Provide a stunning enhancement to your venue with mood lighting and up-lighters creating the perfect atmosphere for your special day

We can select a vast numbers of colours to complement your exciting colour scheme transforming your venue with a warm atmosphere.

The vast majority of your wedding day will be spent at your chosen venue. Our LED venue lighting service will enhance the plain walls with rich, vibrant shades to complement your colour scheme.

The operator has full control of the lighting units and so you can have them as bright or as soft as you wish. If you change your mind about the colours being used they can be altered at the touch of a button.

Traditionally during the wedding reception the house lights will be dimmed and the DJ or band will provide lighting to fill the dance floor area.

Kudos can integrate our venue lighting with our Wedding DJ or band so that the entire room is filled with light. It is also possible to have the walls change colour along with the beat of the music

See more of the Kudos LED Lighting Setups here >>

ADVANTAGES TO LED UPLIGHTING:

• Lighting can be set to a single static colour or to chase through various different colours at variable speeds and fade times between each colour.
• Each light is made up from many LED’s that are super bright and don’t get as hot as conventional uplighting.
• Each light consumes less than 30w of power, so a room full of uplighting will require less power to run than conventional uplighting.
• The uplighting will help create the mood and the ambience you require can easily be set to match your events colour schemes and style.

For many modern couples the mandap is a fashion statement in itself and a very integral part of the wedding decorations. However, traditionally, the mandap is the focal point of the Hindu wedding where the ceremony is conducted around the sacred fire. The four pillars of the structure represent the Vedas and each stand for Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. They also represent the four parents of the couple. Mandaps have greatly evolved over the years and are nowadays also used by Muslims and Sikhs. A mandap is the focal point of the wedding and creates a sacred and decorative atmosphere for the couple to exchange their vows. Whether the mandap holds religious or artistic significance for you it will serve as the central spotlight during your wedding.

To get you started we have handpicked our most popular mandaps for you to browse at your leisure:

• Crystal covered mandap
• Royal fabric drapes mandap
• Waterfall Mandap

Types of Mandaps

Traditional mandap designs include colored paintwork (sankheda), bandhani, mirror work and the use of fabrics. Contemporary designs combine western elements and designs. Popular designs include the round top, chandeliers, wooden carved mandaps, roman pillars, iron domes, fresh flowers, and the use of ornate drapes. A mandap should be as unique as the couple it is for. It should reflect their individuality and allow them to express themselves. Mandaps are accented with plants, flowers, candles, backdrops, lighting, statues, water fountains, and several other accessories. A good wedding decorator will go out of their way in order to ensure that the mandap not only suits the couple but coordinates all the accessories with the wedding theme and colors.

Browse through our extensive mandaps in London collection to find your perfect Wedding Mandap >>

Do you have a wedding venue or corporate event in London?

Is the venue a little run down and in need of a facelift? Why not let Kudos help with Venue Draping to transform your location. We can provide  drapes for walls and ceilings and a wide range of colours and fabrics to co-incide with your wedding theming and colour scheme.

• Venue Draping in London
• Venue Drapes for Weddings
• Wedding & Corporate Event Venue Draping
• Party Draping & Theming

Along with providing the perfect Wedding DJ, Kudos provide the perfectVenue styling to make your special day look stunning and be talked about for years.

Working in and around the London area, Kudos provide Venue Draping in London and also nationwide.

Kudos offer decorative ceiling draping and specialist lighting effects, in order to create the perfect atmosphere in any venue.

We look after every detail so that you can get on with enjoying every minute of your perfect wedding occasion, corporate event or party.

We will install the draping systems and remove it after the event for a complete hasslefree service. Whatever the purpose of the drapes whether it’s just to decorate an area, or to create a fresh new venue transformation, our expertise and input will make that happen

Click here for more information on our Venue Draping in London service >>

Known for her captivating looks on the catwalk and in front of the camera, Model Sam Ahmed is now rapidly being recognised for her skills behind the decks as DJ Shmia.

Originally hailing from Southampton, she was training to become a financial advisor but a chance meeting with a modelling scout on a trip to London changed the fate of this now model and DJ.

DJ Shmia - from Kudos Music

Having been told that she has what it takes to be a model and after some persuasion from friends, Sam moved to London to embark on a modelling career. As a freelance model, this beauty has graced the pages of popular magazines such as Asiana, glided across catwalks including during London Fashion Week and featured in a number of well-known music videos.

With support from her family and friends, this young woman is breaking the stereotype and excelling in the world of fashion and has now set her sights on the music industry. Going back to her real name – Shmia, this DJ has already snagged an accolade as the first female Asian wedding roadshow DJ. Joining the team of Kudos which also features big names such as DJ H, DJ Dips and Jas Johal, Shmia hopes to capture a niche market as a female DJ.

