex design), before moving on to her feet (allowing time for the hands to dry). Then finally completed the design on the backs of the hands.
Take a look at the pictures and as a fun side note, the groom’s name is traditionally hidden in the mehndi. His challenge is then to find his own name within his bride’s mehndi. See if you can spot the groom’s name!
She then opted for my Rose Corsage design to drape across her feet. I also included the groom’s initials in the foot design, but unfortunately it is not in the photo. It wouldn’t be wise to try to find them in the picture!
As with every bride, the most sought after result from bridal mehndi is a deep and rich henna stain. Culturally, the depth of colour in the mehndi is said to indicate the depth love from the future in-laws – no pressure! 😉 But if you know my work, you already know that I only used fresh henna paste and advocate diligent aftercare. So for my bride I stayed behind for an extra 30-45 mins to instruct on thorough aftercare and also provide a complete henna wrapping service to ensure her design would remain warm and dry throughout the night to achieve maximum stain potential.
Here’s a lil stain update snapshot sent by the bride the day after her wedding day:
Clearly, she will be very, very much loved by her new family. I am over the moon for her <3
Many thanks to my bride for having me involved in such a special part of your big wedding day. Huge congratulations to you and your new hubby. Wishing you both love and happiness and may you enjoy many cherished moments of a blissful married life <3
All images © Created By Connie 2015
For bridal bookings and enquires please email: bookings@createdbyconnie.co.uk
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