Modern wedding ceremonies in India have evolved into spectacular spectacles characterized by luxury, sophisticated furnishings, and grandeur. Grooms plan big entrances, and caterers plan a food extravaganza with 500 dishes and 50 cuisines. Wedding venues have evolved into expansive locations that may accommodate 2,000 people. Destination weddings are also becoming more popular, with scenic countries like Turkey and the Maldives having witnessed many Indian weddings in the last few years. Even in India, people find royal cities such as Udaipur perfect for iconic weddings.
However, the one who always steals the limelight at every wedding is the bride. A modern bride confronts many challenges, such as during her wedding. It includes selecting a unique lehenga designed by renowned designers like Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi. They also have to book makeup artists earlier and buy jewelry.
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On the other hand, a look through your parents’ wedding photos reveals another kind of period. It was a period when weddings were mostly private events held in the comfortable surroundings of a person’s home. For guest accommodations, those with smaller homes chose community centers or nearby wedding halls. In contrast to the expensive outfits used today, the bride’s makeover was a family affair. Female relatives dressed her in modest and traditional clothing.
We can easily see this contrast with the recent trend that took over the internet. The trend started when some netizens started uploading wedding pictures of their mothers. Nostalgic photos uploaded online that depict moms as brides elegantly portray the simplicity of the past. These pictures show brides wearing sparse jewelry and sarees of different colors, deviating from the custom of wearing red all the time. The emphasis was not on flamboyance but on the sanctity of the ceremony and the joyous union of families.
While today’s weddings showcase a different aesthetic, the charm of the past lingers in these visual anecdotes, reminding us that the essence of matrimony transcends trends, finding beauty in both the opulent present and the simpler days of the past.
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My mother as a bride in 1987. There was little jewellery except the nath which is compulsory for married women in my family.
Most women in my family until the late two thousands got married looking like this until the Bollywood fad of red, blue and other such loud colours. pic.twitter.com/rT861fNeDR
— Shivangi 🏳️🌈 (@sheevaangii) September 26, 2023
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My mom at her wedding, 1991, maroon shari we both still wear, dad in panjabi passed around between weddings of Communist Party of India(Marxist) members. Special Marriage Act, sindoor added by relatives after much drama, no other rituals, no one way to be an Indian bride indeed. pic.twitter.com/xynnYHFDkr
— Pratiti (@PratitiTiyas) September 26, 2023
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My departed mother as a bride, 1985. pic.twitter.com/xEEXvSYByl
— Gaurav Kashyap Dutta 🐺 (@GKDtweets) March 16, 2022
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