The Ultimate Guide For Choosing A Bridal Lehenga

Being a millennial bride, it’s not easy to choose that perfect outfit for D-Day, considering the number of options that are available for any bride to be. Should you choose your grandmother's vintage saree or go all out glamorous with a Manish Malhotra outfit? Should you experiment with colors or opt for a traditional Red lehenga? Or should you go for traditional gotta pati work or opt for fringes or Swarovski? These are some of the questions which every bride-to-be could think of.
The Millennial and Gen Z are moving away from traditional silhouettes and colours. They are more open to experimentation, even when it comes to their wedding. They want their personality to shine through their attire. Nowadays brides are better informed and are able to make more precise choices about what they want to buy and wear. Designers always strive to do more in terms of design development, garment quality, creative research, styling flexibility, and of course, pricing. And ultimately, these are the things a bride wants from the clothes they invest in today. Thus, here’s all that you need to know before making that perfect sartorial choice for your big day.

Be comfortable in your own skin:

It's great to be aware about the recent trends; however following it blindly is something brides should avoid. In fact, it's not about slipping on the trendiest lehenga but to look and feel stunning yet comfortable in your own choice. You should invest in an ensemble that adds solid design value to your wardrobe and enhances your personal style, something that is trend-less and versatile so that each piece can be styled in a variety of ways with from the existing wardrobe. The dramatic Bollywood-inspired outfits are getting replaced by minimal tones and sensible, sustainable style.

Choose the right silhouette according to your body type:

Nowadays, there are all types of options available, from ruffles to fringes, from fish cut to A-line but what matters the most is how a bride can pull it off with ease and grace by choosing the right silhouette that suits their body type. Lehengas designed in a series of different cuts are perfect, for instance experimenting and finding middle ground between a dress and a lehenga would work wonderfully with the little fringe edging on the ends with some absolutely stunning colour which can make it a definite winner.

Shop according to your body type, whether you have a pear shaped, an apple shaped or an hourglass body, there are multiple options for every bride. Alter the lehenga according to your curves.

Know your color:

While most of the brides go for a traditional red lehenga, there are various beautiful color options available with which a bride can experiment. A multi-color lehenga is more spirited, A gold lehenga looks richer, Lavender looks subtle, Ivory is classic and the list could go on. 

But, for a modern bride the colour palette could be soft pastel hues like pale pink, peaches, old rose, dusty rose, and ivory. Use of bright and soft pastel colours are the most striking features of the latest bridal wear collections. More and more brides are picking ivory and neutrals as a bridal hue and owning it! Colour blocking in any way- with the jewellery, the dupatta or the work on the lehenga makes it work as a unique bridal hue. This colour palette captures the hues of the season perfectly and makes one stand out.

Choose the fabric according to the season:

There are a lot of types of fabrics – flowy, stiff, rich. Opt for the one that suits your needs and doesn’t compromise on your comfort. Rich fabrics like satin, silk, net, and georgette retain a modern element in traditional silhouettes of lehengas. Classic silhouettes with intricate embroidery, classic embellishments and floral motifs would be perfect. For instance – Silk lehengas are soft and delicate, apt for both summer and winter weddings and are mostly chosen by women with a taste for royal and traditional wear, if you are opting for a winter wedding, one can surely choose a velvet lehenga as the fabric is smooth and looks rich, A cotton silk lehenga is a mix of the traditional Indian lehenga with a modern twist something that is lighter and simpler. Thus choose the one which suits the weather conditions and your style simultaneously.

Right embellishments:

One should always look for the kind of work that suits your ideal trousseau. Embellishments are used to enhance the beauty and richness of an outfit be it gota patti, zari, dabka or resham thread work. Focus on the kind of embroidery that outshines. Florals are very much in trend this season. This makes it ideal for brides to experiment with and incorporate floral tones and designs into their bridal wear. Not only is it summery but, is elegant and classic. You can never go wrong with florals. Infact, we recommend outfits with lot of floral work and elements.

Perfect Fit:

The most important and the basic step towards choosing the right bridal lehenga is to get that perfect fit. If it doesn't fit you right, it won't look flattering at all. Make sure to do the first trial with the designer a month and a half prior, so that you have ample time in hand for alterations and to get that perfect fit. The length of the skirt should be altered according to your height and make sure that your satisfied before finalizing the neck and the back of the blouse. It should fit you well and choose the length you are comfortable with. The fit has the power to either make your look or break your look.

Research well

It’s important for a bride to discuss her thoughts, preferences, tastes and designs with her trousseau designer when shopping for her wedding ensemble. Some important questions to be kept in mind should be regarding your outfit as per your body type and shape, also keeping in mind the location and season for the wedding is a crucial point in shopping for your outfit. Thus, make sure to discuss all the details with your designer beforehand.

Set a budget:

One needs to decide a price range before exploring different designers. Set a budget that that fills your financial bracket and shortlist the lehengas fitting in that price range. Be a smart shopper, and consider shopping your bridal outfit online as that saves a lot of resources too. E-commerce portals offer amazing deals and customer services to the clients where one can actually have great deals and discuss customisations.

Don’t go over the top

Avoid going OTT! Avoid a lot of heavy makeup and accessorizing with a lot of jewellery. Simple and elegant can still look gorgeous if suited to your body and personality and created by a designer that understands your requirement.

The perfect bridal ensemble is one that has both the outfit and jewellery seamlessly complementing each other and this can never be accomplished if any one of the elements has precedence over the other.  Everyone has an opinion and a vision for what your wedding lehenga should look like, it can be easy to be swept away by all the options available around, therefore your lehenga needs to be an extension of your personality, so if one prefers muted colors and neutrals, then you shouldn’t opt for a red color as tradition dictates so. Know your options, research well and make an informed choice.