Get to Know the Popular Indian Wedding Dresses

When it comes to Indian wedding, the first thing that comes into mind is the bride’s dress. Indian weddings are all about grand celebration, ceremonies, rituals, gorgeous decor and of course extravagant Indian wedding dresses to match the entire setting.

Indian wedding dresses differ from region to region and has its own significance backed by culture, tradition and customs of the particular state. Keeping in mind the rich cultural heritage of India, let’s jot down the most popular Indian wedding dresses of all time.
Lehenga-Choli
Lehenga Choli is undeniably the favourite dress of every bride. No matter which region she belongs, wearing lehenga choli on her wedding day would be her first choice. And why not, it is traditional and graceful at the same time. Lehenga choli looks great on every body type and it can match your budget. This wedding attire has undergone a huge transformation from being typically ethnic to modern and customised.

Though the basic silhouette of a cropped bodice paired with separate skirt remained the same but there are variations in it with time.  The length of choli and the shape of skirt have definitely been experimented a lot. Not just the bride, even bride’s sisters and friends love to adorn this outfit on weddings and other formal occasions.  From traditional intricate embroidery works like zari, motifs, zardozi to contemporary embellishments like stones, sequins, gota patti, beads etc  a lehenga choli is ought to be super stylish and highly elaborated. Following are the different styles of lehenga-choli.

Flowy Lehenga-choli
As the name suggests, flowy lehenga is a long flared skirt paired with a short fitted bodice along with a heavy duptta. This silhouette is quite traditional and is very popular among brides. Generally brides-to-be prefer flowy lehenga as it gives them the volume and make them look like a complete diva.

Bridal lehengas have over-the-top embroidery and embellishments and often made in traditional colours like deep red, orange and golden. Now a days, modern brides love to experiment with hues like green, royal blue and peach.

Stunning Ornate Red Lehenga

Fish-cut lehenga-choli
This style of lehenga-choli is totally opposite from the flowy one.  Unlike flared skirt, the fish-cut lehenga is long fitted skirt with slightly loose at the base.  Generally, fish-cut lehengas are paired with short cropped bodice or highly elaborated corset tops and dupatta.

These are a contemporary version of lehenga choli and have more of a western appeal to it. Indeed, fish-cut style is like a whiff of fresh air and brides love to flaunt their curves in this kind of silhouette.

Red Fish-TaleLehenga

Saree
Saree is unarguably the soul of Indian weddings. A red ornate saree is steeped in India’s tradition. Saree is popular Indian wedding attire. Not just the bridal red saree, India boasts to have a huge variety and style of sarees depending on the region.

Every style of saree has a deep-rooted cultural story behind it. Apart from the bridal red saree, every girl loves to include different styles of sarees in her trousseau collection too. Some of the popular styles of sarees include, Kanchipuram, Banarasi, silk, chanderi, cotton etc.

The Ishya Lehenga Saree

Anarkali suit
Anarkali suits have emerged as the latest Indian wedding dress. These flowy silhouettes give an impression of a lehenga just being more comfortable than it.  Anarkalis are regal and elegant and are inspired from Mughal era.

Basically its floor-length flared and wide suit with kalis to give it the required shape and fit. Anarkalis are adorned with exquisite embroidery and is paired with traditional kundan jewelry to get the complete bridal look. Different colours, fabrics and cuts give this garment, a whole new perspective.

Red Floor-Length Anarkali

Formal Gowns
Weddings in India are not a sole event as it is followed by a series of events before and after the wedding. For example, mehendi ceremony, sangeet ceremony and cocktail party are celebrated before the wedding and reception party is done after it. So, apart from the wedding dress, a bride needs many more formal dresses for such occasions. Here comes the formal gown in picture. Gowns are long fitted formal dress.

Taking cue from the western gowns, Indian bridal gowns are made with the touch of traditionalism in terms of colour and work. The basic silhouette remains the same with heavy embroidery works on the bodice or the flare. It is more of a fusion dress or you can say west meets east. The style of gown also differs depending on the preference and occasion. Some brides prefer flowy gowns and others like figure-hugging. These gowns look extremely stylish, chic and perfect for a formal evening.

Exquisite Red Ornate Gown

Now you can incorporate the ideas about the above mentioned Indian wedding dresses in your list and be the epitome of beauty and grace on your big day!

Bollywood Stars on the Ramp at Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2014

Bollywood and Indian Fashion Designers work very close to each other. A lot of the movie stars are on the catwalk for the designers in the different fashion weeks.

Leading ladies from Bollywood are usually a fixture on the catwalk, usually for their favourite designers. The close relationship is not surprising because consumers and media usually look to the shows for inspirations for their looks.

Some of the bollywood stars that stood out for us during the Lakme Fashion Week are shown here! The beautiful pictures are from Lakme Fashion Week

Beautiful Collection by Debashri Samanta at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2014 Edition

One of the most exciting designers who creates beautiful and quirky prints is Indian Designer Debashri Samanta - and she showed her latest collection at the Lakme Fashion Week's Winter Festive 2014 edition.

The prints and styling were trademark for the designers and very fresh. The styles looked like they were perfect for the summer and not necessarily for the winter, but you can easily combine these styles. The styles are ideal to be layered and worn in multiple layers in the colder season.

