Monsoon weddings are the flavour of the season

There’s something beautiful about the rain. Take a cue from poets who’ve written odes to it, travellers who chase it and movies that depict it on the silver screen. And of late, couples are framing the season forever in their lives as they choose to tie the knot at this time. Nature’s providing the best backdrop with those silver-grey skies, softly falling drops and mist. Here’s looking at how couples are curating their weddings, monsoon style!

Lush lure of the rainGetting married in this season is as fairy-tale style and enchanting as it gets. Affirms wedding planner Harsh Sukhani, “People love monsoon weddings and are open to heading out to spots close to the city, like a hill station, in a small group for this. It lends a holiday feel, plus makes for much-needed break. We recently had one at Udaipur and Goa, and places near Mumbai are also big on the agenda. The monsoon is part of theme here, and one of the weddings had an after-sangeet party under the open sky in the rain where everyone changed into shorts and t-shirts and had fun.”

Entrepreneur Vridhi Somani, who recently tied the knot in Goa shares why she chose to do so. She says, “I got engaged just before the pandemic and we had to postpone our big day to 2021, in the hope that things would settle up by then. We decided to get married on July 2 in Goa in a very intimate family and close friends’ set-up. I loved the idea of a monsoon wedding theme and we had a chic floral indoor setup created for it. It also poured just after our wedding, which made the outside view so picturesque and that was just what we had hoped for. We can never forget the beauty of that scene.”
Software engineers Amit Sharma and Nikita Shah, opted for a rainy wedding on the outskirts of Mumbai. He says, “We would have had a destination wedding, had there been no pandemic. Since that was ruled out, we opted for a location around Mumbai with two thoughts - minimal crowd, yet it had to be scenic. After scouting around, we came across a lovely green area, which looked beautiful in this weather. We did our pre-wedding shoot right there.”
Umbrellas, marquees for décor

Colourful marquees are a must-have for the functions

The theme and décor has to fit in. Prerana Agarwal Saxena, founder of a wedding design company, says, “A huge trend is to have a mix of an indoor-outdoor-themed venue and waterproof marquees or tents to shelter guests should it start raining. We’ve even incorporated vibrant umbrellas as unique ceiling decor. Since this is a grey season, we use floral decor abundantly. Many couples want to make a mark with a bridal and groom entry and enter with cute floral umbrellas matching the theme of the outfit and the decor. Since this is a grey season, we floral decor abundantly as sights and scents perk things up.”

Weather makes for great photos
You can expect a bunch of beautiful memories with it. Wedding photographer Anoop Padalkar says, “I’ve done at least six monsoon weddings. People opt for hill stations where small groups can gather in an intimate setting. Because of the weather, you get mist and clouds, and it’s a dream shoot, though it’s also tricky. I remember at one wedding, it had started raining just as the pheras were going on; it was so breathtaking.”
Manish Chauhan, another wedding photographer, who has also shot at several outdoor locations since June, says, “The rains capture the chemistry between a couple so well. The whole atmosphere is very romantic and often, I like to shoot pictures without extra lights to keep them natural. It makes for a switch from those ornately designed indoor venues.”
Switch from heavy lehengas to lightweight ones

Avoid wearing heavy lehengas at this time

If you think the rain is going to dampen things outfit-wise, think again. Fashion designer Shalini Gupta says, “Try pastel tones that complement the humid weather. Printed lehengas are popular, too. I recommend that brides opt for a single dupatta to avoid making the ensemble very clingy. Go with a fabric that’s lightweight and airy, like chiffon or georgette. Heavy outfits with gold and zardozi work are a no-no. Avoid layering jewellery and go for one or two statement pieces like a bold choker with a heavy matha-patti.”
Adds Gopi Vaid, “Something lightweight like gota is seen as perfect for a monsoon wedding as brides want an outfit that looks beautiful and is easy to manage. We have also had a lot of weddings recently where the focus is on shararas in pastel colours, especially blue. Fusion is also big. For pre-wedding functions, a hint of a western look is big, for instance, a bustier teamed with palazzos, ghagra or sharara.”