“TROUSSEAU”- the word itself arouses excitement and deep immersive joy. It’s the beginning of a new life and all the shopping and preparation that goes into it, is also just as sacred, exciting, blissful and joyous as the wedding itself. It’s these days to the wedding that go into all the celebratory planning, long shopping hauls, preparations, hours of family discussions, looking forward to good times in life, love and togetherness all around, it is this period that is actually as much fun as the final ceremonies and the wedding itself.
It’s undeniable that all this celebratory period is still quite overwhelming for the bride-to-be. It’s a never-experienced before emotion and she is actually dealing with a lot of stuff in her head. Amidst all of this, trousseau shopping can get quite tricking because once again a lot of decision-making goes into the process and the bride-to-be is the center point of all of it. As Trousseau Shoppers and Wedding stylists and matter experts on the subject, we feel there should be no room for error in the most sentimental shopping of your life. There would be emotions, memories and sentiments attached to everything that you buy for your wedding, and it should be absolutely flawless and beautiful.
Having said that, we do come across many brides who make mistakes while shopping their Trousseau and regret later. But obviously, there is no turning around. We have tried to compile a few of these common mistakes which you should definitely make a note of if you are set to get married soon. And in the other best scenario, we are always a call away to make your fairytale wedding come true and make your Trousseau Shopping experience the best days of your life.
1. Have a Clear Plan and Budget Before You Set Out Shopping
Most of the brides do know what they want to have in their trousseau, but they haven’t even given it a thought what they specifically do not want to have. The options out there are way too many and equally confusing, a bride must have a clear vision and a layout with her for how she wants her trousseau to finally shape out.
2. HIRE AN EXPERT – Trousseau Shopping Is a Tricky Business
Whichever clients and brides that we have worked with all these years, have often come back to us saying this was one of the best decisions they made for their wedding. Not just trousseau, the entire wedding shopping is a tricky path to tread. A lot of money is involved, the choices are numerous, and also the time frame is limited. You definitely need an expert to help you get through that tunnel seamlessly and with some amazing shopping bags in hand. Most of the brides have told us that they have actually ended up saving on their trousseau budgets and the collection that they have got is just too amazing and unique.
3. Listen to Your Mom, Friends and MIL but Listen to Your Heart as Well
Most brides shop either with their mothers, or sisters or maybe a few of them with their friends. Remember, they are not the experts on the subject. All their opinions and suggestions are based on their own experiences and in some cases on the lack of the same. Most of the brides, hence, end up making choices that they aren’t fully convinced of or maybe they do not end up getting what would have been the best purchase. Listen to your heart too and don’t make any purchase half-heartedly, or to please someone or at the behest of someone else. Remember you have to wear it and for that, you need to absolutely love your purchase. The person accompanying you might be inadequately informed of the trends might have a dated choice, or their personal style might be drastically different from your taste. You cannot blindly abide by their choices or suggestions in such a case.
4. Not Purchasing Enough Practical Outfits
Your post-wedding days would indeed require you to be decked up in your most gorgeous bridal finery, with all those Indian looks and jewellery for those formal dinners and family gatherings, but it is equally true that you would also be required to go on a lot of outings with your husband on semi-formal, non-formal outings. There would be a lot of dresses, outfits and casual- but-yet-very-dressy looks required for such occasions. Don’t miss out on shopping for those. Balance is the key word here while deciding upon the looks to include in your trousseau shopping.
5. Look Away From Those Trending Outfits
Why we call trousseau shopping tricky is because it is a completely different ballgame than normal shopping. While we might suggest you go in for a trending look otherwise, when it comes to your trousseau, always opt for the classics. You may buy an outfit or two in the style and silhouette that is currently trending but keep the rest of it reserved for pieces that are an eternal style statement. Remember you have to wear these dresses for at least a year or two into your married life and you would definitely not like to look dated or out of fashion. Keep your pieces very versatile and rather than opting for something that is love at first sight, invest in clothes that are versatile and never go out of fashion and look stylish each time you wear them. Trust me they would be a better value for your money in the long.
6. Brides Don’t Keep Their Colour Palette Interesting and Versatile Enough
Though it might so happen, that you may end up liking most of the outfits in the typical bridal colours because yes, even the sky would seem pinkish red in those days, such is the power of love, we suggest you hold back those thoughts, please. Again, balance is the keyword here. But a few looks in those bridal shades of red, maroon and pink, but also keep a lot of room for neutrals, pastels, all-time classic ivory, blues, greens and browns. Keep your color palette for the trousseau as interesting as possible, or else the same repetitive colours would become monotonous way too soon. Also remember, your husband would be the one person looking at you dressed up all these times. He shouldn’t really get bored looking at that pretty sight. So, for his sake, include a lot of interesting colours and hues in your wardrobe.
