Two very popular Indian designers, Sabyasachi and Shyamal and Bhumika, showcased their Bridal collection recently. I have always believed that clothes tell a story and these designers painted two very different pictures of the Bride.

Sabya’s collection reflects a strong regional flavor for the quintessential bride. Sabya’s bride is a "deep-rooted girl" who represents the ethos of global awareness with the traditional pathos of Indian culture. Sabya’s signature patchwork and motif designs stitched into unusual fabrics gives a feeling of going back to ancient and medieval ages.

COLORS – Earthy muted tones of taupe, violet, cyans, multi-facets of vermilions and somber reds dominates this collection.

FABRICS - Blending velvets, silks, brocades with organzas, chiffons and other lighter fabric, Sabya’s collection is an epitome of textile art.


Shyamal & Bhumika’s collection painted a picture of a bride who is fun, eccentric and does not hesitate to experiment. She has an aura of mature woman-like sensibilities with a girl like vividness.

COLORS - The bright oranges with vivid greens and blues create a with Mixing a kaleidoscope of colors that perfectly encapsulates the lively spirit of this bride.

FABRICS - Inspired by the colors and styles of Gujarat and Rajasthan, the lehengas were free flowing with lavish dupattas and the elaborate saris, accessorized with tassels & mirror work.

One look at the pictures and I immediately associated myself with the second collection. The big bright colors are totally my style (I had three different colors in my wedding lehenga).

What about you? What kind of bride you were or want to be? Are there any particular elements of the collection (like colors, fabrics etc) that you associate yourself with?

I love love love black. Not only it is the best color to wear when in doubt but it also is flattering on most skin tones and body types. When it comes to wedding however, black may not be the first choice for many people. One reason is the superstitions attached with black (I experienced that during my own wedding too!!!). The other reason is that as most Indian weddings are held at night & black may appear a bit dull and monotonous on the bride. This post addresses the second reason.
Whether for a wedding, family dinner or a night out with friends, rock in black with these options:


- Have black as a base printed bright gold motifs (butis etc) as print, giving just a hint of black to the entire outfit.(pic 1)
- Go for a plain chiffon black saree with gold or silver lace (gota) border paired with a gold or silver blouse. (pic 2)
- Black paired with dull sand gold – Not as bright as the first style but is sure sensuous and beautiful.(pic 3)



- Play with the dupatta – This is perhaps the most common way to wear black. You can choose almost any colored dupatta on a black lehenga and it will look good. But, don’t settle for usual reds, maroons and yellows. Go for something different like in the 4th picture below - pale blue, pink & lemon would be perfect for summers. Gold, though common, never fails with black. So when in doubt combine black with gold (pic 5 & 6).

When I see yellow, optimism, cheerfulness and hope comes to my mind. Yellow often goes hand-in-hand with that clean, grounded New England look, with lots of buttery porcelain and handmade papers.



For Indian weddings, combine soft, cheery yellow with bold colors like green, orange or fuchsia. Yellow with sky blue or turquoise is a perfect combination for a romantic beach wedding. Though this may be a slightly unconventional color for Indian weddings but if you are in the mood to make some heads turn, then this color is sure your cup of tea.

Gold can be a very tricky color to settle for if your wedding is in sweltering Indian summers. You don’t want to look too garish, draped in an outfit gaudy enough to overpower your whole persona. But, I do agree that gold is the most exotic color and here are few tips to help you wear this color in the right way.

1) Combine pastels with gold – The pastel colors offset the brightness of gold and add a more feminine touch.
2) For embroideries opt for dull gold zari or kundan gold, rather than heavy gold sequins or embellishments.



3) For summers, go for muted tones of gold. Opt for sheer light fabrics with delicate designs and patterns.
4) Use gota – Golden gota on the border of your dupatta , neckline of the blouse or along the circle of the lehenga will give a the requisite touch of gold, without overdoing the shimmer.

Browse through some of the latest designs in bridal lehangas from Vogue India. Use of intricate embroidery, uniform color pattern and delicate silhouettes make these so very sensual and glamorous. I particularly loved the style of the brocade jacket, instead of the usual choli and dupatta.




In the editorial shoes have been used to pop some color and spunk into the outfit. It might be a bit difficult play with this idea in real life (I mean shoes are hardly visible under the lehenga). But, you can take clues and dress up a neutral colored suit or a saree in a similar way. Nevertheless, loved the spread and had to share it with you guys.

Experiencing wedding blues is a common phenomenon as your D-day approaches. For those of you who also want to add some blue to their wedding outfits, have a look at the styles below.


Image Courtesy: www.mantraweddings.com

There are different shades of blue that you can experiment with – turquoise, dark or grayish blue or light blue. Blue is also one color that works well in both summer and winter weddings. A light sea green blue for summers or a wine velvet blue for winters are perfect for the brides who don’t want to stick with traditional maroons, reds and pinks.



Is blue the new red for Indian weddings? What do you think?

Styles With Two Dupattas: Here are some styles using two dupattas. One dupatta can be draped around the waist and the other one can be left flowing to cover the head.


Image Courtesy: Bridal Asia, Kolkatta Fashion Week, santabanta.com

Styles with a single dupatta: Here are some styles with a single dupatta.



