Category Archives: Weddings

5 Lehenga Picks For Your Summer Wedding Inspiration

Posted in Weddings by

Hi everyone! I know my blog has been pretty focused on food/restaurants/cooking lately, but since wedding season is just around the corner, I’m going to devote today’s posts to one of my favorite topics: South Asian wedding fashion! Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m obsessed with Indian clothes and following designers on social media for the latest South Asian bridal trends. I could spend all day staring at Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s beautiful couture lehengas and scouring the web for the latest Pinterest-worthy destination wedding inspiration. You think I’d be sick of it after planning my own wedding a year and a half ago, but I’m still completely enamored by the sheer beauty and vibrancy of traditional threads. I just love them so much!

Here are the five lehengas/Indian designer outfits that I’m currently crushing on. I tried picking a variety of outfits that reflect different styles, but I’m clearly feelin’ the pastels this season. Just can’t get away from how soft, delicate, and romantic pastels look on a bride or on a wedding guest! Perfect for summer weddings.

In no particular order:

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If you’re looking for soft, romantic pastels that are both traditional and modern, look no further than Anita Dongre. This pistachio lehenga from her recent Love Notes collection is simply exquisite. Striking, but subtle, which is exactly how I like it. Perfect for the understated bride at her sangeet or mehndi ceremony.


sabya

When I first saw this beige Sabyasachi lehenga on Instagram, my jaw was on the floor. I was immediately obsessed. Everything about this is sheer perfection – the intricate details of the lehenga, the lace work, the subtle peach-ish beige nude…just everything. A lehenga this royal is only fit for the romantic bride. I can imagine this at an outdoor garden wedding, with the bride wearing a delicate diamond tiara and soft curls. Sighhhh.

anju modi

The movie Bajirao Mastani was FULL of enviable Anju Modi lehengas, but I was most taken by this simple white lehenga worn by Deepika Padukone in the song ‘Mohe Rang Do Lal’. In a sea of bright Indian wedding colors, sometimes simplicity is best. White used to be taboo for Indian weddings, but I like that it’s becoming more of a trend nowadays. I could see this lehenga styled with layers of pearl necklaces and a giant mang tikka. So pretty for a wedding guest or sister of the bride/groom.

payal khandawala

Back to green! I’m usually not a fan of really loud colors, but I would 100% wear this Payal Khandwala long lehenga to a mehndi or sangeet event. The juxtaposition of lime green and purple is gorgeous and I just love how vibrant and funky the entire look is. The chunky necklace and no-nonsense hair is a fabulous touch – with colors this catch, you really don’t need much in the way of accessories. I think this look is perfect for a wedding guest, especially to an outdoor event.

anamika khanna

This outfit probably strays the furthest from my personal style, but I still L-O-V-E it. Deepika Padukone looks incredible in this Anamika Khanna jacket lehenga with a peekaboo bralette and statement necklace. I would love to see a gutsy bride brave this look for her reception – classy, edge, and completely unique. It would make quite the statement and I guarantee that no other bride would be rocking the same outfit!

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Which of these lehengas are you guys loving? Any other designers you’re currently crushing on? I’d love to hear from you if you have any wedding-related questions or if you want to see more content related to Indian weddings in general. Gimme a shout!

Indian Bridal Inspiration: Sabysachi Mukherjee

Posted in All Things Indian, Weddings by

I’m not quite sure why we still celebrate Columbus Day here in the US, but I’m not going to complain about having an extra day off to nurse my sinuses back to health, do a little bit of online shopping, and catch up on all my favorite food and Indian fashion blogs.

Today’s post has nothing to do with food, though if you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know I have a yummy Burmese noodle recipe to share soon. Instead, I wanted to give you a sneak peek into what’s been inspiring me lately. I’ve been obsessed with Indian fashion for a while now, but especially after I started planning my big fat Bengali/Punjabi wedding two years ago. I would scour Indian fashion blogs, Pinterest, and online shopping sites to find inspiration for my own bridal outfits and would find myself in awe of one particular designer. The one and only Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

I had a chance to experience Sabyasachi’s Spanish-inspired Indian collection in person at the IIFA Awards when they were held in Toronto back in 2011. It was truly love at first sight, and I’ve been following his work closely since. I love his ability to fuse antique textiles and traditional Indian styles with an incredibly modern aesthetic. His style is constantly evolving and very universal in its impact, but he manages to stay true to his Indian and Bengali roots which is really admirable considering how much richness our culture has to offer.

There are two recent Sabyasachi campaigns that I am particularly obsessed with. In the “Revive Banaras” collection, Sabyasachi repurposes traditional Bengali banarasi saris into more modernized lehengas and saris. As someone who proudly wore a banarasi sari for her own wedding, I love the idea of Sabyasachi bringing them back into the limelight and making them more relevant and tangible for a modern audience. The colors are bold and rich, but the styling and details are elegant and understated. I just love the way he’s styled this entire collection and selfishly wish it came out a few years ago before my wedding! Just how gorgeous are these pictures?

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The second campaign I’m obsessed with is an editorial/ad campaign for Conde Naste Traveller India, styled by Sabyasachi and featuring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looking more stunning than ever. I’ll let the pictures speak for itself, because it’s not hard to tell why I’m in love with everything about this campaign. I mean, just look at that floral white sari with those impeccable pearls. Flawless.

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Leave a comment if these campaigns inspire you as much as they inspired me! I’d love to hear about what other Indian designers you’ve been following and why you love them. xo.

 

Wedding Mood Boards: Midnight in Venice

Posted in All Things Indian, Weddings by

When I started planning my big fat Indian wedding over a year ago, I had my heart set on a Midnight in Venice reception theme. I knew I wanted a cobalt and gold lehenga*, dazzling midnight blue/silver/gold florals and decor, and Venetian masks for guests to take fabulous pictures with. I spent hours scouring Pinterest and Indian wedding blogs, but never found pictures of a real wedding with a Midnight in Venice reception theme. Instead, as all brides-to-be do these days, I created a private Pinterest board and collected as many pictures of all things midnight blue & Venetian to guide my decor inspiration for my dream reception.

Here are some of my favorite images that I’ve compiled into a Midnight in Venice Mood Board. 

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I highly recommend creating a mood board to figure out what colors and style most speak to you for your big day. For me, I knew I wanted something more glamorous and glitzy for the reception, since the colors for my other wedding events were extremely soft, feminine and romantic.

I mean, just look at that picture of Venice at night. I could just get lost in those colors. The perfect inspiration for a classy reception!

Thanks to my mood board and the amazing work of our decor team, our reception decor/mood/overall vibe was pretty spot on. We didn’t have as much emphasis on the Venetian part of the mood board as I would have liked (turns out Venetian masks are pretty expensive), but everything else was simply perfect. If any of you are struggling to find a color theme for your Indian reception, I really think blue & gold is the perfect choice – classy, timeless and elegant.

*lehenga: the gorgeous Indian outfit these lovely ladies are wearing above!