Namrata is a December 2015 bride, who is tying the knot in Mumbai and having 2 receptions – one in Kolkata and the other in Dehradun! She has a 2 States story – she is from Orissa, and her groom is from Uttarakhand. She lives in Mumbai, he lives in Delhi. Wedding planning is alien territory to her, what with her mainly having spent her life inside the IIT Bombay campus where 90% weddings take place in the campus guest house. From negotiating with wedding vendors to attending exhibitions and exploring lehenga stores, she has taken up the task of planning her budget wedding all by herself and blogs about it at Frugal2Fab. In today’s post, she shares her notes on Sutra by Marriage Mantra, a wedding exhibition she visited yesterday in Mumbai.

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I spent a couple of hours (actually, quite a few hours) at the Sutra Wedding & Lifestyle Exhibition here in Mumbai yesterday. It is being held at Blue Sea banquet hall in Worli between 13-14 July.

I had attended a few wedding exhibitions last month, and I honestly just went to attend Sutra with a blank state of mind. I was not hunting for anything in particular. But 5 minutes into the exhibition, I was left in awe. If you’re a bride-to-be hunting for your trousseau, and have looked at a zillion places but haven’t found too many options, you want to be here. This is the place!

While other exhibitions concentrate on things like jewellery, stationary, kurtis, etc, Sutra is focussed on lehengas and floor length anarkalis – basically, bridal wear! Two things I loved about the exhibition – the gota patti collection of lehengas, anarkalis & sarees, and the Delhi stalls!

Gota Patti Collection

#1 Beetroot

This stall has the best designer sarees in the entire exhibition. Their collection is priced upwards of 12k, but the really good ones are in the 20k+ range. Think gota patti sarees in peach, pink, and orange. Then add some elegant mirror work to it. Did your eyes just pop open? That’s what they have here at the stall. Totally worth picking up!

Beetroot is basically into wholesale market and supplies to major designer retail labels all around the city and country (Chrisalis in Jaipur, Monsoon in Ahmedabad and Aura in Nagpur, Surat and Raipur). Every single piece in their collection is outstanding.

P.S. Their website doesn’t do half the justice to the outfits actually displayed at the stall. It’s all about the secrecy. Shhh…

Editor’s note: I wish this was in Delhi! Would love to visit and check out their current collection.

Website | 102, A Wing, Rushi Tower, Lokhandwaka Complex, Andheri West, Mumbai | +91-9867711997

#2 Deepak Khanna

This stall is what I love about wedding exhibitions. You will just not find this kind of stuff anywhere else. Guaranteed!

What do you think about leheriya and gota patti together in one outfit? Mind-blowing na? I spent half an hour at this stall just going through each and every piece! They have floor length leheriya anarkalis with gota patti embroidery. The rates are pretty decent too given the look of the outfit. All the anarkalis are at a flat rate INR 11,000.

I just loved, loved this stall! My favourite is a peach & red shaded leheriya anarkali. They have beautiful peacock motifs teamed with heavy gota patti work, in stunning colors. They also have subtle shades of lemon, teal, peach, pink, orange and even bold shades of blues and reds.

I loved one in particular for my mehendi. The gher of the outfit was so fabulous, it would even make a great sangeet outfit. The people at Deepak Khanna said they can also add a full jaipuri work jacket that can be worn either with the anarkali, or separately with western wear. The jackets are priced at somewhere around INR 3000.

Image courtesy: Exclusively

I came back home and searched everything from Google to Pinterest to find reference pictures of anything that looks even remotely similar to what I saw. I couldn’t find any, except this! I believe that’s a good sign – if you buy anything from them, you will definitely have a unique piece!

deepak.khanna28@yahoo.com | +91-9929561442 / 9351156240

#3 Nona’s Exclusif

My personal favourite of the lot. Suffice to say, I spent my entire afternoon at this stall. Why? Because they have gota patti lehengas in all possible pastel shades. It is such a dreamy store. I wanted to hug the aunty-niece duo who had designed the pieces. It is like the doll store for brides. My God, what awesomeness. I think I am going to pick up my wedding lehenga from them.

This stall is the only reason why I am visiting the exhibition again today with my mum. I just couldn’t decide. They have such beautiful gota patti lehengas, full jaali work dupattas and all at a killer steal deal of 20k!

