Every girl deserves to look and feel gorgeous on the most memorable day of her life. But to have the wedding of your dreams, you need to find the right lehenga (and maybe the right venue!). Whether you want to look like a princess straight out of a fairytale or make a bold statement, we have selected the best bridal designers in India you can choose for your big day. 

Anita Dongre: For the Timeless Beauty

Anita Dongre’s sarees and lehengas are a level above minimalism and a few steps down from immensely regal and hefty. One way to define her lines is that she is a fan of pastel shades and flowy ensembles. Anita Dongre's bridal flair is light and breezy lehengas. Inspired by Jaipur, Rajasthan, Anita Dongre’s gota-patti works are well-known, and she is skilled at combining traditional and contemporary techniques to produce unique designs. Her sense of style has always reflected the tastes of the modern Indian bride. If you've been keeping tabs on her work, you'll see that this bridal designer expertly blends bright and pastel colors to create the perfect vibe for your Indian wedding. If you prioritize comfort and want to stay in touch with trendy pastel shades, Anita Dongre must be your go-to Indian bridal designer.

For a reception event, Athiya Shetty donned a traditional crimson lehenga. This Kalki intricate flower dori embroidery lehenga from Anita Dongre's collection was complemented with a crimson reshami silk choli with a round neck and a transparent dupatta!

 

Sabyasachi Mukherjee: A Charming Blend Of Tradition And Culture

Sabyasachi is a renowned and top Indian fashion designer and bridal designer, especially when it comes to the ultimate luxury high-end weddings. One glance at his iconic lehengas and dresses, with their fairy-tale aura, and you know it's going to blow the wedding guests away. He comes across as the face of the modern Indian fashion industry and his exceptional originality and unique viewpoint earned him the Femina British Council's Young Designer of India award in the initial days of his career. Sabyasachi's inaugural collection at India Fashion Week in 2002 received a lot of positive feedback and introduced him to the realm of Bollywood glamour. Sabyasachi's expressive creative style and aptitude for the use of material developed the label's character, distinguishing him from other fashion week designers. His bridal gowns are a tribute to the diversity of Indian culture. Sabyasachi speaks tradition with a modern twist and if that describes your personality, he ticks all your checkboxes. 

 

Recently joining his ever-growing list of Bollywood brides, was Katrina Kaif, who wore his trademark ‘Sabya red’, i.e., a rich vermilion, for her pheras with Vicky Kaushal. A gold-embroidered elaborate blouse with zardosi borders and a sheer red dupatta draped over a flowered bun, a temple-jewelry style Matha Patti and a classic platinum band with a tanzanite stone at the center from Tiffany & Co. completed Katrina Kaif’s wedding ensemble. 

 

Another Sabyasachi bride, Patralekhaa Paul who recently got married to Rajkummar Rao, both Rao and Patralekhaa picked Sabyasachi ensembles and looked majestic in conventional red and white colors. Patralekhaa Paul wore a red tulle embroidered buti sari with an embellished red veil for her big day and her bridal chunri was embroidered with Bengali writing that said, "I offer my heart, entirely filled with love, to you."

 

One of the most talked-about events of last year, Priyanka Chopra’s wedding to Nick Jonas saw another Bollywood actress dressed in Sabyasachi outfits. The crimson Sabyasachi lehenga worn by Priyanka Chopra may appear simple at first glance, but it was embellished with the cutest personalized embellishments. The lehenga was embellished with exquisite hand-cut organza flowers, French knots in silk floss, and layers of threadwork, and combined with a half-sleeved shirt and a ballgown-esque skirt. Classic crimson choodas, haath phool, a diamond nose ring, and a 16-carat oval-shaped maang tikka completed the actor's bridal ensemble.

 

 

Manish Malhotra: Glitter, Embellishments and the Bollywood Glamour

A household name in India, Manish Malhotra is one of the most celebrated and top bridal designers in India. He has designed for all the big names in Bollywood such as Kajol, Sri Devi, and Madhuri Dixit. Winning a number of accolades for his work in fashion, Manish Malhotra is now synonymous with the Fashion industry. From red carpet gowns and dazzling dresses to lehengas and sarees with intricate embellishment, he has it all. If a ballroom gown, the highest quality fabrics, and a flawless look is something you want to go for, Manish Malhotra is your man. His bridal collections are equally stunning as his other couture creations and are recognized for their opulent and gilded craftsmanship. Manish Malhotra's lehengas are a beautiful blend of modern and contemporary styles. Intricate embroidery, zari and gota work, small cholis and plunging necklines that seem elegant, and colors other than the customary red for his bridal lehengas are among his signature works.

Kriti Sanon turned his muse for his latest collection, “Nooraniyat – the Bridal Edit” for the India Couture Week 2021. The collection featured a large selection of bridal gowns in red, peach, pink, and gold. This new collection also included his trademark embroidery in sequins and zardozi.

