JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
Bani Sachar speaks to four fashion insiders, each of whom dismantled convention at their recent weddings, pushing the boundaries of what bridal dressing could look like
Bridal fashion today sits at a crossroads where tradition, trend cycles and personal identity
collide. Amidst the chaos of wedding planning, it’s easy to get swept up in trends and aesthetics. For many women, the pressure to dress a certain way still speaks louder than their own instincts. For some brides, however, style doesn’t mimic a moodboard but reflects the woman wearing it. From balancing heritage with intuition to throwing out the rulebook altogether, it’s deeply powerful to truly dress for yourself on your big day. The result is a look that endures. Because in the end, it’s not the silhouette, the label, or even the photographs that matter. It’s that you wore something entirely your own—deliberate, intelligent, unforced. And really, that’s the only trend worth following. These four fashion-forward brides make a case for just that.
GARIMA GARG
Celebrity Stylist
The Takeaway: Meaning over moodboards
A celebrity stylist who works with A-listers like Karisma Kapoor, Pooja Hegde and Katrina Kaif, Garima Garg thought she would approach her wedding wardrobe the way she works with her clients: with references and strategic edits. But as her bridal fittings unfolded, so did a deeper instinct. “I had to unlearn that professional detachment,” she laughs. “It became less about what would photograph best, and more about feeling like myself.” Her final wardrobe was eclectic yet cohesive, with custom pieces from Delhi Vintage Co, Vaishali S, Rahul Mishra and Tarun Tahiliani among others. Her RajiRamniq outfit started as a denim sari and evolved into a velvet drape keeping her winter wedding in mind. Whether it was the structural drama of Rahul Mishra’s viral dragonfly top or the weightless elegance of her Vaishali S sari, each outfit captured a different note of Garg’s personality—dramatic, light and playful. “Curate, create, and most importantly, have fun,” advises the bride. “Don’t get caught up in the pressure of ticking off designer names.”
SHWETA KAPUR
Fashion Designer
The Takeaway: Edit with emotion
For designer and founder of contemporary wear brand 431-88, Shweta Kapur, the starting point wasn’t a moodboard or a palette, it was a feeling. “I didn’t want to wear something just because it was expected,” she says. “I built my wardrobe around emotion, not tradition or trends.” Small, thoughtful details carried deep meaning: her after-party sari with pearl detailing and matching kaleeras were inspired by her mother’s Basra strands. Every look she wore spoke softly but powerfully—modern yet rooted in memory. Navigating the unspoken pressure to either go fully traditional or completely avant-garde, Kapur found her balance in restraint, be it with an embroidered blouse that she wore with a Kunal Rawal lehenga or her Jade by Monica & Karishma wedding lehenga in an unconventional sage green. “I kept asking myself: Would I wear this again? Does it feel like me? If the answer wasn’t a clear yes, it didn’t make the cut,” says the designer. Her advice to future brides: “Strip away the shoulds. Let your wedding wardrobe mirror your spirit, not tradition or trend reports.”
AVRITI JAIN
Jewellery Designer
The Takeaway: Mix & match your bling
As the founder of contemporary Rajasthan-inspired jewellery label Dhora, Aavriti Jain approached her bridal wardrobe intuitively and with zero regard for outdated rules. “I didn’t think in terms of fine or costume jewellery, I thought in terms of meaning,” says the bride, who proudly mixed both. Jain’s bridal jewels across the celebrations blended heirloom gold with sculptural, conceptual pieces inspired by tribal adornment: a reimagined aad choker, amethysts and peridots stitched into her lehenga, and cuffs that drew from folk traditions. Her maroon crushed silk wedding lehenga was intentionally bare, so she could lead with the jewellery. “I wanted it to feel layered—culturally, visually, personally.” At a pre-wedding dinner, she wore sculptural hoops
with bold necklaces that wouldn’t typically be classified as bridal, but “it just felt entirely me.” Her advice: “Don’t be afraid to mix. Jewellery doesn’t have to be fine to be valuable. If it speaks to you, it belongs on you.”
MEAGAN CONCESSIO
Celebrity Stylist
The Takeaway: Surprise yourself
Known for styling the likes of Ananya Panday and Bhumi Pednekar, Meagan Concessio describes her personal style as sporty and androgynous. So, she surprised even herself by embracing a more traditionally feminine look for her church wedding: a classic, ultra-feminine gown by Kyha Studio. “It wasn’t my usual style at all, yet somehow it made me feel the most like myself,” says the bride who was clear she wanted to look beyond the expected for her nuptials. “I didn’t make moodboards for myself. All I knew was how I wanted to be girly.” Concessio’s mentor, film producer and stylist Rhea Kapoor, styled her for the sangeet in an Amit Aggarwal lehenga. But for the wedding ceremony and after-party, the bride trusted her own instincts.
“Don’t choose something because it’s trending, instead pick timeless pieces. Try everything and be open to experimenting. And most importantly, keep the opinions you seek to a minimum. You already know what’s right for you,” she says.
