So my friend has asked me to help organize her mehndi. It will take place in June in her backyard. Her backyard is pretty big. It will be females only (approx 100 guests expected).
Any ideas for decor, and the general set-up or other activities that can take place during the event? I was thinking of setting the chairs up in a square shape with a big space in the middle for dances.
Anyone else ever had or been to an outdoor mehndi? Thanks!
Outdoor mehndi ideas?
String fairy lights in any trees or on any poles etc...use dupattas or saris as fabric draping on tables. Have some gao takyas strewn about as well. If you can afford decor rental, you can get floor cushions, taqts, charpais, from most SE Asian vendors.
Re: Outdoor mehndi ideas?
^ that, and some inspiration pics below. do a search on pinterest for outdoor/backyard mehendi and wedding decor. lot of stuff pops up! the key is to make it look cohesive and think about details, like you would for an indoor event. plan the space out so there is a walkway, maybe a mandap type seating area for the bride to be for the rasms and plenty of seating and smaller tables for the guests. it might be an idea to scatter some tables and chairs too in case there will be elderly relatives or preggos who might not be comfortable on the ground. and of course, if its summertime, make sure the grass is dry and dew-free. you can easily rent canopies from a lot of the tent rental places but you need to book those now if the wedding is this summer.
oh and if you are doing chairs, opt for the wooden folding chairs. plastic ones look tacky and chiavari’s will sink into the lawn providing a very lopsided - and potentially hazardous - seating situation. i had an outdoor wedding and that is one key tip i picked up when renting chairs! 
also, and this is something i tell every DIY’er, don’t underestimate the cost and the amount of work that will go into doing a DIY job. a lot of times people think it’ll be cheaper- oh i’ll get lights from ikea, oh i’ll get chairs from walmart etc. - well, guess what, all of those add up too and in the end, people often go overbudget and end up doing a haphazard job because they didn’t realise how much work it would be and how much of their time it would take up. time is valuable when doing a set up for a friend, potentially when you have ten other things on the go too. do look into local event decorators and do the math of hiring them vs. DIY.
Re: Outdoor mehndi ideas?
These are some great ideas! Thanks girls!
Re: Outdoor mehndi ideas?
is your friend marrying a gora or a non-Pakistani? :D
Re: Outdoor mehndi ideas?
Interesting you ask. She is marrying a gora. :)
Re: Outdoor mehndi ideas?
I came across these on pinterest and found them quite pretty. They also don’t look terribly difficult to organise, especially if you’re doing it yourself.
Re: Outdoor mehndi ideas?
for ideas, check it out
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.633246510085081.1073741847.399142553495479&type=1
for further you can use colour full dupta’s on top and you might like ti lighten up the trees etc
