Paraphernalia

“Our menu is very new,less than a year old,” says Nisha Jhaveri,owner of Myrrh Spa. “Most of our clients are regulars. Brides do increase the traffic. We also have customised packages depending on your skin type. Our main ingredients are caviar,diamond,gold,rose and amber.”

Famous for her caviar facials for brides is Dr Rohini Wadhwani,owner of Skin Essentials. “We have acne removal and laser treatments for facial hair removal. The suntan removal treatments are especially popular among brides since they go out trousseau-hunting a lot. The caviar treatments are mostly for the older brides since they’re meant primarily for dry and acne prone skin,” says Dr Wadhwani.

And unless your wedding gown is custom-made,you might want to do some calorie cutting. Enter Leena Mogre with her Bridal Bootcamps which was started two months back. It is a six-week intensive program to get you in shape for your big day. It includes dynamic work-out sessions,aerobic drills and mat work. Mogre says more than 24 brides and grooms have already signed up.

Celebrating their 13th anniversary,Shaadi.com released the book,Vivaha: A Celebration by Bhagwati Mittal. “Today,people just tend to blindly follow traditions,rites and rituals without knowing their meaning. That’s what prompted me to write Vivaha,” says Mittal.

But the traditional Indian wedding,as we know it,is fast getting a facelift. So sightings of bridegrooms decked in garlands of 500-rupee notes riding on horsebacks are becoming extinct. “Most of the weddings I did this year have been intimate,understated and minimal affairs with no over-the-top opulence whether it is décor,catering or even trousseau,” says wedding planner Candice Pereira.

Neomy Khatau,owner of Kan Accessorise agrees. “Minimalism,asymmetry and bare arms are redefining the bride. Everyone wants the muted,toned down look.” But not,it seems,when it comes to jewellery. “Rose gold,white gold and other international trends are widely being accepted,” says Vandana Sarawgi from Amrapali Jewels. “People are also opting for a lot of silver jewellery and very stylish not too heavy gold sets. Tribal and ethnic jewellery are also in vogue.”

Brides are also going hi-tech. Kimaya’s Pradeep Hirani recently opened the doors to bridal salons in Mumbai,Delhi,Bengaluru and Chennai that offer services like video conferencing with a favourite designer anywhere in the world (bridal wear,as you know,is designers’ daily bread and fashion’s Rock of Gibraltar) or practice sessions for the big day.

“Brides today know exactly what they want,” says wedding gown designer Sabbah Sharma who showcased her collection at the GenNext show at Lakme Fashion Week,Spring/Summer 2009. “Influences from the red carpet and Bollywood are filtering down to weddings. Most of them want something traditional with a touch of the modern. Draped dresses,for example,are nothing but an interpretation of the sari.”

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