Weddings are all about the bride. This was true till a few years ago, but it isn’t anymore. Gone are the days when the groom was known to invest his time and energy only on one thing — the bachelor party. Stepping up their game, millennial grooms are getting hands-on with their wedding preparations.
Come feminism, modern couples are all about equal footing, right from choosing the theme to setting the menu. They are tossing out regressive rituals, cutting out wasteful expenses, and making the occasion fun for everyone.
But while the spotlight is on the bride with numerous magazines, websites, fairs and other events still focussed on all things bridal — fashion, hair, make-up and so on, there is much less fuss about the groom.
Initiating this necessary change, we present a read on all things ‘groomal’.
Be it the bride or the groom, the wedding outfit holds utmost importance. This is why people pick out what they would wear for their wedding even before they pick a partner. But when you’re actually getting down to it, it is advisable to buy your wedding clothes a month before your wedding day, as weather is quite unpredictable in India, says Saggar Mehra, managing director, House of Sunil Mehra. He adds, “You can colour-coordinate with the bride’s outfit. But your attire should be complementary and not the same colour as hers. Also, try and avoid colours that won’t go with your skin tone — warm undertones can go for gold, yellow, or peach while cool undertones can opt for green, magenta or blue-greenish hues.”
Coming to the fabric, Mehra points out how most grooms ignore this factor while choosing their designs. “Opting for high-quality fabric as per the season should be considered to avoid looking a cheap trophy on your D-day. The fit should be flattering, not faulty. The outfit should look like it’s made only for you. Even if you are going for a readymade option, try it on multiple times and get it altered wherever required,” he says.
For all the occasions leading up to the wedding such as the sangeet, haldi, cocktail, and the post-wedding reception, your outfit should not look homologous, instead have a different coloured outfit and pattern as per a common theme. “For sangeet, men can go for colours like light pink kurta or can pair a classic white kurta set with colourful bandi jacket in floral or quirky prints/embroideries. It just breaks the repeated style and will definitely be lauded by your friends and relatives. For haldi, generally a yellow kurta set is ideal. Opt for chikankari work as it is comfortable while lending a great look,” he says.
While your attire must be as comfortable as possible for these events, there’s no reason for compromising on style. Antar Agni’s You Grow On Me menswear collection by Ujjawal Dubey features great drapes and layering — an unconventional yet exciting concept for fusion and ethnic wear for men. Talking about these flowy silhouettes that are in vogue for the upcoming festive and wedding season, the designer says, “I have used subtle shimmer on the bandhgalas, attached scarves that spell convenience, and multiple slim flaps that flow from jackets. A hot favourite is the ivory kurta jacket with extended sleeves and side flaps.”
But if white isn’t your colour, the collection also includes pieces in pigeon blue, mouse grey, teal, deep brown, tan and hints of silver grey.
Talking about the more formal events as part of the celebrations, Mehra says, “While cocktail parties call for a classic formal suit, for receptions you can ditch black and go for tuxedos in shades of blue. A velvet Nehru jacket paired with well-fitting pants is also in.”
While sherwanis have been a staple for Indian weddings, you can always shake things up a bit and pair a dhoti kurta with embroidered brocade jacket. But with beach weddings being the flavour of the season, you must keep it simple and opt for neutral or light tones.
Fashion designer Amit Aggarwal’s Lumen collection is grabbing a lot of attention by prospective grooms. From rich spinach greens to ivory whites, the designer has a range of classy bandhgalas and blazer suits to choose from. “Pieces such as our sharply tailored hand embellished jacket, the hand embellished bandhgala and our asymmetrical bandhgala with handwoven details, are made for the modern Indian man. Our latest collection brings forth sharp tailoring,” says he. All of which are available at his flagship store at The Kila, Mehrauli, New Delhi.
The strict gender roles within the beauty industry are steadily becoming much more relaxed. “I cannot recollect any wedding that I’ve worked on where the groom had not requested to have his hair and make-up done,” says hair and makeup artist Karan Chugh, adding, “The desired look is fresh, healthy and flawless looking skin without the makeup looking evident. A little bit of bronzer goes a long way if one is clean shaven. And I always finish with eye drops to ensure one looks fresh and bright.”
