Month: June 2019

Let the colours on your lehenga do the talking

Instagram was on fire when Priyanka Chopra uploaded her picture of herself in her wedding morning attire. A beautiful multi-coloured lehenga cling on to her perfect figure as she danced to the beats. This Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla masterpiece of a lehenga got famous for good reason – apart from the fact that Priyanka Chopra chose it for her wedding morning, the lehenga was unique in the true sense of the term. It was quirky, with the correct flavour of bohemian in it. It was gorgeous yet not stereotypical. It was Indian and vibrantly so. Most importantly, it was indicative of the fact that brides now want to move away from the typical red and golden or maroon and beige lehengas that have been worn in weddings for centuries.

So if you ladies out there are dying to wear something out-of-the-box on your wedding, there can be no better option than the multi-coloured lehenga. A multi-coloured lehenga is the perfect fusion of tradition and quirkiness.

The Peacock Lehenga

It was God of Indian wedding couture – Sabyasachi Mukherjee – who first created the peacock lehenga. The peacock lehenga comes with a gorgeous skirt having multi-coloured bands. The blouse and the dupatta are in a colour that contrasts with all the different colours on the lehenga skirt. These lehengas usually come with heavy zari work.

The Gipsy Lehenga

Want to go completely Bohemian with your wedding look? Then this is the outfit for you. The skirt of a gipsy lehenga is inspired from Rajasthani and Gujarati tribal fashion. The colours used on the skirt are not only contrasting but each one is bright and vibrant, almost at conflict with the other. What tone them down are the different types of work done on each band of colour. If one band has zardozi work, the other will have gotta patti. Overall it gives the impression of an exotic outfit sewn together from pieces from various other fabrics – all of which have a story to tell. If you can carry it, go for it!

Lehengas with Multi-coloured Digital prints

Digital prints are seldom used on traditional ethnic clothing. But a digital print multi-coloured lehenga is a ‘dream come true’! Want inspiration? Jacqueline Fernandez in a taffeta zig-zag digital print multi-coloured lehenga choli was all over Pinterest this year in May.

Beige Dupatta with Colourful Lehenga

If you want the vibrancy of colours in your wedding outfit yet don’t want to go overboard with it, wear a lehenga with a multi-coloured skirt and blouse and pair it with a sheer beige dupatta. Beige is a colour that can accommodate other brighter colours without making them look outrageous.

The Tri-Colour Lehenga

Multi-coloured does not mean too many colours together. You can even sport a multi-coloured lehenga on any of your wedding functions that have the blouse, the dupatta and the skirt in three different colours. These colours need to be meticulously combined with each other to give a symmetrical yet an extremely vibrant look to the outfit. Blue, yellow, pink go well together. Also green, yellow and pink goes well together. Blue, orange and pink may also be combined together.

Pastels and Florals

Lehengas in pastel shades and multi-coloured floral prints are irreplaceable as an outfit for pre-wedding morning functions. Pastel shades like baby pink or sky blue or lemon yellow give a very soothing effect on the bride’s outfit. Such an outfit prepares all the onlookers for a highly gorgeous lehenga on the wedding night.

Layered Colours

We have spoken about vertical bands of colours on the lehenga skirt. But if you are tall, you can also go for the ‘horizontal band of colours’ look. In case of such lehengas, the blouse, the dupatta and the skirt are taken as a frame together and colour coordinated to form horizontal strips of various colours from top to bottom. A challenging look to carry, it is not recommended for brides with a petite frame.

Abstract Aztec

Geometrical patterns like Aztec prints give the designer the opportunity to play with colours. If you want to have multiple colours on your lehenga, you can bank on Aztec patterns. Though it will create a highly unconventional wedding look, it will be doing artistic justice with a riot of colours.

White Lehenga

Love colours but want to play it safe? Go for a white, off white or tussar colour (tussar fabric) lehenga which has multi-coloured designs on it. White and black compliment every colour! Since you can’t flaunt a black lehenga on a wedding function, as per Indian traditions, go for white!

Traditional Crafts

Indian culture and colours go hand in hand. So do Indian traditional crafts. Pashmina, bandhani, kantha – you name it and what flashes in the eyes of your mind are vibrant and beautiful hues. Some of these crafts go very well as wedding couture and if you are planning to flaunt these you will also get the chance to sport multiple colours on your wedding lehenga.

