Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored different fun wedding ideas that could make such a big difference to your wedding. From setting up a fun corner for the kids to adding little tid-bits from your love story, there are so many ways in which you can make your wedding a truly memorable one. But, a real ‘fun’ wedding does take a gutsy bride who is all game for doing things her way and who is open to anything new. Say hello to the anti-bride!
Now, before you jump to the conclusion that an anti-bride is a lady who is anti-marriage itself, let us be the first to tell you that it is not so. However, as each generation that is ready to wed gives a new definition to the words ‘wedding ceremony’, wedding experts couldn’t help but notice that there was a growing trend of ready-to -marry brides who are the direct opposite of what was once considered the perfect Indian bride. So who exactly is an anti-bride? Well, she is the one who says no to designer sarees and opts for a creation she has designed herself. Or, the one who says no to wearing traditional heavy gold jewellery and chooses to wear inexpensive silver jewellery or even trinkets purchased from the local flea market. She may smirk at the idea of having a make-up expert at her wedding and opt for a simple look that she can apply herself. Most importantly, an anti-bride believes that less is more and shuns the idea of a big splashy wedding.
Do you recognize the face of the new Indian bride that is slowly becoming visible in all four corners of the country? We are quite sure that anti-brides may have to deal with convincing their family members about the ‘no frills’ look first before anything else, but when today’s brides would rather splurge on an exotic honeymoon in places most of us may never have heard of instead of serving 100 dishes at the wedding just to outdo the last lavish reception held within the community, it says a lot about the new direction in which Indian weddings are headed in. So, is the doll like Indian bride looking radiantly shy in a red saree or lehenga that is heavily embroidered with silver and gold zardosi work wearing jewellery to match, slowly becoming a thing of the past? Well, it’s too early to say but anti-brides like to be more practical about anything purchased for the wedding. After all, how many times will you actually wear an expensive wedding saree or lehenga for a social function again, considering that you have already been seen and photographed in it once?
Some would say that the term ‘anti-bride’ itself is wrong because an anti-bride isn’t against the idea of actually becoming a bride. The term is meant for those brides who are willing to do everything that the traditional Indian bride wasn’t supposed to and who are willing to re-script Indian weddings again. More on the anti-bride in our next article.