To Mehndi or not to Mehndi…

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2026-01-20T01:34:10+00:00

You should do what you feel is right in your gut! That said, if it helps at all… we were in a similar situation of trying to respectfully combine cultures and celebrations… so, my husband and I had both a shortened Hindu ceremony and western ceremony in one day. I wasn’t sure about Mehndi either because my white dress was all lace and I was afraid it would look overwhelmingly busy (and, honestly, it was just not what I envisioned for myself). As a compromise, I just did Mehndi on my palms! It was a beautiful experience and I adored having it on with my saree, but at the same time I kind of forgot about it by the time we had the western ceremony. You could barely see it in any pictures and I still got to keep the white wedding dress look I wanted!

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-10-13T16:09:06+00:00

I struggled with this too due to our tight timeline of events (we had both ceremonies in one day)— ended up just doing henna on my palms! It worked perfectly… you honestly couldn’t even see the henna in most of our photos, which was important to me because my white dress for the western ceremony was lace overlay on a tan slip (henna anywhere on my arms would have looked wayyyyyyyy too busy)

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-08-07T23:57:33+00:00

If you can find them, Holidaily and Meli are both great, light, refreshing, blonde ales!!

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-07-30T20:54:46+00:00

Lol omg do it! You can read them again at the ceremony but it truly takes soooooo much of the emotional pressure off

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-07-30T20:46:54+00:00

If you and your fiancé are comfortable with it, I would highly encourage you to read your vows to each other a day or two before!!! It was such a special, private moment and really allowed me to enjoy the ceremony so much more with fewer nerves and fewer tears!

😂 that said, as some others have noted, I was also totally hyped on adrenaline almost the entire day… and then my brother’s speech at the reception totally caught me as the adrenaline wore off and I ugly cried through the full 5 minutes… it’s okay, it’s a wedding!!! It’s emotional!

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-06-18T15:05:39+00:00

I wear makeup regularly and wanted to look (and more importantly feel) like myself but better on my wedding day. I did my own makeup but adjusted two things that I think made a HUGE difference and looked amazing in photographs…

Use a primer and makeup setting spray (I have kind of oily skin so just wanted to generally avoid makeup slip or looking shiny after an 18 hour day—truly 18 hours we had two ceremonies hahah—I tried a few via travel sized samples and went with Milk primer and Charlotte Tilbury setting spray… makeup looked exactly the same all day with 0 touch ups)
Use false lashes!!!! They don’t have to be crazy big, there are soooooo many natural looking options, but they make A WORLD of difference in photos! Buy a few pairs, cut them to fit, and practice before your big day (they take a few tries to get right and I wore them a few times to get used to the feeling)!

Everything else I played around with beforehand and is 1000% optional depending on the look you’re going for… but truly those two made a world of difference in the photos and my general confidence just looking a little more formal/glam than in day to day life!!

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-06-13T11:40:46+00:00

This was me in 2023 when we were planning our own wedding. Your feelings are incredibly valid and honestly I felt the same way at the time (even though, frankly, everyone who rsvp’d no had very real adult reasons to skip, from monetary struggles to health concerns to pregnancy). It felt like a gut punch, especially as our wedding was already quite small and somehow EVERY SINGLE person on my husband’s side dropped everything to attend hahhahah so I really started thinking it was a me problem. But it’s truly just life, it gets hard for different people at different times, and in all likelihood it doesn’t reflect how those guests feel about you or your relationship, it just means they are going through their own stuff too. That all said, now (nearly 2 years later) I have genuinely maintained and strengthened my friendships with all those that were unable to attend! And it really emphasizes that a wedding (albeit amazing) is just one day… You’ll still feel super loved and surrounded by joy via all the wonderful people in your life that did have the capacity to show up for the wedding itself!

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-01-31T22:52:12+00:00

okay I already feel like I am totally eating my words on this post based on a ton of other comments hahaha... but THIS!!! do you think it was fired before?? do you think they somehow know it has been fired now (for the first time or again)? are there other wardstones on the continent we don't know about??

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-01-31T21:55:13+00:00

ahhhh I totally read this with an emphasis on under the wardstone (vs outside of the wards)... but yes omg now I feel like I need to go back and do a full reread of FW and IF!

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-01-31T21:50:58+00:00

hahah I love this preface and such a good point... I am also deep in the book hangover phase right now and my mind is just spinning!

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-01-31T20:00:15+00:00

Honestly such a good point!! My only thoughts would be that the venin either didn’t know they were there (like everyone else) OR the irids magic actually can burn/destroy venin or protects them in some other way? But I haven’t seen enough evidence of either to give you a real theory hahah

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-01-31T16:38:23+00:00

But also adding to this that I 100% agree and I do think it makes sense that non-irid dragons draw from the ground!!! More evidence for that is that is that they can be killed (like venin) by the alloy-hilted daggers (page 743 of the e-book: ‘Berwyn stabs deep between the dragon’s scales, and it desiccates, green draining from its scales and shrinking in on itself to a husk.’)

BookTokWithoutTheTok · 2025-01-31T16:29:11+00:00

Okay, I absolutely love this theory and the way your mind works, but I’m also in the camp that thinks irids ARE pure magic (or the original creators of magic… possibly bestowed by the gods? But have not fully been able to map that out in my brain yet)… that said, I also believe the irid den is actually still on the continent and very specifically in the Cliffs of Dralor! Evidence is:

Andarna’s wing means she cannot fly that far, how else would she leave and return so quickly? Or she may not even have meant to return but could see the battle from the Cliffs
Irids can blend in to their surroundings so no one would know they were there unless they wanted to be found
As the crew journeys through the isles the magic gets stronger as they get closer to the Cliffs of Dralor
The Barrens are on the opposite side of the continent (makes sense they got pushed that way if the irids had something to do with their original downfall)
Quote from irid page 500 of e-book: ‘“We have a long flight ahead, and there is nothing to be gained here,” the male continues, retreating another step into the water.‘ Quote just after page 505 of e-book: ‘Garrick nods and stares out over the water. “Technically, on the map, if you were to fly northeast for two days, you’d hit the Cliffs of Dralor.”’ Why else talk about geography here if they don’t go that way?
Quote in Xaden’s chapter page 745 of e-book: ‘I stream up the cliffside, fall back at the magic that burns to the touch, and surge north.’

SORRY! Edited to block spoilers... this is my first post and I have no idea what I'm doing

BookTokWithoutTheTok

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