Embrace the Beauty of Henna

The other day my friend asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. How exciting! But what's even more intriguing is it's not going to be a typical American wedding. They're having a fusion wedding and plan to mix American tradition with Indian culture. One thing that all of the bridesmaids and bride will be partaking in is "henna."

Henna has a beautiful aspect to it that is different from anything I've seen in the U.S. At first glance some say it could be similar to a tattoo, but its meaning and beauty have far more meaning to the human eye. Henna serves as a natural, non-permanent ink. Henna designs tend to be very intricate and detailed.

Sometimes the bride will include meaningful words or dates within the Henna. Somewhere in the Henna the names of the bride and groom are placed into the design. The night before the wedding the groom must find their names searching in the brides hands and if he can't, they don't consumate the wedding. A tradition that is not taken lightly!

Bride, Nazha Ahmed says,

"Since I grew up in the US and only retained some of the traditions from my roots, whenever I put on Henna I feel a little closer to those roots. Considering the use of henna during holidays and celebrations, such as weddings... whenever I put it on, that moment transforms into a fun and exciting day, even if it’s just another Friday!"

Henna is an ancient art practiced during many celebrations in India, South East Asia, North Africa and the Middle-East. Henna is made from the plant lawsonia, its twigs and leaves are ground together to make a powder and then mixed with various ingrediants to make a creamy paste, which is known as Henna. Once placed on skin, the Henna stains its mark leaving a reddish, brown coloring.

If you've ever considered getting a tatoo, this is a great opportunity to reinforce whether to do so or not.

How the Henna is used:
You can apply the Henna anywhere; your back, stomache, arms, hands, feet, however, be aware that the skin will remain stained for as long as two to three weeks. (So don't write anything silly across your friends forehead!)

1. Take your Henna and either use a stencil to fil in your design or if your feeling arsty you can draw it out free hand.
   
2. After application, the Henna will dry to a matt finish and can be peeled off or flaked off. Initially the stain will be a dark orange, which deepens within 24 hours.
3. After approximately 48 hours the color will be at its best shade which is usually anywhere from a bright red to a dark reddish brown color.
4. This color will remain constant for a few days then will start to fade slowly over a course of approximately 3 weeks.

You can order Henna and find guides on different designs The Henna Page.

Have fun and experiment with Henna in other ways:

• Birthday Parties
• Wear a cute design to the beach or pool party on your hip or back
• Formal event, even ad rhinestones.
  

If you would like to book your own Henna party contact the Nazha Ahmed.