Easy tips for styling your mother’s saree for your wedding day

More often than we have special memories and deep emotional connection with our traditional outfits—your first chanderi kurta, a beautiful Banarasi dupatta that you and your sister share, or that heirloom handwoven saree that you picked from your mother's wardrobe for your wedding day. Doesn't it sound like the most precious thing? Many a bride have done this before and many new brides are doing it now. Take for instance, Bollywood actors like Yami Gautam and Sonam Kapoor, who turned to their mother’s wardrobes to make their big day extra special. And well, you can take this as your cue to do the same. While choosing to wear your mother's saree for your wedding day adds more meaning and significance to your attire, it also saves you time and a lot of money.

But how do you style an old saree to fit a contemporary silhouette? What accessories do you pair it with? Fret not, below are some tips on how you can style it to make it look as good as new and to suit your style.

Enhance your outfit with chunky jewellery for an over-the-top look

The simplest method to elevate any outfit is through accessorising. You can never go wrong with shiny gold jewellery. Start by selecting the right pieces. Add bangles, a choker, perhaps even a mangtikka, and a nose ring to complete the look. And remember, don’t worry about going over-the-top, because you're the bride. You're supposed to go all out with everything you do today.

Speaking of jewellery, you can even consider adding a waist belt for an underrated way to elevate your outfit. Think of the traditional South Indian bridal look; the belt is an essential part of the attire, and if you've seen it before, you know it completely transforms the look. Belts come in several designs, but if we were to pick a favourite, it would be the temple jewellery kamarbandh, as it adds a whole new allure to the outfit and gives it a more conventional look.

Opt for a contrast-coloured veil

A veil is, of course, what brings a bride's look together. However, adding a contrasting veil is the hack to acing any saree look, whether old or new, on your wedding day. Look for a colour that contrasts with your saree. For example, if your saree is bright pink with hints of gold, opt for a less dominant colour like gold for the veil. This will help your outfit look more vibrant and well put together. Remember, styling is the key to acing any outfit.

Use the saree as a dupatta

A few years ago, even Isha Ambani turned to her mother’s wardrobe, using her mother’s saree as a dupatta over her lehenga. It's a great way to incorporate something nostalgic from the past into your wedding outfit, especially if you don’t want to opt for a traditional saree on your wedding day. You can fold the saree in a dupatta-like way and place it on one shoulder. 

Style it in a contemporary way

The saree has been an age-old part of Indian society. However, over time, we've discovered ways to style it differently. Today, we even have saree draping professionals, coming up with unique techniques. For example, Dolly Jain, a popular saree draper, on her Instagram, is seen draping saris on her customers in different ways than the traditional style. She is seen experimenting with the pallu and the way she styles the pleats of her saree. Some other famous draping styles include cape style saree draping, belted cape saree draping style, lehenga style saree draping, double saree draping style, and more.

Feature image credit: Pexels

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