1. Aari work

Aari is an intricate form of embroidery that originated in the Mughal era. It requires great skill and intricacy. Aari work is done in multiple colours on silk. You can get your lehenga made in silk with detailed and colourful aari embroidery on it. It will surely turn out to be a timeless piece and it will breathe class. You can also flaunt a heavy aari lehenga on your wedding night.

2. Bandhani

Bandhani is a tie and dye art that is practised in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Think of Aishwarya Rai in the movie – ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and you will know exactly why we are telling you to wear a Bandhani gaghra on any pre-wedding morning function. The hues on your attire and the golden sunlight will create the perfect wedding function photos for you.

3. Jamawar Brocade

Originating in Kashmir, a shawl in this special type of weave requires months to be completed. No, we are not asking you to wear a shawl on your wedding but you can get a jamawar inspired lehenga woven for you if you have the budget for it. It goes without saying that such intricate and detailed designs will encourage the use of multiple colours.

Threadwork Lehenga

Apart from tradition crafts, machine threadwork or mixed threadwork can also be used on lehengas. Nothing is more elegant than elaborate threadwork. It has become a common trend nowadays that brides want to sport lehengas with some aspect of her love story with their grooms, embroidered on it. Elaborate embroidery calls for the use of multiple colours. So if you have a wedding planned in a few months, this is something to go for. You will need the help of one or multiple craftsmen who will put your lehenga together. If you have a bit of time before your wedding and the budget to carry out this plan, you should definitely go for it.

Multi-coloured Jacquard Lehenga

Jacquard is a special kind of apparatus fitted to the loom that enables the weaver to weave out beautiful brocade or figured fabric.  Figured fabrics and brocade are great for assembling a gorgeous multi-coloured lehenga. In fact, many designers are using strips from different figured fabrics to create a lehenga that will be colourful and artistic at the same time. But if you are a bride, you must remember that such a lehenga will be heavy and a bit uneasy to carry around. So choose such a lehenga for any pre-wedding function that does not require you to move around a lot. Definitely, don’t choose it for your sangeet function.

The Printed Silk Lehenga

Talking about light lehengas brings us to printed lehengas. Printed lehengas are colourful, bold and just perfect for a pre-wedding function. However, you need to choose the fabric properly. A printed lehenga in cotton or rayon will look very plain on a wedding function. Instead, go for a fabric like silk. Make sure you use a light variety of silk-like raw silk. Wearing a printed silk lehenga in a bright mix of colours on a pre-wedding day function is a great way to kick-start your wedding.

Chanderi

The chanderi fabric is another light option for a wedding lehenga. Moreover, Chanderi fabrics come in a variety of colours with elegant zari designs. You can assemble a chanderi lehenga in the three-colour style. Ask your designer to choose three exotic chanderi fabrics and use one each for the blouse, the dupatta and the lehenga skirt. Choose colours that go well together. In fact, Chanderi fabrics come in earthy tones and natural colours. Thus, no matter which colour you choose, it will look good together. You will also be feeling extremely light and ventilated while wearing such a lehenga.

Multicoloured bridal lehenga designs are currently in trend. But to add that extra twist to your outfit, choose unconventional colours. In fact, we will recommend you to go a bit overboard with the quirkiness in your outfit on occasions such as the sangeet ceremony, the engagement ceremony, the haldi ceremony etc. On the wedding night, most brides want to look traditionally beautiful. Most brides have imagined themselves in a gorgeous red and gold or maroon and gold lehenga on their wedding nights. Thus, the fun and the colours can be reserved for the pre-wedding functions. Moreover, these multi-coloured lehengas are mostly light and easy to carry around, allowing you a lot of movement and fun on the pre-wedding functions.

But when choosing a multi-coloured lehenga you need to be very careful. One can easily go wrong with colours as there is a very thin line between ‘colourful’ and ‘weird’. We suggest that you take the help of an expert like a fashion designer or buy such a lehenga from a shop that has been in the business for years. If you do not have access to any of these, you can count on us. At Get Ethnic, we have a team of stylists and designers who are backed by a bigger team of highly skilled craftsmen. Our experts will get in touch with you, interact with you on your preferences and dislikes, show you hosts of suggestions and in the end, give you the lehenga which you had only dreamt of. So don’t waste time and get together with us to choose the perfect multi-coloured lehenga for any of your pre-wedding functions.

