Weddings are all about the planning; an immaculately planned wedding is a treat. So are a bride’s wardrobe, her wedding lehenga/saree, pre and post wedding ensembles, jewellery, makeup and hair, and all require planning. Colours, fabrics, cuts, designs, fit, season etc. the list of things to keep in mind while picking the right outfit for the day is most essential. Taking inspiration from four real brides, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor and our very own Bhavana, we have their looks decoded from their wedding festivities.
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone was the bride of the year, with her destination wedding, her charming man, her beautiful family and of course, the designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee made for a happy bride. Her style for the wedding functions was classic and Indian. The festivities began with a Nandi Pooja at her Bangalore residence where she wore a bright orange kurta and dupatta by Sabyasachi paired with oversized chandbalis, a messy bun and simple but flawless makeup. Her look was fresh and clearly no-fuss.
The wedding party then moved to the cold locales of Lake Como in Italy. It began with a Konkani Phool Mudi ceremony where she wore a white and gold ensemble. Next was the mehendi, where Deepika wore a pastel-pink embroidered outfit with a maroon shawl, all from the House of Sabyasachi. Big but dainty earrings, a choker, a seven-layer necklace and an effortless smile, the bride chose happiness and comfort over fancier things.
Next were two traditional wedding ceremonies, a Konkani style wedding and an Anand Karaj ceremony. For the former, Deepika’s mother Ujjala Padukone bought a saree from Angadi Galleria in Bangalore which was styled by Sabyasachi to create the complete look. The saree is a real zari Kanjeevaram which features the Gandaberunda bird, a mythological character that represents prosperity. She wore jewellery from the Sabyasachi heritage collection that included a magnificent mathapatti – a traditional south Indian bridal accessory, jadau pearls and emerald studded jhumkas and multiple necklaces of the same. Topped with heavy kohl eyes and a red bindi, this South Indian beauty looked perfect.
For the Anand Karaj ceremony, Deepika wore a kumkum red lehenga designed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee which was hand embroidered with gold thread. Paired with a dupatta of the same shade with the saying, ‘Sada Saubhagyavati Bhava’ written on the border, the look was complete. Here she wore a statement maang tikka, chandbalis, necklaces- all in gold and studded with uncut diamonds. We also saw a chooda with personalised kaleeras. What stood out was the nath that she wore which complemented the entire look.
For the reception in Bangalore and Mumbai, Deepika wore sarees. For the first, she wore a saree bought by her mother from the same Angadi Galleria but this one is a gold zari saree with a very intricate design all over. Styled by Sabyasachi, this saree was paired with a full sleeve ivory blouse. To add to this royalty, she wore a huge emerald choker with a pendant and earrings that matched. To this a generous layer of pearls were also added. Hair pulled back and gelled, the lovely kumkum on her forehead and the flowers in her hair, the perfect post-wedding look.
A Mumbai reception was next, where she wore an Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla creation in pure white and gold. It was a spectacular lehenga in ivory and gold chikankari all over. It was paired with diamond jewellery from the designer’s in-house jewellery label. Pearls, white enamel and uncut diamonds were set in gold for the necklace and matching chandelier earrings.
The last look was for the much-awaited Bollywood reception that the couple hosted in Mumbai. Unlike the previous attires, this was a complete turnover. Deepika wore a red gown by international designer Zuhair Murad. Adding to the oomph and drama was the veil that left onlookers gawking at the newlywed bride. Just luscious locks flowing down her shoulders, killer eye makeup and a mangalsutra, this concluded her wedding wardrobe.
Priyanka Chopra
Another destination wedding but this time on the royal Rajasthan turf, Jodhpur was the choice for Nick and Priyanka’s lavish wedding. Guests and relatives flew down from across the globe for this big fat Indian-American wedding. The wedding was a mix of two cultures, two families and two traditions brought together for love.
When the first set of pictures released, we were in love with her colourful choice of wedding clothing. Her first outfit was a multicoloured lehenga by designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla for the mehendi function. It was a day event for which Priyanka chose a vibrant lehenga minus a dupatta but paired it with a layered necklace that had a peacock pendant, earrings and maang tikka matching. With white flowers in her hair and a smile to die for, Priyanka kick-started her wedding functions with hue and lots of colour.
