A wedding is not just about two people entering holy matrimony. It is quite literally the walk down to the aisle, right from the meet cute and the start of the relationship, to the blossoming bond and the little moments that made you want to seal the deal. The big day, too, needs to unfold your unique love story in every element. A venue that’s not just stunning but has sentimental feeling attached to it. Think immersive décor that transforms your traditions and tastes into reality. A carefully-curated menu that brings authentic regional delicacies from your culture and your favourite international dishes together.
And the best wedding wardrobe doesn’t just combine classic charm with contemporary flair; they weave your love and legacy into the sleeves, the drapes, and even the embroideries and embellishments. So what could be more meaningful than a custom creation—and I don’t mean a customised look with your go-to colour and crafts, but a personalised bridal ensemble that doesn’t just feel truly exclusive to you, but is one that feels like an extension to you. One that captures your essence and emotions.
Your Signature Stamp Onto Your Bridal Outfit
If your wedding lehenga will create the heartbeat, personalised details will give it soul. There are several ways to personalise your wedding lehenga that will feel magical and meaningful.
The starting point
Designer Monica Shah of JADE by Monica and Karishma shares, “Creating a bridal ensemble is a very collaborative process, involving plenty of discussions with and inputs from the bride herself. First, we understand her personality, the theme of her wedding and the vibe she wants. Then we narrow down the palettes, silhouettes and the placement of personalisations.
The modifications
Start the personalisation process with the larger, more obvious elements that let your personality shine. The silhouette should be your ground zero—go as traditional or modern as you like. Or opt for a design that blends the best of both worlds. Step two, the colour. Pick a palette hits home, whether that means your personal favourite shade or a colour that resonates with your roots.
The flourishes
The easiest and most enhanced way to personalise our bridal lehenga or sari is with the embroidery and embellishments you shortlist. This can echo your favourite craftsmanship techniques, which can then render itself as your preferred patterns and motifs. Love lotuses? Let it be the leitmotif of your look. An affinity towards architecture? From Amer Fort in Jaipur to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, let the world be your ornamentation oyster.
The cultural influences
Regardless of your hometown or heritage, your cultural significance will always be paramount for your nuptials. Why not give a nod to your background by veering towards a textile or technique that symbolises it? Be it a rich Varanasi brocade or tie-dyed Ghatchola fabric. Phulkari embroidery from Punjab or Kantha from Bengal. If you and your partner are from different backgrounds, consider blending elements from both cultures in your bridal outfit.
The emotional touches
Let your lehenga be a canvas to expressing meaning and memories. Incorporating special details allows special details to be woven intimately into the outfit. Imagine stitching a piece of fabric from your mom’s wedding sari attached to your look. Or creating a blouse out of it. Adding mementos and heirlooms from family such as jewellery being sewn on the blouse. “You can go subtle or statement-making. Subtle details on the dupatta or blouse, or inscriptions in our signature tonal artistry on the lehenga would work beautifully for the bride who wishes to be discreet,” shares Monica.
The partner preferences
For brides who desire a loud declaration of love for their beloved, there are a plethora of ways to do it. Embroider your and your partner’s initials or full names discreetly on the lehenga’s hem, at the waist or inside the seam. It’s a subtle yet romantic touch. You can create a timeline of your love story with embroidered motifs that represent significant milestones like your first meeting, engagement, or your wedding date or hashtag. Or go all out with a poem, quote or belief that resonate with you.
The add-ons
As they say, God is in the details. Don’t forget to extend your touches to your bridal veil and accessories. Embroidered motifs emblazoned on your veil or just on your edges. If you’d like to take baby steps, custom jewellery with meaningful symbols can complete your bridal look. Smaller elements such as engraved latkans and sleeve borders can also look endearing.
