You have chosen a life-partner for you, a date has been set, venue has been decided...
WHAT NEXT?
___________________________________________________
One of the most important part of any wedding is the bride and grooms' dresses. Lucky for you (or unlucky depending on how you see it ;-))…you’re a Indian bride/groom! It’s great to be able to wear different dresses to your multiple wedding occasions (mehndi, garba, sangeet, ganesh puja etc). Total bridal wear consists of dresses, jewellery, and other accessories which the Indian brides are wearing according to their culture. India is huge country and there is present lots of provinces and every province has there own tradition and their own culture.
Shopping for Indian Wedding Clothes
Most families prefer to travel to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri-lanka or wherever they’re from to get their wedding clothes and jewellery. Places like Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad (to name a few) are a popular destination for such shopping sprees). This is a great idea because you have a wider and traditional selection, lower prices (relatively), and custom tailoring. Families usually have family and/or friends living in the native country who will be able to guide you through the shopping. Always go shopping with at least one or two (your mother and/or a friend) whose opinion you value so that they can give you input on how you look from the outside. Try on EVERYTHING! You will get tired of taking these heavy outfits on and off and wrapping saris, etc., but you have to try on anything you remotely like. Don’t buy anything the first time you see it. Take a quick pic in your smart phone (if the store allows you to) to take pictures of everything you try on. Go home, look through the pictures and go back to the shops for the outfits that you really like. Also, have fun trying on the plethora of clothes, colors, and styles! One great thing about shopping in countries like India is that you can bargain and most extras like tailor alteration is included in the price. Take a local with you who is good at haggling and I promise you will save lots in your shopping.
Bridal Jewelry
Bridal Jewelry means a lot in wedding especially Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri-lankan weddings. In bridal Jewelry Designs there are a lots of variety in current markets (in Australia and India). As gold prices are increasing everyday, many brides are opting for silver (or artificial gold). The reason is simple these are cheap and affordable. However when we talk about Bridal jewelry, now a days design are made in Kundan, Stones, and even Diamonds (real or look-alike).
Dressing for Mendhi (henna) Night (or Day)
The mendhi (or henna) party is celebrated many different ways depending mostly on family traditions. In Gujrati culture, traditionally just women participate in the Mendhi party and all get together for dinner, laughter, and mostly to get their mendhi done by a group of professional artists. In Punjabi culture, traditionally the groom’s side and bride’s side have separate mendhi parties, but both men and women are invited to both. Men in Punjabi culture also get mendhi done as small keri (mango) designs on their hand, back of their neck, or head. As the bride, you will most likely be the first to get your mendhi done, it often takes 3-5 hours depending on the artist and how intricate your design is (and far you want your mehndi to be places along your hands and legs). So, outfit-wise, this definitely means you need to wear something super comfortable and not anything too itchy with embroidery all over it. Usually the bride will wear a fancy Punjabi or pant-suit for her own mendhi party. Bright colors are a big at the mendhi party and pictures turn out beautifully when you wear bright colros to contrast your dark mendhi. Another thing to keep in mind with your outfit is that if you plan on leaving your mendhi on overnight, you may want to wear something with a zipper back so that it’s easier to change before you go to bed. Always have a friend/sister who will be able to assist you during your (bride) mehndi session. You may need assistance with drinking/eating etc. You may also want someone to talk with and consult with during your 3/4 hours of mehndi seating.
Garba/Sangeet Outfit
Sangeet, Raas, Garba, etc all mean lots of music, lots of dance, lots of people. lots of food and most importantly, LOTS of FUN. This is a night of FUN and all your guests getting to know each other. Usually bride and the groom will have their individual party. But these days having one massive night of dance and music with both bride and groom's guests and family is common.
Although this is not your main event, you need to wear something appropriate for a Bride and the Groom (and not look like just one of the many present) For a Raas-Garba, the traditional choice is a choli, however nowadays we see brides in lenghas and churidars at their own events, and they still look amazing. Depending on how traditional your family is, you should wear what you can dance and feel free in. For Sangeets, the traditional Indian outfit is a fashionable lengha, or salwar kameez. We’ve seen that more with Sangeets than anything, it’s about the latest fashion and style. There is a plethora of Indian (bollywood) movies which have weddings in it high-lighting Sangeet and Garba. One can always take inspiration from them. However, always remember to wear something appropriate to your style and comfort and (most importantly) something you can have fun in.
Now we are getting to the business end of a Wedding. One of the main focal points of any wedding ceremony is the bride’s wedding dress. Depending on the culture and religion, the Indian bride will wear a dresses ranging from Sari, Chania-Chowli or heavy and full lengha (sharara)- with bright colors and bold gold jewelry. The bhindis above your eyebrows, your up-do, your ornate jewelry, and your mendhi will all keep you looking like a beautiful traditional bride. Today Indian Bridal dresses (and groom dresses to some extent) have a lot of work done on them. Zari, embriodery, organza, zardozi, sequins, cut work, mirror work, patchwork, peal work, kundan, etc are all different kinds of "works", which are done on the dresses to make them look extra-ordinarily beautiful.
Indian Reception Outfit
This is when you can let a more modern touch control your outfit! The Indian reception outfit has taken on so many different styles, cuts, and colors that it makes it more fun for the Indian bride to express her personality and creativity. The biggest thing to remember is that (whether you like it or not) YOU are the center of attention! Even if you’re a simple person, your reception outfit need not be modest because it needs to make you pop. Indian reception lenghas are bright and shiny with heavy embroidery (works). Nowadays, many brides incorporate sexy cuts into their reception outfits, such as a halter, strapless, or slit in the skirt design. This is the outfit that you can have silver as your highlight color instead of gold, if you want. Other popular choices are turquoise, Tiffany blue, pink, and purple. Saris are also worn at the Indian wedding reception, but we say it’s the bride’s choice. Choose a lengha or a sari depending on what your more comfortable in and what you feel good in!
Indian Wedding Photography
Comments
Post a Comment