Brides in pastels: A shift towards a new hue
Pastels embed a sense of calmness around the wedding. It sets up the scene for an intimate ceremony
Dhaka's winter wedding season is always a sight to see: evenings reuniting groups of friends from all over the world, music as loud as the energy of the crowd, and brides decked out in every shade of red.
In contrast with the vibrancy of Bangalee weddings, Ariha Arif's wedding took on the theme of serenity. Ariha took a step away from the conventional bridal look with a muted, pastel pink.
"I didn't believe in the whole concept of 'a red bride makes a bride, I believe that a happy bride makes a bride, and I was beaming with the pink sharee on. That's what mattered the most to both my partner and my family," said Ariha.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
A bride's wedding attire is something extremely special to her— sometimes the whole event will even revolve around it. Yet, in a culture where deep and vibrant hues symbolise passion, Bangladesh's wedding scene has been seeing a rise in mellow, pastel colours. However, it seems like this wedding trend has its merits.
Set the mood to serenity
Colour palettes have a lot of power when it comes to establishing the tone of a setting. Vermilion red and its adjacent hues might be the colour of love and passion, but pastels embody peace. The whole range of colours under pastel is not harsh on the eye and can be quite romantic.
Safiya Sathi, designer and owner of her own brand, elaborates on this, "soft hues evoke specific feelings of calmness and relaxation. People are getting attracted to that calmness and sophistication."
Zannat Bushra Antora wore a gorgeous pastel pink lehenga with stone-work on her special day.
"I love its soft colour, which feels just right for a love-filled day. Pastel pink also gives a classy, timeless vibe that matches the elegance I wanted."
A calculated decision for decor
Believe it or not, there are times when all the details of a wedding are set around the bride's outfit. The groom's clothes, venue, decor — they all depend on one outfit.
Many couples opt for an outdoor ceremony or photoshoot to add an essence of natural beauty to their photo album. In this situation, a pastel outfit is a perfect fit for the occasion, as light colours reflect light. This makes the bride look brighter altogether.
Ariha commented, "My husband and I personally love that colour. I find it extremely soothing and I thought a lighter shade would pop more in daylight. Overall, it would not only complement the setting of the event, but also keep us happy, since it's a colour we both adore."
Wear it again
Reds have such a hold on the wedding industry that decorators, jewellers and designers will have default templates or products ready for every type of red a bride could opt for. In itself, it is a gorgeous colour, but it has garnered a special sentiment in Bangladesh due to the culture around it.
However, most brides will only be able to wear this special outfit once.
Safiya explains, "When red comes with golden or silver zari embroidery or any thread work on it, the outfit becomes so gorgeous and loud that she can't reuse it because it's too gorgeous as a guest appearance."
While red can easily denote 'dressed up' because of its cultural connotation, pastels are easy to 'dress down'. Pastel colours are less likely to clash in other weddings because it has a wide range of colours under its umbrella. Furthermore, without the bridal jewellery and gorgeous dupatta, pastel attires retreat to its simplicity.
Even though these outfits are simpler than their counterpart, they are more valuable in terms of reusability.
Antora added, "I am looking forward to wearing the outfit again for a different occasion. As it is pastel-coloured, it gives a casual party attire vibe, making it a versatile choice. I am planning to wear it to a friend's wedding and create new memories."
Finding the right style
Pastel colours can be a challenge to style, because it is a step away from the default colour our culture has found comfort in.
If the tone you are trying to set is simplicity and calmness, a high-glam, matte look might be counterintuitive. Play off the colours of the outfit and incorporate the shades in your eye shadow. Use makeup to enhance your natural beauty instead of layering it for a glam base.
Furthermore, the key to finding the right jewellery for pastel wedding attire is focusing on the details of the outfit. The colour of the thread and stones will help you decide whether to opt for gold or silver.
At first, Antora had found it a challenge to style her pastel lehenga.
"One challenge was finding accessories that matched the soft colour without being too much. I chose jewellery from Jarwa House with pastel-coloured stones and light-coloured gold to match."
However, don't shy away from colour to add a pop of vibrancy. Ariha had worn a gold bridal set with green details.
"I found out that the common stereotype that lighter shades of jewellery look better with pastel sarees is a hoax. I wore gold, and it went amazingly well with pastel pink."
A trend that's here to stay
It doesn't look like the trend of pastel brides is going away anytime soon, and with good reason.
The whole point of wearing soft colours is how it embeds a sense of calmness around the event. It moves away from the red and gold grandeur and sets up the scene for an intimate ceremony. In some ways, it sits on the opposite spectrum of a traditional Bangalee wedding.
Furthermore, as a wedding extends to multiple events per couple, brides have room to experiment with their outfits.
"In our country, wedding events consist of three to four individual events. So at least for one day, people would like to wear pastels. Nowadays, during the akth and reception, people like to wear pastels - so this trend will continue," explains Safiya.