For her sangeet function, Priyanka wore a gold and silver embellished saree with a noodle strap blouse and kept the look neat and simple. The saree was a hand embroidered gold and silver sequin saree paired with a necklace made of pear-shaped diamonds suspended from a row of marquise diamonds. All from the fashion house of Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.
The next day was the Christian wedding for Nick and Priyanka. Both were dressed in creations by designer Ralph Lauren, who also plays a key role in their love story. It’s the fourth time in history that Ralph Lauren designed a wedding gown, the first three being for family members. The dress was a hand embroidered white dress with long sleeves made in sheer. Floral motifs, lace appliques, scalloped cuffs and a high neck collar were featured on the dress. 2,390,000 mother of pearl sequins adorned the stunning gown. Priyanka wanted the longest train ever and she got one, her veil was 75 feet long and was the most beautiful thing ever! In addition to all the beautiful intricacies, the gown also featured sentimental touches like Priyanka’s parents’ names, a piece of her mother-in-law’s wedding dress, their wedding date and some more.
The traditional Hindu wedding was next for which she decided to go with the evergreen Sabyasachi Mukherjee. The Kanauj-Rose lehenga is a hand embroidered piece featuring hand-cut organza flowers, French knots in silk floss and Siam-red crystals. Head-to-toe in red, Priyanka accessorised with nothing but uncut-diamonds. Her jewellery was Mughal-inspired embedded with uncut diamonds, emeralds and Japanese cultured pearls set in pure gold. Layers of multiple necklaces, big stud earrings with strings pinned to her hair, a maang tikka, kamarband , bangles and hathphools, this bride was the quintessential desi girl.
Priyanka’s reception look was also a single tone outfit. Designed by Falguni Shane and Peacock, the frosted nude lehenga was embellished with numerous Swarovski crystals giving it that extra sparkle. The lehenga featuring traditional motifs all over depicted cultural folklore on its design. On her neck was a three strand diamond necklace by Khanna Jewellers which was nothing less than exquisite. She wore dangling earrings, matching bangles and sported the traditional chooda. With white roses in her hair, she kept the hair pulled back into a hairdo and sported a dark lip to complement the shimmer.
Sonam Kapoor
The beautiful month of May, the suburbs of Mumbai, the entire Bollywood family and the most chilled out bride ever – the Sonam Kapoor – Anand Ahuja wedding was the most fun event this year. The fashionista tied the knot with her long-time boyfriend on May 8th and the entire Bollywood khaandaan was there to witness it all. This leading lady is known for her impeccable sartorial choices and her wedding had to reflect that about her.
Though her actual mehendi was carried out at the Kapoor home, the official mehendi function was a big party with all-stars in full attendance. Sonam picked a white and gold lehenga designed by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. The Chikankari lehenga was paired with a heavy kundan choker, jhumkas and a maang tikka. What we loved the most was her long hairdo that was clad with white flowers all over.
For her wedding, she chose to wear an Anuradha Vakil creation in a deep red colour. Adorned with gold embellishments, the wedding lehenga was a sight to behold. She paired the attire with traditional jewels and a statement mathapatti. With a dupatta over her head, she looked like a resplendent bride.
The reception night, she wore an Anamika Khanna lehenga which was a modern take on the traditional attire. Monochrome was her choice of colour combination for the night. Silky straight hair and a bold red lip made her a look like a young modern bride of today, going by the motto – less is more.
Bhavana
Malayalam actress Bhavana married Kannada producer Naveen in a traditional Kerala ceremony. For her pre-wedding function, the mehendi, Bhavana wore a sunny yellow dress that was perfect for the day event. Her hair was pulled back in an updo with a few strands strewn across the face. She kept her look simple with just pompom earrings and no other piece of jewellery.
For the ceremony, she wore a gold Kanjeevaram saree with embellishments on its body and a heavily embroidered border. In addition to that, she also wore a heavy blouse which completed her bridal look. She picked antique jewellery for the D-day which included a heavy Odiyanam around her waist, two heavy necklace sets and a pair of beautiful earrings. For her hair, she accessorised with a Nettichutti and lots of white mallipoo around her hair bun.
For the reception, Bhavana wore a gold lehenga with embellishments all over. Paired with a net dupatta that had a heavy border, the look was royal indeed. She picked gold and diamond jewellery to go with the attire along with some beautiful flowers to adorn her hair. She looked happy, radiant and a bridal beauty in all her glory.