Well we were thinking of doing a medley of different songs..some old some new..maybe throw in abit of bhangra!! lol lets c wt happens..good luck with the hair, im sure it’ll look v good! 
Awww thank u soooooooooo much for the mehndi booklet!! 
theres like every song possible on there!! ur a life saver..saves me having to type them all up!!
I think the bow thing is a great idea, we did that on my brothers engagement..looks nice n presentable ye we bough gold trays tooo lol for the mehndi thaals and also these gorgeous coloured red&gold plates that were all glittery over xmas
Lol that soap sounds good enough to eat! 
yeh use it n lemme knw if it wrks..i bought some lovely chooriyan today with my suit for my brothers mehndi and my engagement outfit! xx
im glad i made u laugh PR haha..yup the dhaaga method is truly tried and tested in my family..lol i think i sound like a weirdo for wanting to be engaged and practically super-glueing my ring to my finger so its never removed..but oh well im excited so its all gooood!
I know what it feels to be in such an uncertain situation regarding employment etc..so ofcourse my duas are with u hun! Allah kahir kare x
yeh ur soo right that parents are everything and a wonderful blessing from Allah ta’la..however much we do its still nothing compared to what they do for us henna.. n btw its the little things that count (which can also refer to us as we would be classed as ‘little’ at 5"1!! ) 
Yeh im well excited about the dances!!! Well i saw this one vid where they started off by using the beginning part of jhoom bharabar jhoom so im thinking of doing that! n also the usual menhndi songs etc..and will definitely have some bhangra in there!! U know how we do! lol..im also roping in my sister and bro-in law who are the cutest couple ever mashallah!
Awww @ ur fiance learning bhangra!! Im sure hes on his way to becoming a full fledged punjabi!! xx
You are very welcome for the duas!
Yea- I do go back pretty often so if you need ANY advice or have any questions at all … never hesitate to ask me!!! Its very convenient that you are going to Lahore and that is where I always go back to as well!!
My mom and I were talking today about the very topic about starting to buy little things here and there if we see something we like… my worst nightmare is to be that crazy woman running around last minute to get stuff together!!! lol. I am the queen of bargain hunting too …so having the time right now lets me fully utilize my abilities. 
My mom and I have to be super organized from the get go too since we will be probably be planning this shaadi while living in two separate states 
So today she was telling about certain things she bought from the dollar store that she thought would be good to decorate mehndi thaals with. I was like why not… there are something that needs to be made… why not start collecting the items to make them now??? I told her that we should have taken advantage of Christmas more… she was like yea I know…but at that time we had no idea that I was even going to get engaged. lol. So we kinda missed the boat on that one a little… Mom and I have to be on our A-game NEXT christmas to by decorations and such at good prices!! LOL
Question for both u and duffy: Are u girls planning on hiring a wedding planner??? Or are u going to plan it all yourselves with your families???
It’s tempting for me to hire a wedding planner… since it will make it a bit easier to organize while living in another state. And if I had a job I probably would hire one… but as of now… its not an option. I don’t want my parents to pay for this expense as well.
Btw: I read your comment on Duffy’s post about your family being on the stricter side about the dancing. Same here actually. My SIL asked me to take part in a dance and also perform one by myself on her mehndi but I had to say no to her. It’s a mixed mehndi and my mom told me she wouldn’t feel comfortable with me dancing in front of mixed company…especially since I am “newly engaged”. I personally don’t think its a big deal and neither do my inlaws because they are more the hula gula type. But I respect my parents wishes and will not be dancing at the mehndi. I might do a little dance at her dholki since it will be all women. My mom said that once I am married and a part of their family it will not be an issue and I can do whatever I want …especially since their family IS the more hula gula type.
My dad actually calls dancing “mumbo jumbo”. lol… Funny Story… he was like … “there will be no mumbo jumbo at your wedding reception”. My friend happened to be with me when this random comment was made and she was like… “is mumbo jumbo a particular pakistani cuisine???” 
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
OMG your fiance is a DOLL for getting you all the seasons of Desperate Housewives!!! What an AWESOME present!!! That was super cute of him!!! I want all the seasons to that show… and also Sex and the City!!! Ultimate girly shows… I luv them!
