Indian Festive Outfits Shopping: Wedding, Mehendi, Farewell, Engagement, Haldi, Mehendi and DJ Night

Guide to Shopping for Indian Outfits like Anarkali, Lehenga, Suits, Sarees and Gowns

By Contributor: Srishti

This is kind of my dream post. I always wanted to write this one because I work so hard to put together the most perfect outfits with the perfect accessories. I just had my first cousin’s wedding!! It was 5 days of sheer fun- nonstop dancing, nonstop poking, yummy wedding food and the best part dressing up to look my best each day.

Also two days before the ceremonies was my official college farewell. I did not care to buy a new saree as my mom has one of the most amazing saree collection. I picked this feather weight peach colored georgette saree with golden lace she had bought from Tantra, Ghaziabad (also present in GK and Noida).

I was given the title “SPELENDID STATUESQUE” eeeeeeeee!! I have just recently become a makeup person, so I didn’t do much. I simply used my Oriflame Beauty Studio Artist Foundation along with a bit of Accessorize pressed powder, Lakme Eyeconic Kajal for my eyes and Revlon Just Smitten Kissable – Rendezvous. My saree was perfectly accessorized with a polki diamond chand bala and a beautiful pearl watch from a Tarun Tahiliani watch collection (oh! Tarun Tahiliani watch collections are always unique and beautiful. Everyone should have one of his watches. )

The farewell excitement had just gotten over when the excitement for “love wali arrange marriage” (that’s what the wedding was themed) started going up.

1. Engagement and Ladies Sangeet Ceremony Outfit and Makeup Details

 

I had all reasons to be excited for the day – fresh nose piercing, sleek new kamar bandh, new mang teeka and the lehenga. It’s simple, elegant and delicate. (Yes! I am wearing the same chand balas I wore with my college farewell saree.)

I bought this from one the teej exhibitions in Asoka Hotel, Delhi

. I am big enthusiast when it comes to exhibitions because it’s a cross cultural exchange in a way. With so many designers from so many places, showcasing at one place, exhibitions are just the places to shop when you are looking for something to stand out in the crowd.

The Ahmedabadi print border, according to me is a real winner as it makes the lehenga stand out from the regular brocade/sequined/embroidered borders. I had a choice in one shading from cream to light green which although was prettier and different, wasn’t as photogenic as this one.

There wasn’t just enough time to do the makeup and hair myself so perfectly, so I took a parlor trip. Also, to get the perfect long lasting bollywood hairstyle, there is no way to avoid the parlor trip (wink)

2. Haldi Outfit

A girl’s wardrobe should be full of variety and choices. I live to stand true to this belief. Some people might not like the suit as not everyone has the eye for the beauty of culturally rich works like phulkari. They might feel it’s too simple and tacky when its actually not. The beauty of phulkari is in its simplicity. Recently my mom had to make a trip to Amritsar, when I asked her to get me a phulkari suit and dupatta, and jootis.

This chiffon suit material set provided for cloth for the kurta and salwar along with a dupatta. I had longed for a phulkari suit since very long. Along with my boutique aunty, we decided on perfecting it with a pink palat on kurta, the neck motifs and a similar motif latkan on the back, pink piping for the neck and pink satin border to bring out the dupatta’s colors. And since the grace of the Punjabi kudi look is in a Patiala, we went for a Patiala for the bottom. I was immensely satisfied with the complete look of the suit when it was finally ready.

3. Mehendi or Cocktail Night Outfit and Makeup

This night was like one of those bollywood movies mehendi night with lots of dancing and glamour. Ok. This one has  a story to it. This one was not meant to be a suit. The golden bit you see over the waist is actually a blouse material my mom bought from an exhibition (again). It so happened that the material turned out to be a little less for a perfect fit blouse for her. Obviously we couldn’t waste it, so, I decided to get floor length kaliyan to it to make it an anarkali (plus I wanted a red suit). So it was deiced to get red shaded kaliyan to compliment the blouse.

Thankfully, with all the latkans, the pearl lace , the georgette kaliyan we definitely made something more than “not a waste”. The dupatta was a random shaded red from another one of my mom’s suit.

4. Wedding Princess Gown and Makeup

The D Day!! Oh I was flooded with compliments. I hadn’t expected the reaction. While picking it from the CTC mall in Delhi, I was double minded about it, as no doubt it looked well suited on my body, but I did not get many options to choose from. I ultimately settled on it because it was making me feel like I am Cinderella who was about to break into run. Haha..i swear I chose it to get that feeling.

It was one beautiful monster of a dress. I say beautiful monster because given that it was beautiful, it was also dead heavy. I swear I literally had to pick the dress from the bottom with both my hands to walk properly. I could not walk without saying “excuse me” to two or three people as there was someone or the other standing on its length.  After having worn it, I did wish that I had thought a bit more practically, but anyway all the appreciation made it worthwhile.

Now I can’t wait for another marriage in the family to shop for atleast one new dress to engage my excitement and mind into.