From make-up to entertainment, weddings in 2023 see massive upgrades in style

Hyderabad: The Indian wedding ecosystem is undergoing a fast transformation, influenced by global culture, cinema, celebrity weddings, and technological breakthroughs.

You can’t help but marvel at how much wedding fashions have developed when you double-tap on your favourite celebrity nuptials like Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, or the legendary union of Virat and Anushka.

The wedding scene in the country has seen a tremendous metamorphosis as a result of the power of social media and the changing mentality of younger generations.

“As a wedding planner, I used to feel confined by conventions. The brides I interviewed were frequently carrying too much weight, with guest lists as long as Rapunzel’s hair. While the pandemic isolated us all, who would have predicted that our Rapunzels would finally break free with their Prince Charming? Millennial couples are taking over the reins of intricate wedding details, and ‘having fun’ is at the heart of everything,” said Nithish Singh Thakur, proprietor of Red Velvet Events in Hyderabad.

Wedding Trends in 2023

There are some ‘X factor’ trends that every wedding needs. While some aspects of a conventional wedding stay constant, there are also trends that shift and get transformed. This is due in part to the fact that people’s preferences for how they spend money are constantly changing.

In conversation with NewsMeter, famous Hyderabadi wedding planners — Nithish Singh Thakur and Mrunali Chavvan — discuss the latest wedding trends that brides and grooms should look out for in the wedding season 2023.

Photos that appear candid and natural

Photography styles, like most everything in the wedding industry, are greatly affected by trends. In the days before Pinterest, everyone adored the aesthetic of sepia-toned images and unusual perspectives. However, we have collectively moved on to the ‘bright and airy’ photographic styles, emphasising natural soft lighting and genuine reactions.

Couples are less concerned with looking flawless and more interested in having their photographers record the day with minimum guidance or interruptions. Photographers have followed suit, creating editorial-style wedding books for couples that emphasise faults and honesty rather than rehearsed behaviour.

Daytime pre- and post-wedding shoots are still popular

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that couples adore pre-wedding photographs (even if they deny it). Similarly, post-wedding shoots are becoming increasingly popular. However, no one wants the shoot to be indoors any longer. They did it during the pandemic and are now they are over it. Couples like to take in fresh air while being photographed for their pre-wedding album. This allows artists to use notable outdoor areas in their cities, such as monuments and historical landmarks, as the backdrop for beautiful photos taken in natural light.

Homegrown bridalwear labels to take centre stage

While names like Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra have become household names in bridalwear, they are not as inexpensive as we would like. By the end of 2022, the popularity of local, smaller brands with a wider reach had skyrocketed and this trend is continuing smoothly even now. Brides are gravitating towards brands and designers who embody their individuality while remaining within their budget, whether they are new labels or hidden gems.

Bridal lehengas dominated by neutral, earthy tones

While reds and pinks are still the most romantic colours, we’ve seen an increase in the number of couples choosing earthy and neutral tones for their bridal lehengas. The popularity of earthy tones for bridal lehengas is expanding, ranging from deep red-browns to burnt oranges, sage greens, golds, and even sap greens and purples.

Pre-wedding prints are fun

Our hearts are set on printed lehengas! Printed lehengas have been popular for a long time since they are comfortable and lightweight. We know that brides have already begun to embrace this fail-safe trend for their pre-wedding activities. There’s so much to try, from flowery lehengas to ones with geometric motifs and chevrons! The best part is that these beauties let you run around freely and enjoy your festivities to the utmost.

Destination weddings are back in style!

With people flying across the world post-Covid, it’s time for a larger-than-life wedding set against a backdrop of panoramic views. Couples desire to go to exotic locations to celebrate their marriage now more than ever. During the pandemic, people had a taste of intimate nuptials, and they’re now mixing destination weddings with an intimate environment. This means fewer people, more parties, and a killer view.

“We recently designed around 5-6 weddings at Alila Fort, Bishangarh,” says Pritesh Sharma, founder of Mapsor Experiential Weddings.

“It’s an upscale facility with just about 65-70 rooms. The couples were willing to reduce the number of guests for the experience, which is now the most significant factor; whether it’s a royal fort, a boutique, or a seaside,” he added.

Udaipur, Jaipur, and Goa are the most popular places in India for destination weddings, and according to booking patterns for 2023, these cities are hard to replace for the time being. Couples are also choosing international wedding venues such as Bali, Thailand, and Abu Dhabi for their nuptials in 2023.

The residential wedding trend is a mini-destination wedding variant that remains a ‘family-favourite choice.’ Couples from major cities are reserving boutique venues or heritage sites within a 3 to 5-hour drive from their homes. All wedding festivities are arranged here to create a destination vibe for the celebrations.

Infusing inspiration and creativity in wedding decor

For their weddings, Indian couples are adopting innovative and aesthetic setups, gaining influence from foreign trends and Bollywood spectacles. Curated mood boards, one-of-a-kind themes, and innovative flower arrangements are becoming increasingly popular. While Pinterest continues to be a popular global resource, Instagram has emerged as the top pick for wedding inspiration in India, with 52 per cent of couples using the platform to fuel their creative ideas.

