Ways To Wear Your Mother Or Grandmother's Outfits on Your Wedding Celebrations!
BY Apoorva | 09 Apr, 2024 | 127541 views | 5 min read
The phrase “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue", which represents the items a bride should include in her wedding outfit, is known to most of us. While we don’t practice it in Indian weddings, the tradition of wearing heirloom jewels is quite common. And now it's happening with outfits too!
A lot of retro outfit styles are coming back in fashion and brides are opting to re-wear those outfits. If you are eyeing a piece from your mom’s wardrobe or even grandma’s closet but don’t know how to style it, here are quick and easy ways to wear heirloom outfits at your wedding celebrations!
Image via Sarang Atre Photography
Wear It At A Photoshoot
Image via Alanna
If you are looking to commemorate the outfit but it doesn’t match your wedding aesthetic, consider doing a special photoshoot wearing their outfit before or after the wedding. It could be a touching tribute and a way to capture the sentimental value in images.
Do A Complete Heirloom Look
Yami Gautam wore an heirloom saree from her mum’s closet that is 33 years old and paired up her nani’s dupatta and Pahadi nath. Her entire wedding look was a ‘something borrowed’ look and we loved it!
Wear It For One Part Of The Wedding
Image via Hitched and Clicked
Outfit changes at weddings aren’t new and this can be a great way to honour your mum/grandmum’s outfits and yet not give up on a fresh new outfit. Have two looks! Wear your heirloom outfit at the time of the wedding and then change into your new outfit as a spanking new wife!
Use The Dupatta As A Shela or Veil
Image via Vedhika and Kamlesh
Don’t want to actually wear the outfit but still carry it on your wedding day? Use the dupatta of the outfit as a shela. Most Maharashtrian brides carry a dupatta around their arm, which is different from the wedding outfit. You can carry your mum/grandmum’s dupatta or trimmed saree for this look! You can also use the dupatta or saree as a veil for your bridal entry.
Break It Up Into Different Outfits
Love your mom’s lehenga skirt but the blouse is too outdated? Have a new blouse and dupatta made on your mum’s lehenga and you can re-wear the look in a fresh new avatar. Pernia wore a traditional farshi gharara that was her nani’s for her reception!
Make It Into A Statement Look
Image via Tarini Manchandani
A lot of times, the outfit is not in great condition but if you want to wear some part of it, here’s how. Take a cue from Taarini, a real bride, who removed the lace from her grandmom’s wedding outfit and had it stitched on her wedding saree. Not only did it give it a statement look, it also ensured that some part of her outfit was re-worn!
Copy The Exact Look
If you are planning to use your mom or grand mom’s wedding outfit for your own wedding, you can re-create the exact look that they did from the images. You can even borrow the same jewellery they wore if it’s still in the family. It can be a lovely way to pay homage to them or even as a surprise for them! Like this bride here wore her mom's gorgeous 30-Year Old Outfit!
Re -Wear It Differently
Image via Komal and Rachit's Real Wedding
Another way to use the outfit is to style it completely differently than they did. Drape the dupatta differently or even add another one as a double drape. That way you give a completely new twist to the outfit.
Use A Part Of The Outfit
Love the lehenga skirt but the blouse doesn’t work for you? Use only the skirt and design a new blouse over it to give it a fresh look while still keeping the heritage intact. If the outfit isn’t in great condition, you can choose to use parts of the outfit in your new one. Priyanka Chopra used lace from her mother-in-law’s wedding dress to create that Ralph Lauren beauty she wore at the white wedding!
Refurbish The Outfit
Image via Stories By Joseph Radhik
Many a times you love the outfit for the sentiment value it has but don’t really like the style of it. You can refurbish the outfit and have it styled differently. Add a lace to the border of the lehenga skirt or get the embroidery redone.
Use The Dupatta
The dupatta is an essential part of any outfit. Take a cue from Isha Ambani who added her mom Nita Ambani’s gharchola saree as a part of her AJSK ensemble for her wedding day. That way you get to wear what you pick and yet have a piece of your mom or grandmom’s outfit in it!
Create Your Pre-Wedding Outfits
Image via Vivek Krishnan photography
If you want to wear a heirloom piece at your wedding but not let go of your dream wedding look too, do yourself a favour and wear it at your pre-wedding events. A leheriya saree can make way for a great lehenga for a mehendi or even gorgeous silk saree for the haldi.
Redesign It Completely
If your mom or grandmom is okay with letting go of the original outfit, you can use the saree or lehenga and create a completely new outfit from the same fabric. This WMG bride created a stunning mehendi outfit from her grandmom’s brocade saree!
All images are for representative purposes only
Confused on how to use a vintage or heirloom dupatta? Check out How To Reuse Your Mom’s Bridal Dupatta For Your Intimate Wedding!
