SO this post is about my “wedding lehenga”. I’ll be honest, there’s nothing that’s more important yet difficult at the very same time than choosing a wedding lehenga. This discussion was important but not “so” important till we finally went lehenga hunting. We had looooooooooong discussions on the style, the budgets, the colour, and the no. of dupattas and what not before we took the plunge. I spoke to all my friends who have been married for sometime now, or recently married on the kind of investment they all did for their dresses and I was surprised to learn that they all somewhere felt that ‘it wasn’t needed to go all out’ since you only get to wear your wedding lehenga once. I was shocked and that left me with multiple (chaotic) feelings and this is what I ended up doing…
We went to the famous Om Prakash at Chandini Chowk and while they have some good variety, almost all lehengas were about bling and flares. The only thing that helped me filter my choice was the clarity on the kind of work I wanted on my wedding dress. I have been the biggest fan of hand embroidery and that was one thing I knew I wanted on my dress. So we spent many hours at Om Prakash and shortlisted one lehenga but came home to mixed feelings. I kept telling myself that it was the right decision until my sister looked over and over again through the photos of the piece on my phone, moments before the plot twisted!
Had it not been for her, I wouldn’t have got what I want or close to getting what I thought it would be like. So my dress is still a work in progress and will take at least 4-5 months till I give a final verdict but the sketches seem all worth it. So we went to Frontier Raas, South Ex and after going through over 100 designs, I decided to get a custom made lehegna from there. I am now wearing 2 dupattas, the colour that I wanted after seeing so many designs and the kind of work that I dreamt of. This is a sneak peek of my work in progress...
The only tips that I can share with any bride-to-be in order to make this process a pleasurable experience is to sit with your folks and set a budget. I know everyone has an idea, but setting up a budget limit will help you with your options and not get carried away. Next, you should shortlist 2-3 kinds of work/embroideries that you want to don on your big day. I know you can never have a design in mind especially before you check out some options but knowing the kind of work you want on your dress can help you choose your dress or will give you a better idea even if you have to co-create your outfit with the brand just like I did. Lastly, don’t compromise on your happiness. Pick that outfit that brings a smile on your face J
At last, all I want for everyone to say is, “SHE LOOKED SO HAPPY IN HER WEDDING DRESS.”
XOXO