Weddings are no longer unidimensional in India. They are evolving to become unique and personalised in terms of size, cuisine, sustainability and décor themes. The pandemic has further compelled people to reconsider the scale of weddings and to choose intimacy over excess, without losing out on aesthetic grandeur. Film sequences and celebrity weddings too have set new benchmarks, though more and more couples are articulating their own design and thematic language when it comes to celebrating the most special day of their lives. So, we reached out to Wedding Designer Ambika Gupta and asked her to share the décor trends that will dominate the 2022-2023 wedding season. Read on to know all that she shared!

1. Sustainable Weddings

Clients are increasingly asking for zero-waste events and consciously choosing biodegradable, organic materials for props including pampas grass, macramé, and other furniture and crafts that can be repurposed. Ambika says,

For Nikki Galrani and Aadhi Pinisetty‘s wedding, we used shola flowers from West Bengal and dry palm leaves and for Kajal Aggarwal‘s wedding, we used pettis (contraptions used by coconut farmers), as a wedding backdrop. For a wedding in Pondicherry, two NGOs helped us recycle the flowers and distribute the leftover food among those in need.

Even gifting can be eco-sensitive. For instance, one can curate jute bags embroidered by local artisans for the wedding guests. People are slowly moving away from lavish physical invitations and choosing to send personalised e-invites and are also mindful while picking wedding venues that have been certified by Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED).   

2. The Classic White Wedding

The Indian wedding is not traditionally associated with the colour white but with a tint of gold, and the right accessories, there can be nothing more beautiful than a classic white wedding. Ambika says,

For Aadhi Pinisetty and Nikki Galrani’s wedding ceremony titled ‘The White Blossom’, we created a setting that resembled a pristine, infinite, white valley of flowers and evoked a feeling of purity, love and abundance. The delicate, intricately crafted shola flowers from West Bengal along with candles, diyas, and gold accents created a rather sublime look.

This trend is also being endorsed by celebrities who are ditching traditional wedding colours to wear white on their big day.  

3. Contemporary Weddings With A Twist

Contemporary weddings set their own rules, write their own narratives and incorporate elements that are personal, yet drawn from multiple sources. Ambika says,

We once designed a vibrant poolside Mehndi event titled ‘Kantha Amor’ where we blended Rajasthani crafts with the idyllic beauty of Capri, the couple’s favorite holiday destination. We curated a Sangeet theme around ‘Ishq Sufiyana’ where we created a Middle Eastern ambience with carpets, rugs, accent cushions and throws. The themes we have designed range from ‘Tropical Konkan Bliss’ complete with areca palms, jute rugs, cane furniture, coconuts, and quirky prints to ‘Afternoon Tea at Peggy’s’ that used blush pink tones, plush fabrics and cutesy elements. For Nikki Galrani and Aadhi Pinisetty‘s wedding we designed the Haldi ceremony around the ‘Golden Shower Tree’ of India while the theme of their Mehndi was ‘Bling it in Bali’. We also designed a Van Gogh themed wedding for another client. 

These examples bear testament to the fact that couples no longer want to tread the beaten track and prefer to create their own decor stories. 

4. Intimate Weddings In Personal Spaces

Big fat weddings were once associated with social prestige but with time, weddings are turning into personal statements rather than ostentatious proclamations of wealth. With even celebrities choosing to tie the knot in their own home, case in point, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt and Aadhi and Nikki who had their Mehndi in their own garden, more and more couples prefer small and intimate ceremonies over big, impersonal events. This is not to say that exotic destination weddings will ever go out of vogue but many couples and their families now want to celebrate with their near and dear ones, and to focus on creating experiences for each guest rather than hosting a ceremony for hundreds of guests. Post the pandemic, it is easier to create a safety bubble for smaller gatherings than for big numbers. Though the number of  invitees is coming down, couples still want luxurious and bespoke weddings that reflect their personalities. The décor too is customised to facilitate conversations. 

5. Sit-Down Dinners With Elaborate Table Settings

Small details matter as much as the big ones. So, if a couple wants a specially curated meal for their guests, it goes without saying that they would want an elaborate table setting to go with it. If it is a traditional meal, they may want the setting to be Indian. If it is a farm-to-table meal, they may want a rustic setting. If the couple enjoys fusion food, the table setting will be eclectic.

The décor complements the meal in this case and can even pay homage to the regions the food is from. Ambika says,

From formal sit-down dinners with multiple courses to informal sharing of food from large platters, each couple comes to us with a specific vision of how guests will be served. A formal setting of course requires the best of silverware, china, glassware, crystal, exquisite floral centrepieces, table linen, coordinated chair tie backs, bespoke place cards, etc. The use of satin, silk, gold tints, flowers and fairy lights depends on the finalised theme, but the point is to replace chaotic buffets with intimate warmth shared across a beautiful table laden with the most delectable food. 

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