I did get the mehndi booklet!!! Thank you so much!! It’s great!!! I’ll prob print out a couple copies and put them in binders
Re: 2010 brides.........
^ PR i've already hired my wedding planner..my Mum!! haha but seriously mashallah se my mum is an amazing planner! I just pray Allah gives her lots of health and sakoon so that she can do what she does best..plan! Shes been the main one co-ordinating the wedding preps and has done my sisters's wedding before aswell... :D
but for my brothers valima the hotel we've booked has their own wedding planner who has organised some aspectsof the function..so thats good because there is one point of contact for all your quries and questions..her servies come as complimentary though, we didnt really go out looking for her..but if you were to have one, its not a bad idea at all!! x
I don’t think you sound weird at all!!! I think you sound like a girl in luv And yaar… it would be weird if you were not excited about getting engaged. lol. Ofcourse is aaaaallll good
LOL to your comment about us being “classified as little”. And u r right… no matter how much we try to do for our parents, its not enough compared to how much they have done and continue to do for us. May Allah keep our parents healthy and happy always AMEEN.
ahhhh I luv that song!! (Jhoom bharabar)!!! Who else is going to be in the dance other than ur bro-in-law and sis??? I luv to dance!! Havn’t done a proper choreographed dance in quite some time tho. I might do something for my SILs dholki. Have not decided on songs yet… I think I def want one of them to be “Twist” tho… its such a fun song! When do your bro’s shaadi festivities begin btw?
Haha … I can’t wait to see Mr. PR bust out in some bhangra!!! I told him that I want to be surprised completely so I havn’t even asked him what songs they are dancing to or what moves he has learned!!! I have seen him dance to typical top 40 stuff… hiphop/rap/techno etc. lol. Never desi stuff…so this will be a treat… for me atleast! I told him its good he’s learning …especially since I luv dancing to desi music…its skills he needs to have in order to roll with me in the future! LOL
Awee well as of now my mom is my official wedding planner as well. She did a beautiful job with my engagement… it was a simple affair at our house but she made it really elegant and it was organized well. InshAllah if I get a job, I think I will hire one just so there is a little less burden on her. Knowing that the shaadi venue is going to be in another city and I am not there to help her with stuff…it will make me feel better. She is still a full time mamma to a chota bacha (and 2 teenage sons and 2 daughters in their 20’s. lol) and is my dad’s office manager as well!!! She is like a super woman balancing all these things!! I don’t know how she does it in all honestly. She tells me not to worry and she can do it all… but I would luv to lesson her load a bit.
I am the guinea pig!!! Eldest in my family and first cousin to get married in the khandaan as well!!! So this will be a first time experience for my mom. May Allah give my mother stregnth and sakoon to do all of this as well and inshAllah she will be able to do it just like your mother has!
How convenient that your bros Valima venue has a complimentary wedding planner! I am luving that! How awesome would it be if every venue had this??? Are u having your bro’s Valima at a hotel or a banquet hall… etc?
xoxo
Hey Sweet!!
Aww i think u definitely should have ur wonderful mother as the chief wedding planner!! and ofcourse have the services of as secondary one so that your mum has some help while you’re not there..sounds like a plan! Mashallah thats so great that shes able to do all of those things.. Ameen 2 ur duas, i hope that it all works out beautifully and im sure inshallah it will..akhir pehli pehli khushi hai na apke ghar mein
Lol its going to be me, my eldest sister, the sister younger than her and brother in law..we’ll see who else we can recruit! Aww i wish you lived close by, if you were i’d so recruit you!! im sure ur a great dancer
I knoww it was like so convenient for us! We’ve booked Serena Hotel in Islamabad for the Walima which is our primary concern as that will be our function..not sure if you’ve heard of it, but its very beautiful we were v impressed by it..google it n let me know what you think!! xx
Re: 2010 brides.........
Hey duffy!
Serena is beautiful, I have been there and if I had it my way my baraat would be there. But then that means paying for the zillion relatives and future in laws to stay in islamabad as they are all out of city.
