If you’ve ever wondered what sets apart a bride of the Y2K milieu from the members of a slightly older bridal camp, it is the ease with which she subverts rules that are out of alignment with her new-age femininity. Wedding costumes no longer haemorrhage personal style to favour traditions. If anything, they are full of surprising details, extremely fashion-forward and completely Instagrammable. They want to look the best version of themselves by making their own aesthetics work.
If you’re a trend-savant bride who’s on a screenshot-taking spree to find the perfect outfits to pack in her trousseau, you’re guaranteed to find inspiration in the pages ahead.
Sit tight and take notes, as the imprimatur for this wedding edit has been granted by India’s biggest names in fashion.
Swap Pastels for Jewel TonesIf your previous 'saved posts' on Instagram were chock-full of images of Anushka Sharma's pastel pink Sabyasachi lehenga or Priyanka's champagne-hued tulle one by designers Falguni Shane Peacock, then, we suggest you get rid of them, STAT. This year's wedding colours are far from demure. They are, in fact, symbolic of decadence and run the gamut from deep emerald green to the darkest purple. Think colours inspired by the precious stones set in resplendent heirloom necklaces. Find lehengas with handmade zardozi and cut-dana embroidery on fabrics that evoke a feeling of royalty. If you're unsure about finding jewel-inspired colours that will suit your needs, here is a collection of our handpicked outfits that will inspire you to ditch the ceremonial red this wedding season.
Go Bold with Plunging Necklines
2019 saw brides with necklaces cascading down in concentric circles, and covering any skin that stands between her clavicle and the neckline of her blouse. However, in 2020, bold is the only accessory we're wanting to see on the soon-to-be-wedded women and empowering brides with this confidence are the new-age blouses with necklines that plunge farther down than what was deemed previously acceptable. Depending on how non-conformist you are as a bride, you can choose to wear them for your pheras or make a show-stopping entry at your cocktail party with our selection of modern lehenga sets with daring necklines. For maximum impact, we suggest wearing these blouses with polki or jadau chokers or better yet, just 'em good ol' earrings.
Swap Traditional Dupattas with New-Age Ones
Think bride, and one can only conjure images of a demure and coy woman, with a dupatta draped over her head. However, one look at the runway shows and it's easy to say that the narrative for the modern Indian bride is being changed by avant-garde designers who are marrying age-old traditions with modern aesthetics. While hyper-constructed silhouettes were not in short supply in 2019, in 2020, they are being extended to the dupatta, too, by designers like Gaurav Gupta, Disha Patil and more, while some like Tarun Tahiliani and Siddartha Tytler are eliminating the use of a dupatta altogether by designing sleeves with cape-like attachments which moonlight as one.
Indulge in Some Shoulder Play
If you no longer like the idea of kowtowing to full-sleeve floor dusting tulle and net gowns for a pared-down reception party or a fun sangeet ceremony, then, we suggest turning your attention towards the return of the '80s trends - exposed shoulders - which have been given a couture-worthy makeover with the help of ruching, pleating and ruffles. Lend some edge to ladylike lehengas this season by going bold with the blouse choices. Find your match in the style that runs the gamut from the cold shoulder styles to bandeau versions of them. If you're still unsure about how to wear the shoulder-less blouses right, check our collection for some much-needed outfit inspiration.
Trade Those Swarovski Crystals with Mirrors
2023 saw our Instagram grids inundated with Swarovski crystal-encrusted outfits. This year, we're taking that bling and finding it in homegrown sources like mirrors from western India. Inspired by the sheesha embroidery from Gujarat, designers are using mirrors and merging it with the contemporary aesthetics of our modern bridalwear. Depending on which end of the 'bling' spectrum you prefer being on, explore styles which range from high-voltage glamorous pieces by Suneet Verma to more demure ones by Abhinav Mishra and Arpita Mehta and everything in between.
Pack a Metallic Punch
If you belong to the camp of contrarian brides who is eschewing popular opinions with regard to how a bride is supposed to look on her big day and the days leading up to it, then, this trend is for you. 2024 is borrowing bling from our favourite metals and lending some shine to our bridal outfits. We’ve left no stone unturned in fishing out these must-own metallics in shades of gold, copper, platinum – which is our ash-coloured take on the garden variety silver, and our seasonal darling hue, ivory. Swap a good ol' saree with its metallic variant by designer Rimzim Dadu for a reception or shake things out of predictability by choosing to go on the stage whlist wearing a hyper-constructed Amit Aggarwal lehenga.
Should you find yourself in more outfit quandaries, please feel free to reach out to Aza's style liaisons who will make it their mission to find you the wedding wear of your dream!
