You have the best of everything in a wedding be it food, wedding decoration or outfits for different events in the wedding, and when it comes to outfit you buy the best lehenga for your marriage. If worn in another wedding then it will steal all the attention from the bride so most of the time this expensive and designer lehenga ends up stored in a vault as you have no idea what to do with it. But there are manifold ideas to reuse this beautiful outfit, and the best ways will be found here:
A popular fusion style that you must try. The look of the lehenga will change completely when you pair your lehenga skirt with a shirt. Opt for a silk, satin or an ivory shirt as a plain one will not complement the shiny lehenga. This elegant and effortless look has been worn by so many celebrities from where you can take inspiration. A statement necklace will complete the look. Contemporary women can nail this Indo-Western look in the mehendi function of a friend's wedding or a Diwali party.
This combination will look great too. You can choose a kurti that is plain or with minimal designs. Experiment with the length of the kurti, try something in vogue or go with your heart. The kurti that you will buy will be super versatile as you can pair it up with other clothes too to make a completely different outfit. You can also wear a belt with this.
You can reuse the lehenga as an underskirt with a sheer saree. This will save you from the hassle of stitching a new underskirt and some money as well.
Inspired by South Indian half sarees, this look will create a fashion statement. This stand out look will be refreshing and not so boring. Use your dupatta to drape around the lehenga like a saree or you can add some pleats to the lehenga itself. Keep your makeup and jewelry simple to repel too much attention.
Get a trendy look by pairing a stylish top with the lehenga. A peplum top, crop top or any other style will look great with the lehenga.
As the dupatta of a lehenga is usually heavy you can pair it with a plain anarkali suit. Try to find a monochrome anarkali suit so that it can be easily matched with the dupatta.
Pair the bridal dupatta with a different pair of simple long skirt and top. This will create a unique and gorgeous look. The embellished dupatta will add a finishing touch to the ordinary outfit.
You can stitch your dupatta of lehenga with a saree and use it as the pallu of saree. This is an easy way to create a different outfit. You can either keep the stitching or remove it after the use according to your liking. You can also create various different ways to pair dupatta with a saree.
The overall look after pairing the bridal dupatta with simple kurti will be balanced as the heavy dupatta is neutralised by plain and simple kurti so do try this idea once. A full sleeve black kurti will look great with any bridal dupatta so if you are confused about the colour of the kurti you can go for black.
This is also another amazing option. You can pair your lehenga blouse with a saree. Whole look will not be overwhelming so you can wear this during any wedding function or in any festival.
The heavy embroidery of the blouse can be paired with a plain skirt. You can choose a pastel coloured long skirt which complements the blouse. Then the overall outfit will be subtle and will be ready for use in different events. Here too you can pair the skirt with other multiple outfits as well to create new looks.
Leave the dupatta and wear a jacket with the lehenga instead. Stitch the jacket with net fabric so that it can neutralise the heavy embroidery of the lehenga. The whole look will be less prominent. You can create variations to the jacket - length, design, etc. The stylish look will be perfect for winters when it gets chilly.
For all those fashionistas, this idea is for you. Drape the dupatta in a stylish way with palazzo. This will have a modern look so you can wear it in cocktail parties as well. Consider your body type and taste before styling the dupatta.
The length of your bridal dupatta will be long enough to create a palazzo out of it. This palazzo then can be paired with several kurtis and tops.
Slits - middle or side - will bring an oomph factor to your whole outfit. This look is trendy and bold. You can create a slit in the lehenga. Try this look for a daring move.
You can stitch the bottom and top part together to create an anarkali look with your lehenga. This will noticeably create a different look which you can carry in any wedding function or Indian festival.
Can-can is a mesh like material placed underneath your bridal lehenga which gives a flared look. Bridal lehengas often have many layers of can-can to add volume to the outfit. You can remove these layers to contract the lehenga and avoid that bulging look, and then the outfit can be used for various functions. You can also pair the lehenga with other clothes too, it will not look extravagant then.
These are just a few ideas that you can try but the possibilities are endless. You can take inspiration from all these style ideas and customise them according to your personal style. The design, color and embroidery work of your bridal lehenga will be a major factor in creating a new outfit out of it. So be experimental with it - tone down the lehenga with different garments, restitch it, mix different colours, add funky jewelry, play with different makeup and you will get a brand new outfit every time you go out.