Introduction:

Ethnic bridal fashion differs from all other forms of style because on the wedding day you just need to be your elegant-best! A marriage day comes once in a lifetime and on that day, the bride needs to look like an epitome of grace and a personification of elegance. Opportunities to dress casually will come in the future but a wedding day will only come once. Thus the bridal outfit can’t afford to be anything less than grand.

Brides struggle to find ways to look grandiose, stately and awe-inspiring. Apart from the lehenga, which is, of course, the most important part of a bridal outfit, few little things like the jewellery of the bride, her make-up or her dupatta, adds that extra flavour to her poise and the whole look. Amongst all, the dupatta may be regarded as that essential element of the bridal wardrobe which can make or break the elegance factor of the bride on her D-day. And a great way to sport the dupatta is the double-dupatta style which is taking the bridal fashion market by storm. Today we will tell you more about this trend and it will help you decide how you want to sport it on the day of your wedding.

Dupattas have been the bridal lehenga’s favorite companion since forever! Dupattas, in traditional weaves, intricate details, designer patterns etc compliment lehengas perfectly. A good dupatta with a lehenga is a match made in heaven, just like you and your partner!

Five Traditional Ways to Drape a Bridal Dupata:

• The most traditional way to drape your dupatta over your lehenga is by pleating it and treating it like the pallu of a saree. You have to tuck one end at your waist and allow the other to fall behind your shoulder just like the saree pallu.
• You can pleat your dupatta and let it flow in the front by pinning it to your left shoulder. The other part of the dupatta can be brought up to the forearm, over your head, creating a beautiful pattern with the pleats.
• To showcase the heavy embroidery and detailing of your lehenga blouse you can give it full exposure by pleating and draping your dupatta only on one side.
• Heavily embroidered or sequined dupattas should be brought to the forefront by the ‘U’ style of draping. You can do this by pleating one end of your dupatta and pinning it to your left shoulder. Allowing the dupatta to flow in front of you, you can either tuck one end of the dupatta in your lehenga skirt or drape it around your head forming a ‘U’ pattern behind.
• To sport this draping style, inspired by royal fashion, you need to tuck one end of the dupatta at your waist and then bring it in front, letting it fall all over your blouse. Pleat it well and pin it at your shoulder for that flawless grace.

What is the double dupatta style?

This trend was started by the god of Indian bridal fashion, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and numerous Bollywood brides of the recent times have religiously followed it. The style involves using two dupattas – one for the body and the other to be used as a veil. This look is in no way minimalistic and is aimed mainly at bestowing that regal grace to the bridal outfit. You can use dupattas in two contrasting colours. You may choose a heavily detailed dupatta for the body drape and a lighter one to be used as a veil.

Why is the double dupatta style better than traditional single dupatta styles?

• If you have one single very heavy dupatta, draping it over your head at the time of the wedding rituals will surely give you a headache. When using two dupattas, you can drape one across your body to show off its work and use a lighter one to cover your head.
• To make your lehenga look even better pairing it with a contrast colour is a great idea. This can be done by using a second dupatta in a contrasting colour. It gives that much needed extravagant yet bright and cheerful look to the outfit.
• If you want to show off the intricate work of the blouse of your lehenga set, you will have to go for that one-sided pleated dupatta look. This look might prove to be too casual for the bridal attire. Adding the second dupatta will bring the royal look back to the outfit.
• Many brides prefer to invest in a ‘not-so-heavy’ lehenga as they like to re-use it on other occasions in the future. But the bride also cannot compromise with looking plain on her wedding. Two dupattas draped in complementing ways adds that grand look to a plain lehenga. You can use one dupatta like a saree pallu and the other over your head. You may drape a heavily embroidered dupatta across your chest and use another one over your head.
• Are you a plus-size bride? Are you scared that your wedding lehenga will expose your curves? Be proud of them because dupattas look great on plus-size figures. The double dupatta style will help you hide those few extra inches and add an extra dose of grace to your entire bridal look.

