Couple dress designed by Tarun Tahlani.
Couple dress designed by Tarun Tahlani.From embracing unconventional colours to opting for experimental silhouettes and lightweight attires, brides and grooms are moving away from stereotypical choices. Get to know what’s hot and what’s not from the country’s top designers in an essential guide for this wedding season.
Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla
Top trends
* Exceptional quality… finesse is king
* Ditching the flimsy and gimmickry
* Seeing the old with brand-new eyes and creating an original expression
Trousseau budgets
The economy hasn’t been great in the past couple of years, but the Indian wedding is largely recession-proof. We also recently collaborated with Marriott International for Shaadi by Marriott, a first-of-its-kind wedding campaign by Marriott for the Indian market
The range
The collection comprises eight distinct ranges. That’s a total of 100 ensembles. We also create custom ensembles for brides, grooms and family members
Must-have accessories
* Fabulous shoes, jewels, buttons, shawls for men
* Invest in great bags and don’t forget super luggage on your honeymoon
Quick tips
* Choose what suits you and the best you can afford
* Keep it small and intimate
Manish Malhotra
Top trends
* High-fashion looks that showcase feathers, sequins, tassles, fringes, off-shoulder and cold-shoulder styles
* Gowns with flowy trains, cigarette pants paired with sherwani jackets, sheer capes and necklines, voluminous lehengas with cropped blouses, and colours like metallic, aqua blue, lilac, salmon pink, etc
* For the groom, well-tailored and embroidered kurta-salwars, bandhgalas, kurta-bandis along with drape-and-layer kurtas in fresh summer hues
Trousseau budgets
There’s a great deal of increment in trousseau budgets. Even if ceremonies are conducted on a smaller scale, the trousseau is often full of designer pieces
The range
The number of outfits is usually dependent on our creativity and how differently we can curate them
Must-have accessories
* Uncut diamond jewellery and an evening clutch
* For the groom, a bandhgala with a vibrant scarf or jootis. If wearing a tux, opt for a bold pocket square or a subtle pair of cufflinks
Quick tips
Be experimental. Mix in different palettes such as shades of beige, ivory, maroon, etc
Manav Gangwani
Top trends
Jewel tones, metallic hues, pastels and textured prints
Trousseau budgets
Budgets have increased over a period of time
The range
The number of outfits could defer as per the inclination
Must-have accessories
For women, dazzling earrings. For men, a drape or a stole
Quick tips
Don’t get swayed with every passing trend. Adding too many colours kills the beauty of the ensemble
Meera & Muzaffar Ali, with Sama Ali
Top trends
* Top colours would be gold or silver metallic hues, soft pastel tones
* Delicate basra pearl-detail antique jewellery
* For grooms, soft pastels and ivory-work
* Easy-flowing lehengas or shararas
Trousseau budgets
It depends from person to person
The range
Every season, we have 30-40 customisable looks
Must-have accessories
Just stay away from polki sets that take up your entire neck
Quick tips
Trust the experts instead of overly-opinionated relatives
Monisha Jaising
Top trends
The auspicious red has given way to blushes and mints
Trousseau budgets
Wedding trousseau budgets have definitely increased
The range
For every collection, I design around 60-65 couture pieces per store
Must-have accessories
A family heirloom; kamarband, or sari belts; oversized traditional rings
Quick tips
Don’t keep your look similar for any two functions. Pink, mauve, orange, mint and other bright shades are rocking bridal attire today
Sabyasachi
Top trends
A reddish coffee is quite the colour of the season
Must-have accessories
Something from every region for the bride: Lahori chand balis, Jodhpur borla, maangtika from Amritsar, gold kadas from Bengal and thushi from Maharashtra
Quick tips
* The groom should complement the bride and vice-versa. While it’s important for you to shine individually, it’s important to shine together as well
* A standout bride is one who doesn’t make any effort to stand out. Instead, she blends in
Anita Dongre
Top trends
* Obi belts, fully-embroidered jackets and frills
* Apart from the traditional reds and pinks, emerald green is a lovely colour for brides this season
Trousseau budgets
Budgets are subjective, so it would be difficult to say whether they have increased or decreased
The range
Generally, it encompasses about 75 outfits. This year, we have designed 49 garments that include floor-length embellished tabards, gowns, hand-embroidered dresses, saris and lehenga-cholis
Must-have accessories
* Maangtika for brides
* For men, a pocket square
Quick tips
Smile. Don’t stress over minor things
Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna
Top trends
* Metallic shades and deeper hues
* Fun rather than heavy embellishments
Trousseau budgets
Budgets have increased and so has the level of tailoring
The range
* Mineralized, our womenswear collection, has about 20 ensembles. We collaborated this year with the Mine N Yours Wedding Show to showcase the collection
* Our menswear collection, The Wedding Edit, has about 20 looks
Must-have accessories
* A metallic clutch bag
* For grooms, funky pocket squares and edgy ties
Quick tips
* Don’t follow stereotypes
* Wear colours and silhouettes that flatter you
Shantanu & Nikhil
Top trends
* Colours like olive, cherry red, navy and ivory
* Structured trenchcoat-inspired bandhgalas and long sherwanis teamed with drapes
Trousseau budgets
There is definitely some austerity and functionality that has crept into the bridal couture market
The range
Normally, we design about 50 looks each for the bride and groom. This year, we’ve gone beyond this number
Must-have accessories
* Military-inspired elements like convertible Nehru collars, vertical pockets and handcrafted vintage coins
* Unisex brooches with Swarovski crystal details
Quick tips
Skip the stereotypical bridalwear
Gaurav Gupta
Top trends
* Understated colours and pastel shades, powder blue, pale pink, dove grey, mint, stone blue, ivy green and ice blue
* Lots of layers, threads, embroideries, pearl-work, bugle beadwork
Trousseau budgets
They might have decreased now because of GST, but they have also reduced because of the changed lifestyles of people
The range
I design almost 70-90 ensembles per season
Must-have accessories
* For brides, their favourite perfume
* Grooms should invest in comfortable shoes
Quick tips
* Don’t listen to too many opinions
* Eat well and don’t get stressed
Tarun Tahiliani
Top trends
* Vibrant colours and a little bit of zardozi with Swarovski
* Red is still popular, but also in is a more subdued palette of ivory, pale pink, peach and blush
Trousseau budgets
Adjusting for inflation, brides are spending the same amount as they were over the last decade. However, in the case of grooms, there has definitely been an uptick in spending
The range
We have about 25-30 bridal outfits and about five-seven groomswear outfits. And then we have a range of occasionwear for both men and women for different functions
Must-have accessories
* For men, a saafa, Nehru cap or the Holkar or Peshwa topi
* For brides, draped pieces that sit on the neck, which will later work for them with their black dresses too
Quick tips
* Choose ornate but lightweight garments
* Select pieces that reflect your personal style