Music has always been a keen interest for Shmia, who says she is more comfortable behind a set of decks than on a fashion ramp. When she moved to London and started modelling, Shmia’s network within the entertainment scene grew and she made some good friends in the DJ scene to whom she was able to confess her desire to become a DJ. Under the guidance of Kudos DJ Academy, DJ Shmia has been training to master her DJing technique and has been performing to appreciative audiences over the last year. Starting off big, DJ Shmia’s first gig was in Amsterdam for a private launch party for LG.

May it be a mehndi, wedding party or club night, Shmia’s knowledge of mixing and blending various genres including Bollywood, Bhangra, House, RnB and Arabic plus the added bonus of having a leading Asian model hosting has had a hugely positive reaction. There are no limits to where this Model DJ’s talent and appeal can take her.

DJ Shmia – Model by nature, DJ by heart.

Click here to see DJ Shmia’s profile from Kudos >>

Book your female mehndi wedding DJ with Kudos >

A Baraat is a bridegroom’s wedding procession in North India and Pakistan. In North Indian communities, it is customary for the bridegroom to travel to the wedding venue (often the bride’s house) on a mare or horse, accompanied by his family members.

The baraat can become a large procession, with its own band, dancers, and budget. The groom and his horse are covered in finery and do not usually take part in the dancing and singing; that is left to the “baraatis” or people accompanying the procession. The groom usually carries a sword. The term baraati is also more generically used to describe any invitee from the groom’s side. Traditionally, baraatis are attended to as guests of the bride’s family.

The baraat, headed by a display of fireworks and accompanied by the rhythm of the dhol player, reaches the meeting point, where the elders of both the families meet. In Hindu weddings, the groom is greeted with garlands and aarti. In traditional North Indian and Pakistani weddings, baraats are welcomed at the wedding venue with the sound of shehnais, which are considered auspicious at weddings by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs alike.

See Kudos for Indian Desi Horses or Dhol Players >>

Punjabi baraat

Both men and women participate in the procession of a Punjabi baraat. Close male relatives of both the bride and groom always wear turbans, which indicates honor. When the baraat arrives at the wedding venue, a ceremony known as the milni (literally, meeting or merger) is carried out, in which equivalent relatives from the groom and bride’s sides greet each other.

This usually begins with the two fathers, followed by the two mothers, then the siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins; even distant relatives are included in the milni, which symbolizes the unification of the two clans.

Rajput baraat

A Rajput baraat consists entirely of male members. The bridegroom is usually dressed in a gold achkan, with an orange turban and a churidar or jodhpurs with jootis. The baraat members also must wear achkans or sherwanis with jodhpurs and safas (colorful turbans). The procession to the bride’s house looks rather regal as there is absolutely no dancing on the streets by the baraatis. In fact, all members, including the groom who rides an elephant or a horse, carry swords. The horse is important for the Rajputs.

Kudos can help theme and design your perfect wedding day. With our world renowned team let us help create your special day.

Great ideas for a stylish wedding theme to impress your guests

A wedding or party ‘theme’ is simply a certain style choice for your day that you then reflect in your choice of invitations, dress code, decorations, and music… in fact any or all aspects of your day!

Check out the Kudos Wedding Theming page for more ideas >>

If you fancy choosing a theme, here are some ideas for you…

Chocolate Wedding Theming

Because who doesn’t like it?! You could really go to town with this theme and have chocolate coloured invites, chocolate favours, a chocolate fountain at the reception, brown ribbons adorning you dress, tables, and flowers, chocolate cupcakes or a truly indulgent chocolate cake as your wedding cake! (We are starting to feel fat just thinking about it!)

Football

This is definitely one for the grooms, but you could easily base the colour of your bridesmaid’s dresses, flowers, table decorations and venue décor around the colour, even strip of your favourite football team’s colours. The invitations could be designed to look like a football programme or ticket, the cake decorated in the chosen colours and you could give mini chocolate footballs as favours. Imagine how chuffed would you husband-to-be would feel…

Fairy tale Wedding Theming

If you manage to persuade your groom against a football theme, you could always opt for a fairy tale theme and convince him it is your day to feel like a princess after all! You could have prince and princess caricatures on your invites, fairy cakes instead of a big wedding cake, candlelight or fairy lights at the reception venue and you could sprinkle pretty table confetti to add extra magic.