Weddings can be stressful, taking a toll on your skin and hair. So you need to start a skincare routine and stick to it for visible results. “It’s a very interesting time as millennials now prefer products that are derived from natural ingredients. Some go for DIY options as well,” says Chugh, adding, “A good daily regimen should start at least a month prior to the wedding. The most important thing is to cleanse and moisturise your face twice a day and use a good SPF. Find a gentle face wash (preferably a purifying gel formula) or make your own by mixing water with powdered neem, tulsi, triphala. A lightweight moisturiser for the day with SPF is essential. Look for ingredients like salicylic acid, or CBD oil if your skin type is oily and prone to acne. A perfect DIY version could be done by mixing raw honey, lemon and turmeric powder. Also, a good moisturiser for the night time consisting of retinol is a must-have.”
Managing wedding planning and work can result in late nights, and since you will also have a lot of partying to do with your boys before the big day, your eyes can be left neglected and puffy. Chugh suggests using authentic Korean eye masks for last-minute miracles. “Alternatively, for a groom-to-be who prefers something more simple and straightforward, I can’t help but think of the most integrated of regimens there is — abhyanga, a self-massage with an organic cold-pressed oil depending on your skin type, which is gentle but profound and easy to perform. It is believed that the effects of abhyanga are similar to those received when one is saturated with love. Enjoy the feeling of having nourished your body, mind, and spirit and carry that with you throughout your day,” says he.
As you should conceal any pigmentation around the eyes and forehead with the help of a concealer, use products that are neither lighter nor darker than your skin, make sure you choose products that are lightweight —powder foundations, tinted creams, sheer liquid foundations. If you want to experiment with lip colour, choose one that is closest to your natural lip colour (neutral pink with brown undertones for deeper skin tones), and apply it using your fingers rather than directly.
Grooms must be wary of waxing their eyebrows, warns Chugh. “Pluck one hair (stray hair) at a time. They should be neatly groomed but a man should have a little bit of stray hair.”
Coming to the hair, the style and the cut depends on one’s face shape, hair texture and the colour must correspond to their skin tone. “While some cuts favour texture, others are all about a sharp short back and sides or fuss-free buzz cuts. The mid-fade with longer textured hair on top works best for the sangeet and wedding day, while the skin-fade with hard-part pompadour or a slicked pompadour with a high fade is best suited for the reception and cocktail events.”
When planning a destination wedding, you can opt for a relaxed undercut quiff for the beach, the mid fade with longer textured hair on top for hill station weddings and the slicked pompadour with high fade to add a touch of royalty at palace or fort weddings.
Accessories can make or break an outfit. On the big day, it is absolutely vital for the groom to pick out accessories that add just the right touch of glamour to his outfit without going overboard. Rohan Sharma, managing director of R K Jewellers (South Extension 2, New Delhi) says, “We believe that wedding day is equally grand and important for a groom as it is for a bride. The couple should look coordinated and amazingly paired on big day. There are a lot of trends which we could say are happening around groom’s side too these days. Now, grooms prefer to wear jewellery like long necklaces and brooches etc to enhance the outfit and look attractive.”
Grooms wearing turbans must pay attention to get the right kalgi (brooch put on the turban) to make a style statement.
While you know what accessories you’d want to wear on your big day, choosing them can be a complicated process. Coming to the rescue, Sharma suggests two important tips. “Firstly, you should always be certain of the quality of the jewellery. Whatever type of accessory it may be, the piece must have a great finish and eye-catching work to reflect the royalty of the groom. Secondly, the jewellery and outfit must be in sync with the bride to look coordinated when you are presented as a couple on stage or during the ceremony,” he says.
While polki work is the best complement for Indian traditional wear like sherwanis or fusion dhoti and jackets, for cocktail parties or if you plan to wear a three-piece suit for the reception, go for minimalistic accesorisation with statement cufflinks or tiepins and diamond rings.
Recognising the potential of the unexplored market of men’s jewellery in India, Tanishq launched their Aveer collection featuring a range of finger rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. The brand believes that jewellery has always been an expression and extension of one’s personal style — whether it’s a kada, a ring or even a chain. They have categories such as The Best Man, The Alpha Male, The Ladies Man and so on.
