The Wedding Fair

The wedding season in India is no less significant than all other four seasons we experience. The rainbow fairy lights, the blaring sound systems and the heavy downpour of extended family members is reported throughout. However, the charm of this season is the bride and to drape these brides in the finest of silk, BollyCurry bring to you some of the most noted ensembles worn by our Bollywood divas on-screen through all the wedding functions that make the Wedding Fair.

Engagement ceremonies hold a very special place in a to-be-bride's life. It is the commencement of her fairytale ahead and Bollywood knows this well. Who would not be reminded of Preity Zinta twirling to the beats of "Mahi Ve" in a nude colored lehenga in Kal Ho Naa Ho on her engagement. The elaborate skirt and blouse lined with net, embroidered in all blue threads, crystals and sequins is still considered one of the finest designs of Manish Malhotra. Some understated diamond jewelry, open hair and her dimple smile had made Zinta worth a million bucks. But if the hiking prices of lehengas are making them less lovable, there is always the ever popular sarees that no bride can neglect. Amrita Rao had stepped out wearing a mustard-yellow bandini saree with red border on her engagement day in Vivah, looking every bit of a princess. The simple jewelry and even simpler plaited hair added to her beauty. But do not forget the red lips though for some added glamour.

Adding that extra glow to both the bride and groom, haldi holds a lot of importance in an Indian wedding. But the mess calls for simpler clothing on this function. Preity Zinta may not have been a very happy bride at her haldi in Kal Ho Naa Ho but wearing a mustard-yellow patiyaala suit with light zardozi embroidery on the borders of the kurta and the dupatta, she did portray a beautiful vision. For others, wearing a saree is considered more traditional. Alia Bhatt was draped in a simple yellow cotton saree in 2 States playing a South Indian and looking pure desi in her somber avatar.

The earthy smell, the soothing green and the ink spilled red are the marks left by mehndi in its wake. One of most beautiful mehndi functions shot on screen was in My Name Is Khan, when Kajol Devgn took the seat in a green suit with a pink dupatta embroidered in golden zardozi and gota work. She made the whole scene turn ethereal. The bright colors definitely look lovely together but contrasting the green of mehndi with white is something very alluring too. Karisma Kapoor was a sight to behold in every frame of her most applauded movie, Zubeida. The famous song "Mehndi Hai Rachne Waali" saw Kapoor in a beautiful white silk suit with golden border and chicken kari work all over. Gajra in her hair, head covered and minimal makeup completed her look and she surely made the angels burn with envy.

Some loud Bollywood numbers, even louder aunties and uncles, a big dhol to beat the heat and all the dramatics put on the dance floor and you have the perfect combo for a sangeet ceremony. Kangana Ranaut pulled out all the eccentricity of her character for her best friend's sangeet in Tanu Weds Manu wearing a magenta/blue kurta with a red brocade salwaar and danced her heart out. Heavy jumkas, a simple necklace and hands adorning glass bangles made this a charming ensemble. But friendship and sangeet doesn't end there. Deepika Padukone put the stage on fire in Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani with her latkas and jhatkas dancing to the beats of "Dilliwaali Girlfriend" wearing a red sharara with a blue bordered dupatta embedded with silver sequins all over. She looked uber sexy and endearing at that too.

You may keep it simple through the rest of the functions but a big fat Indian wedding calls for an elaborate wedding dress, embellished, colored and stitched with all the dreams and desires of the bride's, since forever. Thus even though Kareena Kapoor wasn't into her wedding with all her heart in 3 Idiots, her wedding attire was an envy. An anarkali styled lehenga in burnt orange with heavy zardozi embroidery wrapped around her and some traditional jewelry including a moon nose ring, she looked every bit of a royal on-screen too. Traditional was the route chosen by Kangana Ranaut as well for her wedding in Tanu Weds Manu, when she not so coyly dazzled her groom in a dark green lehenga with red linings embroidered with zari and crystals. Adorned in pearl and gold jewelry, red lips and a bride's happiness, Ranaut charmed us all.

Now is the time for the newly wedded bride to step out with a new identity and this daunting task calls for some sequined armor too. So a false wedding and a fraud reception following it doesn't mean that the festivities have to be dull, and thus Sushmita Sen draped her perfect hourglass figure in a seductive red saree with red danglers in her ears and red bangles on her hands in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, declaring why she was once crowned the most beautiful woman in the universe. From one beauty queen to another, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stood not so far behind when for the first time she entered the mammoth gates of the Agra Fort as the wife of the Mughal emperor in Jodhaa Akbar for her reception. Wearing a sunny yellow Rajasthani lehenga with golden zari and gota embroidery, adorned with mouth watering pearl and kundan jewelry with the traditional maang tika and a moon nose ring, Rai was regal, statute and divine.

Bollywood has been inspiring the market of wedding attires since ages and we hope this list helps the brides-to-be out there to converge their search at some. Does this list make a perfect wedding run? Or do you have the masterpiece that we may have accidentally overlooked? Do let us know in the comment section below!

Author: Nabila S.
Editor(s): Marsh P. and Sonia R.
Graphic: Marsh P.