By the seaside Wedding Theming

This theme works particularly well if you’re getting married near the coast. Use seashells to decorate your invites and tables, seagull-shaped table number holders would look cute and favours could be a tiny keepsake bottle of sand, a place name tied around a shell, or pieces of rock. Ask your cake designer to decorate your cake with sugar-seashells and seaside-inspired bits and pieces.

Black and white Wedding Theming

For sheer elegance, nothing beats black and white. You could get sophisticated table accessories, stunning gift boxes and chic monochrome decorations to create your theme and give black and white chocolate dice as favours! Bring even more fun to the table with black and white party poppers and black and white ribbon favour boxes, then for a sophisticated and elegant look, use a black felt table runner on a white table cloth and sprinkle silver and black mini metallic dots over the table for extra glamour. You could even extend the theme by asking your guests to wear black tie!

Other ideas include a guide to holding a Christmas theme or eco-themed wedding for your big day that you can have a look through and once you’ve chosen your theme, you’ll then find ideas for everything from glasses to centerpieces and place names to sparklers in the buyers guide on our site. Also see:

• Arabian
• Bollywood
• Hollywood / Oscars
• Mehfil And Sangeet
• Oriental / Chinese
• Winter Wonderland

Let Kudos help you with a whole variety of wedding theming and ideas for your big day >>

However in the mean time here is a quick guide to what you should look for in a wedding DJ:

Appearance and Demeanor:

Is the DJ clean cut and appropriately attired? Is he articulate and confident in his approach and communication? Does he come across as accommodating, personable, and someone who can maintain his composure throughout your wedding?

Performing Style:

The company should have already suggested a suitable DJ based on your stated preferences, but the DJ himself should be able to explain his general performing style. Is he more of an entertainer and motivator, or more unobtrusive and low-key? Does this match what you’re seeking?  While any good DJ has some flexibility in his approach, a “high-energy” DJ will never be able to keep things truly understated, and the reverse is also true. It’s important to get a very clear picture of the DJ’s natural instincts and style.

Experience and Knowledge:

A DJ should, upon request, provide you with information on his performing experience. He should also give you a sense that he is knowledgeable about wedding protocols and the music you enjoy.

Relationship to the Company:

It’s worth asking a DJ how long he’s been with a company, and how you can be guaranteed of his presence at your wedding. Does the company sign a contract with the DJ for each event or otherwise obligate them to perform?

Willingness to Respect Your Wishes:

The DJ’s listening skills — as opposed to just telling you all about himself and how he does things — says a lot about how receptive he’ll be to your ideas and preferences. The DJ needs to listen to you, so that he has a clear understanding of what you want, and can tailor his performance to meet your needs.

You should also try to determine how flexible the DJ is. Sadly, there are many DJs out there (and vendors of all types, as a matter of fact) who are completely set in their ways and who will do little to accommodate your individuality. If the DJ comes across as skeptical of your ideas, or anything less than completely interested and enthusiastic, you should strongly consider looking elsewhere

See our Wedding DJ information page >>

The mandap or wedding canopy is the focal point of every Hindu wedding ceremony, a sacred structure supported by four pillars under which the bride and groom are seated and exchange their wedding vows. It is within this sanctified edifice that the auspicious ceremony takes place witnessed by the sacred fire.

The four-pillared structure is said to represents the four Vedas as well as the four goals of a fulfilled Hindu life (Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha). The symbolism of the mandap goes further with each pillar being understood to represent the four parents of the couple, without whose support, love and blessings, the marriage would not have come to take place. Such is the sanctity of the mandap that a special ritual is held the day before the wedding to bless the inauguration of the mandap, known as Mandap Mahurat or Mandap Ropan.

The last few years have witnessed several changes in the design and style of mandaps. But the basic religious and cultural sanctity attached to them by Hindus remains the same: Mandaps are also becoming popular amongst those of other religions such as Sikhs & Muslims, obviously more for aesthetic effect than religious significance – but nonetheless they go a long way to enhancing the wedding décor and provide a scenic focus for the couple to take their vows.

Selecting a mandap has always been an important decision in planning a Hindu wedding, but in recent times, couples have been taking the selection process a stage further. Gone are the days when the mandap was an “off the shelf element” of the wedding décor.
Today, the sacred wedding canopy is a fashion statement in itself – a reflection of the couple’s taste and discerning style and should thus come up high on the list of priorities when planning your big day.

Tradional Mandap Design to Modern Day

The structure and style of mandaps has evolved from traditional designs that typically included sankheda (traditional coloured paintwork), bandhani (tie and dye) fabrics and mirror work, to more sleek, contemporary and chic designs. With British Asian weddings taking on a more westernized style Mandaps have evolved to reflect this trend, combining western design concepts with an eastern look and feel.