Image Courtesy: Bridal Asia, pinkvilla.com


Image Courtesy: CTC Plaza via fashionandyou.com


Image Courtesy: Bridal Asia

Coming Up: Choli/Blouse Designs

I think the most important factor while deciding your outfit is the color. Trust me on this, sometimes color makes all the difference. You may want to stick with the traditional colors such as red, maroon, pink or golden . But you can experiment a little and try on different colors and see what works best for you. If you are anything like me and don’t want to wear red or maroon on your day, then go for some unique colors such as blue, wine, green or a combination of red and blue, red and green or pink and blue.

The important thing is that the color should compliment your skin tone and it should enhance the beauty of the design you have chosen. And, the best way to see what looks best on you is to go and try out lehengas with different colors. Sometimes we tend to stuck on a particular color and don’t try out other options. For instance you might have always visualized yourself in a soft pink lehenga, but may be a red and golden compliments you more. So, my advice here would be try on as many options as you can( until and unless you are rock sure of what is best for you) and then take your pick.

(On the aside – When trying on different outfits, the salesmen would assure you that along with the make up, lighting and proper draping of the dupatta, the lehenga would look absolutely fantastic – even though it is not looking so right now. Don’t buy into this. The lehenga should look good in your most natural self. The make up, lights etc would of course enhance the look. But, first the color SHOULD look good when you are sans any special effects (read foundation, blush and ultra bright lights).

Feast your eyes on some of gorgeous color palettes.




Image Courtesy: desirebysimran.com,santabanta.com


Image Courtesy:lovepaki.com




Image courtesy: Bridal Asia and Ctc Plaza



Coming Up: Different Styles of Lehenga

The workmanship on the outfit is another important area. Well for starters, you should know that there are lot of options to choose from. You can have heavy zardozi work, beads, multicolored stones, emerald, pearls, silver and gold threads. The decision would depend on the overall look, your budget and of course what you want for yourself.

Feast your eyes on few samples of different works below:

1) Pearl and Dabka Work : Pearls add elegance to the lehenga and give a very nice definition to the border. In Katrina's lehenga below, the dupatta is simple overall with just a heavy border around it. This lehenga is a departure from the usually heavily embellished lehengas and is perfect for the modern day bride. This is personally my favorite style of dupattas.

Pearl Work in bright and soft colors



2) The Gold thread and Zardozi : This is the most traditional and opulent kind of work. You will find in ample of designs. The below lehenga is all covered by golden thread and zardosi, giving it a very rich, heavy and traditional look. It also has a long choli as compared to short ones that are common today. Also notice the well played contrast with green emerald drop necklace and the maangtika. I think a green dupatta (in the color of the border) would have looked equally fabulous.



Zardozi and Gota Patti work




3) Silver Thread - Silver thread accentuates pastel colors. If you are going in for soft colors this is probably the most common type of work you will see. Notice how the silver gota border enhances the beauty of the outfit.
This work looks best if you pair it with diamond (or similar white colored stones or pearls) accessories. If you are planning to wear something in gold or kundan then options 1 & 2 above are the best.


Image Courtesy: Bridal Asia and santabanta.com

4) Sequins and Stones: These two designs are heavily embellished with sequins, stones, butis and zardozi. Lot of similar type of work is seen in bridal sarees and suits also.

White Stones & sequins


Image Courtesy: Bridal Asia

Colored Stones & sequins


Image Courtesy: Zeenat Boutique

5) Intricate designs: If you want a rich traditional look without giving into all the bling and ostentation, then these intricate designs with bold colors and festive folds may be your cup of tea.


Image Courtesy: pinkvilla.com

6) Frills Work: Frills seem to be dominating this season. From casual tops to oscar gowns to traditional Indian attire – frills are everywhere. A frill lehenga is the perfect culmination of historical opulence and chic style for modern day brides.


Image courtesy: Birdal Asia and santabanta.com

7) Flower Power : If there is any style that has gain immense popularity and commercialization across all types of Indian wear, it is the flower style. When used with heavy embellishments and in deeper hues, this style gives a soft romantic and youthful look, while looking rich and classy at the same time.


Image courtesy: Bridal Asia

Coming up: The color of the Lehenga

When it comes to bridal dresses in India, there is a huge variety of fabrics to choose from. From pure crepes, silks and brocades to net, georgette and satin – the shops have them all. You will find lot of designs in silks, raw silks and pure crepes. Net fabric is back with a bang these days and is found everywhere in sarees, suits and in lehengas. But there are few things that you might like to keep in mind before zeroing in on the fabric.

1) The weather – You don't want to be standing and sweating in brocade if your wedding is in our scorching summers. Save heavy fabrics like raw silks and brocades for winters. In summers, slightly lighter variety of silk, crepes or net works best.

2) The color and the design – Well, we all know that certain colors look best when worn in certain fabric. For instance, if you are going for soft pastel shades a pure crepe fabric would accentuate the color more than a brocade or silk. However, if you want to go in for deeper richer hues than nothing beats silk.

3) The whole look – Ultimately it's how the whole piece is put together that makes all the difference. The fabric, color, design and the work on the lehenga should all compliment each other.

Take a peak at some of the fabrics:

Crepe Lehenga with Raw Silk Choli


Photo Courtesy: Lakme India Fashion Week

Brocade Lehengas


Photo Courtesy: Bridal Asia & santabanta.com

Lehnega Styles in Net


Photo Courtesy: santabanta.com

Velvet Lehenga Styles


Photo Courtesy: Lakme India Fashion week, vdiexports.com & highheelconfidential.com

Coming Up:

Workmanship on Lehengas