Here are some of the styles I particularly liked on the ramp,

We are going to continue posting from the Lakme Fashion Week - so keep coming back!

From the Indian Bridal Fashion Week 2014

BMW is the sponsor of the Indian Bridal Fashion Week 2014 that took place in Delhi and is also going to take place in Mumbai.

A lot of designers had their collection on the catwalk. They showed the latest styles of bridal clothes and also had a lot of bollywood celebrities on the catwalk wearing their clothes.

My favourite designers from the shows were Tarun Tahiliani and JJ Valaya. Jyotsna Tiwari's bridal collection was also very good.

I liked the colours used in the collections - a lot of non traditional colours like Black and Blue, that is not normal for bridal clothes in India. The clothes were obviously very gorgeous and pretty but at the same time, they looked very expensive.

There seem to be a lot of bridal shows in India, there was the India couture week and the India Jewellery Week that also finished recently. It is clear that Indians love the bridal clothes and are spending a lot of money on the clothes!

Here are some pictures of the indian bridal clothes that were shown at the India Bridal Fashion Week 2014

Jyotsna Tiwari's Bridal Collection

See also this amazing outfits for grooms!

Lehenga Choli Bridal Wear: The Colors and Trends for 2014

Looking her absolute best is not an option but a given for any bride on her wedding day. Great care is taken to choose the right outfit, apply perfect makeup, smooth her tresses into a silken glory so that at any photo op, she is picture perfect, and all eyes are on her. For most brides, wearing a lehenga choli is a given, but how does she ensure she is ahead of the trends that dictate lehenga choli bridal wear? Well, here’s where we come in. Presenting to you, the colors and trends that will ensure your look and your lehenga choli bridal outfit is talked about for years to come.

#ColourCode: Ivory and Gold

#TrendStatement: Mughal Mystic

White and gold is a traditionally elegant colour combination that spells class. Rohit Bal’s collection at the India Couture Week 2014 was evidence that this gorgeous combination always comes tops. Beautiful full-flared lehengas worn with bandhgala-inspired jackets in the same colour combination left us breathless. While his collection was inspired by traditional prints, a more sequin-heavy look could be a great choice for the lehenga choli bridal wear you pick. The colour palette of this lehenga choli bridal wear collection is one that personally we would like to see off the ramp, too.

#ColourCode: Pink and Blue

#TrendStatement: Traditional yet Offbeat

More often than not, lehenga choli bridal wear that is traditional in design is also in the conventional shades of red and maroon. So we were overjoyed to see this pink and blue JJ Valaya creation on actress Shraddha Kapoor at the official announcement of the Indian Bridal Fashion Week. The gorgeous pastel pink and blue combination with the subtle ombre effect isn’t one you see often and we love it. We also saw a deeper, brighter pink and blue bridal lehenga choli in Manish Malhotra’s collection and we are beginning to lust after this not-oft-explored combination in lehenga choli bridal wear.

#ColourCode: All Gold

#TrendStatement: Frivolous Frills

For brides who love to have a bit of fun and want a more fuss-free version of the lehenga choli for their weddings, just take a look at the Tarun Tahiliani collection for bridal wear. Pre-pleated dupattas and multi-layered, frilled lehengas mean you get the fit, finish, and functionality that you would normally associate with everyday clothing. The all gold colour theme brings a certain level of glamour to the lehenga choli that every bridal wear needs. What else can you want from your lehenga choli bridal piece?

#ColourCode: Muted Gold and Silver on White

#TrendStatement: Functional and Classy

Looking for a classier, sleeker bridal outfit that you could probably wear again without feeling too over the top? Then Abraham & Thakore’s look featured in a leading bridal magazine maybe just what you are looking for.

Wide-legged, high-waisted pants that when worn could easily pass off for a lehenga and a half-sleeved traditional choli; the entire outfit taken up a notch with sequin embroidery, it is a look that is draws your attention without being garish. This is the perfect lehenga choli bridal outfit for a bride who believes in subdued elegance.

#ColourCode: Dark and White

#TrendStatement: World Bride

Now if you are bride who is a bit of rebel and you want a lehenga choli for your bridal duties that is a bit more off kilter, then we suggest for inspiration Monisha Jaisingh’s latest collection. She had model Lisa Haydon strut down the ramp in a black leather-inspired, heavily-embroidered in the Rococo style lehenga which was worn with a white knotted shirt top, and beautiful bridal jewellery. The edgy brides of today would love an outfit inspired by this; a lehenga choli bridal in design but dramatic and rebellious at heart.

#ColourCode: Red and Gold

#TrendStatement: Conventional and Classic

If you love the classic beauty of a red lehenga choli (and who doesn’t), look no further than Manish Malhotra for inspiration. At the India Couture Week, he played around with gold dust and beige hues to create lehenga choli bridal designs. What left us spellbound was the creation in which Alia Bhatt walked down the ramp; a red full-sleeved choli with gold embroidery on the sleeves, a full, flared, covered with gold work lehenga, and a sheer dupatta. To say that it was breathtaking would be to spell the obvious.

Now that you have been spoilt for choice, picking the lehenga choli bridal outfit for your D-day should be an easier task. Be prepared for the admiration and compliments you receive when you make your entrance on your special day. It’s going to be a moment that you will want to relive time and time again.