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How to look great on your wedding day!

Wedding wardrobe blues? Wedding stylist Nisha Kundnani of Bridelan tells you just how to nail it!

It's the biggest day of your life!

And if you do things right, it will also be a once-in-a-lifetime affair :-)

So how do you look good on your wedding day?

Wedding stylist Nisha Kundnani of Bridelan lists out some dos and don'ts:

Dos for brides:

1. Have an ideal body shape

• The Big Day will come only once in your life, whether you want to gain weight or get rid of excess flab.
• So this is the time to do it.
• Any kind of clothing looks right on a good body.
• And when you are fit, you will also be healthy, your metabolism will be good, your skin will glow and everything will fall into place.

2. Comfort comes first:

• All eyes will be on you.
• So you must look comfortable at all times and not awkward.
• While comfort is important, you must also appear stylish.
• Pre-decide the volume of your lehenga, the length of the outfit if it comes in the way while walking, weight of embroidery etc.
• For instace, sometimes a lehenga has 12-15 metres of fabric used for volume and has uncomfortable kankan (stiff net fabric) inside as lining.
• Make sure that you get that volume controlled for a more easy-to-walk, easy-to-dance movement.

3. Prepare and plan in advance:

• Plan in advance and think of unique ideas, no matter how hard pressed you are for time.
• Have a basic imagination of what you clearly want and then go out shopping to achieve the look.
• This point can't be elaborated as some weddings are fixed a year in advance and some a month.
• Every bride and groom's time schedule varies.

(However, give yourself a good 3-6 months to shop for your wedding and at least a month if the wedding is to take place at the shortest notice.)

4. Value your culture:

• Follow your family traditions/culture.
• 'Old is gold' may sound cliche but it always works.
• Don't forget the value of what is classic -- heirlooms are to be cherished.
• A classic example is to wear your grandmother or mother's lehenga and get it altered by a designer to your size.
• A great look that went down Bollywood history is when Kareen Kapoor wore her mother-in-law Sharmila Tagore's heirloom sharara for her wedding to Saif Ali Khan.
• I think it was timeless and revived sentimental values of the family.

5. Be elegant:

• Pick styling ethos that is tempered by grace and not the garish.
• As Coco Chanel rightly said, 'A woman can be over-dressed but never over-elegant.'

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2: Don'ts for brides

1. Don't go plastic:

• Makeup should enhance the real you.
• The reference should not be to look like someone else.
• Makeup is temporary, it's not plastic surgery.
• Also, purple and blue eye shadow (done loudly to match) with a purple and blue outfit is bad taste.

2. Don't blindly follow fads:

• Neon may be the colour of the season but it may not be your colour.
• Everyone has their favourite colours and knowing that a certain colour looks good on you, stick to that colour.

3. Don't overdo bling:

• Restrain is the most important aspect of knowing how much bling to add.
• If done with a good aesthetic sense, shine brings a dash of glamour and beauty.
• If overdone, it can be disastrous.

4. Don't ape movie stars:

• It's good to have strong visual references but be realistic as the opposite can play on your confidence.
• Love yourself more than a Deepika, Bipasha or an Angeline Jolie.

5. Don't be a Bridezilla:

• Be happy, smile and cherish the moment of love.

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Dos for grooms

1. Pay attention to grooming:

• A basic grooming will help enhance your wedding look.
• A good shave, clean hair, organic nails and good skin will make you feel good and look presentable.

2. The art of looking sharp:

• A well-tailored outfit will instantly add to your smartness.
• So even if you are really busy, take out time and get your measurements correct, go for trials without fail and you will be prepared for the big day without any hassles.

3. Invest in classics:

• A good tux, a classic watch, great shoes… you get the drift?
• Buy pieces that will last rather than buying those you will be unable to use more than once.

4. The trick with matching:

It's nice to be a little coordinated with your better half in terms of colour and style but don't take it to an extreme. It can look juvenile.

5. Be sauve:

• Refinement is the key word for men's wear styling.
• A man should always look elegant and refined.
• It's in the details, smaller elements like wearing a good pair of socks that compliment the trousers and the footwear, other accessories such as cuff links, bow tie etc.

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Don'ts for grooms

1. Don't be ignorant

• Read up, research and prepare a look that defines you and your personality.
• Know the difference between a bandhgala and a sherwani, a tuxedo and a business suit.
• Don't ever buy the kind of clothes that look like a cross between any of these.

2. Don't try to look like the bride:

• A man must look like a man.
• For example, avoid Sherwani with excessive embroidery/ too much bling.
• Elaborate detailing looks good on women. Don't step into each other's boundaries.

3. Jewellery for men:

• Don't wear too much jewellery if it makes you feel conscious.
• Women are used to adorning jewellery.
• So pick your pieces wisely and only if you feel you can make it work.

4. Avoid ill-fitted pieces:

• Never ever wear an ill-fitted wedding outfit.
• No matter what a defining silhouette also defines your personality.

5. Take her advice:

• Of course, women know it better when it comes to clothes.
• But maintain your individuality and don't get bossed around by your partner.