For most maharani brides-to-be, wedding planning begins with the shopping. Heck, I started planning well and truly before I even met my husband!

The wedding shopping aspect is fun, but also an arduous task that requires time, effort and money. Also, if you’re hosting multiple occasions, this means multiple outfits and just to add to the pressure, you need to choose standout designs that can fit any occasion.

Insert dream designer bridal lehenga.

As brides, our main sources of inspiration these days are Instagram and Pinterest. This entails spending endless hours, scrolling through pages of gorgeous lehenga designs and yet you’re still just as confused as you were at the beginning!

Now, the bridal fashion market has evolved and is growing rapidly by the day which in turn makes it incredibly tough to find the perfect bridal lehenga (we’ll save the bridal sari options for another post). India’s top luxury designers churn out loads of collections year by year and whilst it’s all fair and well to bookmark all of them on your wish list, there are a few key points to consider. Style and colour for one and then the choice of fabric.

Questions to ask yourself are:

  • Will the style and colour reflect you?
  • Will it make you feel comfortable?
  • Are you opting for a short or long choli blouse and with or without sleeves?
  • What sort of dupatta will you choose – single or double dupatta?
  • Is the lehenga going to be a mermaid cut or long and flowy?
  • Are you the traditional red lehenga bride of would you like to mix it up? This season we are seeing softer and muted colour tones filter through designer’s ensembles. Think whites and golds and ultra-feminine pinks. Did someone say dusty rose?
  • How about the type of fabric? What fabrics have been used to create your lehenga design? Are there embellishments or embroidery work? More importantly, are you after a heavy, traditional look or contemporary light-weight ensemble?
  • Do you want to be able to wear it again?
  • What’s your budget?

So, what kind of lehenga is for you? And who are our go-to bridal designers for your big day?

Payal Singhal

Always ahead of the curve, Payal Singhal’s offbeat silhouettes are fresh, contemporary and playful. The sophisticated maharani can expect edgy designs with a modern, international feel in a selection of soft textures, neutral hues and subtle prints and embroidery patterns. More than anything though, we love how flattering and light-weight the cuts are, whilst still maintaining Indian design sensibilities.

For the destination bride, Singhal’s lehenga’s are practical and oh so wearable!

Featuring an array of bespoke crop tops, capes, jackets, jumpsuits and gorgeous churidaar-skirt sets, it’s no wonder brides are falling for her bridal wear.