Real brides, real inspiration

We celebrate countless beautiful weddings every year in this country. Yet, some nuptials resonate far beyond the festivities, leaving a lasting impression. It’s not about breaking the mould to be unforgettable—it’s the brides who own their individuality that typically stand out.

Below, we take a closer look at three brides, from celebrity to A-list, who stood out—in their sartorial choices and aesthetic approach to their big day. Take a leaf out of their wedding to inspire your own.

Radhika Merchant

With the engagement ceremony in December 2023, followed up by two pre-wedding celebrations in March and May followed by the main ceremony in July, Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani’s wedding celebrations were spread across seven months. One show-stopping, star-studded event after another, Radhika and Anant’s wedding became the grandest of the 21st century.

The backdrop

The festivities took place across continents and venues. There was the three-day pre-wedding Hastakshar weekend with a performance by Rihanna in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Their second pre-wedding celebration cruised through Italy on a luxury liner and concluded in Cannes with a concert featuring Katy Perry. The wedding ceremony took place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.

The wedding wardrobe

Merchant’s sartorial line-up matched the extravagance of the wedding. Among the myriad couture pieces Merchant wore, the look that stood out during the March festivities was the custom Versace gown in pink, made exclusively for Blake Lively when she co-chaired the Met Gala in 2022. Her bridal look for the wedding ceremony reflected her Gujarati heritage—a lehenga rendition of a traditional ivory Panetar sari worn by Gujarati brides. Crafted by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, the ivory lehenga was an amalgamation of naqshi, saadi and zardozi, while the red border was decorated with stones, sequins, tamba tikkis and tonal resham embroidery. For the bidaai, she went with traditional sindoori red, designed by Manish Malhotra, featuring a real gold karchobi work blouse, inspired by the textile heritage of Kutch, and paired with a multi-panelled Benarasi brocade lehenga in sunset hues. Malhotra also dressed the bride for her sangeet. She continued her Indian-Italian-Indian affair with a Dolce & Gabbana corset-style top from the Alta Moda Sardegna 2024 collection and a custom Anamika Khanna couture sari.

Signature moment

Apart from the pomp and grandeur, it was the little details that stood out from the wedding. The venues were as extravagant as they were meaningful. The bespoke menu included delicacies from around the world. The wedding wardrobe spotlighted their love for Indian arts and crafts. And so much more.

Anushka Sharma

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, who reportedly met on a set for the shoot of a shampoo commercial in 2013, never confirmed their relationship publicly. In 2017, the power couple got married in one of Bollywood's most secretive celebrity weddings. It has been almost seven years since the pair tied the knot in Tuscany, Italy, and it remains the most double-tapped wedding on social media.

The backdrop

Giving commercial properties a rain check, the duo chose Borgo Finocchieto as the venue for their discreet ceremony. Dating back to the 13th century, the restored heritage village-turned-boutique-property sits on six acres of manicured gardens with unparalleled views of historical sites and picturesque valleys. It comprises 22 suites and rooms, which was apt to accommodate Sharma and Kohli’s intimate guest list.

The wedding wardrobe

Sharma’s entire bridal trousseau spotlighted her heritage as well as her individuality. But what made her wedding outfit truly remarkable was its palette. The bride subverted tradition and expectation by opting for a blush pink Sabyasachi lehenga, which took 67 karigars and 32 days to come to life. The piece was encrusted with pink rhinestones and featured motifs of lotus flowers, exotic birds and butterflies in tilla work. She embraced a multi-hued lehenga, comprising a floral printed blouse and striped diaphanous skirt for the mehndi. For their reception in the capital, too, she diverged from tried-and-true, KiraKira-friendly pieces in favour of a classic Benarasi sari.

The highpoint

For the couple that’s always in the headlines, their 42-guest, home-style wedding was an extension of their personalities. Every detail was beautifully orchestrated—from the deconstructed minimal mandap to the custom menu and the gorgeous, light-filled wedding portraits that spawned many an imitation. It was the personal touches, such as the wedding invite featuring a sapling and the anthology of poems by Rumi as wedding favours, which made it an emotional experience for the couple and their guests.

Shaana Levy-Bahl

Jewish-Gujarati actor-producer Shaana Levy-Bahl met Mumbai-based entrepreneur Uraaz Bahl through a common friend. The couple decided to seal the deal with an extravagant albeit private affair in Jodhpur in March 2013.

The backdrop

A welcome party, hosted by the late Parmeshwar Godrej (Bahl’s aunt) at her Mumbai residence, kicked off the celebrations. Guests came from around the world and included several Bollywood A-listers like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Sussanne Khan. The scene then shifted to Jodhpur across various venues. The line-up saw a pre-wedding puja and dinner at Raas Haveli, the wedding at Umaid Bhavan Palace and an after-party at the majestic Mehrangarh Fort with just about 150 close friends and family in attendance.

The wedding wardrobe

The bride’s trousseau was a confluence of her roots and globe-trotting lifestyle. From a classic six-yard staple to a traditional white wedding gown, she wore them all. For the big day, she went with a pearl and threadwork-encrusted Sabyasachi lehenga. Instead of over-accessorising, she wore a statement uncut diamond necklace, matha patti and earrings.

Signature moment

Personalisation was the highlight. The wedding theme didn’t revolve around the couple’s favourite destination, film or colour—it was ‘laughter’. They enlisted London-based florist Shane Connolly to simply enhance the innate grandeur of their venues, while The Wedding Filmer captured every beautiful moment on camera. The spiritual ceremony, too, took the best from their multiple faiths. The lavish yet intimate wedding is considered the gold standard of the Indian palace wedding even a decade later.

Krésha Bajaj

Designer Krésha Bajaj and longtime boyfriend Vanraj Zaveri’s multi-city wedding in 2016 is as bespoke as they come. Every event, outfit and piece of jewellery was narrated in a storyline that weaved together meaningful design and details.

The backdrop

The couple zeroed in on Udaipur for its architectural grandeur and rich history. The Leela Palace Hotel played host for the festivities. With sprawling views of Lake Pichola, the main ceremony was held at the property’s iconic mandap area in the middle of the water. The reception at Mumbai’s Dome at the NSCI concluded the celebrations.

The wedding wardrobe

Being a designer, customising her trousseau was a no-brainer for the bride-to-be. Not just a bespoke look, Bajaj desired a piece that she could eventually frame as a piece of art. The designer dreamed up a 14-kali lehenga that was meticulously embroidered with saadi, nakshi, salli, tikki, zari, pearls, zardozi and aari techniques. From different relationship milestones like the proposal to special moments that she and Zaveri shared, the lehenga featured their heart-warming love story. The look even had their names and a hem with jumping dolphins to signify the couple’s work together on a protest against cetacean captivity. The bride’s pastel green mehndi lehenga was a nod to the butterflies and birds she’d spotted during her first visit to their venue.

Signature moment

The mandap was beautifully decorated with rajnigandha flowers and crystal bells, while hundreds of candles were spread on the surrounding lawns.