Ambira Kumar
Not a big fan of readymade outfits, Ambira gets her wedding outfits custom-made by a family friend and designer
Ambira and her husband Karan were working in the same MNC consulting organization, where they met as colleagues at an official event in May 2012. She tells us more about how they met, a little about their wedding and her wedding shopping journey:
How We Met
Karan and I are both Punjabis, I am a hard-core Delhi girl fond of Chole Bhature and Karan is crazy about Hyderabadi Biryani! While I worked at the Delhi office of the organization, Karan was working at the Mumbai office ‚ our love story was a long distance relationship from the word go. We both felt an instant connection when we met and soon our long phone calls and frequent trips between Delhi and Mumbai began. We realized this was it! We spoke to our parents who were extremely happy about our decision, and preparations began for a big fat Punjabi wedding in Hyderabad (where Karans parents are based).
We courted each other for more than a year and this period gave us sufficient time to prepare for the wedding since our bases were three different cities‚ Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. We had a Punjabi Sangeet function in Delhi since my family is based there. The rest of the functions took place in Hyderabad i.e. the Mata ki Chowki, Shagan cum Engagement ceremony and the Wedding cum Reception.
Wedding Shopping
I looked through quite a few sources for ideas & inspiration for my wedding. I would constantly log on to WeddingSutra.com, and browse magazines like the wedding edition of Femina and avidly follow a few bridal and fashion blogs. Given my complexion, I am very fond of bright statement colors, so I was looking to get ensembles in colors like red, orange, maroon and pink. I visited all the major multi-designer stores as well single designer stores like Anju Modi, Tarun Tahiliani, Ritu Kumar to get a feel of the latest trends. I also visited large showrooms in South Extension, Lajpat Nagar and Shahpur Jat in Delhi. Eventually, I realized I wasn’t such a big fan of readymade outfits, so I decided to get my clothes custom-made based on my choice of colors, fit and preferences.
Wedding Outfits
Post all my research, I bought all my ensembles and jewellery from Delhi.
I wore a heavy anarkali for the Mata ki Chowki, which was made to order by a close friend of my mother and designer, Poonam Raje
For the Shagun cum Engagement ceremony, I wanted a contemporary look, so I went with a Jacket styled Lehenga, which was again tailored to perfection by Poonam Raje.
For my Wedding ceremony cum Reception, I wanted to go in for a traditional historic look. I looked around for my wedding lehenga for almost 3 months, and finally customized and bought it at Karol Bagh Saree House because of the wonderful variety and intricate designs they have.
I shopped for my jewellery in the end to match it with my ensembles ‚ I chose light jewellery with the contemporary look, and a heavy kundan work set for the traditional look.
Makeup Artist – Tamanna F Rooz
Every girl dreams of looking like a Princess on her wedding day and Tamanna made that dream come true for me. I never thought I could look so good at my Engagement and Wedding! Tamanna managed my hair and makeup for all the functions. She is the best judge when it comes to suggesting and finalizing looks based on the bridal ensemble and jewellery. I had however done my research, and I really wanted smoky eyes for one of my wedding functions ‚ she gave me a wonderful smoky eye look with coral lips for my Engagement. She is a thorough professional and can make an anxious bride feel very comfortable by taking personal interest.
Advice for brides-to-be
– I would definitely recommend brides to do a thorough research before finalizing their outfits. Try to visit both designer stores as well as large showrooms, you never know what may click! Since I did most of my shopping from Delhi, I would definitely suggest to visit the city, one can get some great deals in places like Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh and Lajpat Nagar for festive and occasion wear.
– As a typical Indian bride who has done extensive research, I have realized that the two very critical elements are finding a good photographer and a makeup artist, so make sure you do enough research and book the one you find the most suitable at the earliest! I was lucky to find an amazing team for my wedding‚ Manas Saran for Candid wedding photography and Tamanna F Rooz as my Makeup artist.
Photographs Courtesy – Manas Saran
