Pashmina shawls: the wedding accessory
that you can actually wear
when the wedding is over

Pashmina -- for the totally non-no-frills wedding

The sun peeks out for a brief blaze of glory just as the newly-shackled couple clambers into the limousine. Everyone heads toward the lakeside reception, and a breeze kicks up. The bridesmaids [ More... ]

Something special for the honeymoon cruise...

Get your Bridal Discount here!

Well, not really here... You have to place your order at the regular place (click on any Order link). If your order comes to $300 or more and includes at least 3 identical pieces, we will automatically take a 10% discount off your order, and give you free DHL delivery, in addition to free tote bags, free earrings, and free mini-purses. ("Automatically" means you don't have to ask.) Beautiful packing, ready for presentation to your bridesmaids.

What color should I order?

We would strongly recommend you not try to match your dress color exactly. For one thing, the shawl will obscure the lines of your gown, and make life miserable for your photographer. Also, it is hard to get an exact match of any color, and a slight difference will create eyestrain as your guests try to make sense of the inconsistency. Finally, we can't do bright white -- no one can, unless they bleach the heck out of the fiber, which has the same general effect on the fiber as Clorox would have on your hair. We recommend a modest contrast -- beige or cornflower against an ivory dress, for example.

Size? Blend?

For the petite, we recommend a medium shawl. The 70/30 pashmina-silk blend is most popular, except where price is no object. (But, when you consider how much your maids are spending on gowns they'll probably never wear again, maybe they deserve the ultraposh option?)

Fancy stuff?

Okay, we know next-to-nothing about haut-de-gamme stylistics, BUT... We're not crazy about beaded fringes... they seem a bit Haight-Ashbury, don't they? On the other hand, we are sort of fond of full-surface embroidery, particularly the Kanya Devi. If you give us enough time, we can work out a really fancy version, tricked out with beaded or sequined accents to match your floral theme. For a regal but not-quite-gaudy touch, we also recommend gold-thread emparata borders on ivory or cream -- or whatever color might complement the bride's maids' dresses.

With apologies to the Hindus among us, we strongly advise against heavy use of medium reds, simply because they tend to blow out the sensors on digital images.

When do I need to order?

Unless you want special customization, ten days is usually sufficient. However, when the stakes are so high, we recommend ordering a month in advance. Then you'll have one less thing to worry about.

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Balanced Living: our favorite lifestyle magazine ... ever since the Jan.-Feb. 2007 issue, featuring "My Big Fat Organic Wedding", an inspiring account of the editor's truly imaginative event (complete with Tartan and blessing stones) -- and we're in it!!!

Our Ceremony
Franklin and I crafted our wedding ceremony to embody our religious and cultural heritages, while at the same time reflecting our personal beliefs and values. Two of our close friends were invited to officiate along with a rabbi; and together, the five of us created a ceremony with reverence for our backgrounds and relevance in our daily lives. During the ceremony I pinned a swatch of my family's Scottish tartan to Franklin to signify his entry into my family. We also asked some of our friends to join us under the chuppah (marriage canopy) to offer their personal interpretation of one of the seven traditional Jewish ceremonial blessings. As our guests came in, each was invited to select a stone from a bowl before heading to his/her seat. During the ceremony each was asked to bless the stone with an intention for us and place it back in the bowl before leaving. These stones, now a part of our home, carry the energy of every guest at our wedding.

Our Gifts to Women Attendants
Our women attendants found themselves cozy in the crisp autumn air during our outdoor ceremony because we had given each of them a royal-purple wrap made of Pashmina wool, handmade to order in Nepal by Sunrise Pashmina, a very small fair-trade company that is owned and operated by its owner, Tsering Choekyap Sherpa in Nepal. The internet-sales portion of the company is based in Ithaca and provides exceptional, personal service. We even received a hand-written note from Tsering himself, offering us best wishes and blessings from his entire team of skilled workers. Sharing the elegant, quality Pashmina shawls was a rewarding experience from start to finish.

You can subcribe to Balanced Living online or by contacting editor/publisher Maggie Busser at 216-226-6094 or Maggie@BalancedLivingMag.com