Big fat Indian weddings are seldom seen without jewellery. With the last few months having witnessed a plethora of celebrity weddings, the bridal jewellery category has garnered attention like never before. Jewellery blogger Prernaa Makharia finds out what brides want when it comes to jewellery

Marriage is a sacred ceremony for every girl and is perhaps the most important day in her life. She is the protagonist on this day and everything about this day needs to be perfect, most importantly her wedding ensemble and the jewellery she adorns. In the words of Designer Danielle Frankel, “There used to be a focus on the gown, and jewellery was an afterthought, but now women approach their look as a whole, focusing on how jewellery can balance an entire ensemble.

Adding Value

There has been a significant rise in the trend of re-using or re-constructing family legacies. Wearing traditional lehengas and jewellery that have been borrowed from the bride’s mother or grandmother is a common trend we are seeing nowadays. For instance Isha Ambani’s wedding lehenga featured a piece from her mother’s wedding sari. Talking about the role apparel plays in shaping jewellery trends for brides Harry Mangnani, Sales Head - Tyaani Jewellery says, “Given that the fashion industry is primarily dominated by the trends in textiles and apparel it does significantly influence the jewellery market. Internationally, the jewellery trends stand independent of apparels, however, India being greatly under the influence of traditions, majority of jewellery is designed and bought to complement the style and colour of apparels one has.”

Weddings are no longer a small affair but are magnanimous with ceremonies ranging from engagement, cocktail, mehendi, sangeet and wedding/reception culminating into a big fat wedding. With such diverse occasions and each having its own traditional and cultural significance, custom-made outfits and jewellery add to the grandeur of the bride.

Engagement

The showstopper for this event is definitely the engagement ring which usually is a solitaire diamond and added to it brides are seen wearing custom made couple bands in gold or platinum. Depending on the outfit brides tend to choose statement earrings, delicate or bold neckpieces and complete the look with a bracelet or cuff.

For mehndi

Harry suggests that maang tikka & a pair of long cascading earrings are of favourites for this occasion.

Sangeet

Since this occasion is all about dance and activity and the ensembles range from lehengas to gowns to pre-draped sarees, the jewellery tends to be more pronounced yet fluid and flexible. Chandbalis in polki or kundan or flirty diamond chandelier earrings with unconventional gemstones with a pair of kadas and cocktail rings seem to be the winning combination for this occasion.

Wedding and Reception

For the Big day brides opt for polki or diamond jewellery flanked with oversized gemstones like rubies, emeralds or pearls. However, each community in India has its own traditional jewellery to be worn on this day which may differ from bride to bride. Suggests Ishu, “For wedding – an ethnic choker with a long layered necklace set paired with matching accessories like maangtika, armband, bangles and haath phool are quite popular. For reception brides tend to opt for a classy diamond necklace set with a matching bracelet”

What’s trending in 2019?

Wedding jewellery in the coming year is said to be all about layering and stacking for a vintage, regal allure. A mix of gemstones and diamond or polki studded jewellery is going to be seen a lot. Brides are beginning to opt for modular jewellery that can be detached and worn in different ways on various occasions. Pastel colours with cooler hues are predicted to be ruling the roost when it comes to wedding outfits and jewellery.

Adds Harry, “Keeping the global trends in mind, jewellery essentials for the millennial bride sums up to everything that is experimental & unconventional - be it pastel colours over the classic red and green or stylised layering over the conventional bridal set. Choosing comfort over fashion is another trousseau favourite for the brides of today giving a whole new market to lightweight & wearable jewellery.

The Millennial Bride

Gone are the days when jewellery was perceived as just an investment where design was not given any importance. Today, brides know exactly what they want and they plan their looks ahead and jewellery is very much a part of the entire look and feel of the wedding. Ishu Datwani, Founder – Anmol Jewellers about the jewellery that millennial brides want, says, “Women these days have an active social life and they look for designoriented, versatile and statement jewellery which would complement both modern and traditional silhouettes and can be worn in different ways for different occasions even after the wedding.”

“Travel light” is the mantra opted by brides when it comes to destination weddings. The millennial bride prefers lightweight & fashion forward jewellery. The approach of today’s bride is to build a trousseau that has a life beyond the locker and that can be the worn time and again at occasions even after the wedding is done with. “Given Tyaani’s lightweight jewellery & competitive pricing, it makes THE BEST pick for destination weddings. Non-precious jewellery is not something a millennial bride would pick for her big day no matter how unconventional her tastes are. Our roots still lie in Indian culture & traditions of investing in precious jewellery at such a point.” On the contrary Ishu says, “The big bridal jewellery trend for destination weddings is of classic fancy diamond jewellery with precious coloured gemstones like emeralds, rubies, sapphires and tanzanites. We have extensively worked with rose gold this season as it a very popular trend currently.”

Offbeat Jewels

Ethnic and traditional Indian bridal accessories are back in fashion. Accessories like haath phool, noserings, maathapatti, armband and kamarbands are being interpreted in a contemporary design language with uncut diamonds, coloured gemstones and diamonds. “These accessories are taking a centre stage to become a focal point of attention, rather than complementing and accentuating the heavier jewellery pieces. Young women these days are experimenting with one stunning piece of jewellery like a hairornament or an oversized diamond nosering or a haathphool made with a fusion of diamonds and uncut diamonds with coloured stones, which becomes a highlight of their look and creates a bold statement.”