North Indian wedding dresses don't get more traditional than the lehenga, but a closer look at Bollywood actress Kiara Advani's outfit for her wedding to actor Sidharth Malhotra reveals intricate patterns inspired by Roman architecture.
The dress was made to honour the couple's love for the city of Rome, friend and designer Manish Malhotra said.
Manish, who's dressed many Bollywood stars for their weddings, styled and designed both the bride and groom's outfits for the lavish ceremony in Rajasthan on Tuesday.
The lehenga is a traditional Indian long skirt, often embroidered and embellished. It is paired with a choli or a top that complements the skirt and finished with a dupatta that can be draped across the body or used to cover the head.
Advani's ombre outfit in shades of rose featured intricate embroidery inspired by Roman architecture, as well as heavy Swarvoski crystal embellishments that added sparkle to the look. A jewellery set made with ultra-fine hand-cut diamonds and Zambian emeralds complemented the pink lehenga choli.
Rome was also one of the themes in Advani's other bridal accessories. Jewellery designer Mrinalini Chandra, who custom-made her choodas (bangles worn by newly married Punjabi women) and kaliras (an ornament attached to the choodas), said she worked with the bride to incorporate elements from the couple's love story.
Choodas and kaliras are typically worn by Punjabi brides. Sidharth, 38, is Punjabi while Advani, 30, is Sindhi.
For the kaliras, Chandra said she included trinkets that have many intimate details, including the couple's initials and even a dedication to Sidharth's late pet dog, Oscar.
"We loved making your choodas and kaliras, and are absolutely over the moon to see you in our work of art for your big day," Chandra posted on Instagram.
Sidharth, meanwhile, chose a handcrafted Manish Malhotra metallic gold sherwani featuring ivory threadwork, which the designer said was "the perfect amalgamation of whimsical and dreamy".
The intimate but lavish ceremony at the luxurious Suryagarh Jaisalmer was held over a few days, culminating with the traditional exchange of vows on Tuesday evening.
Sidharth and Advani, who had never spoken publicly about their relationship, are believed to have begun dating while filming their hit 2021 movie Shershaah.
Celebrity attendees included their mentor, director and producer Karan Johar, actor Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira Rajput, as well as actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta. Advani's childhood friend Isha Ambani, the daughter of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, also attended along with her husband Anand Piramal.
While the wedding ceremony was attended by only close friends and family, two big wedding receptions are reportedly being planned for a later date in Delhi, where Sidharth is from, and Mumbai, for the couple's Bollywood friends.
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