We’d be lying if we said we’re fully over the visual of a radiant Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra getting married in a ridiculously picture-perfect wedding ceremony or that we don’t have Pinterest boards filled to the brim with wedding outfit inspirations following the many celebrity weddings we witnessed last month.
If you’re getting married, or know someone who is going to tie the knot soon, you would know how important it is to start looking for a bridal outfit as soon as possible. But how do we figure out what’s going to be on trend in the next few months or not? It’s simple. We ask an expert.
Designer Utkarsh Ahuja, of luxury traditional wear label Matsya, says social media and the evolution of wedding photography have made a huge difference in how brides are choosing their wedding outfits.
“If you look at how brides operated earlier, it was very centric on which shop is their mother’s favourite and they would get what they want to wear for the wedding from that shop,” says Ahuja, “Post-social media being flooded with so much content and wedding photography taking such a big turn has made brides more aspirational about how they want their weddings to be, not just their wedding outfits but the overall vibe of the ceremony.”
According to the designer, this new shift has impacted bridal wear trends in a huge way.
Bridal wear trends to look forward to in 2023
Ahuja says that over the past few years, there has been an evolution of what is acceptable to wear at your wedding. The biggest change he has observed because of this is the inclusion of colours other than red in the bridal wardrobe. “At Matsya, we’ve seen so many brides go for ivory lehengas and I can see this carrying forward to the next season as well.”
With brides like Advani and Athiya Shetty opting for pastel pink outfits for their main wedding day, Ahuja predicts pastels being at the forefront of wedding outfit trends in the coming months. “A lot of brides today want sunset pheras and photos at that time and pastels fit that vision perfectly,” he muses.
He also predicts net and silk taking a backseat when it comes to the materials for wedding outfits. “We will see a lot of tissue-based lehengas. Silk will still be there, but net won’t be used as much because brides want something new and something that sets them apart.”
Lastly, he shares that statement accessories, like a veil, would be all over your feeds, come wedding season.
Guide to shopping smartly for your wedding in 2023
While looking towards celebrity brides and weddings for inspiration is fine, emulating them entirely for your own ceremony and outfits is maybe not the wisest decision. Ahuja insists that the key to the perfect wedding outfit is the balance between tradition and individuality. “It’s not just you who is looking to replicate the look of a celebrity wedding but a gazillion other brides too,” he says.
Here are a few ways you can be smart about shopping for your wedding this season…
Don’t get swayed by trends
Trends will come and go, but wedding pictures stay forever. While there’s nothing wrong with following trends, you need to strike a balance between an outfit that is trendy but also timeless. One of the ways you can do that, according to Ahuja, is to focus on the workmanship of the outfit. Invest in good traditional craftsmanship and you will see how your outfit stands out for all the right reasons.
“At the end of the day, a wedding has to feel like a wedding. You need to have certain key elements that keep the wedding outfit traditional.”
Let your wedding outfit be the hero
“Indian weddings have so many functions that give you the opportunity to experiment and have fun with your looks,” says Ahuja, “Keep your bridal look the most powerful out of all your look.” You can experiment and play around with the looks for your other functions like mehendi, reception, cocktail, or sangeet.
Go for less-complicated outfits
“If there are 500 people dancing at your wedding and you’re not one of them then that’s not a fun evening,” says Ahuja. The designer suggests eschewing complicated silhouettes and heavy materials in favour of lightweight designs that can allow easy movement and do not overpower you.
Go for hybrid outfits
If you want to wear something that would photograph well but might not necessarily be the most comfortable thing to wear, Ahuja suggests going for hybrid outfits.
“Hybrid outfits with detachable elements that can help you get good photographs but also have a good time at your own function can be a lifesaver,” he says.
So good luck with your wedding shopping, hope you took copious notes!
