Wedding Saree Style | How to Pick Your Bridal Saree

How to Pick Your Bridal Saree

All little girls dream about their weddings, so the saying goes. Some girls even being planning their wedding at an early age, picking out their dream bridal saree or wedding lehnga. Others have a vague idea, but they are no less distinct when the day fast approaches.

The bridal saree is one of those more important items for that a bride has to pick. If you choose a saree that is not suitable for your complexion, you will not be as radiant looking as you should be on your wedding day.

This article focuses on the aspects that you will have to look out for when picking your bridal saree.

Bridal saris in South Asia (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) are traditionally bright colored. This bright color is supposed to signify a sense of happiness and joy. The most preferred color is red, but other vibrant colors such as green, magenta, pink, dark blue, orange and gold are also picked. So while colors in the red family are usually preferred, the final choice of the color really depends on the bride. If you want to stand out at your wedding, then pick the color that will most suit you.



Darker complexioned brides should not pick a color that is dark such as dark reds or browns because such colors absorb light, and this has the effect of making you look drawn in. Instead pick colors that reflect light from your face - such as yellows, gold, or ivory colored sarees. You can look for sarees that are in the lighter shades, but have vibrantly colored borders, embroidery or stone work.






Brides who are fair complexioned should not wear light colored sarees as it will make their faces look washed out. Brides can go for something dark like violet, magenta or dark blues.

Gold colored sarees are universal, in that is suits the complexion of most brides.






The next aspect you should focus on is the work on the saree. How heavy do you want your saree to be? If the saree you pick has a lot of work on it, it will be heavier. Will you be comfortable wearing a heavy bridal saree?

Heavy bridal sari will have a lot of zari work and embroidery. Embroidery can be handmade embroidery. A lot of stones can be stuck on the sarees to make them brighter and give them that shiny look. The embroidery can be done heavily on the pallu and a little lesser on the insides. Bridal sarees are generally heavy and so you will find most of the saris have embroidery all over the saree.

The third aspect is the length of the bridal saree. If you want to elongate your look (presence) and appear taller, then opt for a longer saree, that will allow you to have more pleats. Bridal sarees are usually available in 6 meters, 6.5 meters and even 9 yards.

The fourth aspect you should consider is the type of material for the bridal saree. Silk sarees are expensive, but lovely. Silk sarees are not always light because the borders can be embroidered and have stone work. Some of the silk sarees have borders which are made from real gold threads. If you feel that such silk sarees are too heavy, or can’t be worn in a hot and huimd climate (if your wedding is in the summer) then you can opt for for chiffon or georgette materials.

Finally, if you do not find a suitable ready made sarees you like, you can engage a designer of your own! There are boutiques, showrooms and saree websites where you can get custom made bridal sarees. The selection process for all this is done in a very systematic way, and you can pick the amount of zardosi or stone work on your saree.

In summary, the aspects you will have to decide on when picking your bridal saree are: (1) picking a color based on your complexion and what you look best in, and not just what is in fashion (2) decide on how much zardosi, embroidery and stone work you want on you saree as having more will mean a heavier bridal saree (3) decide on the length of the bridal saree based on your height (4) and the type of material that you want.

Remember to pick a design that will suit your complexion and body structure. Pick a bridal saree that has contrast embroidery as that makes the saree stand out, and get get similar contrast embroidery done on your saree blouse.