Double Dupatta with Lehenga: 10 ways to carry it

Did you know that Bengali brides, who traditionally wear a red Benarasi saree on their wedding day, use a separate veil or dupatta to cover their heads? It looks extremely elegant and beautiful. You can also style an extra dupatta with your usual blouse-lehenga-dupatta set to become the most beautiful bride your relatives and friends have ever seen. Choose one of the following styles:

• The most common way to style two dupattas with your lehenga is using a traditional drape for one dupatta, usually, the heavier one, and the other lighter dupatta is to be used as a veil covering the bride’s head.
• In the double dupatta style, one of the dupattas is always meant to cover your head. This makes it convenient for the bride and adds that graceful look to the outfit. If you want to experiment a little bit with the other dupatta, try styling it like a suit dupatta, forming a ‘U’ the pattern over the chest.
• Those with a more experimental nature should fasten the dupatta draped around the body with a belt. This gives a unique yet elegant, neat and put-together look to the bride. The other dupatta, of course, will be traditionally draped around the head of the bride. Wondering what kind of a belt you should use? Try your grandma’s kamarbandh or get one made for yourself. This look is ethnic and unique together.
• We have mentioned the one-sided dupatta draping style that brings out the beauty of the lehenga blouse. If you are going for this look, make sure that the second dupatta which you are using to cover your head is allowed to flow downwards, next to your arms, bordering your frame. This creates a royal silhouette.
• The veil looks great with a saree pallu. So use the heavier dupatta like a pallu across your body. You may pleat it neatly and create a narrow pallu or you may attach one end of the dupatta on your left shoulder in such a way that it gives the rest of the dupatta a free fall. Attaching the upper corner of the flowing side to the waist will give the dupatta a beautiful, lose-pleated drape that also shows off the work on it.
• Bringing the heavier dupatta from behind your shoulder and arranging it in front of your frame like a Gujarati saree pallu will give a special look to your bridal outfit. The other dupatta will be used like a veil over your head.
• Another great way to uniquely drape the heavier dupatta is by pleating it well, pinning it to one shoulder and bringing it down in a deep ‘U’ and then again pinning it either on the other shoulder or at the waist. With the lighter dupatta draped around the head in a reverse ‘U’ shape, this look creates a beautiful sense of symmetry.
• Want to look like a Rajput queen on your wedding day? Epitomize elegance by draping one dupatta like a bridal chunari. Pin the other one behind one shoulder and bring it across your body, gather it in lose pleats and let it hang over your wrist. Though this will keep one of your hands occupied, it will create a statement of class. Remember to not use contrasting colours in this case.
• Talking about two similar dupattas, you can use both together to drape like a shawl across your body. In this case, you have to choose a sheer fabric as an opaque one will hide the designs on your lehenga blouse completely.
• Look like a Nizami princess by using the lighter dupatta to frame your head and then bring it in front to form a small ‘U’ and then throw it back over the other shoulder. This is similar to the casual way in which women cover their heads with dupatta during prayers. Let the other dupatta hang over one of the shoulders casually.

Colour combinations to go for:

If you are thinking about two dupattas in two different colours, make sure that they complement each other as well as the designer lehenga. Below are some suggestions to give you a better idea:

• Choose a colour family and then match two different shades. For example, you can choose two dupattas – one in light blue and the other navy.
• Pastel shades go well together like mustard yellow and peach or peach and blush pink or light blue and light pink.
• If you are going for a white with gold or silver lehenga, use the second dupatta in red or fuschia or pink. This will bring out the intricacy of the zari work or embroidery of your lehenga.
• Want to go for two dark colours? Try red and green or red and turquoise or marsala and ruby.
• If you want to go for one dark and one light shade, try out the following combinations – red and peach, mint and dark pink, light blue and dark pink, magenta and light pink, white and orange.
• Red and gold or maroon and beige are eternal combinations that look good on every skin tone.

