How I designed Anushka and Virat's wedding wear

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee gives us a glimpse into the process.

All photographs: Courtesy sabyasachiofficial/Instagram.

The Sabyasachi label has long been Anushka Sharma's go-to choice for weddings -- like producer Ali Morani's daughter Shirin's reception in 2014, Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge's wedding reception last month and Yuvraj Singh and Hazel Keech's wedding last December.

And just as the rumour mills predicted, it was designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee who designed both Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli's wedding wear from engagement to wedding.

After the year's 'It Couple' tied the knot yesterday, Sabyasachi said, 'You can be an actress, a politician or a corporate power broker, but every bride succumbs to age-old traditions on their wedding day! Fashion can come and go, but we at Sabyasachi believe that tradition is timeless and forever! Sometimes the way forward lies in revisiting the past.'

The designer, who is a favourite among recent Bollywood brides, also gave us a peek into his choices for Virushka.

The engagement

Sabyasachi said, 'We made it in our signature Gulkand Burgundy. It was hand-embroidered using miniature pearls and the finest quality zardosi and marori.

'She wore a stunning uncut diamond and pearl choker with matching studs.

'The entire look was complemented with kohl-rimmed eyes, red roses and our now iconic micro dot bindi.

The mehendi

According to Sabyasachi, hot pink was her favourite.

He said, 'We created a graphic lehenga in fuchsia pink and Indian orange.

'It was hand-printed by the famed Calcutta block printers and hand-embroidered with gota and marori. Artists from The Sabyasachi Art Foundation rendered a beautiful sixties pop print and it was silk screen printed, hand woven Indian silk.

Anushka accessorised herself with Sabyasachi Heritage Jewelry jhumkas 'crafted in 22k gold with Iranian turquoise, tourmalines, uncut diamonds and Japanese cultured pearls.'

He added, 'Custom juttis in hand woven brocade and zardosi completed the look.'

Kohli, meanwhile, opted 'for a signature khadi kurta churidaar with our classic fuchsia pink textured silk Nehru jacket detailed with the Sabyasachi House blazer buttons. A custom tan leather jutti with a zardosi crest was created for the ensemble.' 

The wedding

'So, we chose a colour that would blend in the whimsical Tuscan surrounding rather than stand out. It was blush pink with tropical flora and fauna, hand embroidered in silk floss. Exotic birds and butterflies were rendered with the finest quality needle craft... The Renaissance embroidery in vintage English colours embellished with silver-gold metal thread, pearls and beads.'

It took 67 karigars, 32 days to complete the ensemble.

'To complement her lehenga,' Sabyasachi said, 'jadau jewellery was handcrafted with syndicate uncut diamonds, pale pink spinel and baroque Japanese cultured pearls.'

He added, 'But we think the hero is the lush Tuscan hydrangeas! There is something so ethereal about brides wearing fresh flowers in their hair! It is a crowning glory!'

For Kohli, Sabyasachi picked an ivory raw silk sherwani hand-embroidered in a vintage Benarasi pattern and signature House buttons with an ivory tussar stole and old Rose silk safa. He too wore Sabyasachi accessories.