Bridal Asia 2019 revealed new trends — summer weddings, wholesalers becoming sought-after labels and lightweight couture. By Ayushi Sharma

Selecting a wedding outfit is more than just a fitting as it’s actually a process, a memory in the making. The bridal attire is one thing that matters the most over everything for any woman. The Indian bridal fashion has always been changing and evolving ever since the concept of “big fat Indian weddings” came in.

Bridal Asia curated its hand-picked Spring Summer’19 edition, exhibiting some of the renowned designers of the country. Through an amalgamation of opulence and craftsmanship, it showcased something for everyone, and a multifarious assortment of apparel, jewellery, footwear and accessories, from the choicest brands that came together for celebrating the Indian heritage.

Dhruv Gurwara, chief marketing officer of Bridal Asia, says, “This year, the exhibition completed 20 years and we are absolutely elated. Our narrative has opened the curtains of a new era, where the bride declares her individuality. The brand is now celebrating the chasm between its history, the coy bride and its future, the bold bride. With every passing season, we understand our muses better, so this was the perfect time to also dedicate space to lighter collections.”

“This time we concentrated on the summer collection as summer weddings and even destination weddings have now become a trend. The time between April and June has actually become a period where lot of weddings take place. This is the reason why we started the summer edition. This has been our second edition,” he adds.

Dhruv apprises that this time there were a lot of jewellers from Jaipur mainly and other places as well, who were initially wholesalers, have started retailing themselves and are now coming out as brands, like Raniwala and Rambhajo. So it’s quite interesting to see the wholesalers getting into the retail business.”

He further says that people are willing to experiment now, in terms of quality, colours, what suits them, fits them best, and they are considering comfort as their top-most priority. They are not just stuck on to the mainstream designers anymore. Weddings are a once in a lifetime experience, especially for brides and grooms, as it is their big day, their day to seek all the attention and look exactly like they have dreamt of all their lives. By being comfortable in what they choose to wear lets them enjoy their day. He feels it has been quite a refreshing change. People are opting for lighter, breezier outfits rather than heavy embroidered ones. Even when it comes to jewellery they are ready to tick something simple that goes along with their dress instead of extremely flared pieces. They are also considering cost effective designs, something classic, minimalist and modern with a touch of traditionality.

Dhruv says, “Opting for lighter pieces even helps in destination weddings since you don’t have carry too much weight of your lehengas and jewellery.”

Ask him about the colours which seem to be in trend, he adds, “That dark maroon isn’t there anymore which used to rule the hearts of Indian brides. Bright colours like red, blue, pink, white, off-white, even ivory, are working very well, everything other than dull velvets.”

For Dhruv, a wedding dress is both intimate as well as personal for a woman and it must reflect the personality and style of the bride. After all, a bride’s entire world stops to look at her on her wedding day, it has to be memorable.