Reinventing My Wedding Lehenga: Plan B

I was recently told by a client that I also consider a friend, that my entire personality is a dichotomy. She pointed out that many things about me are in total conflict. Like I’m very introverted, but I can also put on a big personality and speak to large groups of people. I married very young but I’m fiercely independent. I’m a creative person, yet I run a fairly successful business in a pretty organized way. I’ve thought about that conversation a lot over the last few weeks, and it’s a pretty true and fair observation. 

Another contrast that I noticed in myself after that conversation is how I feel about sentimental stuff. On the one hand I love saving memorabilia, photographs, random movie stubs, and train tickets, but on the other hand I’m more than happy to turn old things into new things. This brings us to my wedding lehenga…

{I feel I have to put in a disclosure here – because all my belongings are still in boxes after the move and I couldn’t find my wedding albums, I don’t have a full length picture to show you of my lehenga right now. I will update this post at a later date with a full length photo}

There are a lot of women I know that wouldn’t dream of cutting or altering their wedding lehenga. I on the other hand have been itching to update mine for years! My lehenga is pink silk (it reads really purple in our wedding pictures), and has a bandhani print all over it – it is my favourite piece of clothing ever. I desperately want to wear it again in a new way. In fact, 7 years ago my younger sister got married and I started the process of slimming down the lehenga and fully intended to wear it to her engagement party. Unfortunately between having a couple of toddlers and helping with all the wedding prep, I never finished in time.

Fast forward 7 years and the lehenga bottom no longer fits, but I’ve come up with a plan B; reinvent the dupatta into a long kurti for myself (unsure if I’ll pair it with a lehenga or salwar yet), and create a mini lehenga for Zara out of the skirt portion. We can wear our matching mommy & me outfits to my cousin’s wedding in June.

I’ve been putting off the project in hopes that I might loose a little weight, but with just 4 weeks till the event I think it’s time to get moving. Kind of appropriate that today is my 16th wedding anniversary and I’m finally making this update happen!

I’ve started a ‘shaadi outfit inspiration board‘ on Pinterest where I’m saving images that will likely become my inspiration for this piece. It also includes ideas for the other 6 looks I’ll need for this big fat Punjabi wedding,  and you better believe I’ll be sharing my final looks with y’all! 

I’ll be doing quite a bit of sewing for this wedding. I’d love to know if you are interested in seeing the behind scenes or step-by-steps for any of my Indian outfit projects. Leave a comment and let me know!

 

 

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7 Comments

  1. May 22, 2017 / 1:23 pm

    Your lehnga looks so beautiful! It is such a nice color. I am sure whatever you decide to make with it will look beautiful too! All d best.
    A very happy wedding anniversary to u! 🙂

    • May 25, 2017 / 12:53 pm

      Thanks Sakshi! It is my favourite colour 🙂

  2. Pooja
    May 23, 2017 / 1:07 pm

    How exciting! I definitely feel like its the best to make use of your wedding outfit, I think my Mom turned her wedding sari into a salwar kameeze, I really wish she had saved it for me to enjoy as well!

    • May 25, 2017 / 12:53 pm

      I wondered about whether I should save it for my daughter, but ultimately I felt like I should enjoy it myself!

  3. May 29, 2017 / 8:13 am

    Looking forward to see what you come up with, Raj. Need inspiration for my own lehenga.

    • June 7, 2017 / 10:58 am

      Dropped it off at the tailor yesterday, will keep you posted!

  4. May 7, 2018 / 2:15 am

    So,now whats your plan on your anniversary !

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