Red Isn’t A Rule. It's a Choice.

The image of an Indian bride in red is iconic, but do they have to?

A month ago, I watched a clip from the TV show Made In Heaven, in which the bride's family doesn’t support her wearing pale pink for her wedding, instead they say “The pink makes you look very dark”. At first it was just another instagram reel that I scrolled by, but it kept coming back on my feed, which made me think again and again. And, what I realised was, they were just making excuses for her to wear red, secondly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with looking dark, at the end of the day we are Indians, and we are comparatively darker than rest of the world, and that doesn't mean you put tons of makeup on and wear colours that make you look White, because you are brown. 

After a deep dive into the traditions, I figured why red has become a tradition. Brides wore red so that they can be differentiated from the rest of the guests in the wedding, and red symbolises marriage as the sindoor (vermillion), choodas, and mehendi were shades of red. But as time passed by people made it a compulsion to fit into the society. They said not wearing red was a disrespect to the family customs, being rebellious and inviting inauspicious energy. Red was seen as a way to preserve social order and conform to expectations. But in reality? These rules weren’t culture, they were control.

Designers like Sabyasachi, Falguni Shane Peacock, Abujani Sandeep Khosla, and Tarun Tahiliani have created bridal trends that step far beyond red. So, should you still wear red? If you think red is the colour for you, go for it. But, you are no less of a bride if you don’t wear red. 

Tradition is beautiful, but so is your choice. Be a bridezilla if you have to, it's your wedding, your vision, your voice. At your wedding, be who you are, not what you are expected to be. 

Style tip: Want to experiment? Try wine red or orange. 

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