Tips for the unconventional bride

The journey of the modern Indian woman has been laudable. She has progressed in myriad ways, from being a celebrated homemaker to taking over the reins and supporting her family financially. This duality plays a major feature in the outlook of the modern Indian bride today, as she seamlessly marries the two into the vision of her dream wedding. While bridal ensembles increasingly give in to the Indo-fusion fervour, with hybrid sari-gowns taking centre stage, ensure that you make space for a little ‘something borrowed’ from your mother’s heirloom jewels.

Here’s how you can blend tradition with modernity:

• Traditional embroideries never get old. The motifs keep rotating on the roulette wheel of trends. Start out with a classic bridal lehenga-choli adorned with weaving. Modernise the outfit with colours like red, green or pink, while keeping the earthiness intact through weaves and embroideries. The top-running candidates are traditional weaves like Kanchipuram, Banarasi, Jamdani, Taant and Paithani. Gowns are the recurring favourite for cocktail parties and receptions. These occasions provide a perfect opportunity to blend a modern silhouette with traditional embroidery.
• Use handloom fabrics to create Indo-western patterns that are edgy and out of the box. Team palazzo pants with a crop top made of handloom fabrics. If crop tops are not your thing, you can opt for an off-shoulder empire-waisted top with dhoti pants. Or add a modern spin to the traditional lehenga by swapping the choli with a crisp white button-down shirt for an effortlessly chic ensemble that marries the best of both worlds. Throw on a jacket or a blazer crafted with a handloom fabric of your choice, and you’re good to go.
• Don’t underestimate the nostalgic charm of having mehendi on your hands for the big day. There’s no discounting the importance of the quintessential mehendi ceremony. Regardless of how modern your bridal ensemble is, it won’t be complete without henna-clad hands adorned with traditional bangles. An unconventional bride can opt for a minimalistic wedding attire, but can also accentuate the outfit with traditional gold and diamond jewellery. If your outfit is heavy, you can balance it with just a choker around the neck and heavier earrings and a maang tikka to compensate.
• Give a modern update to traditional lehengas and saris with unconventional colours. There’s no denying that the bridal ensemble is the biggest priority of the bride. Every girl has grown up dreaming and designing her outfit, and has a definite idea of what she wants it to look like. As trends evolve, it is now possible to keep it minimal and still stand out from the crowd. To achieve the right blend of minimalism, opt for pastel hues like peach, pink, mint blue and nude. Complete the outfit with stonework, pearls or embroidery to add a sense of grandeur befitting the bride. This will ensure that no matter how subtle the colour of the outfit, you will still look, and feel, like the showstopper of the day.

(The author is the founder of Mishru)