How is it going? Judging by your emails it seems everything is under control. I did my final round of packing yesterday and felt so emotional :(
Hey!! Good to hear from you hun I know i would LOVE to get married there too..but it is v expensive, which is why we thought to have the walima there, as it will be a smaller function than the wedding..ooh we went there for dinner and it was just LUSH!
Yeh im just busy with work and packing..hmm i think the disorder and chaos is yet to start..will probably happen the nearer we get to leaving for PK inshallah!!
Awww i can imagine it being very emotional..well my duas are with u hunny..inshallah its the beginning of a beautiful time for you!! xx
You are so sweet Duffy Reading your messages always puts such a big smile on my face!!
Ahhh so u have 4 members in your little dance crew so far!! Atleast its a nice even number!! I wish u luck on the recruiting process as well! I wish I lived close by as weeellllll … I would totally let u recruit me!!! We would have so much fun planning and practicing the dances together!! From my experience that is some of the funnest times… the dance practices. I did a dance a few years back with a few of my girlfriends and we had dance practice 4 days out of the week for like 2 months straight. It was so much fun because it was always a quality way for us to spend time together and joke around. You are going to have so much fun with your sisters and bro-in law and the dance is going to come out to be wonderful inshAllah
I googled Serena hotel and OMGGGGGGGGG … what a freaking gorgeous venue!!! I can’t beileve your bro’s Valima is going to be there Duffy!!! I wish my own shaadi could be at a place like htat!!! LOL. Its stunning yaar… the pics are going to come out so amazing u know? I’m so excited for you guys!!!
I have made a mental note that Serena Hotel is the place where me and Mr. PR will have to stay when we inshAllah make a trip to Pakistan in the future (after shaadi ofcourse). lol. There goes my dreams and planning again!
I am sure u have mentioned it a million times in this thread Duffy, but when are leaving to go to Pakistan??? In March right??? And how long will u be there for???
xoxo
Aww i’m glad i made you smile! Yup there is 5 of us..ur soo right, the best laughs are to be had when ur actually preparing for the dances, even more so than when you actually do them! haha aww yaar that would be loads of fun if that happened! I cant wait for the festivities to begin! We’re having a ‘LOVE’ themed dholki (my sisters bright idea! ) so all the girls are wearing red and the boys have to be in salwar kameez
PR i knowwwww!! its like amazing kasam se, the pictures do it no justice! We went there and i was constantly saying to Mr Duffy..OMG ‘we have to stay here after we get married, we have tooooo’ so i know all abt future planning!!LOL he was like ok jiii, dua karo that my job is good so that i can afford to give you all this!! Aww bless him 
ehem anyways back to replying to the post! Yeah PR it was like my brothers dream to have his walima there..so Inshallah i really hope that its going to be a great function..thats also where my engagement will be! i dont know if i told you but its going to be in the evening of my brothers walima inshallah..because the guests we would invite to the engagement would be exactly the same..so we decided to just do it together, after their walima function..hope it turns out ok..please keep us in your lovely duas!!
Im leaving inshallah in the last week of March..staying there till April 20th..inshallah Allah khair kare, im really really looking forward to it!! xx
U always make me smile!
That is such a cute idea btw… a “love” themed dholki! It was a great idea on your sisters end! Girls all being in red and guys in shalwaar Kameez… luving it! Have you decided what your “red” outfit is going to look like??? Or are u going to pick that out once you get to Pakistan???
Awe bless Mr. Duffy!! InshAllah his job will be so amazing and he will be able to provide all and every kushi for *both *of you guys! I told Mr. PR today about the hotel and how amazing the pics were… I’m going to send him the website tomorrow! I have actually been to Islamabad only once…we made a day trip out there. It was really beautiful… I luved the hills and such. Faisal Mosque was gorgeous as well. Mr. PR hasn’t been to Pakistan in like two decades … last time he went he was like a little kiddie. But he knows that I am going to take him there first chance I get. LOL. So I was telling him that we have to visit Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad for sure…and we have to stay in this particular hotel when we got to Islamabad He was like um…this is a very random conversation… but ok. Whatever u want hun". LOL. Baychaara was prob like where is this coming from???
