Fareeha Chowdhury

A high-end baker by profession, Bride Fareeha combined her love of design and color with her fashion-forward personal style to curate a bridal wardrobe that embodied the modern Bangladeshi bride. From the vintage elegance of her mother’s bridal saree to the quintessential Bollywood red lehenga, her wardrobe spanned decades of wedding inspiration.

How they met
Signing up for online dating in 2016, little did Fareeha know that the very first guy she met would end up being her partner for life! She shares, “Skeptical about meeting people online, I was very picky about the people I spoke to, and only matched with people if I had at least 20 mutual friends with them. Shahrukh was the very first, and the last guy I ever spoke to on the app, as our connection was instantaneous. Soon we were dating, and introduced each other to our families the next year. In 2018, we decided to make it official.”

Wedding Planning
Seeking ideas and inspiration from several online portals such as WeddingSutra, the bride curated a diverse bridal wardrobe from across Dhaka and India, including high-end labels, bespoke designers, local fashion houses and heirloom family pieces. She selected different makeup artists and hairstylists for each function to create myriad looks perfectly. A selection of traditional and contemporary jewels from various jewelry houses in Kolkata and Dhaka, including pieces gifted by her in-laws, completed her looks.

Wedding Functions
Bridal Shower
A surprise bridal shower kicked off the festivities. For the outdoor garden party, the bride wore a ribbed teal dress with bell sleeves from Asos, with floral drop earrings and a flower crown. Fresh, dewy makeup and open locks finished her look.

Cocktail Party
Contrasting with the vibrant colors and fun-filled festivities of the Holi-themed cocktail party, the bride chose a white and gold embroidered sharara suit with a gold filigree dupatta, teamed with gold and pearl jewelry. Nude makeup, bold cherry lips, and chic shades sealed the deal.

Sundowner Party
For a night of poolside fun and dancing, the bride exuded glamour in a stunning rose pink asymmetrical dress with diamante detailing from Zara. Straight, sleek locks with a chic side parting and shimmering pink smokey eyes added to her style, while rose gold accessories added just the right amount of dazzle.

Nikaah
“For the Nikaah festivities hosted at my home, as I formally started my new life, I wanted to feel as connected with my family and my values as I could. To honor my parents, I chose to wear my mother’s 40 year old red Banarasi wedding saree with a new tasseled blouse embroidered with ‘ma’ and ‘baba’ (mother and father) in Bangla. I teamed this with a stunning polki uncut diamond set from Jarwa House, gifted to me by my mother. The artist at Quebella Salon near my home gave me a light, fresh look with a side-swept chignon which finished the look” she shares.

Sangeet
Fareeha wanted to be a traditional yet trendy Bangladeshi bride, so instead of a gown or lehenga, she chose a Banarasi saree with gold zari in an eclectic hue of mint green from Lakshmi Sarees in New Market Kolkata. She had the saree, the lemon blouse and the dupatta embroidered and embellished all over. Amana Rahman gave her a radiant, glowing visage with iridescent hues perfect to take her from day to night. A peach meenakari polki neckpiece from Ultimate Diamonds, New Delhi, along with traditional dried flower jewelry adorned her look, while a matching potli and sunglasses capped it off.

Mehndi
The bride wanted to embrace the allure and elegance of a traditional Pakistani sharara for her mehndi, and opted for a rich embellished gold ensemble designed by Sahar Rahman. A tiffany blue meenakari and polki set from Sawansukha Jewelers added some glamour, along with a kundan maang tikka from Tanzila Rab designs. Soft smokey eyes, crimson lips and fierce contour by KVN Beauty stepped up the look, while Hairbar, Dhaka gave her a glam hairdo of a sleek, shiny bun.

Wedding Reception
Going all out with Bollywood glamour for the grand finale, Fareeha exuded opulence in a crimson red velvet lehenga with a peach tulle dupatta by Dolly J. A statement Polki necklace from Nemichand Bhamanwala and Sons Jewelers adorned her neck, while a magnificent matha patti and nose ring made by Tanzila Rab designs gave her that royal splendor. Navin Ahmed, Dhaka’s most famous make-up artist complemented her look with smokey eyes, golden radiance and a bold red lip.

Advice for to-be-brides
“Ask your tribe for help. Don’t shy away from delegating”.

The Wedding Makers
Bride’s Outfits: Asos (Bridal shower), Zara (Sundowner Party), Lakshmi Sarees (Holud), Sahar Rahman (Mehndi), Dolly J studio (Wedding Reception)
Jewelry: Savansukha Jewelers, Kolkata (Mehndi); Tanzila Rab Designs (Mehndi, Wedding Reception); Jarwa House Dhaka (Nikaah); Ultimate Diamonds, New Delhi (Sangeet); Nemichand Bhamanwala and Sons Jewelers, Kolkata (Wedding Reception)
Makeup: Quebella Salon (Nikaah), Amana Rahman (Sangeet), KVN Beauty (Mehndi, Cocktail Party), Navin Ahmed (Wedding Reception)
Hair: Hairbar (Mehndi), Navin Ahmed (Wedding Reception), Amana Rahman (Sangeet)
Henna: Shoukhin BD
Photography: Snapshot Photography

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