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Extra special touch to wedding season

Photo: K.R. Deepak

GLITTERING ARRAY: Women shopping at a jewellery mall in Visakhapatnam.—

The wedding season is here with all its glitter and shine. Indian weddings are getting bigger, better and more fashionable as well! Marriages may be made in heaven, but when it comes to shopping for one, the consumer has a plethora of options available in the markets. Designer stuff, haute couture brands, international brands, the finest trousseau collections, customised and designer-jewellery, complete home furnishing options and Electronics – the choice is endless. Showrooms have decked up with the finest of fine wares that add extra special touch to the wedding this season. People are spending heavily on classy selections of sherwanis, lehangas and a host of trousseau collections, after all the price tag isn’t all-important when it’s a once in a lifetime occasion. It’s the glamour, and experience that is important. For the wedding wear, the fabric normally used for the ensembles are silk, brocade, heavy crepes, jamevars, muga silk, tussar, polynosics (polyester-viscose) and other blends like polyester silk. In most of the boutiques and big shopping malls the outfits can be picked up off the shelves or could be made to order. As far as colours go cream and gold are in this season and plum and rich maroon are the traditional choices in ethnic wear. Kanjeevaram silk remains the most preferred choice for bridal wear in South Indian weddings. The saree has, however, gone through some fancy makeovers with thread work, designs and brocade and bead works lending it a more royal look. Till about a decade ago the male preferences were restricted to a dhoti-kurta or kurta-pyjama for the traditional ceremony and a suit for the reception. Today there is turnaround. For the last few years the sporting of ethnic wear - sherwanis, long kurtas, achkans or even jodhpuris by the film heroes determined wedding wear.

While the romance of the sunshine metallic sheen of gold continues to entice the hearts of women, the designs have become trendier to cater to the demands of the modern Indian bride. The multifarious designs from leading jewellery brands like Tanishq, Asmi, Estelle, Oyzterbay and Sparkles stand testimony to the changing tastes of youngsters and elderly alike. Apart from the widely popular delicately crafted gold jewellery embedded with semi-precious and precious stones, gold jewellery with antique finishes are also much in vogue for its dreamy old-world charm. Antique jewels that have muted shades in varied palettes for example mature shades like deep maroons, pinks and shades of greens are quite popular. An abundance of floral patterns in pendants, earrings and necklaces can be found in this section. The general trend, however, has shifted to lightweight jewellery that can be worn on all occasions.

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