6 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Bridal Dupatta for Your Indian Wedding Ceremony

Photographer: Manish and Sung - Bride Khamini

So you’re going wedding shopping and you know exactly what you want your Bridal Lehenga to look like, right? The color, the flare of your lehenga (skirt), the length of your sleeves, and even the shape of your neck line for your blouse. Now that you can visualize it, let’s not forget about the dupatta! Did you know that there is a lot more thought that needs to be put into your bridal dupatta to make your Indian Wedding Ceremony Bridal Look more cohesive other than just going with the dupatta that comes with your lehenga? I know, I know… it’s just another thing to have to add to your list of decisions…but let me help make this a lot easier.

Here are 6 questions to ask yourself before finalizing your dupatta:

1. How high or low do you want your head dupatta to sit on your hairstyle?
    The answer to this question will guide you when choosing how thin or thick your border is. 

2. Border  - Do you want the border to be thick or thin?
   If you plan to wear your dupatta on the crown of your head, then a medium to thick border is a great choice so that you can see the border from the front and it can lay on your head more seamlessly. If you plan to wear your dupatta in the back on top of a low bun like a veil, then it may be better to choose a thin border so that your dupatta flows more naturally behind you. 

3. Shape - Are you wearing your Dupatta on the crown of your head or are you opting for a veil style dupatta?
    This makes a big difference not only for secure placement of your dupatta but also how clean and intentional your look will feel. 

4. How heavy is your dupatta?
   Your bridal dupatta can be surprisingly heavy and I always recommend trying it on before finalizing it (Take some bobby pins with you when you’re wedding shopping.)  If you have a sensitive neck or a low threshold for pain, you’ll definitely want to lean towards a lighter dupatta. 

5. How transparent or opaque do you want your dupatta to be?
   If you plan to have an intricate hairstyle or if you’re choosing to add flowers or hair accents to peek through your dupatta, then it would be helpful to keep your dupatta more transparent. If you want your dupatta color to be more of a contrast to your lehenga, then you may want to consider having your dupatta to be more opaque than transparent so that the color stands out more. 

6. Are you planning to wear two dupattas (one for your head and one to be draped on you)?

   If you plan to wear two dupattas, be sure to ask the designer to make a 2nd dupatta for you since most lehengas only come with one dupatta. Take into consideration if you want the color of the dupatta or dupattas to match or if you want to bring in a contrast color that compliments your lehenga. 

Photographer: Unique Visions Studio

Photographer: Charmi Pena

Photographer: Adam Okimatsu

I hope this blog post helps you decide the style of dupatta you want for your Wedding Ceremony Look. Which question didn’t initially come to mind for you when you were visualizing your Bridal Look?