But yea - inshAllah your bro’s walima is going to be amazing and so is your ENGAGEMENT! OMG duffy…u did not tell me that your engagement is going to be such a big proper function!! Wowwww…and its going to be at this particular location!!! Amazing Its such a great idea that you are having it that same evening btw - it makes complete sense… all the same guests are to be invite to both! So why not have the functions in one day when you know everyone is present! InshAllah everything will turn out perfectly and ofcourse you are in my duas Btw: have u met your bhabi yet??? Do you get along with her??
xoxo
Hey!! Well the dholki is going to be here in England, before we leave for Pak its kind of a little leaving party for my brother (actually an excuse for us as his sisters to dress up!! ) so inshallah its going to be the weekend before we leave I have this really nice red gharara with long kameez that i wore on my sisters mehndi..might wear that or buy something new..lets see!
Aww ameen..thanks alot hun for ur beautiful dua! Inshallah thats how it will be..as long as we have enough to do shukr and are happy together, thats what matters right
Aww at u telling Mr PR about all this! well its only right that you prep him for the upcoming Pak trips that you intend to have with him in tow inshallah!
Lol actually it was originally going to be a function at home..but then my brother suggested that we should have it the same day as his valima to cut costs really and because we’d be inviting the same people..AND because its an amazing venue!!! so i was like yayyyyy lol so yup its going to be at that location..wohoo hehe My bhabhi is also my khalas daughter, and mashallah we have a wonderful relationship! i didnt really know her well at first, but my freuent trips to Pak changed that! we connected instantly.. She doesn’t have any sisters, so i always try and fill that gap for her! Shes sweet mashallah, and im looking forward to having her with us inshallah! xxx
Oh how fun!! So your festivities are actually going to be starting REALLY soon Red gharara sounds luvely… i have never worn a gharara and wish I had one! If u buy something new, u will have to keep me posted!!! I expect a full report of complete description of the outfit.
Your brother is so sweet to have been the one to make the suggestion!! So many people out there would not even consider it because they don’t want to share the “limelight”. So mashAllah that was amazing of ur bro (and bhabhi to be). I seriously can’t wait to see the pics and hear all about the festivities!!! I just know everything is going to be turn out beautiful inshAllah. Everyone is going to be so happy to be there for the Valima and then witness such an important event in your life. You are goign to have so many people’s blessings and duas inshAllah.
Yay - for having a good relationship to your bhabhi to be!! So she will be coming back to the UK and living with u guys?? She is going to luv having so many nands mashAllah se. My future nand actually has no sisters either… i hope that we have a good relationship as well and she comes to see me like her own sister. She is like 6 yrs older than me so sometimes I think she thinks I am too much a choti bachi! haha. But yea…its so important to get along with new family members… the new person completely changes the dynamics of a family so ..it should hopefully always be for the better. I am already wondering what kind of spouses my siblings will have and what kind of girl my bro-in law will marry!! All of this is yeaaaaaaaaarssssss away since our siblings are younger than us… but im find myself wondering xoxo
Yup inshallah cant wait for the dholki! yaar definitely wear a gharara at some point (kissi function pe obv im not suggesting u wear one in court LOL altho that would be v funny the judges reaction would be priceless!! ) because my Mum always says ghararay suit shorter people! so deffo try one I shall ofcourse share alll the details with u
ur so right, even i was worried about that and i told my brother that i really didn’t want to steal the limelight at all! but he and bhabhi both re-asssured me that wasn’t the case and fully supported it so inshallah hope it turns out ok! thanks hun
yeh inshallah she’ll join us in the UK! Its weird how she shared a different relationship with each of us sisters..but inshallah we’ll try to make her feel as welcome and loved as possible its hard enough leaving your family never mind going to a completely new country too..so i hope she’'ll fit in ok!!
Aww hun you have a great personality, im sure you already have won them over! It does take time for the family to settle to having a new person with them and vice-versa..but im sure ur gonna be fine! inshallah
Aww see i told u that u were a great big sister! lol its cute how you’re already looking our for them! xxx
Re: 2010 brides…
Piyari & PR… i miss u!! lol
Gharara suits short people eh??? Mom’s are always right so I will keep your moms advice in the back of my mind!!!