Recent popular designs have been the round top mandap, mandaps with iron domes, roman pillar mandaps, wooden carved mandaps and mandaps festooned with fresh flowers and ornate drapes. Other imaginative concepts have included water feature mandaps, chandelier mandaps and even mandaps that emulate the grandeur of period films like Devdas.

From chic and slender to grandiose and majestic, a mandap is guaranteed to be found that has every couple’s name written all over it. If you do your homework well, you will really start to tell the difference between companies that purchase their mandaps off the shelf and those that have a key input into creating the latest bespoke designs.

Perhaps the best thing about contemporary mandap styles is their adaptability and scope for customisation. One no longer needs to think along conventional lines. A mandap that expresses your individuality is just a thought away and mandap companies will do all they can to customize their creations to your individual requirements and wedding theme.

Each year sees the emergence of stunning and innovative mandap designs on the market with coordinated accessories, backdrops, statues, candles, lighting, water features and foyer displays, all used to complement the mandap and build an all-encompassing theme. Most mandap decorators will now go out of their way to source accessories that match their clients chosen wedding theme and which coordinate together to transform a mundane venue into a setting of ethereal fantasy.

Many couples will search out a mandap that compliments the chosen theme and style of their wedding, whereas for others the theme of their wedding is created around the mandap they have picked out. Whichever approach you take, you should have a fair idea of how much of your wedding budget you will be allocating to the mandap and wedding décor and what style of mandap compliments your personality and style before you begin your search.

Armed with this information, many mandaps tend to get booked up a year in advance so its best not to leave your plans too late.

Contact Kudos today and see our Mandaps available for your wedding >>

Kudos can source some of the UK’s finest Dhol players to add a musical accompaniment to the bharaat, the bride and groom’s entrance or to do a set during the party and liven up the dance floor. Dhol players are becoming more and more popular for Indian weddings and are a very cost effective solution.

What is a Dhol?

Description

The dhol is a double-sided barrel drum (straight barrels also exist) played mostly as an accompanying instrument in regional music forms. In Qawwali music, the term dhol is used to describe a similar, but smaller drum used with the smaller tabla, as a replacement for the left hand tabla drum. The typical sizes of the drum vary slightly from region to region. In Punjab, the dhol remains large and bulky to produce the preferred loud bass. In other regions, dhols can be found in varying shapes and sizes and made with different woods and materials (fiberglass, Steel, Plastic). The drum consists of a wooden barrel with animal hide or synthetic skin stretched over its open ends, covering them completely. These skins can be stretched or loosened with a tightening mechanism made up of either interwoven ropes, or nuts and bolts. Tightening or loosening the skins subtly alters the pitch of the drum sound. The stretched skin on one of the ends is thicker and produces a deep, low frequency (higher bass) sound and the other thinner one produces a higher frequency sound. Dhols with synthetic, or plastic, treble skins are very common.

Dhol Playing

The drum is played using two wooden sticks, usually made out of bamboo and cane wood. The most common rhythm played on the dhol is the Chaal, which consists of 8 beats per measure. The stick used to play the bass side of the drum is a bit thicker (roughly about 10 mm in diameter) and is bent in a quarter-circular arc on the end that strikes the drum, the dagga. The other stick is much thinner and flexible and used to play the higher note end of the drum, the thili. The drum is slung over the neck of the player with a strap usually made up of ropes or woven cloth. The surface of the wooden barrel is in some cases decorated with engraved or painted patterns.

Importance

From North India, the Dhol spread to other parts of the Indian subcontinent as well. Apart from Punjabi music, it is also used in music of regions like Assam (Bihu dance), Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bengal (including Bangladesh), Goa (during the Shigmo/Holi festival), South India etc. It has also become popular in other parts of the world due to South Asian diaspora. Dhol was a popular musical instrument in both formal and informal dance performances for decades. The introduction of electronic devices such as tape recorders has led to a decline in the importance of dhol players in celebratory events. Nevertheless, dhol music still figures in the studio recordings of present day Raas/Garba and Bhangra music artists. A related instrument is the dholak or dholki.

In Maharashtra, Dhol is a primary instrument used in Ganesh Festivals. In the city of Pune students, working professionals, businessmen come together to form Dhol Pathaks or troups. Pune supposedly has the largest number dhols in India.

When doing Attan, the cultural Pathan/Pashtun dance, Dhol is the main musical instrument. Attan is done in accordance to the sound of the Dhol.

In Assam, Dhol is widely used in Rongali Bihu (Bohag Bihu), the most beloved festival of the Assamese people. Rongali Bihu is celebrated in the mid of April every year.

Click here to see the Dhol Players available for your wedding >>