Vidhushi, a bride-to-be, steps out of a luxury sedan at the porch of The Ashok Hotel in the city. Following her is an entourage that comprises her sister, best friend, mother and fashion consultant. Dressed like a celebrity would for a red carpet event and carrying a designer bag on her elbow, she glides her way into the Bridal Asia exhibition. The show has brought together some of the country’s best bridal designers, jewellers, event managers and consultants to help brides shop for their luxurious wedding trousseau.
The exhibition is full of young girls like Vidhushi, trying to ace their look for their big day by rummaging through an array of products.
From names like Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahliliani, Manish Arora and Vikram Phadnis to lesser known designers who carefully listen to customers before personally draping something on them. It is an experience every bride looking to indulge in some pre-wedding pampering should experience.
Designer Vikram Phadnis, while guiding a shopper order one of his exquisite lehengas, says he feels great to be out of his studio and at the exhibition as he gets to meet and interact personally with so many brides who inspire him to innovate and create new collections.
Aashana, who plans to get married in February, says the exhibition offers her an opportunity to shop for everything under one roof. “Instead of travelling from one shop to another an hour spent at the exhibition helps you get an idea of what’s trending this season and also brings you the best traditional work incorporated in different ways by various designers,” she says.
Apart from clothes, the exhibition offers event management solutions, gifting box designers, invitation card designs, beauty treatments, home-made traditional sweet makers and make-up consultants.
Meenakshi Dutt, who offers bridal makeovers, has a stall where she transforms girls who walk in with no make up on into gorgeous brides. Brides-to-be can then choose their look and hairstyle that she will give them on the wedding day.
An online store Darveys.com is offering designer bags sourced from boutiques across the world at their stall. Nakul Bajaj, the CEO of the company, says: “Most of my stock at the exhibition has already been sold out as we have offered bags at an unbeatable price. You do not need to visit Fifth Avenue in New York to shop with us around.”
One can also take the stress away from planning a wedding by meeting Lavani Agarwal who offers complete wedding planning and executing solutions. She also offers deals on exotic destination weddings and theme weddings apart from décor and pre-wedding party planning.
For the grooms accompanying their fiancés to the show a stall offers 15 vintage cars to drive into the wedding in. The collection owned by vintage car collector Madan Mohan offers the option of driving into the wedding in a 1933 Rolls-Royce. One can even have a true to life 3D replica of what you will look like at your wedding done by a new product from Adobe that will be launched very soon in the market.
The exhibition is on till today.
