Pastels, florals, minimalistic! Designer Aditi Somani shares the must-haves to ace wedding season

By Aditi Somani

People are slowly moving away from traditional colours and opting for lighter, fresher hues like pastel pink, minty green and zesty orange. Though lehengas remain a favourite outfit, the focus has shifted from heavily embellished garments to minimalistic and comfortable ones.

Men's fashion, too, has taken a whole new turn. Right from the bandgala and Nehru jackets to kurtas - everything has become more contemporary than ever before. Silhouettes are slightly shorter in length. Details in laser-cut leather and tonal embroidery will highlight the shape. Menswear is no longer clean and simple. There is a lot of emphasis is on detailing, and clothes are high on design.

The reigning colour palettes:

Rich, opulent shades of champagne gold are the rage this season. This hue adds subtle luxury to not just lehengas, cholis and saris, but palazzo pants as well.

For the grooms, colours this year will see a lot of monotones - black, white, grey and coal are amongst the favourites. Soothing creams are another hit this season. The neutral colour makes a fantastic base for all sorts of colour combinations, repels heat during those crucial hours of tearing up the dance floor and makes you look absolutely poised and polished for any occasion. Cream coloured self-embroidered lucknowi and chickankari fabrics provide all the drama and flare required of an Indian summer wedding outfit, without the heavy bogged down feeling of actual embellishment.

Solid colours are another favourite , they are not only slimming but also help make a statement, so you can do away with any unnecessary bling.


(Image Aditi Somani)

The trend that will rule for the next one year:

Floral motifs will rule the design alley, and there is no better motif for Indian summer weddings. Embroidered, printed, embossed or woven, floral designs in all shapes and sizes are available for every type of garment.

With endless options of colour combinations, floral clothing is for those who aren't worried about standing out. And the trend isn't just restricted to ladies as more and more dapper gentlemen have taken to sporting floral designs. The floral print sherwani is an excellent option for men who want to flaunt the style unabashedly. However, if you don't want to go all out, you can opt for smaller motifs and subtler designs.


Actress Dia Mirza in Aditi Somani.

A creative way of wearing the same apparel:

Team the lehenga with a long embellished jacket. An embellished jacket adorned with zardosi work would look electrifying with a heavy-border wedding lehenga. Or you could pair a sheer net jacket with a detailed-embroidery lehenga. Do something different, and Bring a vibrant look by teaming your lehenga with contrasting shade jacket.

Advice to the brides/grooms-to-be:

For ceremonies like the mehendi or sangeet, you can choose colours like tangy orange, bottle green, and sunny yellow. You can even combine this with a velvet waistcoat in a contrasting colour, like bright orange or pink, depending on the colour of your kurta.

If you are opting for a simple safa with a coloured outfit, add a kundan kalgi to it, for an instant touch of glamour.

Always opt for subtle colours that suit your complexion.


Designer Aditi Somani.

Faux pas to be avoided:

Don't overdo bling
If done aesthetically, bling can add a dash of glamour to your overall look but if overdone, it can be disastrous!

Don't ape celebrities
It's good to have strong visual references but be realistic as the opposite can play on your confidence. Have your own identity rather than copying someone else.


- The writer is a designer and creator of the label - Aditi Somani.