Indian Bridal Dress

 
On her wedding day the Indian bride just as any other bride the world over, is the centre of attention. She needs and wants to look her best giving detailed attention to her dress, jewellery, shoes and make up. Here we shall talk about the Indian bridal dress.
 
With the diverse cultures, traditions and religions existing in India, Indian bridal dresses are equally varied. The sari, the national attire for the ladies in India, is a traditional bridal attire too. But the bridal wear is not limited to the sari. Lehenga-Choli, Ghagra-Choli and Salwar Kameez too are conventional bridal wear depending on the region the bride is from. The latest trends combine tradition with modernity catering to the westernized taste of the Indian bride. It wouldn’t be wrong to say the Indian bridal dress is probably one of the most glamorous and the most colourful bridal attires.
 
What is striking about the Indian wedding dress is the colour, the embroidery work and the material. The traditional colour associated with the bride is red and its various tones. But the bride today is experimenting with other bright colours like purple, turquoise blue, emerald green. It is also not unusual to find the bride in pastel colours.
 
Be it the sari or the lehenga-choli, ghagra-choli or salwar kameez you can be sure to see a lot of embroidery work on the attire. Heavy embroidery with kundan work, zardozi, mirror, sequins, pearl, crystal and even semi precious stones are in demand these days.  Traditionally the material used for the Indian bridal dress is silk. Again there is a whole range of material that the bride today is choosing from. It could be the rich Indian brocade, tissue, chiffon, net, organza, crepe, georgette and even jute.
 
The lehenga- choli, ghagra-choli and salwar kameez are all worn with a chunni, dupatta, or more traditionally a ghunghat. It is a wrap or a scarf that is worn over the head. This piece of the dress also has heavy embroidery on it matching the whole attire.
 
The Lehenga and Ghagra (skirts) can be in different styles and cuts to suit the bride. The popular styles these days are the A-lines, mermaid style, fish cut and the kalidar style. The sari too can be draped around in many different ways. In fact each region in India has a different style in which the sari is worn. The choli or the blouse too has different styles with fashionable and elegant necklines. The blouse could be with puffed sleeves, short sleeves, sleeveless or the more recent noodle straps.
 
The Indian film industry (Bollywood) has a great influence over the style, the material and in general the trends in the bridal arena. For those who can afford it, designer bridal wear is the in-thing. The brides seek appointment with the designers as much as a year in advance to select the right style, material and colour and have their special dress ready on time.