7. Don’t Focus Much on the Embroidery and the Work of the Outfit
We often see a lot of brides carrying outfits in red, maroon, orange and pink and the typical bridal colours with a lot of heavy and overbearing embroidery. It doesn’t always have to be loud and heavy to look good on a bride. Opt for designs and embroidery that are easy on the eye and don’t look too overwhelming after a point. Especially when wearing loud colours, go for minimalistic and sophisticated work and embroidery so that it keeps the whole look very refreshing.
8. Not Emphasizing Much on the Skin Care and Hair Care Products
All these life-altering changes that come into a woman’s life with marriage, take quite a toll on her mental and emotional ecosystem. She is the center of all attention and with that comes a lot of emotions and experiences that she is going through internally. Even her diet and nutrition intake gets a little inconsistent. All this can adversely affect her hair and skin quality and acne breakouts or falling hair would be the last thing you would want to encounter in your post-wedding days. While shopping you trousseau, do invest in some really worthy hair and skin care products that take care of you well and make you look like a beautiful glowing new bride at all times, both with and without makeup.
9. Buying a Lot of Unnecessary Makeup Products
If you are not really used to applying too much makeup regularly (which most brides are not), you do not need to go out of your way to include all the makeup products in your vanity and in your makeup routine unnecessarily. You don’t need to put on all the products on your face that they guide you to in those makeup tutorial videos online. Do not buy that primer, contour kit, concealer, eyelash curler, or eyebrow pencil if you don’t really need it. Remember these makeup products come at a bomb cost and have an expiry date too sometimes as short as six months. Rather just better off your makeup skills and invest in some really high-quality makeup brands for your makeup base, blush, eye shadow palette and lip shades. Remember, that investment would be really worth it.
10. Brides Tend to Hoard Their Closet With Indian Wear
Don’t buy everything that your mother or MIL asks you to. If you aren’t really too much into Indian wear, don’t hoard your closet with all styles of lehengas, sarees and suits from designers all across. Though very tempting at the first sight, you would not really end up wearing a few of them maybe even once.
11. Stacking Up on Fancy but Uncomfortable Lingerie
Do include a lot of exciting, sexy lingerie wear in your trousseau. Rather do go out of your comfort zone because that is the whole fun of it. But at the same time, brides tend to forget the need for practical, comfortable lingerie wear for everyday use. One also needs to buy easy and stylish nightwear and dresses that help you get those eight hours of sleep in comfortable attire.
12. Buying Jewellery For Your Locker Rather Than Yourself
Well we would put this more on the moms than their daughters turning into brides. Yes, it is important to buy some heritage jewellery that stays with you for life and actually looks regal and royal befitting a bridal look. But it is also equally imperative to include some minimalistic chic jewellery styles in your trousseau. Buy jewellery that you don’t have to think a hundred times before wearing. Rather, brides, these days are more into statement pieces and contemporary designs rather than the typical run-of-the-mill gold and diamond jewellery.
13. Buying Too Many Heavily Embellished Bridal Footwear
Buy those silver and gold heels for your functions, but also include some really chic stylish heels, sandals and even flats for your post-wedding days. Don’t just buy all the bridal footwear. Invest in some trending summer pairs from high-end brands that you had been eyeing for some time now, that you can style with a lot of your outfits. You aren’t really going to wear those embellished heels too many times, except for when dressing up Indian or on formal occasions and dinners.
14. Buying Clothes That Just Fit You Too Perfectly
A huge mistake for a lot of brides is that they generally lose weight and get into their ideal body weight before their wedding. And when they pick outfits in that size, those dresses generally don’t fit one year into the wedding. And that is actually a waste of a lot of money because you got it right, bridal trousseaus are a really expensive thing these days. So most important, try to stay in shape, even post your wedding (it is actually not as hard as it might sound). Also, while buying, don’t look for too small a size. Keep a little scope and margin in case you even put on a couple of kilos (God forbid if you should exceed that limit at all).
15. Buying Everything That Is Available at a Designer Store
Don’t be an impulsive shopper. Just because you have a strong reason for shopping, doesn’t mean you have to go about picking everything that catches your fancy. Think it through from all perspectives and then make the purchase. It is not just about money, you will also be stuck with these clothes, bags, shoes and makeup for the coming couple of years or so. Remember, wedding shopping is just a one-time affair. One cannot go about shopping for their trousseau again after the wedding. Also, don’t go around the town fretting too much about finding the best designer things. You don’t have to hit a state of paranoia looking for that perfect trousseau. You can’t be losing your beauty, glow and also peace of mind over it. There are professionals like us to help you out with all your trousseau shopping dilemmas and woes.
We have given you an entire lowdown on things to avoid while enjoying one of the best phases of your life – shopping for your wedding. As you embark on this new journey, make memories, relish the love of your friends and family and don’t beat yourself hard if anything gets left out while shopping. You are not alone – it happens to all brides!
Love,
Team LadyInRoseGold