Sashay down the aisle

Weddings have always been a grand affair. And despite the lavish spread and all the fancy wedding embellishments, the spotlight always falls on the bride and the bridegroom. More specifically, their attire. Trends in wedding wear have changed over the years, with more focus on details, motifs and even colours. 

Wedding wear has evolved a lot, vouches city-based designer Namrata G. “The entire concept of wedding wear has gone through a revamp. Everything from colours to cuts is different now. Fabrics like lace, ‘Banarasi’ fabric, silks and even handloom have become the rage and cuts vary from medium to max flare now. We have created ‘lehengas’ from 60 to 180 ‘kalis’ according to individual preferences,” says Namrata.

Colours like vine, prussian, aqua, turquoise, yellow, ecru, orange, Minerva, green and midnight blue are the colours of the season. “A lot of layers, over-jackets and flares are trending now. The ‘choli’ is also being experimented with. In my creations, I have used a lot of ‘Banarasi’.” Velvet jackets with ‘lehengas’ are being blended together. “The vintage-cum-Bohemian look is in now. Capes and drapes are being paired to complete the look,” she adds. 

The colour palette has changed manifold, details designer Deepika Govind, who believes that it is more European influenced now, with pastel shades like pale pink, pale coral and light aqua being big now. “The bridal look is going softer. The floral mania still remains, which is to tone down the shine and the glitz of embroidery. Lots of threadwork embroidery can be seen in floral motifs too. I have used colours like antique gold, glass green and pale pink in my creations,” she adds. Fitted skirts and draping with topwear can be seen in her collection. “We also have stitch saris, which is a sari lookalike,” she adds.  Dull gold is a part of most wedding outfits now. “Our classics include ‘patola’ and ‘ikat’ prints in ‘lehengas’, as Indian textiles are important for me. I have worked with a lot of ‘jamdani’ and ‘Banarasi’ fabrics in old rose and light coral,” she adds. ‘Banarasi’ fabric is being used a lot in varied outfits and ‘lehangas’ too. “We’ve done a revival of the fabric. From ‘lehengas’ in fuchsia and gold and other outfits in ‘mehendi’ colours, we have experimented a lot with the Banarasi weave,” details designer Ritu Kumar. People who have destination weddings are often opting for more fun and easy wedding wear. Though the traditional ceremony might hold classic colours like red and burgundy with gold weaving. “The colours stay according to the community and region,” she details. 

Men’s wedding wear has always been about three colours, cream, beige and gold, says designer Lokessh Ahuja. “It’s been noticed that the over-the-top embroidery look is gone and it’s the era of minimalistic designs,” he details. He adds that the length of the ‘sherwani’ has reduced by four to five inches and now it’s even worn with formal trousers.

The colour of the season is predominantly ivory gold, says city-based designer Sanjay Choraria. “Some also like experimenting with bold colours like plum or electric blue. Variations of gold like rose gold are being used in the garments,” says Sanjay. The draping technique seems to be the trend of today, adds Sanjay. “There are unique techniques in wedding wear now, where we have done ‘sherwanis’ in which the front is not a mirror image. We’ve used draped jackets and even trousers this season. Also, long jackets when added to an ensemble add opulence to the groom’s look,” says Sanjay.  Bridal colours were often thought to be only red, orange or maroon, but now brides are ready to go out of their way to experiment, says designer Shammy. 

“Green, orange, royal blue, royal blue and red, magenta and other experimental colours are in vogue now. Velvet and brocade are in and there is the draping technique added to it to give it a royal touch. ‘Lehengas’ and even saris are worn like gowns now,” says Shammy.