This article is a part of the Muhurat At Home Series, brought to you by Kalyan Jewellers. Planning a wedding? Book a Live Session here for an exclusive session with Kalyan Jewellers’ executives.
With new restrictions on how many people you can invite to your wedding, and with the need to enforce social distancing and stringent hygiene - you may have to go smaller or more minimal with the venue, decor and food service. But, as bridal stylists Aarya and Shilpa tell us, your wedding outfits can always pack a big punch.
“What the bride wears, from head to toe, is what defines how she feels on her big day. Even if she has no more than a hundred guests, she can still feel like a million bucks if she plans her wardrobe well,” Shilpa says.
To help you make these wardrobe choices correctly, we’ve compiled a list of expert pointers.
The parts of the outfit that are most precious, that you will carry forward with you in life, like the wedding jewellery are the parts you shouldn’t cut corners on. The expert stylists advise that the bride to chooses her jewellery first - because it's worn multiple times in one's lifetime, kept and passed on. It lives on through lifetimes, so it’s the part of the wedding outfit to buy with care. Make sure you choose the pieces that will last you through many wears, many occasions and many generations.
“For the smaller wedding events, it’s sometimes nice and intimate when the bride wears some precious hand-me-downs from elders in the family. But for the big ceremonies - the actual marriage ceremony and the reception - it’s nice to choose brand new precious jewellery that perfectly fits the bride’s tastes,” Aarya says.
“For one wedding that I styled, the bride had always dreamed of having a very specific gold choker and necklace set with a peacock design. I encouraged her to go out, enjoy the experience of bridal jewellery shopping, and get what she wanted. You’re the bride! You deserve to get what you want on this day!” Shilpa exclaims.
Of course, you may still be wary of stepping out too much. But there’s a solution for this, too. To reduce waiting time and still be able to select your jewellery in person, you can book a live session with the jewellery store.
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The practice of going more minimal with your wedding may inspire you to try and be innovative with your outfits, too. Go with it!
“Everybody is on the sustainability trend lately, and it’s something that brides can certainly play around with in these times,” Aarya explains, “Tailors are open again, but maybe you don’t want to go to the markets and shuffle through multiple fabrics. That’s fine. It could be even more emotionally rewarding to take a special fancy saree of your mother’s to the tailor and have it repurposed into a wedding lehenga.”
Shilpa tells us how a bride she styled took two heavy silk pattu sarees in shades of blue and purple from her mother’s closet to create a flattering lehenga-half saree drape. “She was basically draped in 12 yards of heavy, perfectly pleated silk, of course it was glamorous. It actually looked better than a lot of from-scratch outfits I’ve seen in my experience,” she says.
Image courtesy: Makeup artist Tanya Kaur
Both Shilpa and Aarya tell us how brides carefully planned out matching embroidered masks for each outfit, and encouraged the entire wedding party to do so. Masks are easy to make and don’t require too much extra fabric, so it’s an impactful and easy detail to have fun with.
A brocade fabric mask that matches the blouse is a good way to go. Or adding metallic trimming to the mask edges that match the embroidery on the lehenga. “One bride even had a gold chain attachable to hers, so she could wear it around her neck as an accessory when she didn’t need it on,” confides Aarya.
Ever tried a netted veil headdress? It’s simpler and more elegant than you think, and not only for white wedding dresses. Try a small piece of stiff net pinned to your hair or a birdcage veil, maybe sprinkled minimally with pearls, to go with a neutral coloured lehenga or fusion piece. It adds dimension to the face and a lovely touch of old-world glamour.
As for the makeup, do whatever your heart desires. Shilpa recommends trying out neon shades in minimal touches for the eyes and more neutral shades for the cheeks and lips. “Flawless bronzed skin with a surprising line of neon purple or yellow on the eye - now that’s a look that everybody will talk about.”
Keep your in-person shopping time for important things like picking out jewellery. For outfits that don’t require too much customization, instead of having them designed or tailored, buy them off the rack and have them altered if needed.
“Keep your choices classic and you can easily buy readymade,” Shilpa says confidently. “You can’t go wrong with certain fabrics and styles, like free-flowing chiffon, floral prints for a daytime event, and traditional silk. Don’t complicate it for yourself.”
Since your wedding has a cap on the number of people who can attend, more and more of your acquaintances and extended family will be experiencing the events through social media. “Pick outfits and jewellery that stand out on camera, so you’ll be the star on instagram no matter what,” advise the stylists.
“When you mix and match textures, each piece picks up the light in different ways, making you look even more striking. So a coordinated lehenga outfit may not be as eye catching as a heavy embroidered lehenga skirt paired with a slinky sequin metallic top that complements the skirt but doesn’t exactly match it,” Aarya explains.
Speaking of creating beautiful textures - Shilpa advises that graceful crepe, net and organza used in layers look gorgeous in photos.
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This article was produced in association with Kalyan Jewellers.