Subtle yet sexy was this Esha Sethi Thirani sari in lavender with a “wired hem”. “Lavender is in and this can be a great reception or cocktail party look,” said Ankita Banerjee who styled the shoot. She gave Darshana Banik, actress and our model for the day, a strappy blouse for the “edginess and oomph”. Minimal jewellery by Divinus Creations were just right. Darshana loved the colour and how the pallu fell.

This multi-coloured Coloroso Benarasi was about the “Gayatri Devi” sophistication. Ankita teamed it up with a contrast blouse from V-Cut and pastel bangles and a “subtle necklace” from Chicvi by Poonam Bhuwalka. “This is a nice day reception look. You don’t have to accessorise heavily or put on too much make-up to feel like a bride. Tone down the I-am-a-bride look,” said Ankita.

There was a lot of romance and daintiness in this Onaya organza satin sari with a “sequinned hem”. Ankita picked this for a morning wedding function or a Haldi. “You don’t have to always wear a lehnga for your Haldi. Try a sari,” she said. Sleek hair, winged liner, gypsy flowers and jewellery by Divinus Creations completed the “relaxed and subtle” look.

Darshana loved how different the styling was for this Juhi Bengani printed co-ord set with a draped jacket. “Effortless” was the word on Ankita’s mind, who picked this for the Mehndi. We absolutely loved how the maangtika gave the look a twist. “Less is more. To balance the maangtika, I gave Darshana a statement ring, both from Chicvi by Poonam Bhuwalka,” said Ankita. She would lose the jacket post-Mehndi and rock a sundowner with friends.

The Rashi Kapoor steel-greyish blue lehnga (lead) was dressed up with a stunning gypsy and rose “Barbie textured bun” (below) by our make-up artist of the day, Mainak Das. “This is one of my favourite looks. The neckline is edgy. I have paired it with a simple statement neckpiece and tennis bracelet from Divinus Creations,” said Ankita who would like to see a bride carry it off at a sangeet.

I picked up outfits depending on what a bride goes through while picking up pastel colours. They are light and they might not suit everyone. The whole point was to keep it minimal so that people can actually try them. These silhouettes are easy, fun, modern and the colours will suit every Indian skin tone. I think it adds a glow to the bride’s face. I would like to tell the brides to choose the base of your accessories well. Like, a kundan set may look off with a stone-embellished piece. Try pastel prints. They look really nice. Play around with a contrast blouse. Pastels are an amalgamation of the traditional and modern. Choose any colour you want and be confident. Don’t go OTT with your accessories — Ankita

For this shoot, I have kept the make-up fresh and used a hint of glitter on the eyes. The lip colours are mostly in the family of pink. This lockdown has changed a lot of things, including weddings. Pastels are in. Bridal make-up has become nude and normal, almost like party make-up. It consists of a very light make-up with soothing colours like pink and white and flowers like gypsy, rose and a touch of peach. For hair, a loose fluffy bun is in and it looks elegant. For eyes, go for a touch of liner with a bit of eyeshadow, which enhances the beauty of your eyes. For the lips, a touch of nude lipstick or lighter shades will enhance the elegance — Mainak

My favourites were the lavender sari and the lehnga. I love pastels. When I saw Anushka Sharma’s wedding pictures, I felt I would like to wear something similar for my wedding! I am in pastels most of the time as I love the feminine vibe of the colours. Mauve is a favourite. I would pick a sky blue sari, light jewellery, a bindi and an open-hair look for the day. For the evening, I would go for the mauve sari. I have no plans of marriage now, but I would like to get married to someone who has a good balance of his personal and professional lives, is understanding, intelligent and loyal. Last er ta shotyi difficult! — Darshana

Pictures: Pabitra Das

Styling: Ankita Banerjee; Hair and make-up: Mainak Das; Location courtesy: Hyatt Regency Kolkata