A matrimonial contract that bonds two souls for the rest of their lives, filled with promises to love, care and respect each other in times of health and joy, marriage is just not only a piece of paper that is signed but a promise to be kept for the rest of your lives. And because no Pakistani wedding is complete without it, a girl does wish to look the best on this day that completes half of the religion for you.
The changing trends
A wedding is the most important day in one’s life, especially for girls growing up in a traditional Pakistani society, where the religion labels marriage as a sacred matrimony which completes half the “deen” for everyone. Inspired from the culture of the sub-continent, Pakistani weddings are a true depiction of its heritage that goes back to the Mughal era, where every occasion was celebrated in the grandest of ways.
Pakistani weddings evolution
With the passage of time, weddings in Asia have gone through a big change, from being a private event to becoming a lavish celebration; people now spend hundreds of rupees including wearing designer dresses to royal decor, to make that one day memorable for a lifetime. For a girl, her marriage is the biggest day in her life and compromising on her bridal look is out of question. In Pakistan, brides can be seen wearing heavily embellished lehnga to lace gowns, each one carefully chosen to suit the personality of the bride, making her look beautiful on her big day. All those ladies getting married anytime soon know one question that pops up first in their minds is “what to wear”. Because you become a bride once in your lifetime, you want to look perfect, with everything in balance that simply makes you look no less than a princess. So if you are finding a hard time in choosing a bridal dress that will suit you well, here are the common quintessential Pakistani dresses that most brides chose to wear:
1. Long frocks with churidar
Well churidars have always played an important part in dolling up the brides for their special days. Pair it up with long frocks or straight shirts with matching jewelry and a superb hairdo, and you are all set to be remembered as the most beautiful nikah bride ever.
2. Gharara with short shirt
If your mother’s wedding look has always been an inspiration for you then get ready to be dressed up in gharara pants and short shirt inspired from an era of the 80’s to rock your “nikah” brike look. you can go for hues of your choice but because this day fulfills your Islamic obligation, picking up subtle shades will add to the charm of your look.
3. Sharara with long shirt
If elegance and race is what you are seeking on your special day then as promised, you cannot go wrong with the traditional sharara and long shirt. Embellished shirt with a jamawar lehnga and a duppata adorned with beautiful hand work is just what you need to make your big day extra special.
4. Lehnga choli
An attire perfect for your mehndi function, if you think you can carry a typical lehnga choli on your nikah day than your may go ahead with it. A blouse that is laden with wonderful stones and tila work and a contrasting flared lehnga is great to doll you up in the perfect bride look.
5. Lehnga with front open shirt
Thanks to the Pakistani designers who put in so much effort to bring forward ideas that are unique and different giving a bride actually has a lot of options to juggle between. As for the traditional lehnga, you can easily pair it up with a short shirt or a longer one with front open style that is decorated with sparkling Swarovski crystals and golden zardozi work.
6. Shalwar kameez
You might agree that a simple shalwar kameez can work magic on one’s nikah day as well. A nikah bride is usually looked upon as someone in minimal makeup and no fancy dress but the way these days are now celebrated in Pakistan has changed the whole meaning behind it. But girls seeking for a much simpler look on their special day can spruce up in a shalwar kameez that is embellished with intricate detailing making it an ideal choice for the event.
7. A long maxi
Choosing just “anything” to wear on your nikah? Remember it is your day and will never come back so rather than wearing something that has been chosen for you, get up and wear a dress that you always wanted to dress up in. And so get your hands on a long maxi in a fabulous shade of pink or fawn, covered with equally beautiful handwork and dazzle along.
8. An open gown with a plazzo
Pakistani weddings have become fancier and grander that leaves the bride in a complex to spend thousands of rupees on her dress and make up to impress a few hundred guests on that one day. Apart from trying to impress the majority, a girl should spruce up on her nikah day the way she likes. If you think something decent will work just fine for you than an embellished front open gown with a plain inner and fancy plazzo pants is the perfect armoire to be suited up in.
9. Straight shirt with Dhaka pants
Adjust the length according to your choice, pair up a straight shirt laden with superb tila and zardozi work with jamawar Dhaka pants and a fancy duppata and you’re all set to walk down the aisle to say those magical words that will tie you up in a beautiful, sacred relationship for the rest of your life.
10. Peplum with sharara
The Pakistani fashion industry never seizes to amaze us with its offering and so trendy these are style that is not only followed by party on-goers but loved by the brides-to-be as well. If you are getting nikahfied soon then a short peplum top with flared lehnga is an ideal choice for the day. To make it different from your look for rukhsati and valima, go for a much simpler get up including minimum makeup and a simpler version of the dress.
