Here’s the second installment of Marv D’Souza’s (designer, fashion junkie and all-round sweetheart) bridal wear do’s & don’ts for this season. With his astute advice on dressing up, you will definitely be the best dressed bride in town!

Once you have your colour palette in place (see my earlier blog), it’s time for picking out the right fabric. You need to take into consideration the time of the day when you have to wear the garment and also the climatic conditions to choose the right fabrics. You don’t want to be either too cold or sweating profusely all over the place on the most important day of your life. Most importantly, you don’t want to be uncomfortable.

Considering the bridal season is always in winter, the obvious choice would be something to keep you warm. But you must be free to move about and be at ease throughout the day or you’re going find it difficult to keep that smile meaningful. 2011 has a host of the usual fabric choices from raw silk to brocades to sheer nets and chiffons. Bedazzled in embroidery or appliqué, dressing up would be royalty-like.

Brocades

Because of the rich feel to the fabric and workmanship, brocades are usually the favourite for Anarkallis, cholis or saree blouses and even for lehengas. As for the men, brocades make real good fabric choices for dressy sherwanis teamed with a pair or raw silk churidas as Rocky S. showcased in his recent bridal collection for 2011.

Metallics & Bling

Wedding receptions under the moon light, beautiful lights around you that reflect in your jewelry too. Metallic finish in fabrics like silk and satin add to the glitter in your fairy tale wedding. Rocky S. and Tarun Tahiliani presented a metallic sherwani and a dreamy tulle and silk gown respectively. While Shane and Falguni Peacock had the glittering element in their version of the anarkali, Adarsh Gill displays a metallic saree in a moon lit blue tone. But some designers took a different approach to the trend, metallic blouses and petticoat shining through sheer fabrics.

Prints and Embroidered Prints

Now an Indian garment worn for a celebration such as a wedding or festivities would be bland if there isn’t any embroidery. It’s what India is famous for, it’s craftsmen and handlooms. Tarun Tahiliani presented some stunning work in his men’s and women’s wear bridal collection. Apart from that designer’s like Arjun and Anjalee Kapoor did hand-woven embroidery and applique work on their menswear line. Pallavi Jaikishan along with her embroidered pieces also presented a series of printed sarees bejeweled with glittering beads and mirror work.

Sheer Fabrics

Obviously wedding season brings out prospects for the bachelors and bachelorettes to mingle around. What better way to tease than in a sexy yet sensual net and lace saree. Rocky S., Rina Dhaka and Falguni and Shane Peacock, all used the lace with net combinations in a way or another and presented beautiful garments. Though critics may say, sheer fabrics like net are out of style, they sure showed up on the runways because of the whimsical appeal of it.

The sheer fabrics used weren’t only restricted to sarees. Falguni and Shane Peacock did it in ornate overcoats that went over cholis and lehengas, Rocky S. used it in saree blouses and a host of others played it into dupattas and chunnis.

So there you have it, a range of fabrics from printed chiffon sarees to see-through dainty blouses. You may either choose the less is more and more is less ideology. There is never a strict rule to bridal fashion but whatever you choose, be sure to balance it out.

If you have a saree with heavy work on it, go simple with your jewelry or if the lehega-choli is understated, play it up with a bedazzled dupatta or a shimmering neck piece. Pay attention to details and to finishing.  With all the jewelry you might be wearing, you don’t want it ripping into your sheer dupatta and ruining it.