Rustic Romantic South Asian Wedding Style
Over the past year I have been working extremely hard to deliver some beautifully inspiring content. I cannot help but feel proud of how much we have accomplished, which is why today’s styled wedding shoot is so special for me.
When I sat down earlier this year to put pen to paper and plan a shoot that I envisaged to best represent my brand’s message, it was clear and simple. Keep it modern, elegant yet classy.
The inspiration behind our first editorial shoot was the modern south asian bride. Today’s bride is stylish, sophisticated and knows what she wants on her wedding day. She is infusing more of her personality into her wedding events and I wanted to translate that across with beautiful rustic design elements.
The style is offbeat, because I like to push boundaries and infuse personality in my styling aesthetics. Of course that being said, the primary focus for this shoot was on style and working with elements that reflect The Maharani Diaries’ values.
I’d like to think that this speaks to brides who aren’t afraid to think outside the box.
Soft colour tones and bespoke décor details were always going to be a part of the design and theme for this shoot. I had a vision in mind and with thanks to my unbelievably talented team, we created a look and feel that would attract any maharani bride.
Collectively, our goal was to infuse modern design sensibilities without breaking traditions. We created two looks on the day within a matter of hours. My bride and muse, Monica portrayed the quintessential maharani bride wearing minimal glam makeup, gorgeous henna, Indian-inspired headpiece and bindi on her forehead.
Caroline Atelier’s contemporary bridal wear complemented each look and certainly fit the romantic, feminine theme. Bridal separates are the hottest trend in the wedding fashion world right now, but for Indian brides, the classic bridal lehenga-choli has been the norm for quite some time. With Caroline being partly Indian herself and having an understanding of the culture and bridal fashion scene, I knew that she was the go-to designer for this shoot.
The gold ‘India’ top provides a stylish alternative to the more traditional bridal wear, and it’s so versatile that it could be paired quite easily with a classic flared white skirt.
The elegant silk, satin Gatsby-esque “white wedding” gown was no doubt the showstopper. Featuring delicate, handcrafted Indian bead-work draped across the front and back of the gown, the ‘Sienna’ gown is perfect for a civil ceremony or classic reception party look. Accessories were kept to a minimum here to accentuate the bride’s makeup.
Hair and makeup artists, Tricia O Sullivan and Laura Kay weaved magic, creating two stunning understated natural styles. Our muse was transformed from the sweet boho bride sporting glossy, romantic curls and natural makeup into the ethereal maharani. For the second look, we pinned back the curls and added the bindi and pop pink matte lipstick for added dimension and drama. Eye makeup was also on point to bring out the bride’s inner beauty.
The creative studio space in our venue provided the perfect blank canvas for the shoot with its high ceiling and rustic wooden floorboards.
Our photographer, Egle Laukyte of White Cat Studio translated our vision to perfection. Both her and I are huge fans of natural light and this is reflected in the beautiful images.
The beautiful antique furniture set the mood for the afternoon, with an eye-catching centerpiece being the main attraction. Egle captured it beautifully highlighting the luscious floral arrangements and fabulous vintage tableware provided by florist, Jill Wild.
Delicate pink peonies were selected for their soft and fluffy textures and scent whilst the roses, jasmine and eucalyptus were used to add some romance and a touch of art nouveau style lines that echoed the intricate henna embellishment on the bride’s hands. Jill also incorporated silvery grey succulents with subtle hints of pinks to flow with the colour palette.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!