Borrow Inspiration From The Stars
There is plenty of inspiration to be found from celebrity brides, too. Remember Priyanka Chopra’s white Ralph Lauren gown for her white wedding? It wasn’t her record-breaking 75-foot veil that caught my eye but the hidden details. It was inscribed with eight special words and phrases as “embroidery pattern of the coat, including Hope and Compassion, as well as a Hindu mantra, Om Namaha Shivay, and December 1, 2018, the date of the ceremony. The placement of the groom’s full name, Nicholas Jerry Jonas, at the front of the coat was mirrored on the back by the names of her parents. A piece of lace from the dress Nick’s mother wore at her own wedding was also sewn into the pattern.”
Deepika Padukone embraced tradition, while making her Sabyasachi bridal look her own for her Sindhi wedding ceremony that took place on November 15, 2018. Her wedding dupatta featured motifs of dancing peacocks and even the incantation ‘Sada Saubhagyavati Bhava’, brought to life with intricate dabka embroidery and gota patti.
Two of JADE by Monica and Karishma’s masterpieces that commanded headlines were tailormade for actress Shibani Dandekar and south star Nayanthara. A contemporary bride’s dream outfit, Shibani’s non-conventional red-on-beige mermaid style lehenga-gown was made with Chantilly lace. The skirt which is a departure from ballgown styles and featured red roses. The corset blouse was a gorgeous choice and then her 5-metre-long personalised veil.
But the designer duo truly brought the magic alive with the personalised bridal ensemble for Nayanthara. The actor wore an intricately realised red sari with tone-on-tone embroidery inspired by the carvings of the temples of Hoysala. “We had hand-embroidered Goddess Lakshmi as a bajubandh on her blouse. In addition, the Fourth Vow running across the ensemble was personalised with the couple’s names, symbolising togetherness, commitment and mutual respect,” Monica adds.
In July 2024 for her Mameru function, Radhika Merchant gave a tribute to her Gujarati roots with her lush Manish Malhotra lehenga. The orange and rani pink lehenga was crafted with a Gujarat-origin textile that symbolises weddings, Gharchola. It was enhanced with real gold zari borders and embroidered with shlokas that pay homage to the nine goddesses of Navratri. The look is paired with a gorgeous vintage koti blouse featuring detailed metallic threadwork and Swarovski tassels. A long dupatta, draped in a Gujarati pallu, completed the styling.
Patralekha chose to honour her Bengali heritage with a traditional red sari from acclaimed designer Sabyasachi. She opted for a lightweight fabric that combined traditional elements with modern touches. The sari featured intricate zari embroidery on the netted material and a personalized hemline and veil. The veil was inscribed with the phrase “Amar Poran Bhora Bhalobasha Aami Tomay Shomorpon Korilam”, which translates to “I dedicate my heartfelt love to you”, adding a deeply personal touch to her bridal outfit.
The Designer Punch
From Anita Dongre to Gaurav Gupta, ace couturiers are known for adding several sentimental touches to a wedding outfit at the bride’s behest. Mumbai-based designer Krésha Bajaj is most renowned in this space with her signature Love Story lehenga. She pulls out all stops for a bride’s prized possession by enhancing the look with personal details, from the proposal to favourite elements like flowers and hobbies. Shraddha Kapoor in Krésha Bajaj’s Love Story lehenga detailed with floral and architectural motifs. Shloka Ambani, too, wore a bespoke piece for her sangeet.
Veteran actress, Padmini Kolhapure’s daughter-in-law, Shaza Morani became a Krésha bride as she donned a beautiful lilac-coloured lehenga choli that depicted her 16-year-long love story with her then groom-to-be, Priyaank Sharma. Her lehenga and the sweetheart neckline full-sleeved choli featured beautiful elements from the ocean intricately embroidered all over it, along with a personalised love note from her husband, Priyaank, secretly embroidered into her lehenga.
In 2022, designer and bride Arpita Mehta went all-out by getting her wedding date embroidered on her wedding lehenga, which was a beautiful coming together of her signature mirror work along with husband and designer Kunal Rawal’s signature French knot work. “The starting point was designing something unique and authentic. I started conceptualising my ivory lehenga 6-8 months before the wedding. I wanted to add as many mirrors as possible, and the lehenga had 18,700 different versions on the blouse, skirt and three dupattas. I combined it with Kunal’s signature work, as our wedding dates embroidered in French knots.”
