You are doing the background work right—exercise, eating and beauty sleeping—so you are already halfway there to being breathtakingly beautiful on the big day. Now, for the carefully-studied advice to ensure that you are also the on-trend bride.
Make up:
Brides are channelling Deepika ‘Mastani’ Padukone’s heartbreakingly dewy natural look, with barely done eyes and an almost-nude lip. Of course, we are not fooled, so invest time in finding the right palette to let your natural beauty shine through. A light foundation and powder to conceal any blemishes, and mineral eye shadows for shimmery texture, without being loud. Keep the lips neutral in light pinks, peach or toned-down coffee.
Almost taking centre-stage today is the brow, so fill them in a strong shape. For inspiration, look no further from superwoman Amal Clooney.
If your diva self from a couple of years back doesn’t let you go off the smoky eyes and red lips, go ahead and indulge at your mehendi ceremony.
Speaking of which… if you don’t want to go the traditional henna route, you can opt for white mehendi. And oomph up your game with white mehendi and metallic touches.
Hair:
Structured hairdos free your mind and that’s one less thing to think about during the ceremony, we agree, but slightly free-flowing hair pairs well with the pared-down make-up. Don’t fret: bejewelled hairbands do the trick, they combine breezy hair with hold, so there are no annoying flyaways.
And you don’t have to restrict yourself to jasmine gajras. Pick button roses or even Baby’s Breath paired with roses for a boho vibe.
Jewellery:
It’s layered necklaces all the way, and we are talking four to seven layers of polki, meena and pearls, the gems of choice. The first string starts around the neck for a choker-like effect—which is all the rage—and the longest ends at the navel.
Chandbalis, navrathan balis and uncut diamond earrings are timeless pieces that can be used over.
And while make-up is subtle, one thing that isn’t is the maang tikka. These are the statement pieces of today, and feel no fear in getting even more elaborate and going with a matha pattis, or even pairing the maang tikka with a jhoomer.
Footwear:
So, this is bling all the way, pretty much, with stilettos embellished in metallics, glitter, rhinestone and lace. Or you could walk the quaint route in strappy numbers. But if you place comfort before everything, you still don’t have to compromise, thanks to trusty juttis, which come with all the trappings of a wedding look. Or if you want to go understated, you can pick brocade or embroidered numbers.
Outfit:
To start with colour, bridal lehengas are no longer just red. Brides are picking lighter blues, greens—everyone knows ice blue, peach and mint green are not ‘dressings’ for food, but for the bride. And though it was once considered a no-no, brides are even going for white.
And staying on the subject of colour, while tone on tone is one way to go, if you want to have fun with colour, you might want to check out the ombre colour trend.
Silhouettes for pre-wedding functions are getting adventurous with jumpsuits, and cape and jacket layering over crop tops. And you would think that the almost-floor grazing kurtas paired with shararas (or palazzos, if you like) has wiped out every other trend, you are mistaken. Cigarette pants are back.
Thankfully, top designers never tire of embroidery, and high shine floral patterns—we’re talking gota patti, sequins and metal thread—is in glorious overload. But if all the handwork seems too heavy and you want advice on prints to pick, we say, stay traditional with patola saris. The rule about patterns today is that there are no rules… mix and match to your heart’s content.