DRESSING THE SUMMER BRIDE
Getting married in summer? Well, most of us don’t want it as brides as well as friends, families, and philosophers of the brides. But then there are the stars above all of us. If they shine in summer for you, you ought to tie the knot in the sweltering heat we have these days. So, now that you can’t avoid the situation, you will need to take care that the heat doesn’t affect the invaluable look on your face. Girls are quite attached to their bridal dress and makeup. It’s something they cherish through their lives.
So they pick the best dress. Some even order from other countries recommended by their relatives or friends. A Punjabi bride got her bridal wear made-to-order in Pakistan. It cost her Rs 3 lakhs. She just wouldn’t go for anything else. As for dresses, similarly for makeup, bridals are very finicky. It’s got to be just right.
So the bride’s beautician, Ambika Pillai talks to MoneyQuin about some timeless tips for the brides-to-be this season. Though she feels summer is the worst time to get makeup done, the brides who can’t avoid it should go much more lighter. And this goes for dresses and hair too. However the hairdo may not matter much because it’ll drape over the head, but the makeup has to be lighter, fresher, and more translucent so it just looks pretty. The dress too has to be lighter.
The makeup shouldn’t run because of the sweat and heat in the summer. The bridal makeup has to last on your face for seven to eight hours. So to begin with it has to be water proof. Secondly, it would be better if it’s lighter, softer. Brides sadly don’t choose softer colours and lighter clothes. Whether its summer or winter, what is their concern is that they are a bride so they have to deck up in all their glory.
Summer brides should definitely keep in mind that it’s hot out there and they are going to be uncomfortable with darker colours and heavy makeup. The makeup has to be way lighter than the winter makeup.
And when she says “light makeup” she’s talking about the foundation more than anything else. The foundation should be much lighter, softer and easier to carry. During winter months, the face can handle that much makeup.
Ambika says her makeup is quite dramatic. The lip colour is darker if the eyes are paler. If the eyes are darker it’s a paler mouth. You can work on the eyes and mouth whether summer or winter it doesn’t matter. It’s the foundation that you need to be worried about.
THE WARDROBE
Ambika suggests the fibre of the dress should go lighter. The stone work and embroidery should be easy to carry. Just to make the girl more comfortable. You can make clothes which are not so heavy but still look beautiful. But she says brides come with lehengas so heavily loaded with stones and all sorts of embroidery that it stands upright rather than flaring. The more stones on their outfits, even if it weighs 50 kilos they are fine with it. The bigger the crystals, the more the stones, the more the glitz, they are happy with that. It’s quite shocking what is happening in the markets these days she says.
Chunni is also an important part of a bridal wardrobe. Go for a lighter chunni Ambika says. This is a trait that goes over your head for many many hours. So it’s advisable to have a net chunni with beautiful work on it but much lighter. The work on the chunni can be more traditional, nice and beautiful thread work rather than the crystal beads which is sadly the trend these days. And of course lighter, fresher colours suit the season. Summer brides should look light and fresh and easy on the eye. Remember, it’s not just you wearing it there are people looking at you.
The last tip to sum it all up: Don’t take a chance on your bridal do. Your bridal look is just one of the very few things that you actually cherish.
The Economics:
Bridal makeup can be as low as Rs 5,000 and go up to as high as Rs 20,000 (Ambika’s rates). The bridal dress can range from Rs 25,000 to a few crores. The footwear can again be anywhere between Rs 5,000 to a few lakhs. The minimum expense on jewellery is Rs 1 lakh. The minimum total cost of dressing up a bride is around Rs 1.40 lakhs.
