Trend Alert: How South Asian Celebrities Are Inspiring A New Era Of Intimate Weddings

Photo by Ali Ashraf via Shutterstock.com

The pandemic has completely changed the face of daily life. It’s also thrown many businesses and industries for a toss – particularly the wedding industry. As a pandemic bride myself, the added layer of uncertainty to the already paramount stress of wedding planning made the struggle all the more real. However, on the brighter side, it’s finally time to take good hard look at the concept of the ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’ and it’s societal and environmental repercussions. As we can see from the many intimate weddings that took place over the past two years, it’s absolutely possible to celebrate responsibly without compromising on the aesthetics. Let’s take a look at how some celebrities planned their special day, amidst lockdowns and restrictions, setting new trends to make your intimate wedding a dreamy affair.

The Mindful Way 

One of my personal favourite celebrity weddings would have to be Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi’s intimate garden celebration. It broke so many unsaid wedding rules and for all the right reasons. The simple and elegant ceremony that was officiated by a female priest took place in Dia Mirza’s home garden and prioritised sustainability. Starting with locally-grown flowers for decor to the simple outfits that the couple opted to wear. Each aspect of the celebration was carefully planned to be eco-friendly and mindful. Guests were presented with plants in handcrafted woven baskets, made by artisans in Meghalaya, and drinks were served out of glass bottles to cut down on plastic. The zero-waste and eco-friendly approach gave their wedding a very rustic and earthy vibe whilst still being so romantic. 

Something Borrowed

Another way of being mindful is by being conscious about your wedding outfit. Add a touch of nostalgia by repurposing a family heirloom. Just like how Miheeka Bajaj wore her mother’s bridal lehenga for her Bhatt Nyotana ceremony and Yami Gautam draped her mother’s wedding saree on her special day. It’s a trend that is easy to incorporate into your wedding plans and one that’s bound to create some fond memories.

Fashion Forward

• We can all agree that fashion icon Rhea Kapoor’s dainty veil crafted with numerous pearls, in addition to the cape over her saree blouse, will go down in history as a true fashion moment. I am sure it has already made it to the Pinterest boards of many brides looking to step up their style game on the big day. 

• Rajkummar Rao’s bride, and actress, Patralekha’s gorgeous red tulle embroidered butti wedding saree was quite the showstopper. But the real star was her custom dupatta which had the words ‘I am submitting you my heart full of love’ embroidered on the border in Bangla. This is sure to inspire many brides and can be incorporated into any wedding outfit. What’s more romantic than a note of love on one of the most special outfits of your lifetime? 

• Wedding saree blouses have always been a way to show off one’s creativity, be it through exclusive embroidery work or the addition of dramatic sleeves. But it was actress Kajal Aggarwal who literally brought sexy back with multi-layer chain detailing on the back of her engagement blouse. It added an exquisite touch to her elegant yellow saree. 

These brides have shown us that wedding outfits can be a beautiful way to add a touch of personality and uniqueness to your day and can make any event, however intimate, feel grand and special. 

Another way, though, to make your intimate wedding outfit stand out is to incorporate less common colour themes. One recurring hue that was seen during latest weddings were pastel pinks. Indian Idol judge and former contestant Neha Kakkar and singer Rohanpreet Singh tied the knot wearing matching blush pink outfits.

While classic reds will always remain in the picture, pastel colours seem to be a popular alternative for a more subtle yet surreal aesthetic – a perfect fit for an intimate wedding.

Minimal Mehndi 

A lot of celebrity brides opted for minimalistic Mehndi designs this season and it’s a trend that I can think of many reasons to get on board with. During my own wedding, one of the hardest parts for me was having to wait hours for both the Mehndi application and staining, which wasn’t necessarily a comfortable experience. Simple designs, on the other hand, are sure to make things a lot easier and still edgier. Both Yami Gautam and Patralekha opted for simple mandala designs that coordinated perfectly with their outfits. Nobel Laureate Malala Yousufzai went a step further by applying a simple and traditional henna design on her palms all by herself! 

Whether you are in the process of planning your own intimate wedding or are helping plan a loved one’s big day, these celebrity trends can definitely come in handy to make the event all the more special and personal.