How I found my bridal gown, by Zeena Shah

I’d always known that wearing a traditional white wedding dress wouldn’t make me happy. Being of Indian traditions, the wedding dress is much more colorful when the wife wears a purple gown or lengha. We had two parts for our marriage, the Indian marriage ceremony and the civil wedding ceremony, which were taking place after numerous delays and postponements as a result of the pandemic. Although I was covered for the Indian service, I was stumped by the register office’s attire.

There are so many different types of skirts, various feelings, and different themes you could choose from in the world of wedding dresses. I frequently feel like a design lizard because of how I dress to enhance my mood and happiness, but initially I had a difficult decision-making process.

So, I started with what I didn’t want. Because it just wasn’t me, I wasn’t planning on going to all the bridal shops to try on dresses that made me look like a diamanté-adorned meringue. I’ve done that as a bridesmaid a few times before with friends, and I was very out of my comfort zone because it worked for them, but I was also aware that it just wasn’t appropriate for my style. I wanted to collaborate with a designer to create anything special or to create a ready-to-wear item. I was also very reluctant to choose a costume that I already had in my closet. I’ve now got a lot of clothes in my closet because I’m a big fan of them, so I wanted my wedding gown to feel different, more special, and have that wow factor. Because I really believe in dressing for pleasure, it had to be real to me too, and our meeting style was “pleasure.” I also wanted to surprise and delight my friends with my dress. After all the difficulties, I suddenly had the right dress to go with the feeling and myself.

As a stylist, I didn’t feel trapped for inspiration; instead, I turned to my favorite designers and a board of dresses I adored on Pinterest. I didn’t want my dress to cost the earth either because this was part two of our wedding ( which we didn’t have a budget for ) and I can be a very shopper. I kept an eye on any upcoming great artist sample sales and bookmarked any noteworthy ones. My dress was discovered while I was searching online; there was only one remaining, and it seemed very appropriate to me. I think that the gown occasionally finds you.

I really noticed my wedding dress at the Ashish show the year before we were getting married; I fell in love with it’s lively layers of tulle and colorful sequins; it was a truly unique dress and very specific. But, when I’d enquired about its presence, it was going to get out a time to slow so I had put it out of my head.

So, many many months later ( after the various pandemic- related postponements ) I really couldn’t believe it when I spotted it online. The gown was exactly the right balance of joy, joy, and optimism that I needed. It also fulfilled all of my expectations. I ordered it quickly. I didn’t want to try it on when it arrived, so I put it in the box for a day or two before going out. But, as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was great.

Instead of trying to fit myself into what I thought was appropriate for a civil ceremony, finding a gown that truly reflected who I am and my character was my top concern. I realized that I wasn’t really me when I wore a beautifully tailored white suit or a silk slip dress that inspired me. I believe you must remember that life is a day and that only positive things can come from wearing something you like. I sincerely hope to perform it over and over again.