Weddings these days are redefining the meaning of lavishness. From minimal details to extravagant settings, everything is a reflection of your sense of style and personal self. What’s more, even rituals and ceremonies are carried out with a tinge of fashion, and why not? Weddings are after all a splendid affair.
Amongst all these rituals, mehndi art indubitably portrays a crucial picture in your wedding story. Renowned Mehndi Artist Pavan Ahluwalia, who is a Guinness World Record holder, has been using her talent to fuse her intricate patterns into awe-inspiring works of art. Assimilating details like diamante, glitter and body colour into design patterns, this mehndi expert has dominated trends in this industry carrying across national borders.
Born and raised in London, Pavan completed a business degree in marketing at the University of Westminster. But it was while attending weddings that Pavan realized she wanted to convert her interest into an active profession. “I love weddings and the hustle and bustle of it all. Being at weddings and mehndi parties I would mess around with mehndi cones and found I had a flare in mehndi designs. I started practising and then eventually took a course and fell in love with mehndi.”
Pavan currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the fastest in her industry. In February 2012, Pavan painted 511 armbands in merely an hour, with each design being distinct from the other. “Because of this (Guinness World Record) I saw our art in a different way and this has led me onto working on many exciting projects that are very different to what the public is used to seeing.”
If you’re used to seeing the designs of Indian mehndi, there are a lot of trendy mehndi design options for you to choose from in 2014, including Arabic mehndi, African mehndi and Pakistani mehndi. Make sure you do your research on the Internet, and ask your mehndi artist to tell you more about these designs and what will suit you best. You can search the designs on the Internet or go through some mehndi art books.
Top Tips
Pavan shares her expert menhdi tips for brides-to-be:
1 – Ensure all body treatments are done before the mehndi, this includes waxing, manicures, pedicures and scrubs as the products and the treatments would interfere with the colour of the mehndi. This will cause it to lighten and fade prematurely and you will not get the full look of the mehndi.
2 – Try and keep warm. The warmer you are, the darker the mehndi will get. Dry heat is the best, over the gas stove or heater.
3 – Don’t wrap henna in cling film, as this will cause your hands to sweat and the colour will not come out on the skin and would make the designs appear smudged.
4 – Have a trial, ensure the products that are used are safe for the skin and there are no dyes in the henna.
5 – Enjoy! Sit back and relax, having your bridal henna done is supposed to be a luxury so treat it as so!
