The rukhsati, or vidai/bidai, is one of the most emotional parts of the wedding. Basically, this is the send-off of the bride – after this day, the bride no longer resides at her parents home. She moves in with her husband to start their life together.

Traditionally, this moment was a monumental moment because women rarely (if ever) moved away from home before marriage. Although many females live on their own now, the rukhsati is still emotional.

Atleast, mine was. I cried alot but also laughed – especially when Nouman yelled, “Party at my house!” The cutest part was that most of Nouman’s female relatives (including his mom) were crying too – reliving their own rukhsati.

The crowd gathering around the bride to send her off
Image via G+H Photography

Image via Amna Hakim Photography

Image via Big Al Studios

Image via Mir Anwar Photography

Image via Aamer Kapadia Photography

Moi!

My favourite picture!
Image via Faahema Ahmad.

Image via Amna Hakim Photography

Images via:
G + H Photography
Amna Hakim Photography
Big Al Studios
Aamer Kapadia Photography
Faahema Ahmad Photography
Mir Anwar Photography

*Please bear with me – I will be posting drastically less often in the next few weeks. In addition to four weddings in the next month, my sister is also getting married InshAllah. To stay up-to-date, follow me on Instagram – I post daily pictures of what I am upto.*

Just like most brides, I wanted to be sure that I looked my possible best on the wedding day. Sure, I did not want rolls to be popping out of my gut as I sat on stage. But, more importantly, I also wanted to ensure that my face was healthy and radiant. Looking back, I do think my skin was glowing. I wish I could be as determined as I was then to have a healthy skin!

Surprisingly, I did not do anything drastic. Based on my experience, below are some tips:

• Pomegranate: While I was in Pakistan for my wedding shopping, my nani (grandmother) used to feed me 1 pomegranate a day. She said it would make my skin glow. 3 months prior to the wedding, my mom started the same ritual. She would give me one pomegranate a day.
  Note: if pomegranates are not easily accessible, you can also drink natural pomegranate juice (i.e. POM). Be sure not to drink too much – 1/4 glass is roughly the same as eating 1 pomegranate.
• Fruits: I am a big fruit eater – on most given days, I have 3-5 servings of fruit. However, 3 months prior to the wedding, my mom made sure I was eating fruits religiously. Aside from pomegranates, she would give me strawberries and blueberries everyday. I also munched on apples, oranges, bananas – you name it!
• Nuts: I love nuts. Give me a bowl of nuts and I will devour them instantly. I generally eat nurts everyday; even if it’s just 3-4 pieces. My mom used to mix walnuts with my bowl of fruits – yummy!
  Note: No, you will not break out if you have nuts in moderation.
• Sun: Although I have never cared (and never will) about skin colour, I did (reluctantly) protect my skin from sun. I get very teeny tiny garmi danay (pimples) on my forehead very easily. I used to walk from my home to catch my train – which exposed me to alot of sun. Anyway, I started protecting my face from the sun – sometimes this involved pulling my Hijab over my forehead – and my danay were gone!
• Ubtan: My mom made me wear ubtan masks. Some people say that ubtan is used to lighten skin colour but I did not notice any such outcome. I did notice that my skin was shining! The first time I washed my face after the mask, my skin was drastically glowing. I think this is because it acts like a scrub – it removes alot of dirt when you wash your face!
  Note: Your first attempt at using besan should be well before 3 months prior to your wedding. You should give your skin enough time to recover should there be any breakouts/reactions. I would recommend the ubtan mask once a week.
• Fluids: I am an avid drinker of green tea so I kept my daily routine going. I also drink plenty of water (mostly at work).
• Rest: My mom made sure that I was getting enough sleep the entire month leading up to the wedding. I was very organized throughout  my wedding planning – I did not want to do ANYTHING in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Hence, I got plenty of sleep and was really well-rested and stress free (mostly)!
• Coconut Oil: To aide with the growth (and health) of my hair, I used to put coconut oil with mustard seeds almost once a week. It really helped!

I did not reduce my intake of chocolate – I am a chocolate addict and I made sure I had it several times a week, if not daily.

I must admit, my skin was at its best around the wedding time. My skintone was even, glowing and there were no marks. What you put into your body really does have an impact on the outside!