It’s a truth universally acknowledged that in the digital age, any major shift can be notched up to Instagram (with apologies to Jane Austen!). It’s clear that in the case of the growing role of a stylist in weddings, social media has been a key factor. These men and women help brides and grooms craft their sartorial dreams in locales as far-flung as Jaisalmer and Cabo San Lucas, ensuring that for every event each detail in their clothing is bringing in cultural and traditional nuances, unique personal details and serving as the key liaison between designers and their clients to ensure a wedding look that will be one to remember.
All, of course, coming together to help capture that perfect photograph, one that can dominate Instagram feeds but also remain an indelible memory of your big day. We asked some of the country’s biggest stylists about their favourite looks and key advice for brides:
Anaita Shroff Adajania
Recent weddings: “I style only a few select weddings because I commit to becoming deeply entrenched in the process. For me, it’s not just the couple, but also the family. That’s what makes it fun. This past year, styling Isha Ambani Piramal for her brother Anant’s wedding has been fantastic. She is such an inspiration and a great collaborator. Then there is Sakshi Sindhwani, the content creator. It was important to keep who she is alive in the looks we created. And lastly, my friend Gunjan, who was a stranger, and now a friend, because we had such a good time styling her wedding and had the best time attending too!”
Favourite look: “It’s very tough but I think the first look we did with Isha in custom Miss Sohee in Jamnagar—beautiful floral detailing, a gorgeous blush colour all shot against the backdrop of flowers. She made for such an ethereal beauty. And then for Gunjan’s mehendi—we did a yellow Sabyasachi sari, which we then accessorised with Chanel pearls.”
Trending: “I’m totally vibing with the more toned-down looks…the cleaner, more ethereal, softer look that couples are gravitating towards.”
Key advice: “Don’t let the clothing wear you, make sure you are wearing the clothing. The same goes for jewellery, makeup and hair. You have to let your best style shine. Embrace what makes you authentic. Consider how you can re-wear and re-customise your outfits, these are future heirlooms to pass down through generations. When I first meet brides, I suggest they close their eyes and envision how they imagined looking on their wedding day. We then work together to make that vision a reality. “ @anaita shroff adajania
Ami Patel
Recent wedding: “Actors Rakul Preet Singh and Jackky Bhagnani in Goa in custom Tarun Tahiliani and actor Kriti Kharbanda’s in Delhi wearing Anamika Khanna.”
Favourite look: “Rakul Preet Singh in a stunning phulkari cape designed by Arpita Mehta, inspired by traditional Punjabi attire, featuring vibrant orange and pink hues. Her look was completed with a beautiful braid and a parandi. For Kriti, it was the wedding ensemble by Anamika Khanna, showcasing various shades of pink and intricate, and subtle embroidery.”
Trending: “The white wedding…so beautiful to see people embracing ivories and whites.”
Key advice: “Schedule your fittings in advance to counter last-minute glitches. Keep a tailor available as a last-minute stitch can often save the day. But also just relax and know you are going to look beautiful. A little bit of imperfection is fine. Just enjoy yourself.” @stylebyami
Aastha Sharma and Mohit Rai, The Wedding Style Project by Aastha & Mohit
Recent weddings: “Harvard wiz couple Reva and Zach and their entire family at a beautiful wedding in Udaipur. Six months into this project, we embarked on another beautiful wedding for the sweetest couple, Diya and Arya. Through meticulous attention to detail and extensive dialogue, our collaborative process feels akin to a familial endeavour, wherein we collectively craft magic,” the duo say.
Favourite look: “Reva and Zach’s custom-made ensembles by Rahul Mishra for their mehendi. Reva in a beautifully embellished turquoise halter dress. Also, Diya and Arya’s wedding attire—the groom wore an Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla sherwani with intricate Resham work, while Diya wore a stunning red lehenga, also from Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, encrusted with thousands of mirror pieces.”
Trending: “Instead of the traditional dupatta, brides are opting for capes that drape elegantly over their shoulders and flow down the back. These capes, often intricately embroidered or embellished, add a dramatic and modern twist. For grooms, customised embroidered juttis or mojris. These shoes are designed to match or complement the groom’s outfit, adding a personalised and luxurious touch to the overall look.”
Key advice: “Stay true to yourself. While it's important to consider trends and recommendations, trust your instinct and choose a wedding look that reflects your personality, style and individuality. Embrace the little quirks and imperfections that make you uniquely you. Your wedding day is a celebration of love, not a photoshoot for perfection.” @weddingstyleproject
Tanya Vohra, Clad
Recent weddings: “One of my favourite weddings that I styled earlier this year was of a gorgeous Sikh bride from the US, Annie Shergill. She wanted Anamika Khanna to design her entire wedding wardrobe, which included seven custom couture outfits, something Anamika’s never done for a bride before. We did this entire process virtually over Zoom calls—it took us almost a year! We referenced a lot of Anamika’s old archival pieces and some looks from her recent couture shows, sampled new swatches, Anamika created custom sketches and each one of the looks turned out to be so wonderfully unique.”
Favourite looks: “My favourite looks are always the ones that are classic and timeless. One that I absolutely loved styling this year was for my first-ever Tamil bride. We styled her in a gorgeous handwoven Korvai brocade tissue sari by Advaya with auspicious motifs inspired by the temple mandala. It was a gold sari that was offset by a beautiful peach and blush pink two-toned border with paisley patterns. Traditional gold temple jewellery with hints of pearls finished the look beautifully.”
Trending: “I love brides opting for golds, ivories and pastels for the wedding ceremony and wearing reds for sangeets and receptions. I also love that grooms aren’t twinning with brides anymore—they’re exploring their own style, experimenting with different silhouettes and owning the cooler, minimal aesthetic.”
Key advice: “I say this to all my brides—a great starting point to creating your wedding wardrobe is first discovering your own personal style. Wedding looks are deeply personal. At CLAD, we also believe in styling looks that stand the test of time—repurposed and worn in multiple ways long after your wedding is over. The other advice would be to go super classic and timeless for the wedding ceremony and be experimental, modern and edgy for the sangeet or reception outfits.” @clad.clad
Nisha Kundnani, Bridelan
Recent weddings: “2024 is a definitive year, it's the post-pandemic boom that the wedding industry is experiencing. We are styling unique, personalised and very diverse weddings everywhere from the United States to Europe and in India. It's a potpourri of different ethnicities and races, people wearing Indian clothes and Indian people wearing very different Western clothes. Weddings this year are going to be magical, spectacular and very different.”
Favourite look: “Created for a Los Angeles bride who got married in Greece. She wore a Rahul Mishra gold cape with fringe tassels. It was such a dramatic and show-stopping piece, from Rahul Mishra's Paris Haute Couture Week 2024 collection. Indian weddings are deviating from the norm and incorporating fusion elements into their events, such as cocktail parties and nautical-themed celebrations or even something like engagement shoots in their favourite cities of the world.”
Trending: “I like designers such as Gaurav Gupta and Rahul Mishra who are giving Indian craftsmanship a global spin. They take inspiration from classical Indian techniques like embroidery and draping but reinterpret them with a contemporary twist for a rapidly globalised clientele. They might use unconventional fabrics or create dramatic silhouettes, making these familiar elements feel fresh and exciting for a global audience.”
Key advice: “Of course, everyone advises you to keep it timeless and minimal and avoid going OTT. I like to point in the direction that a bride should be both with the times and timeless. Your wedding should also reflect your lifestyle, your identity, personality and achievements and the place you are in your life.” @bridelanindia