 

 

Tarun Tahiliani: For Dance-the-Night-Away Bride

The co-founder of the first luxury multi-brand designer store, Ensemble, Tarun Tahiliani is known for elegant, royal, earth and beige tones, palatial, tranquil, and exclusive style. Since becoming the first Indian designer to participate at the Milan Fashion Week, he has reinterpreted India's rich legacy as contemporary high fashion and is known for using digital textile printing, being the first to introduce Italian pattern cutting. He has also become known for his bridalwear and utilizes exquisite materials, custom-made designs, and refined luxury combined in his designs which are Desi in concept yet cosmopolitan in allure, perfect for the confident, playful, and fun bride

 

Back in 2017, Kareena Kapoor Khan wore a short A-line kurta with drastically flared trousers and held herself like a true begum in her gold ensemble for Diwali festivities. The actor wore a full-sleeved blouse with long tassels on the hem made of light-weight tulle and embellished with gota, threadwork, and mirrors. The flared sharara trousers included a sequinned border, graded threadwork, and mirrors. The star completed her costume with a similar dupatta embroidered with gota and sequinned flowers. Shri Paramani Jewels provided her with a kundan necklace with emerald beads, as well as matching long jhumkas.

 

 

Neeta Lulla: For The Brides Who Love Colors And Authenticity

Having received four National Film Awards for her magnum opus creations, which are a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary styles, Neeta Lulla is known for her work in the film "Jodha Akbar". Her specialty, despite her versatility, is bridal trousseaus, and her designs span from modest to lavish. She is also renowned for using Paithani, an ancient tapestry method that blends several threads of various colors and integrates gold and silver threads woven together to produce a piece of vibrant silk fabric. Her designs are an absolute

Esha Deol donned a classic red and orange lehenga-style saree by designer Neeta Lulla for her south Indian wedding in 2012. Gold jewellery, including a matha patti, jhumkas, stacked necklaces, and a kamarband, completed her ensemble.

 

Ritu Kumar: A Bridal Lehenga for Generations

Ritu Kumar is the unchallenged queen of the Indian fashion business. Since 1969, her creations have taken the fashion industry by storm and her designs are noted for combining sophistication with euphoria to perfection. From Madhuri Dixit and Raveena Tandon to Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone the designer has amassed a wide celebrity clientele over the years. This seasoned fashion designer has played a key role in advancing the Indian fashion industry from its inception to its current state. Her bridal gowns are always composed of luxurious fabrics like crepe, georgette, and silk. Her mythological bridal garments, with their intricate designs and embellishments, can make any bride seem lovely on her wedding day.

Tara Sutaria turned muse for Ritu Kumar’s bridal collection. The actress wore a burnt-orange embroidered lehenga outfit with zari and golden thread embroidery. She wore it with a crimson shirt with a deep V-neckline and ruffled up sleeves with a brown ornate border. She paired it with a crimson embroidered dupatta to complete the outfit with elegance. The actor also wore a golden bracelet, finger ring, and a pair of big silver earrings to complete her Gen-Z bridal look. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek bun with gajra and she went all glamorous with kohl eyes, lots of highlighter, bronze, blushed cheeks, and nude lips.

 

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla: For the South Asian Princess Bride

This designer-duo, who has been in the fashion industry for 26 years, is one of India's most sought-after bridal wear designers. The Abu-Jaani wedding line has long been synonymous with authentic Indian luxury. These designers are known for engaging only the best karigars to finish the zardozi work on their precious fabric, which is then expertly tailored to create one-of-a-kind designer bridal lehengas. The Bachchans as well as Dimple Kapadia's family are huge fans of their work. They were the first artists to utilize chikan work in wedding dresses. The quintessential bride, who appreciates precision, craftsmanship and wishes to look like a princess on her wedding day, is their muse.

 

 

In December 2018, Isha Ambani married Anand Piramal in a grandiose wedding in Mumbai. The entrepreneur wore a 16-paneled hand-embroidered ghagra with alternating Mughal jaalis and floral panels in two colors of off-white in her bridal Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla lehenga. Crystals and sequins were used to emphasize each flower and jaali. She paired the skirt with a tulle dupatta and a matching half-sleeved shirt. She draped her mother's wedding sari as a dupatta and wore it as part of her bridal ensemble. The team recreated the red Bandhani saree, which was draped as the second dupatta, with zardozi borders.

