All the Stunning Looks from Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj’s Wedding

Planning a fairytale-inspired wedding in the middle of a pandemic almost sounds mythic. But Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj made it happen in what was perhaps the most understated celebrity wedding, ever (but, of course, grand by lockdown standards). With Miheeka bringing in her Marwari roots and Rana his Telugu culture, this multicultural wedding made the headlines for all the right reasons. The wedding, which took place in Hyderabad, had a guest list of 30 and included some of the biggest starlets of the South Indian film industry like Naga Chaitanya (who happens to be Rana's cousin) his wife, the super fashionable Samantha Akkineni, and Ram Charan. 

The bride's classy aesthetics that are a direct result of her work as an interior designer heavily influenced her outfits and jewellery, and can serve as an inspiration to any bride-to-be who is planning a lockdown wedding herself. The digitally planned and curated wedding finally culminated in a picture-perfect intimate wedding which we have laid out occasion-wise for you to see. 

If you are the bride (or groom) yourself or have RSVP'd to a wedding, take cues from these pictures on how to host and have the perfect lockdown-friendly intimate wedding.

The Bride's Trousseau

Roka - Kanjeevaram saree by Jayanti Reddy

The pictures of the Roka ceremony which was held at Ramanaidu Studios (which is also owned by Rana's family) filled Instagram with Miheeka in a peach-coloured kanjeevaram saree from designer Jayanti Reddy. What served as a nice addition, though, was the additional pallu. The highlight of the outfit was undoubtedly the heavily embroidered blouse with a scalloped hem and gotta patti work. Miheeka's bijouzx from her family-owned brand, Krsala Jewellery, was inundated with meenakari and polki work and complemented the overall look that was mainly traditional. We love how she kept her makeup neutral with a nude lipstick and natural blowdried hair. 

Bhatt Nyotana - Her mother's heirloom bandhani lehenga

The important custom of Bhatt Nyotana, which is a part of Miheeka's Marwari heritage, saw the bride reaching for her mother's red wedding lehenga with bandhani work, gotta patti embroidery, and mirror work. Ladies, if you too wish to incorporate 'something borrowed' into your wedding wardrobe, then repurposing your mother or grandmother's heirloom pieces in a pre-wedding festivity seems like a nice way to do so.

Lagna Patrikalu - Lehenga set by Jayanti Reddy

Lagna Patrikalu, which roughly translates to exchanging of wedding invitations, is often celebrated to officiate the wedding between two families. For the event, Miheeka yet again chose a pistachio-green lehenga by Jayanti Reddy. We love the combination of a coral-inspired dupatta, which she draped from the back, almost resembling a jacket. The colour combination reinstates that pastel hues definitely belong in the pre-wedding festivities. Even if we had never thought of wearing purple stones in our necklaces, this jadau mala chosen by Miheeka is making us want to reconsider the hue when it comes to wedding-worthy jewellery. 

Haldi - Lehenga set by Anand Kabra

Miheeka and Rana Daggubati's haldi ceremony seemed like a fun affair with both the bride and groom looking relaxed and steeped in enjoying the pre-wedding festivity. Miheeka picked a minimal yellow lehenga set by Anand Kabra featuring dainty embroidery on the choli and plain skirt. She also elevated the look by adding on a mint-green waist-belt that accentuated her frame.

The highlight of this look was the cowrie-shell mathapatti, dream-catcher-inspired earrings, and bangles by Arpita Mehta. If you, too, want to quirk-up your outfit, take a rain-check on traditional jewellery and opt for contemporary add-ons that stand out.

Mehendi - Jacket-lehenga set by Arpita Mehta

Miheeka looked absolutely ravishing at her mehendi ceremony in this raspberry pink jacket-lehenga set by Arpita Mehta. The outfit was doused in intricate detailing, which complemented her regal polki maangtikka and her Russian emerald-encrusted earrings. The matching pink-rose lip hue definitely brought out her bridal glow. The soft curls too, have been noted in our hair-and-makeup inspiration roster.

Wedding - Lehenga set by Anamika Khanna

Miheeka's bridal lehenga is a reflection of her subdued sense of style. The bride turned to designer Anamika Khanna's creation for her big day. Since the bride's directive for her outfit was to be equal parts elegant and subtle, this cream and gold lehenga with a coral-coloured veil suited her well. The lehenga is chock-full of hand-embroidered zardozi and chikankari work and took up to staggering 10,000 man-hours to make. That makes the style one of the most quintessential bridal outfits in the midst of the pandemic. Her jewellery was just as stunning, with the usage of rare polkis and emeralds and rubies for her necklace set, nathani, and mathapatti. 

All you ladies leaning towards white for your big day, this is your cue to go for it.

The Groom's Trousseau

Kunal Rawal, the designer whose sister is married to Miheeka's brother, seems to be well acquainted with Rana's style which is very understated and comfort-driven. Perhaps why the superstar opted for a humble white shirt-veshti look for his roka and haldi ceremonies. His mehendi look was a crisp jacket-kurta set that was an epitome of simplicity. Rana's wedding outfit was evidently in tandem with Miheeka's, with a beige kurta-dhoti set with shawls making an appearance.

Samantha Akkineni - Bridesmaid dressing

Need more inspiration to opt for uber-minimal styles for a lockdown wedding? Take cues from the stunning Samantha Akkineni, who made us fall for jewel tones and pastel hues all over again.

The gorgeous actor opted for a yellow jacket-sharara set by Arpita Mehta for the mehendi ceremony and kept things classic with a blue silk saree by Raw Mango for the wedding. Her post-wedding looks caught our attention, with her acing the solid colours again with this green kurta set by Deepthee, and a handwoven Ponduru cotton saree by Taanbaan X Blue Lotus Handloom. Her add-on picks were classy too, with dainty beaded chokers and chandbaalis rounding off her look.

In case we needed more encouragement, simplicity is the best route for a graceful look.  

Loved Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj's lockdown wedding? Let us know in the comments below!