Deepika Padukone Did It First. She Wore A Veil And Now Brides Everywhere Are Sporting One. It’s Beautiful
In the 90s, a wedding scene in Bollywood wouldn’t have been complete without the bride swallowing her panic under her ghoonghat or veil. This veil culture goes back decades and people have attached various meanings to a bride covering her face. Some say it’s a way of paying respect to your elders. Some say it added a look of purity and we’ve heard several meanings that are redundant for a modern woman. This definition will make you feel like you’re in an unboxing session as your groom lifts it to reveal the product inside. No thanks but today, we’d like to take the ghoonghat for what it is—a style component that aggrandises the charm of bridal wear.
Let me tell you, none of these were actually sanctioned by Hinduism; it was just the creation of some sections of our society. Finally, with women getting confident and empowered, they left their cover-up behind sending across a powerful message—we don’t need to cover up to show respect! It doesn’t define purity or femininity.
The veil has made a comeback with an even more robust message. It is here to change the narrative, for it is a matter of choice and style, not character. For years, women shunned their veils and stepped into their wedding without being pressurised to look coy. And then Deepika Padukone wore a veil with her red gown at the Mumbai reception, and it set a trend that’s caught on like fire. She didn’t wear one to cover her face. Padukone wore a net veil that made her look more bridal than ever, without actually being a cover-up. Now that’s the kind of veil that we like and modern brides are opting for.
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With A Gown
Deepika Padukone combined the best of both worlds in her custom-made Zuhair Murad outfit. She wore a veil with her red high-slit gown, giving a look that’s both traditional and red-carpet perfect! Take a cue from Padukone and simply add a veil to your reception look. Of course, it’s more of a photo-op than functional. I say, like her, you can ditch for rest of the night and enjoy your festivities hassle-free.
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Another bride Anushaa, who was very inspired by the celebrity bridal looks recreated Deepika’s veil look and nailed it. In case you need some inspo!
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Dupatta doubled up as veil
Pernia Qureshi recently got married and looked every bit like a dream at her functions. But it was her nikaah ceremony look that stole the cake! She wore a heavily embroidered silver kurta with a floor length lehenga by Elan. Instead of going for a heavy dupatta, she went for a tulle one which served as a dainty veil instead. This look is perfect for a nikaah or an Anand Karaj ceremony.
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Veil with a saree
While it used to be popular mainly in northern and eastern cultures, brides from all over the country are sporting this trend. So if you are getting married in a South Indian, Bengali or Maharashtrian style and planning to wear a saree, you can still add a net veil in the same colour family. Take a cue from this stunning bridal shoot, in which the model has worn a light blue saree and a veil of the same hue. She looks surreal!
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This Sri Lankan bride too added a veil to her saree, which honestly, makes the best accessory to truly make your outfit shine.
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A Lehenga Add-on
You don’t have to lose the dupatta to add a veil. A lot of brides are opting for it as an accessory to their traditional lehengas. And while the dupatta that comes with the lehenga is usually heavy like the rest of the outfit, the net veil adds a touch of lightness to it.
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ALSO READ: This Real Bride Recreated Sonam’s And Deepika’s Bridal Looks. And We’re In Love
Whether you want to take a veil with a gown, a saree or as a lehenga add on, adding it to your bridal ensemble will definitely be a game-changer!
