5 fashion takeaways from an Indian wedding

The entire world is zapped into this historical event of a lock-down and it is wishful thinking to even go out for a walk now, therefore it seems simply amazing that barely a few days before all hell broke loose my friend threw a huge wedding party, without knowing that her wedding had just about escaped the clutches of quarantine. Luckily for us too as little did we know that it would be the last time in a long while that we all got to get together. Well all ruminations aside, this miracle wedding did score some major fashion points as all the guests, bride, groom and the wedding planners created a very elegant and beautiful experience for us to cherish.

Here are my five takeaways from this miracle wedding as I would like to call it!

1. Flower Power

Flowers are the quintessential companions of any wedding, from dainty jasmines tucked under tree trunks to the vibrant marigold streams hanging overhead; from serving as pretty floral prints on your dresses to adorning the brides hair. It adds an aesthetic value that is fresh and timeless, up-jumping the beauty quotient 10 times over. So slay that flower power the next time you attend a wedding.

2. Glitz and Sparkle

Nothing sets the tempo at a cocktail party as a sexy sequined dress. This wedding had every other lady making heads turn in embellished, glittery, sequined gowns and dresses. The bride herself wore a ravishing teal green sequined gown that was hand-stitched by her Papa himself! Quite literally a starry affair. Sparkle sure is the flavor of this season.

3. Reuse and Recycle

Mom's saree? an old hand-loom dupatta? pretty fabrics which need a bit of tweaking to match your contemporary sense and sensibilities? Look no further and take inspiration from these creative wizards.

image 1: An old brocade saree was tailored into this magnificent lehenga. The skirt, blouse and dupatta all fashioned from the rich 9 yard long material. The brinjal hues look even more lovely on the swirling skirt and the brocade borders look resplendent on the blouse.

image 2: Haldi ceremony - bride has to go yellow all the way! But can't ruin a brand new dress for it, so she brings out the turmeric colored saree with the golden border which looks luscious but is almost as old as her. Who says the bride cant reuse? especially if she is going to get haldi smeared all over her.

image 3: A red crepe dupatta with intricate threadwork, too large to handle was converted into this smart sleeveless kurta. Perfect for that mehendi ceremony where you do not want to get henna stains on your clothes yet still want to look festive and peppy!

4. That choker though!

Prominent collarbones are an ornament in themselves, but layer them with exquisite jewelry preferably a choker and you've made a statement. Chokers - heavy with inlaid stones or chokers as simple as a delicate chain, wrapped around your throat are the most daring and eye-catching accessory of this season. Forget those long chaandbalis or chandelier earrings, you may even leave your ears bare and just go raring with a choker.

5. Minimalism

The wedding was in Goa and the venue was a beautiful beach resort. So, when you have a self-endowed location which is already bountiful, you need not contribute much from your part. The decor just needs to subtly enhance the natural beauty of the place. All the locations were simplistically designed and the result was an elegance born of minimalism, one that magnified the surroundings instead of jarring the landscape with garish and gaudy decorations. Kudos to the planners and designers, many of us will be taking a leaf out of your book!

There you go! Those were my five takeaways from an Indian wedding. Happy reading!

P.S. Credits to the photographers whose photos I unabashedly used for this piece. There are too many to name, and a huge thanks to Jannat and Tuhin for getting married! and lastly to my bunch of crazy friends some of whom are featured in this post - you are all magnificently beautiful, fashionable and lovable!