Tricks to Master the Look

• Never use the heavier dupatta as the veil; no matter how beautiful it is, it will surely make you very uncomfortable.
• You can choose the two dupattas in different fabrics. Choose the fabric according to the way in which you will be carrying the dupatta. For the veil choose fabrics like chiffon, net etc. Want to go for pleats? Choose a fabric like silk that will not crease easily.
• Choose the colours based on your skin tone.
• If you are getting married in winter, choose a pashmina or velvet body drape dupatta. It will keep you comfortable.
• Safety pins are your best friends when you are carrying the double dupatta style. So make sure you pin your drapes well.
• Don’t go for two lightweight dupattas. The one which you will drape around your body should be unique and heavy. You may go for heavily embellished designer dupatta’s or choose a traditionally gorgeous one like a bandhani, phulkari or zardosi dupatta.

Conclusion

Now that you have aced the double dupatta style to complement your designer lehenga, don’t look back. Start your dupatta shopping immediately. In case you need more advice and customized expertise, we are here for you. You can consult our style experts or go through our huge collection of designer lehenga’s and dupattas to find the right one for you.

Summary

The double dupatta draping style was introduced by ace designer and wedding fashion guru, Sabyasachi Mukherjee. From Bollywood divas like Anushka Sharma to numerous fashionable brides – all have sported this look at their weddings. The trend is one to watch out for this shaadi season. So in this blog we have decoded the trend for you by compiling the different ways in which it can be carried, tips and tricks associated with the style and suggestions on colour combinations.

Weddings are events a person cherishes for the rest of their lives. And weddings form an essential part of a couple’s journey of love. Weddings can be describes as the climax of a love story and this is why they need to be well documented. For this reason photography is an important part of a wedding. These days not only the actual wedding function but also things like pre-wedding photo shoots, bride getting ready photo shoot etc have become very popular and for good reason.

A vital part of shooting the bridal get-ready session is photographing the lehenga. Now come on, isn’t it important to give some extra footage to the piece of clothing you and your designer have spent months putting together? So today, we give you some useful tips and tell you some unique ways to getting your wedding lehenga photographed.

