Once you have selected your dream wedding outfit from your favourite designer in the perfect hues, you may think you have it all under control. The perfect outfit is the way to look one’s best, right? Wrong! Don’t forget about wedding accessories. Small details count a lot more than you may think, and the ideal wedding accessories add an unmatched elegance and grace. Moreover, the particular accessories you choose is what really makes your bridal look unique and special.

Luckily, there are plenty of shops all over Mumbai dealing in wedding accessories of every kind. Below, we have put together a list of some bridal wedding accessories that every bride should own. You can refer to this as a checklist to make sure you have everything in order.

A Checklist of Wedding Accessories for the Bride

Bridal Jewellery: It would be a shame to not mention this first. Bridal jewellery is one of the most integral parts of the identity of the bride. It is what adds unparalleled charm and regality to the look. Bridal jewellery includes jewellery items such as the necklace, earrings, maang teeka, bracelets and bangles, and others, and can be crafted in real metal and stone from a host of trusted jewellers, or designed as imitation or floral jewellery. The right jewellery plays an integral role and adds a royalty to the entire look. With hundreds of jewellery stores all over Mumbai, you will be utterly spoilt for choice.
Veil: A veil or a ghunghat is a necessary bridal accessory, as observed throughout India’s tradition. There are many ways in which a dupatta can be draped in a stylish and elegant way to serve as the veil. Nowadays, several brides are opting to have two dupatta with their wedding lehenga-- one that is worn over their shoulder, and the other that is used to drape the head. These two dupattas can be picked in either contrasting colours or in the same colour. One may also decide what they personally consider to be the appropriate length for the veil.
Footwear: You can make a selection regarding your wedding footwear from stilletos, wedge heels, heeled or flat sandals, and juttis, to name a few. Purchase footwear according to each of the different outfits that you will be flaunting over the course of the wedding celebrations.

Clutch or purse: This is not something you are likely to be carrying yourself; rather, it will be found in the hands of a trusted family member or friend. A nice and handy purse or clutch is useful for keeping a few important items, such as a lipstick, safety pins, and hand sanitiser.

Hair accessories: You can wear accessories on your hair to glam up your hair style, if desired. Shops in Mumbai these days sell a large, large variety of hair accessories, include clips, hair combs, hair bands, hair pins, and tiaras. These are available in a host of sizes, colours and designs, right from the simple and plain ones to the dazzling, bejewelled ones. Another great idea is to wear flowers in your hair. This also looks very elegant and fresh. You can opt for artificial flowers or fresh flowers, and can request your hairdresser to arrange for the same.

Bindi: If you choose to wear a bindi with any of your wedding outfits, it can be one that is simple and understatedly elegant, or one which is large and automatically eye-catching! The choice is absolutely yours, based on your preferences and what you think suits your face the most.

Undergarments or shapewear: Specific type of lingerie or shapewear can be purchased with your outfit, if required or desired. Be it a specific type of bra, seamless underwear, tummy tucker, or a saree shaper, the right kind of innerwear ensures that everything as it appears on the outside looks exactly as it must.

DOs and DON’Ts For Accessorising Your Wedding Outfits

DOs

Wear your dupatta such that it isn’t always falling over your arm and shoulder, and make sure that it is properly in place with a good number of safety pins. It would be a shame if you were handling your dupatta and trying to keep it in place every five minutes.
Obviously, whatever footwear you may pick should be something in which you are a hundred percent comfortable. A wedding or pre-wedding function will require you to be on your feet for a long number of hours, which in itself will prove to be so tiring; and with the wrong footwear, it will be an absolute disaster. The last thing you want is blisters on your feet. A pair of shoes shouldn’t stop you from having all the fun on your own day. Strike the correct balance between comfort and style in your choice. Browse through the hundreds of footwear stores in Mumbai, where you will certainly find something of your liking.
Break into the footwear in advance, and walk around the house in it a couple of times-- at least! The wedding should not be the first time you are wearing this new pair. This will help avoid shoebites.
Pick your accessories based on how simple or heavy your outfit is. A simple outfit can be elevated by pairing it with the right accessories; similarly, a heavy outfit does not need much.
Purchase wedding accessories that you are likely to use in the future, as well. For instance, don’t pick a clutch that is too matching with your lehenga, since that will make its usage very restricted and limited. Instead, choose something in a neutral metallic colour, such as gold or silver. Total paisa vasool!
As clicheed as this may sound, you must wear a smile on your face at all times! Because after all, a smile is the best accessory you can own!

DON’Ts

This is a big NO: DON’T go overboard with your jewellery! It should in no way whatsoever overwhelm the entire outfit. Moreover, you shouldn’t feel as though you are carrying a literal weight over your head. Remember the three magical words: less is more!
Don’t pick stilettos or pencil heels for a function that is being hosted in an outdoor lawn space, since the heel may sink into the ground. Rather, opt for flat sandals or juttis, or wedge heeled sandals. The same applies in cases of a beachside wedding, too.
Don’t be careless when it comes to the innerwear and undergarments. Seams of your underwear showing through your cocktail gown, or the balconette of a bra above your blouse would be absolutely horrific.
Don’t wear a bindi that is inappropriate as per the size of your forehead and face.
Don’t stray much from your personal style. This is perhaps the most important point of them all. It is absolutely okay to follow the latest trends and want to be fashionable, but not at the cost of giving up your personal preferences and authenticity. Just because everyone (and their mother!) appears to be flaunting that one particular hairstyle, you don’t have to if you don’t want to! Your wedding day and your appearance as a bride must be a true reflection of you are as a person. Fall in love with every little thing you are going to wear as a bride; only then will you be able to carry it all off with utmost confidence and grace. Be sure of each and every thing that you are going to wear, and fall in love with it all.

Wedding Accessories For The Groom

The bride is the centre of everyone’s attention on and before the wedding day. But come on, let us not forget that it’s the groom’s wedding, too! So dear grooms, below is a list of some of the wedding accessories for you to invest in that will help you look your very best and most ‘dapper’ self! too!

A smart wristwatch, which is a style statement in itself. You can opt for metal or leather straps in a neutral colour that will go with everything. Understated elegance, here we come!
Pocket handkerchief, to wear with your sherwani or formal suit. It can be in the same colour as the outfit, or in a contrasting colour to add a bright pop.
Smart pair of shoes or juttis, depending on the style of the outfit. A formal suit or tuxedo will be paired best with brogues or loafers in leather or suede; similarly, opt for a pair of traditional yet stylish juttis if you are wearing something ethnic.
Cufflinks, perfect to enhance the look of any sherwani or bandhgala. You can also opt for engraved cufflinks to add an element of uniqueness.
Belt, in case you are wearing a formal suit on any of the occasions. Pick a leather belt in a neutral shade such as black or brown.
Tie or bow tie, if required with the outfit. A formal suit of tuxedo could be amped with a tie or bow tie in a complementing colour.
Waistcoat, if required with the outfit. Kurtas, particularly for mehendi functions, look very smart if worn with a contrasting, plain coloured waistcoat, or a printed one.

Wedding Accessories in Mumbai