The Valima

My sister's valima reception was the final celebration of the whole wedding, which took place a week after the actual wedding day to give some time for the newly-wed couple to rest after a week of non-stop celebrations! So it was definitely a relaxed day for all of us, and the atmosphere was a fun one (mainly

The theme of the reception was blue and white, which was incorporated in all of the decor and the outfits, which looked really pretty together. I've seen this colour combination before, but I think that because the bride and groom were going for more of an 'English' reception style, it looked really well put-together and organised.

The cake also matched this theme, which was the same white and light blue colour (and yes, it tasted as scrumptious as it looks!) - I loved the delicate, hand-made flower icing on the side of the cake.

My sister's reception dress was one which everyone fell in love with as soon as she stepped out of the car and into the hall - it was an English, white, lace wedding dress with a full trail and white veil at the back. Most of us agreed that it made her look like a traditional orthodox Italian or Greek bride, rather than a Pakistani one! The shape was beautifully fitted, and the delicate lace really completed the look, along with her off-white court shoes.

The bouquet (my favourite part of the whole outfit!) was a beautiful, custom-made brooch bouquet which my sister ordered specially from a brooch-designer in America. Everyone (rightfully) oohed-and-ahhed over the bouquet with its heavy and intricate brooches and silk petals. The best bit about this bouquet is also the fact that she gets to keep it as a keepsake (despite several people urging her to 'throw it at the girls' at the end of the day, never mind what injuries the heavy bouquet might inflict.)
I love how elegant and detailed the bouquet looks in these pictures too, although it was a lot more sparkly in real life!

The bridesmaid also wore a matching white dress with a blue sath to match the blue-and-white theme, which looked beautiful with her white bolero and a smaller white rose bouquet (which we tried to add some bling to with a blue stone ring, but it just didn't have the same effect on everyone that the bride's bouquet did.)

The boys were also very smartly dressed, in off-white waistcoats and cravats which looked great with their sister's bridesmaid dress. This is pretty much the only picture I have of them where they're standing still!

My dress was a maxi dress in grey, with purple and grass green accents, as I really loved this colour combination and wanted to go for something which wasn't too bright. We (the sisters) didn't wear matching outfits this time around, but we decided to go for soft colours to compliment the bride's white dress. I accessorised with a green clutch bag and a huge purple and gold hijab pin (which was actually a kundan earring) and opted not to wear any bangles as the sleeves of the dress were long and fitted, and there was enough work on the cuffs.

Here's some of the other friends and family's outfits, which I absolutely loved, as everyone looked so elegant together and the colours really came together. It's easy to see which party people belong to, as most of us on the bride's side were wearing pinks, greys and corals, and the groom's party chose blues and greens. While this colour theme was not entirely intentional, it looked great on the day and was only more blinged up with everyone's beautiful bangles and accessories!

 

Here's a random picture of the chocolate fountain, which had a pretty fruit arrangements, and which didn't stay this pretty for long!

And lastly, the scene in the hall at the end of the day after a lot of walking around, getting in the way of photographers (yep, that one was me), and eating a lot of cake. I was expecting some of the boys to jump up and start dancing, but sadly, I was disappointed and everyone went home at the end of the evening.

It was a great day for all of us, spending quality time together (and taking quality pictures!), with a lot of jokes and cake to be had - before the bride and groom whisked off to the honeymoon, of course :)