1. An easy way of clicking pictures of your lehenga is by laying it on the bed and placing the blouse, the jewellery and other accessories near it. This is not only a hassle-free way of getting your wedding wear photographed but it also gives a realistic feel to the photograph. Isn’t this what we all do while getting ready for an important occasion?
2. If you want to shoot your lehenga indoors you need to plan the background accordingly. In most cases you have to hang the lehenga in front of a wall, the colour of which makes all the difference. Of course we are not asking you to repaint the walls of your wedding venue but you need to choose one with a colour that compliments the texture and the hue of your lehenga. Sometimes keeping your lehenga amidst regular items like furniture may also result in a beautiful photograph. For example, a dark red lehenga looks great against a backdrop of vintage rosewood colour furniture.
3. Hangers play a big role in deciding how your wedding lehenga photograph turns out. Many brides prefer to get a customized hanger with their names engraved or designed in it. One can also get wire hangers bent to spell the name of the bride. You may pick a personalized hanger for yourself and later use it to hang your prized wedding wear for the rest of your life.
4. If you don’t want a hanger use a trolly to hang your lehenga.
5. If you have a wedding planner, get a set designed for your lehenga’s photoshoot – it might just be a beautiful corner or something like that themed according to the colour and stylization of your lehenga.
6. A very creative and aesthetic way of getting your lehenga photographed is by placing it amidst nature and vibrant greenery. This is because nature never fails to play an amazing background for any photograph and sunrays are the perfect lighting. Some brides even hang the lehenga from a tree.
7. If you have opted for a destination wedding by nature, you need to get its elements photographed. For example, if you are getting married in a seaside venue, random pictures of the sea will not be any different from usual vacation photographs. Including the lehenga in the frame will add that much-needed wedding element to the photograph. Plus it will be a great way to frame the most important component of your wedding attire.
8. Holding your wedding lehenga proudly – isn’t that a great way to get it clicked? You can also follow a theme to get this kind of a photograph. For example, you can hold it on you in front of the mirror to make the photograph as relatable as it can get. You may also wear western clothing to pose with your lehenga signifying your transformation or makeover. Such a photo will give the same vibe as that of a ‘before and after’ picture. But make sure the theme justifies your personality and is not something superficially imposed.
9. If you and your groom are together in the same venue, you can get your lehenga and his sherwani or kurta photographed together.
10. If your lehenga is one with intricate threadwork or meticulous zaree designs, just flaunt it! Ask your photographer to highlight the work and take a close-up shot of it with a blurry background and, voila, you have just made sure that your lehenga gets praised for ages.
11. If you have taken the pain of planning a theme wedding, get it documented, along with your lehenga. After your theme venue gets decked up, just get a photo clicked with your lehenga and this background. You would not need to worry about colours and backdrop here as you have already themed everything with each other.
12. A walkway, a corridor or a canopy proves a great surrounding to get a wedding lehenga photographed. Just blur the background to cancel out details that may distract.
13. Get your photographer to click your lehenga from various angles and perspectives and get a collage made from it.
14. Another great ‘before and after’ idea is to get your bridal lehenga clicked with a casual outfit which is personal favourite. This photo will signify how you are adding an element of richness and grandeur to your life through the wedding. It will also signify your personal transformation internally and externally.
15. If you are getting married in a historically or architecturally significant venue like a vintage building or an erstwhile palace, use the architecture as the backdrop for your lehenga photo shoot. Old buildings have a different charm altogether and this is a great idea for infusing design concepts – one on clothing and the other on structures.
16. A water body also serves as a great background for a wedding lehenga picture. The blue sky and the bluish-green of the water compliment almost all colours on the palette. You just can’t go wrong with this kind of a photograph.
17. Some brides love to tell stories through wedding photography. Your bridal lehenga can serve as an important chapter of that story. To make it so get it clicked along with you getting ready in the background to give that feel of a sequence. Such a photograph immediately speaks to the person seeing it by telling him or her that the bride is doing her make-up and will soon slip into this gorgeous lehenga. Many brides like to take this one step further by sitting in a meditative pose in front of their lehengas signifying that they are trying to calm themselves down before stepping into the gorgeous wetting attire.
18. If you insist that nothing but your beautiful lehenga should feature in the photo, think of a creative way to do so. First of all, eliminate all contrasting colour elements from the frame and locate a clean subdued background like a white wall. If you can’t find such backgrounds, we have a special tip for you – photograph your lehenga under a light fixture and keep the rest of photo dark. This will have a very aesthetic appeal in spite of having only one single element.
19. To make your lehenga photo speak for itself, introduce a fun element in it. You can feature yourself in the photograph standing and gazing admiringly at your lehenga. You may also include your personal designer in the photograph handing over the lehenga to you.
20. Feature your family in your wedding lehenga photo for that emotional appeal. How would you do that? Make your fiancé hold the dupatta of the lehenga around your head with the lehenga itself in the background, to pose for the photo. Ask your mother to feature in it. She may pose admiringly at you holding the lehenga against you. You may also include your best friend or your sister or better still, your whole group of besties, with the lehenga because hey, they helped you a lot with choosing such a masterpiece!
21. Thinking of an artistic way to photograph all elements of your wedding wear together. Ask your photographer to divide the frame into three columns – one will have the lehenga skirt, the other one the blouse and the third one the dupatta. To add more dimension to this photo, hang the three elements from hangers against three similar looking frames or three similar looking windows or doors. Good photography is all about symmetry and here we are aiming to achieve just that.
22. A simple yet appealing way of getting the lehenga photographed is by hanging it in the closet itself. Most closets come in wooden finishes and bridal colours look great with such elements.
23. For a more dramatic photograph, hire an actor who can pose as the driver of a cycle-rickshaw. Hang your lehenga from the rickshaw and a fun picture is ready and so beautifully “desi”.
24. If you have the budget to hire an expensive car, hang your lehenga inside it like men hang business suits inside their cars. It will create that “boss lady” kind of vibe. If you are career-obsessed by nature this will be the perfect lehenga picture for your wedding.
25. Another concept you can’t possibly go wrong with is photographing your wedding lehenga in the dark with lots of fairy lights to give that magical illuminating effect. You may either choose to use the fairy lights in the background or even all around the lehenga.

So these were 25 unique and creative ways to photograph your wedding lehenga. Such photographs not only document weddings but also serve as memories that will be cherished for the rest of your life. Make sure you have a beautiful wedding lehenga picture in your wedding album.