Wedding Lehenga: how much should you spend?
By Mallika Singhania

Every daughter is her daddy’s little princess, but that does not mean that she can break his bank account especially over a single wedding lehenga. You can still look like the belle of the ball on your special day without spending meaninglessly and by keeping some things in mind.

Established versus Upcoming designer
Do not choose a high-end, “known” designer to create your lehenga only because the glossy magazines tell you to. Just like any other item that one buys, a premium designer will probably be more expensive than an upcoming one, because of the brand value, and not necessarily because they are giving you more of your money’s worth.

With hectic schedules, established designers are sometimes not able to give you adequate attention and you end up wearing something that you did not order. Often, a lesser known designer is more careful in keeping your interests; hence he/ she may give you more time and attention.

If you are a long-time customer of a premium designer or a Page 3 or Bollywood Diva—you’ll get all the attention and exclusivity from an established designer—else you can never be sure of your lehenga remaining exclusive for you. It is a known fact that established designers make lofty promises to their unsuspecting customers. And inevitably you will find your super-expensive design hanging on a shop window or being worn by another bride- sometimes, even before your own wedding!

Embellishments Overdose
Most business-savvy designers unnecessarily over-charge for wedding lehengas, by jamming it with embroidery, crystals and bead work. This makes the piece look gaudy, and you look like a bride caged behind yards of cloth. A perfect lehenga should be a backdrop for your face, and not hog all the attention, while your beauty is left unnoticed.

Don’t let the outfit weigh you down
Big Designers quote hefty prices while boastfully telling you how weighty your lehenga is, and hence priced at such astronomical figures. They are totally missing the point here. We do not want our lehengas to be heavy. The last thing one wants is to be bogged down by heavy outfits, on one’s most special day. One should be most careful about the dupatta not being too heavy, as you would be carrying all the weight on your head- making it an excruciating exercise.

An ideal ensemble
The other disadvantage of an over-dose of work on the lehengas is that it doesn’t look pleasing to the eye. An ideal ensemble should have two heavy pieces, and one light piece. One can go for a heavy choli and lehenga, and a light dupatta, or a heavy lehenga and dupatta, and a light choli. A lot of people are now choosing light cholis, and lehengas, with heavy dupattas- which also brings down the price of the outfit. Whatever you decide on, make sure you choose an outfit that you can wear even after your wedding on other occasions. Unless you have loads of money to spend on, don’t make your lehenga a “once-in-a-lifetime” wear. Choose versatile lehengas that you could combine with different dupattas for functions, later on.

Shop for these looks at www.indianhanger.com

Mallika Singhania is an author of multiple shopping guides for various cities in India. She is now running a site called, www.indianhanger.com, which features the latest trends by Indian designers for clothing and accessories. Since Mallika is so closely involved with the Indian fashion industry, she will give you regular tips on bridal and occasion wear.