'Wedding Fever' hitting the town

Nilma DOLE

Meeting the busy Ramzi Rahaman is difficult as wedding fever hits the town because you can't help it when he's one of the best bridal beauticians in Sri Lanka. From dressing up the former president to popular actresses and stars, Ramzi tells that despite the hectic schedule, he is more than willing to squeeze some 'quickie' weddings to make brides look stunning on their special day.

Clients

"I get many clients wanting to look like brides they see in the pictures but I advise them that a particular style should suit them," Ramzi said. Being experimental is good but there is a limit because you should know what's best for you. "There are plenty of clients who always want to change the colour of their skin and become fairer with make-up which is sad because they should be comfortable in their own skin," said Ramzi who spoke about the 'white menace' that is still prevalent in Sri Lanka after Michael Jackson's death.

Ramzi said that the latest styles are not fully white but with beige, ivory, bronze, gold and off-white are becoming popular for the bridal colour. "The Indian chiffon saris and the variety of saris you can get here is good so people like to look different and mix-and-match with different styles to add glamour to their wedding functions", he said. Speaking about how the 'going away' sari became popular, Ramzi said that today's Sri Lankan bride is exposed to fashion and latest bold looks and so she likes a change in her look.

"Nowadays you can get cheap saris instead of traveling all the way abroad to get the most unique design and accessories with a range of different jewellery is the fashion" he said.While June is the season for most brides, many July weddings also take place with bookings made years in advance.

"I get plenty of early bookings especially from those from abroad but they tend to come to Sri Lanka a month or a week earlier so it should be organized properly if the wedding is successful" said Ramzi.

Likewise, he noted that 'theme' weddings with that underwater concept and beach themes are becoming popular as well.

Maitenance

On how a bride should look her best for her wedding day, Ramzi suggested, "I advise that about three to six months of special skin and hair care should be done for the bride with a facial at least once a month".

Moreover, he said that any treatments that need to be done to the hair should be done in advance and he even does a trial of dressing the bride before the big day. About the wedding veil, Ramzi said that he would advise a bride to have about four to five metres of the train which would look nice for a church wedding when the bride walks down the aisle but it should be practical.

"If a bride isn't comfortable in her veil and finds it difficult, a shorter veil is better" he said.

In the future, Ramzi said that there will be a special beauty parlours for grooms to look good on their big day especially if they need to treat their skin and hair.

"After I finish dressing a bride, I give a touch-up to the groom by applying gel to his hair or putting a little foundation but there are some who need extra attention" he said.

Organization

More about weddings, Ramzi commented on the bridal retinue highlighting that any retinue, big or small, should be well-planned and properly organized.

"We need more rooms for the bride, her maids and flower girls to change instead of everyone being cramped in one room. In addition to this, a bride should be relaxed and make sure she eats and takes a break from the dressing and photography is vital for the wedding to run smoothly," Ramzi concluded.

So make your wedding day a memorable one with Ramzi's Bridal expertise!