Seven dresses that will make you stand out on your D-day

16 JAN 2019 : The big fat Indian wedding is packed with ceremonies and rituals. As the wedding season dawns, brides-to-be are busy making preps to look their best at all the events in the run-up to their special day, including on the day itself. While make-up, hair, and jewelry are the key elements for a bride to look beautiful, the clothes she wears for the different types of ceremonies is a rudimentary factor that needs detailed attention.

Indian bridal trends are transforming in terms of the colors, fabrics, and designs and styles for brides. There’s an emphasis on making elegant clothing choices. The chances of seeing the old bright ethnic colors and traditional fabrics with some outstanding designs from the previous decades, are high.

Below is a handy guide on what to wear for the seven key ceremonies that will make you stand out on your D-day.

1.Engagement

Since red is considered to be the ‘auspicious color’ for the bride, especially on the wedding day, you can opt for shades of traditional pastels and crème for the engagement. Your first special occasion in the series of ceremonies in run-up to the wedding is usually a low-key affair, which gives you the chance to experiment with your outfit. Gowns made from Satin fabrics with some zari work on them can give an exquisite look and make you feel comfortable throughout the entire evening. Satin is a chic and opulent fabric with a wonderfully shiny face, which adds grace, style, and form. Designers also advice brides to go for floral designs for the fresh and soft look.

2.Mehendi

Avoid light colors as you wouldn’t want to mess up your dress with mehendi stains. A crop top and a skirt or lehenga choli can be an ideal attire for this ceremony preferably in shades of pink, mazarine blue, cordovan, peach, etc. Floral designs on ‘Organza’ can have a decent dreamy effect, and if it’s a lehenga, it can be paired with a plain satin blouse to give a light and breezy look, especially if it’s an open-air ceremony with canopies.

3. Sangeet

At this point of the ceremony, you can go bold and choose from a palette of bright colors, as the ceremony often begins in the evening and goes well-into the night. Fancy jacquards in shades of violet, magenta, beet red and garden green can give a trendy yet traditional look to the bride, shaking a leg on the dance floor.

4. Haldi

Dressing in yellow is the usual choice for this ceremony. But a bride has to stand out from her guests. Ideally opt for some new colors and there is no dearth of choices, here! Turquoise, indigo, peach, and fluorescent yellow are the hues this season. In terms of design and fabric, anarkali suits made out of Modal satin and Cotton satin fabrics will render a magnificent look, thanks to its natural lustre and glaze. Solid dyed fabrics clubbed with patches of prints can also work like a charm.

5. Tilak ceremony

With people more conscious of looking at sustainability as a part of their life, they recycle old sarees as a gesture of paying homage to their family sentiments. If you enjoy stalking celebrities for the best fashion advice, it is seen that long-sleeved blouses are on top to make a perfect impression. Most commonly spotted are cool colors like cream and pink which goes elegant and light for the tilak ceremony.

6.Wedding

Both the bride and the groom should be dressed to bedazzle the crowd on their special day. The color palette for this ceremony has to be vibrant and rich to add grace to the mandap décor and mood. Golden, red, barberry, maroon and green with embellishments in gold or silver is traditionally preferred to get that royal feel. Goti patti work is back this year seen in blouses and lehengas over subtle warm hues and pastel color combinations.

7. Cocktail/ Reception

On this day, the bride has a chance to step out of her traditional attires and experiment with some fusion outfits. A beautiful blend of contemporary and traditional designs, the Meld fusion gowns are in vogue this season. Also make it a point to leave the red and pinks aside and dig for shades such as teaberry pink, olive green, coral, and matte. Remember, ghaghras made out of butta fabrics gives a subtle yet fashionable look to the wearer.