The wedding day is by far, one of the most important days of our lives. This does not go to say that they can also be stressful events! Partially that stress is about getting it all perfect or matched as closely as possible to our childhood dreams and in the process stay amongst the societal trends as well! Though, an individual who just became a fiancé to someone is all of a sudden from just that new title, expected to transform into someone who possess advanced project management skills. Especially if you come from a South Asian family-as an Indian wedding has even more particulars than Western wedding tradition. And so, here we have taken it upon ourselves in this blog to support the Indian Bride in her wedding preparations.
There are so many minute and time sensitive details to all equally important aspects of this event called a Wedding. Whether it is planning your trousseau, wedding card, or your attire; everything needs to be pretty much up to par with one’s own predetermined high standards. So Indian Bride- read the below carefully!
The Eastern bridal choices- in India:
The Indian Wedding Dress
Gone are the days when brides used to purchase heavy Banarsi saris that were popular for their gold brocade. These heavily embellished embroideries obviously made the sari relatively heavy, leaving the sari left in a back shelf of a closest after the wedding day. Now brides have become smarter by investing in a lighter more elegant sari for their special-day choosing multi-functionality vs a one hit wonder.
The preferred lighter weight materials like georgette, net, crepe, tissue and chiffon are being chosen these days, that are a far cry from the traditional silks. The work Style of embroideries in 2015 is vastly varied. Brides are going in for interesting non- traditional designs – really owning their individuality and creativity for that day. Even the cuts or traditional designs of the outfit itself has been altered drastically to individual preferences. No longer do the Lehengas reign supreme for the Bride. Fashion designers are designing bridal wear in pastel colors for this year-suiting the warm temperatures in India. The deep reds, pinks, and violets have been changed to shades of whites and beiges. For the groom in 2015, the fashion style is somewhat the same then the previous years. It is stating the obvious when one says that men’s style is more restraint in colors, style and cuts!
The grooms are still preferring to wear the traditional dhotis even this year which have been coming down the societal chain for the past 15-20 years now. The only difference we can see is that they too are preferring comfort over tradition and have moved to lighter fabrics for their dhotis too-like the silk and georgette. Their Safas or the wedding turbans have beautiful brocade work engraved in them. Jaipuri or Jodhpuri mojaris add so much more character to their attire this year.
The Jewelry:
By choosing light and different colors for their dress, the brides experiment with numerous accessories and makeup. Jewelry that is used and traded off for decades to come is very carefully selected and kept under lock and key in an Indian household. Hence, it is purchased after countless trips to the market! Again, this year we see brides selecting jewelry that is light weighted, set in modern settings and really trending to each one’s personal style rather than the generic, traditional hand made downs from their family looms.
The Card
The scroll design in Wedding cards is trending in 2015. This unique invitation card gives a royal look to the wedding. Depending on the budget, one can select the material used for these cards- for example handmade paper or silk. These two materials for the card would by all means end up costing a lot more than the ordinary paper and style for the card.
The Western bridal choices- in Canada
No matter where one ends up making a new home on the planet due to migration, brides around the world still prefer to dress in their traditional bridal attire. Therefore, even in Canada, the Indian bride likes to spice it up just a bit but closely still sticking to the Indian traditional overall look. Below are some of the westernized tweaks to the Indian traditional look in 2015.
The Indian-Canadian Wedding Dress
In Canada, due to the lack of resources for varied styles of embroideries or the extravagant costs for embroidery, one is finding that the styles and techniques of embellishments are far simpler than the ones found in India. The off-shoulder necklines and draped shoulder dresses are back in the bridal wear. This is done mostly as they can get away with their desire to show more skin in this country than they would be allowed to get away with in India due to the societal or family pressures. The Lehengas are still making their rounds in Canada-even though the Indian bride in India has given up on this. Even though the Lehengas worn in Canada are relatively new to this region-the Indian bride is making sure that this trend picks up in 2015. The colors for the bride in the western hemispheres are from the family of blues, greens and greys in 2015.
The Jewelry
The jewelry worn in Canada is similar in design and weight to the Indian Bride in India-less traditional and in fact delving in even diamonds instead of the redundant gold.
The Card
So unlike the appeal of the scroll card trending in India these days – the Canadian Indian Bride is going for the simpler- typical card. More in line with the Western appeal of the block printing and self- embossing techniques for the card. Using lively colours with additional gold detailing and adding on trimmings to the cards. Small sweet boxes are an additional feature we are seeing in Canada these days-I assume more in tuned with pleasing the Western guests who are used to these treats from their traditional weddings. No matter where the Indian Bride in 2015 decides to tie the knot- I am sure she will be more than relieved once all the arrangements are complete for her to enjoy her incredibly special well deserved event!