 

Anamika Khanna: For the Confident and Bold Indian Bride

Anamika Khanna is one of the few designers who has entirely reinvented the notion of draping a nine-yard and is adored by A-lister Bollywood divas for her unique and sophisticated creations. The ace designer has truly carved out a position in the industry with her distinctive zardozi work, delicate golden embroidery, asymmetrical shapes, and color selection. Her style has been described as tribal, funk, chic, elegant, hipster, ruffles, and fun. The attraction of an original AK masterpiece is enhanced by unusual cuts, excellent materials, and lovely patterns/capes. Her fashionable dhoti trousers, half saris, belted drapes, and cape dupattas have also become popular among modern Indian brides.

 

 

Kajal Aggarwal, for her wedding to Gautam Khichlu, wore a heavy, elaborate zardosi embellished red lehenga with a complementing choli and dupatta, finished off with a second dupatta in peach for her wedding attire. Sunita Shekhawat's uncut diamond jewelry, as well as ancestral items from her mother and grandmother, were worn by the actress. Her chooda was handcrafted in Amritsar, and Mrinalini Chandra adorned her kalire with swan charms, love locks, and other embellishments.

 

 

Shantanu and Nikhil: For the Bold Bride who Loves Fearless Silhouettes and Daring Colors

The pair began their careers as menswear designers but soon experimented with Indian bridal attire, and their modern style wowed the globe. These wedding dress designers' pieces radiate beauty and refinement, whether it's for a bridal gown or an after-wedding reception. They know how to experiment with shadows, give an ethnic appearance a western twist,

 

Rohit Bal: For the Desi Bride who Lives the Philosophy Less is More

Rohit Bal started his own line with traditional menswear and since then expanded into accessories and womenswear. Best known for using Peacock and Lotus motifs, Rohit Bal was dubbed as the master of “fantasy and fabric” by Time Magazine. Pick one of Rohit Bal's designs if you want to make a dramatic impression and a profound effect on your wedding day. His ensembles include exquisite embroidery influenced by Kashmir, and the artist pays close attention to every last detail. Rohit Bal is the ideal pick for your Indian bridal gowns if you don't like sparkle and frills. Rohit Bal designs are adaptable and can easily match any bridal theme, from elegant saris to fusion cocktail gowns and captivating lehengas.

Nargis Fakhri's stunning trendy lehenga kurti dress has embroidery and decorations such as dabka, zardosi, and kora work that will enchant everyone. This marvelous Rohit Bal lehenga choli is extremely beautiful, with inspirational and glittering decorations in the shape of zardosi embroidery, dabka, and sequins.

 

Masaba Gupta: For the Free-Spirited Desi Bride

With her signature quirky prints, unconventional motifs, and unique silhouettes, Masaba Gupta has always been upping the fashion game. Her brand, House of Masaba, blends her desi and Caribbean background to bring flair to everyday mundane items. She has not only earned fame in the niche of pop colors and edgy designs, but also in festive and occasion-wear. Sophisticated, urban, and full of attitude, Masaba Gupta’s bridal collection is one to look out for and she is the one designer that the modern brides definitely relate to. From organza to Chanderi and Banarasi, her fabrics are lightweight and fuss-free, perfect for the easy-going Indian brides.

 

 

Athiya Shetty can be seen wearing a pristine white lehenga from a bridal collection by Masaba Gupta. The designer added her personal spin to tried-and-true designs with playful patterns, foil prints, and delicate stitching. The white lehenga with a sweetheart neckline was put together with a splash of color with emerald jewelry.

 

 

Payal Singhal: Tradition fused with Global Influence

Payal Singhal started her career at the age of 15 when her designs were modeled by none other than Aishwarya Rai Bachhan. With parents in the garment business, it wasn’t surprising that she chose fashion as her calling and was quite adept at it. After 17 years in the industry, Payal Sinhal has etched her name firmly in contemporary Indian wear and is a favorite with Bollywood beauties including Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, and Sonam Kapoor. Launching her own label in 1999, her brand gave a refreshing twist to the Traditional Indian dress with Lycra Kurtas, daring backless blouse, and palazzo pants paired with crop tops. Her bridal collection featuring mirror-work belts, lehengas with leather godets, and gorgeous crop tops, is perfect for a friend’s mehndi or sangeet ceremony.

 

Wrapping Things Up

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by different opinions on how your wedding lehenga should look like. It’s really about what you envision yourself wearing as the Indian bride on your wedding day. Whether you prefer pastel colors, bold hues, or traditional red, you can count on these designers to create gorgeous bridal pieces that bring out your personality and stay true to your vision. These experts represent the Indian bridal fashion scene. They've succeeded to dress the best in the world for decades, owing to their utmost precision and superb craftsmanship. 

Be it comfort, a bold statement, simple or edgy, there's an Indian bridal designer for each of your preferences. These designers have long been at the top of their game and know how to transform you into a modern Desi bride. If you are planning your dream Indian wedding, visit The Desi Bride for more wedding planning ideas and the top wedding vendors in Texas today.

 

Cover Picture Courtesy of Vogue India

 

 

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