11. The Traditional Angrakha
Compliment this extravagant celebration with your rich look, dolled up in an amazingly embellished angrakha paired up with either a lehnga or a churidar. Pastel color contrasts or peachy pinks are some wonderful choices to be worn on a nikah day giving you a chance to experiment with your jewelry selection and natural makeup look.
12. Pishwas with churidar
Go back and time and you’ll be shocked to see the Mughal Princesses suited up in pishwas adorned with heavy tila, zardozi and dabka work with equally mesmerizing jewelries. Because all eyes will be glued to you on that one day, feel no less than a princess and chose a designer pishwas decorated with alluring embroidery, a simple churidar and beautifully fabricated duppata for your special day.
13. Farshi lehnga
Treat yourself as a royalty on the big day by wearing a farshi lehnga with a short shirt, adorned completely with crystals, stones and zardozi work to compliment your nikah-bride look.
14. Front Open Maxi
With bridal dresses on the list, one has unlimited options to experiment with and so next making its way on the list is a maxi with a difference. You might have come across farshi maxi or one with straight cuts but to give your nikah look a twist, go for a bridal maxi decorated with beautiful embellishments and a long cut at the front. Wear a shinning inner with it so that when you sit down with the slit siding ways, the gorgeous slip inside will enhance the allure of it.
15. Blue Silver with Red Chunri
The ultimate goal of every nikah bride, a white dress contrasted with an enchanting red chunri is definitely a big YES! Capturing the serenity and magic of the moment, a nikah bride dressed in a white outfit white red duppata look equally charming. So prepare yourself for the day in a white armoire of your choice one that is fancied with stone work or simple embroidery to make it a day worth memorable.
16. Short shirt with Capri Pants
Another dress idea to be stolen from this list of best Pakistani bridal dresses for nikah is a simple short shirt with Capri pants. Either you can match an embellished shirt with plain jamawar Capri pants and simple duppata or go the other way round where the pants are exquisitely embedded with hand work while the shirt has simple tila work on the neck line and a duppata with embroidered fabricated borders. Pair it up with shinning stilettos and traditional jewelry and your all set to embrace this new chapter of life with grace, joy and style.
17. Long frock with lehnga
You can never go wrong with this look. A long modish frock with stunning motifs created on the borders and golden zardozi work going down the sleeves and neckline with a plain flared lehnga is the perfect attire for all the nikah brides-to-be who wanting to enjoy their function with complete comfort yet not compromise on their style.
18. An Embroidered Saree
This may not be a common choice for brides-to-be in Pakistan but with the increasing love of ladies for saree, one can think of wearing it on their special day as well. Without spending much on the stitching of this attire, a saree can be easily bought and worn but remember, although this drape may not cost a lot, carrying a saree with grace is not everyone’s cup of tea. You may find a variety of bridal saree in the market from banarsi pieces to embellished one, each one equally attractive. So on your day, go for a look never adopted before and be the new trend setter for all the future nikah brides to follow.
19. 3D Floral Embroidery Armoire
This is most definitely the newest trend in Pakistani fashion world where brides can be seen spruced up in floral prints and embroidery adding to their grace and beauty. Pick a dress and color of your choice and get it designed with 3D floral thread work to create an outfit that is simply extraordinary.
20. Gotta and tila work
Dolling up brides since ages, gotta and tila work have always been an essential part of designing bridal outfits that are meant to stand out and shine bright. Although in the present, most mehndi brides cover their outfits in such intricate detailing but this might be a great choice for nikah brides as well who want to wear something traditional and keeping a firm grip to their roots. You might have seen you mother’s wedding dress adorned with gotta and tila work so why not replicate the same look for your special day and add an emotional touch to it?
A day filled with emotions
Bringing up a daughter in best of health and teaching her good manners and etiquettes so that when she leaves for her new home, she is praised for her attitude and great behavior is what parents of these angels are meant to do. Fulfilling their responsibility, every parent wishes to give her daughter only the best of things so that when she leaves them, she has memories to cherish lifelong.
And growing up in a Pakistani society, every girl dreams of becoming the most prettiest bride ever, dolled up in an outfit of their choice with matching jewelry and getting stylized from the best makeup artist in the country. When the day of signing the matrimonial contract or nikah comes by, a girl wishes to be suited in an armoire that is royal, regal and uber comfortable. A dress laden with intricate floral patterns and crystals to compliment, a bridal outfit is what will define your personality for the rest of your life. So choose something that you feel comfortable in and enhances your persona not something that is trending because at times, wearing a bridal dress that defies the moving hand of clock may become the new trend for the future brides-to-be. Remember, this is your day and you have all the right to shine bright like a star and be pampered like a true princess for which of course you need to fit in the right kind of bridal attire. Hope this list will help you find the right fit for you!
