‘Brides-to-be are opting for simple silk sarees in place of lehengas’
Though Tamil weddings aren’t extravagant like other weddings, they are lavish in their own ways. The four-daylong weddings are elaborate with plenty of rituals and customs. But these are things in the past. Now, weddings have become an intimate affair with just 20 or 30 guests in attendance. With this, bridal wear is also going for a complete makeover in the coming months.
Celebrity stylist and designer Jyotsna Ganesh observes that brides, grooms and guests wearing popular designer names might become a rare thing. “There will be a huge shift in the mindset of people when it comes to wedding shopping. Instead of purchasing lakhs worth designer lehengas, brides-to-be are going to opt for simple silk sarees with heavy zari and minimal jewellery. One aspect is the economy — people won’t splurge like before. Second is that brides are not willing to dress up heavily for a small wedding function. Simple sarees are something that we can use at any point. In the next few months, there will be only a single function which will be the ‘tying the thaali’ function. It will be held at home, or a nearby wedding hall,” says Jyotsna, who runs Sajna bridal wear.
Coronavirus has hit the multi-billion dollar Indian wedding industry in a huge way and all the industries associated with weddings are facing a crisis now. “Since the brides-to-be cannot visit the shops during the lockdown, we are taking blouse measurements via video calls. Once it is confirmed, they cut the blouse piece from the saree and Dunzo it. This practice will be there for the next 3 months. Brides are not opting for heavily hand-embroidered blouses. They are looking for simple embroidery just near the neckline,” she adds.
Designer Satkrit Krishna opines that the idea of spending more for a wedding will definitely change. “People might cut down on catering, wedding halls. But when it comes to bridal wear, I think brides will opt for simple designer wears or sarees. There will be a shift from heavy works to simple ones. A wedding dress is not just for that day, right? There will be pictures and videos; no bride wants to look drab on their D-day. So, I don’t think people might cut down too much on clothing. The idea for opting simple clothing is that one can repurpose or recycle the saree or lehenga in the future,” he says.