Eco-Friendly Weddings: This generation has the gift of awareness and has chosen to use what they know to make a difference. “Gen-Z and millennials are more focused on the environmental consciousness they have towards society and Mother Earth,” said Manvir Singh Anand, founder and CEO of Knight Gourmet.

“For example, we recently organised the Sangeet for Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s wedding. It was nice to see the entire family emphasise sustainability features throughout the event. Glass bottles, for example, were totally gone. We acquired the old-fashioned water dispensers you find on the streets to add a whimsical aspect. Aluminium cans were used to dispense water. The entire plastic element was removed,” he said.

Wedding decor in bright colours: For the past few years, the wedding industry has been exposed to the minimalist aesthetic. Many past wedding décor ideas, particularly from 2020 to 2022, used black, white, and beige colours with modern and basic aesthetics. However, with Pantone naming Viva Magenta the colour of the year, wedding décor has shifted towards bright colours and vibrant patterns.

Over-the-top flowers: Flower décor is here to stay — from larger-than-life organza blossoms to bunched-up tiny fake flowers. Large floral décor has always had a fanciful allure to it, adding a much-needed fairytale aspect. Indeed, whenever we see huge flowers combined into wedding décor, we are reminded of the Alice in Wonderland aesthetic that is excellent for a mehndi ceremony.

The Urli trend: The haldi ceremony has lately become quite popular due to the amount of joy and amusement it captures for the couple and wedding guests. We’ve recently witnessed couples opting for giant urlis instead of stools or little seats for their Haldi ceremony.

In Kerala and other southern regions, the urli is a clay pot used for cooking. However, massive life-sized replicas have begun to figure prominently in modern haldi ceremonies. Urlis in haldi ceremonies are not only a beautiful addition to the décor, but they also make excellent picture props for the newlyweds.

Invitations

Sustainable Invites: Eco-friendly and sustainable wedding invitations have undoubtedly been a concern for couples getting married in 2023. Fortunately, there are various companies that create the most adorable wedding stationery out of materials such as seed paper and recycled paper.

Animate that invite: Digital invites have been popular since the pandemic, but who doesn’t adore the animated pleasures that our smitten couples post on social media? Animate your invite with your chosen colour narrative or subject for a sustainable, fancy and creative invite. Align it with your wedding theme to add a personal touch, and don’t forget to chime the invite with your ‘couple song.’

Using social media for wedding announcements

Following in the footsteps of the United States and the United Kingdom, around 57 per cent of Indians now choose to broadcast their engagement and wedding announcements on WhatsApp, the ubiquitous messaging network. This digital shift highlights the rising dependence on technology for seamless communication and the ease it provides in connecting with a larger network of friends and family.

The bridal jewellery game is dominated by Kaleeras

If you’re a bride-to-be who lives by the slogan “It’s all in the details,” you can’t afford to take your ‘kaleeras’ for granted. Kaleeras — umbrella-shaped ornaments which bring happiness to the newlyweds and the families — appear to have received a facelift, from the ones with tassels and pom-poms to the ones with bold style statements. Brides are abandoning traditional and basic kaleeras in favour of innovative kaleeras that combine designs inspired by their love stories and lives.

Makeup

Natural makeup: Natural, skin-friendly cosmetics are simple and enjoyable. More brides have been choosing natural, no-makeup appearances for daytime weddings in 2023. It’s all about baring your skin, which means brides will pay extra attention to their skincare routine.

The top materials utilised by makeup artists on brides for their daytime functions are light swatches of blush, mascara, a little highlighter, and glossy lips.

Dewy makeup: Skin that is dewy is in! For quite some time, dewy makeup has been the talk of the town. Every celebrity and influencer was embracing it, and we couldn’t be happier. This makeup look has a dreamlike appeal due to its fresh, shining gloss. This overall makeup appears very ethereal when coupled with neutral tones on the lips and eyes.

Brides choose open hair over knots

Brides have enthusiastically embraced the open hair trend for weddings after seeing Bollywood celebrity Alia Bhatt and designer Arpita Mehta leave their hair unbound into lush waves for their wedding. More brides have been choosing open hair with huge curls or waves fashioned in brown hues for their wedding in 2023.

Entertainment

Interactive entertainment: The days of DJs being the sole entertainers may be coming to an end. Couples are increasingly employing one-of-a-kind and interactive entertainment acts such as fire dancers, aerialists, Sufi singers, and live bands. Famous performers have frequently seen leading weddings of close friends and celebrities. This type of entertainment transforms your reception into a once-in-a-lifetime event for you and your guests.

Bride and groom performances: Couple dances are a global craze that has seized the Indian wedding scene by storm. Wedding choreographers have grown as influential figures, bringing colourful energy and entertainment to events. Today, Indian couples are adopting the ‘First Dance’ trend at their weddings, which adds a distinctive touch to their big day.

Catering Styles: European dining experiences

Indian wedding catering formats are changing as a result of global culinary influences. European-style sit-down meals with handcrafted table settings have grown increasingly popular, especially for private gatherings with close family and friends. This trend shows a desire to provide customers with distinctive eating experiences.