How to Infuse Indian Wedding Traditions With Modern European Trends For Your Wedding Day

A Touch of India Styled Shoot

Wedding planner and event designer Hochzytsplaner, along with various creative vendors from Switzerland, teamed up to create this inspiring editorial that unites traditional Indian culture with modern, European trends to create a unique wedding celebration.

The traditional bold colors have been replaced by subtle tones. Carnations, an important part of Indian weddings, were combined with dried flowers. We styled a swing for the newlyweds that we adorned with delicate cloths and flowers, and then of course there were the newlyweds. She wore a traditional costume that was hand-painted with henna and Indian jewelry. He wore a modern, light suit. Despite the contrasts, there was a coherent overall picture that will hopefully inspire many future couples, regardless of their culture!”

The details were carefully captured by Andra Rufener. Let’s take a look!

The Small Details

A Touch of India Styled Shoot Stationery

This lovely invitation suite was crafted by Geistreich by Patrizia Nicosia.

A Touch of India Styled Shoot

As you’ll continue to see throughout this feature, LivingBloom knocked it out of the park with these florals! The muted colors so effortlessly compliment the bride and groom and truly lit up the room!

This bride wears a classic lehenga, but the color red was deliberately avoided. Typrically lehenga’s are worn in red to symbolize luck and fertility. This neutral colored lehenga is based entirely on a western wedding dress, and so the team decided on the color white with beautiful embroidery and beads.

A Touch of India Styled Shoot

In Indian culture, the groom would typically wear a classic sherwani. This groom however does without the sherwani and prefers to go for a classic suit. So that the contrast between bride and groom is not too strong, he wears a beige suit by Eniline to compliment the color palette!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot

The swing, decorated with carnations, is a typical image at Indian weddings and had to be included!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

The jewelry by Swaroop Jewellers was kept to a minimum so that the beautiful headdress had a spotlight of its own!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

Did you know? There are no wedding rings in Indian culture. The woman gets a necklace from her husband, which symbolizes the love between the two!

The Ceremony Space

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

There are many different wedding rituals and traditions in India. The most common type is the Braham wedding, which can last for several days due to the many customs. The priest quotes various Sanskrit mantras, which are repeated by those involved, and then the father hands his daughter over to the groom. This creative team has shown what another form of marriage could look like. Simpler, less glamorous and certainly less time-consuming…it’s all about the love story and marriage of the couple!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

A moment that these two will never forget! How magical!

This couple has been married for a year but thoroughly enjoyed modeling for this editorial as it reflected the style they love so much – traditions combined with today’s trends!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot

The Happy Couple

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

You could literally feel the enthusiasm and love that the photographer, Andrea Rufener, captured so perfectly.

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

The elaborate ornamental body painting is called Mehndi or Mehendi and originally comes from Northwest India. This tradition is an important cultural custom in India that is practiced regardless of religion. Hands, arms, feet, ankles and toes are artistically decorated. The paintings are applied on henna night, the woman’s bachelorette party. In India, it is believed that the darker the henna on the wedding day, the deeper the groom’s love!

For a modern iteration, they decided on a modern, very fine henna pattern and had it applied by Saja Sayitha.

A Touch of India Styled Shoot

Better Together, Let’s Celebrate!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

Indian weddings are usually big and very colorful with lavishly decorated tablescapes full of color. Also, carnations are typically an important ingredient in classic Indian wedding decorations.

A Touch of India Styled Shoot

We definitely wanted to include the carnation in the concept, but use it in a simpler and much more subtle way. We have reduced the colors a lot and adapted the decoration to the current western trends in the wedding industry.”

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

This tablescape styling is pretty much what dreams are made of! Every detail from the dried flowers to the gold silverware work together so cohesively!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot Cake
A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

The backless details of this lehenga are so beautiful!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot

Jenny’s Cakes created this absolutely breathtaking triple layered white cake adorned with baby pink carnations to tie all the colors together!

A Touch of India Styled Shoot
A Touch of India Styled Shoot

The chemistry between these two are palpable and they were the perfect individuals to exemplify how a traditional Indian wedding can meld with more modern European trends we see in the wedding world today. Don’t be afraid to stray from tradition… you may just create something beautiful and so uniquely YOU!

If you’re looking for more Indian Wedding inspiration, GWS has you covered!

photography: Andrea Rufener // venue name: Stufenbau Ittigen, Bern, Bern, Switzerland // event design: Hochzytsplaner & Livingbloom // planning: Hochzytsplaner // florals: Livingbloom // hair stylist: Thany Anthony MUA // makeup artist: Thany Anthony MUA // groom attire: eniline // paper goods: Geistreich by Patrizia Nicosia // cake: Jenny's Cake // tabletop rentals: Livingbloom // models: Kerthana and Thanusan // Wedding Speaker: Redewerk by Petra Siegenthaler // Jewellery: Swaroop Jewellery // Henna : Henna by Saja // Behind the scenes: Janu by Siganture

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