7 wedding decor trends for the season as per Devika Narain

Indian weddings have undergone a renaissance of late, shedding its stereotypical ‘big fat’ image, replacing it with a certain sense of realness and lightness. The wedding is so much more about the couple whose names are printed on the invite than it was ever before — be it in the choice of food, the scent of flowers or the embroidery on the lehenga. 

Wedding decor has always been really big in India. That too has undergone a radical shift. According to renowned wedding designer Devika Narain — who is behind the decor of celebrity weddings like Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, and Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa — it’s the age of the, “2.0 of everything! It’s all in the details, and every decor element has evolved to become experiential. It’s no longer wedding decor for decor’s sake,” she says. It’s important to understand the mindset of the modern couple to understand this shift. “It’s not about one-upmanship, or outdoing someone else’s wedding. Instead, couples are thinking about how they can make the space cooler for their guests, and the ways in which they can be engaged. It’s all about the charm of stumbling upon cool, surprise elements.” Wedding decor, as a result, has now being treated as installations and spatial development. We look at all the ways in which you can reimagine your wedding decor too.

Also read: 6 tips to help you plan a Vastu-compliant Indian wedding

Themes are Out, Experiences are in

Just designating a theme to your event is not enough. It’s about weaving those elements into the entire night and building an engaging space. “Wedding events are not restricted to ballrooms and halls anymore. Venues are being used in cooler ways to make them more interactive and theatrical,” says Narain. For a wedding in Dhaka, they created an entire township at the outdoor venue, with wonder and new elements to discover in every section. For a Sherlock Holmes wedding party in Portugal, they reimagined the wedding as a murder mystery party. “Guests were given clues to make it to the venue and they had to crack a code on the map to find their tables. Even the bar menu was in code. The mystery element was built into every aspect of the night,” she reveals. 

Snehal P Patel

Unique Materials and Architectural Elements

“Earlier, the Indian wedding was about kapda (cloth) and phool (flowers). Not anymore,” says Narain. Today, designers are playing with unique materials that are local to the venue. And working with local artists to hand-paint walls. Even the fabrics being used as backdrops are handwoven and artisanal, being used to tell a story. “We customised Patan patola cushions for an event to pay homage to the couple’s roots,” she adds.