Speaking of “ghararas” … a thought came to my mind the other day that it might be a really nice and sentimental idea to wears my mom’s wedding gharara when if I have a separate Nikkah. Most people in our community tend to have the nikkah during the baraat function. But my mom kinda mentioned on the phone the other day that she thinks its nicer and more personal to have that before the actual baraat function with only those people that you are close too … not the “duniya” and “duniya di maa ke saamne”. LOL. So we’ll see… i mean it is wayyyy to early to even be planning this kinda stuff. But again.. its nice to dream! She is planning on giving me her wedding set as well (it was my great nani’s and has been passed down!!!) … and her wedding set perfectly matches her wedding gharara. She designed her gharara herself and made it so that matches her jewelery. It is a medium/light pink color… So if I do this… I will get the chance to wear my mom’s wedding jewelry (which was my nani’s before that and her mom’s before that!!) and mom’s gharara on such an important function in my life!
What do you think???
I am sure you sisters will make your new bhabhi extremely welcomed in her new home!!! She will be your guy’s only bhabhi as well… so she will hold a very special relationship in your family. My mom only has one bro as well and therefore only one bhabhi!!! She is my mom’s cousin as well… khala ki beti. And wow… everyone always remarks on how they have never seen sisters and their sister-in-law interact so luvingly with each other before. She shares a very close and luving realtionship with my mom and her sisters!!! Even takes holidays to visit my mom here in America even without my mamu!! People are just like “wow”… they are just like sisters!! And u know what??? I am soooo sure that inshAllah it is going to be the same with you guys as well.
Hahaha awe thanks… i try to be a good older sis and look out for them!! Now a days in am trying to get my point across to my sister that she should either start looking for a guy OR if she is not comfortable doing that (which i dont think she is) then she should tell my parents to start looking. These things don’t happen overnight and the process should start in my opinion for her… she thinks she is too young though and wants to wait till her education is over and THEN start looking. I was like dude… u will be 28 years old when it finishes!! And its not like this perfect amazing guy is going to materialize as soon as you graduate!! lol. Time really flies and I think even my parents tend to forget this at times…
Re: 2010 brides.........
^ awww PR that's such a sweet idea to wear ur mum's gharara on ur special day. there was a bride here who did that and posted her pictures. she customised it a lil and she looked fabulous.
Re: 2010 brides…
^ Thanks hun! and yea - i saw the pics of the bride that did that … she looked amazing!! I probably wouldn’t even make any changes to my mom’s gharara … she wore it on her nikkah and it was on the more simple and elegant side… plain silk shirt and the gharara itself full of work and the dupatta as well. It’s very appropriate for a Nikkah and soooo beautiful! It’s only been worn one other time… my mom wore it to her brothers mehndi for like one hour. Then she had to take it off because me and my sister were little kiddies and made her life miserable tugging on it and stuff. lol.
Heey! thats a GREAT idea hun!! If you’re thinking of having the nikaah seperately (which is what we’re planning on doing for my bro aswell- with just immediate family involved) then definitely go for it Aww so you’ll be wearing like ‘khandaani zevar’ inshallah..im sure it’ll look amazing! and it’ll be sentimental aswell as so many important women in ur life have worn this..the bride u guys mentioned looked beautiful in hers so im sure u will too
Yeah hun your right..its getting more and more difficult to find good rishte..esp if she’s not wanting to go and find him herself! Aww well Allah uski kismet bht acchi kare PR..you’re right about time flying but i guess these things cant really be planned..as long as they start looking (when shes ready) then it’ll happen when its meant to be..u can be the attentive older sis and remind her and your parents of this! plus when she sees you getting married inshallah, im sure she’ll want to or will be thinking about what she wants fo herself na? do you think it gets more difficult the older you get to find good rishte? like u mentioned 28..some people say getting married too young isnt good either..but i guess its not like shes 16 or anything..maybe it just depends on the person.. xx