The only downside is the lack of can-can in the lehengas. Which means I will have to give it to a tailor? And then God only knows how it will finally turn out. But putting that aside, this stall was such a crowd puller that the owner didn’t bother giving a second look to anybody who seemed doubtful of whether they would make a purchase or not. Yes, she had that much of a crowd coming in!

The only store where I saw major purchasing happening, and fast!

Editor’s Note: Delhi brides, don’t despair! You can also see this designer’s collection in Delhi this weekend at Wedding Asia (17-19 July)

S-463, Greater Kailash Part 1, New Delhi | 10 am – 6 pm (By appointment only) | +91-9871109870

#4 Mehak Creations

All heavy gotta patti floor length net unstitched anarkalis. For this amount of work, the price seems really reasonable. A full floor length heavy anarkali is priced at 20k FLAT, and it’s totally worth it!

The designer also has a lot of modern mirror cut work knee length jackets which give a royal, heavy look. I really liked this stall – haven’t seen anything like this before.

Image courtesy: High Heel Confidential

This is the type of work I saw, only prettier. This was definitely one of the best stalls at the exhibition! 

Editor’s Note: I’ve rarely found something I love at Mehak Creations’ Shahpur Jat store, but when I have found a piece or two, it’s been quite reasonable for the kind of work they’ve done on it.

6H/1, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi | +91-11-26497906

Must-Visit Stalls

#1 Lustre by Poonam & Meenu

The most unique stall of the lot. They have beautiful arabic, pakistani floor length anarkalis. It is a little on the expensive side, but gorgeous pieces nevertheless. Most of their creations are in the price range of 10k+. They use flowy fabrics, along with ample gher, and I think this style will work well with any body type.

If you’re looking for something a little hatke for any occasion wear like weddings or sangeet, mehendi, then their collection is definitely a must-see. They also take custom order for wedding lehengas 🙂

P.S. Don’t go by the pictures they have on their Facebook page, as their actual stall collection is very, very different from what they have showcased online.

Noida | By appointment only | +91-120-4263303 / +91-9811113664 | Facebook

#2 Varsham by Swati & Manisha

Are you a fan of this look? Tired of wearing the saree in the same usual manner? How about adding a modern twist to the Indian blouse? I saw a beautiful gold blouse with a detachable cape that has gold sequins all over the part that drapes over the arms. Just imagine Sonam Kapoor’s look, but with a more dramatic cape. It is breathtakingly beautiful, although a little expensive at INR 6000.

The stall also has some lovely cotton printed satin kurtis in an affordable price range – INR 3000 for stitched and INR 2500 for unstitched fabric. The fabric and cloth material is great – not at all flimsy, but instead thick with a satin feel. Worth the price, for sure.

Facebook | +91-9823080480 / 8898629853

#3 Rumourss

Beautiful crochet jackets. Period. What colour do you want? They have all colours! From beige to teal, pink and red – everything! Priced at a mere INR 3,000, this stall is royalty in all its glory. Team it up with a full flared skirt or with statement palazzo pants. The pieces look rich and seriously pretty!

They also have some beautiful cotton kurtas with jackets priced at just INR 2000. Very college/journalist looking kurtas in jute, denim and white (off-white) shades. I love this stall.

No.1, Omkar Co-op. Housing Society, Near Dadar Police Station, Gokhale Road South, Dadar West, Mumbai | +91-22-60601410

Image courtesy: Crochete Moda

#4 Pas’d – The Attire

I love their chanderi kota kurtis in sorbet shades! Orange-pink mixed with subtle yellows. Very expensive though. But if you don’t mind paying a high price, you can check it out. I love the fact that their kurtis are extremely light weight, and give a nice airy feeling.

219, Victoria II, Fortaleza Society, Opp. Enrich Saloon, Kalyani Nagar, Pune | +91-9545490880

Others Worth A Visit

#1 Bhoomi Collection

She has some nice straight heavy kurtis with palazzo sets priced at INR 7000 upwards. Good for wearing as a guest at someone else’s wedding. Her floor length kurtis have long side slits with dangling latkans.

#2 Wrap in Style

This is the only stationary stall at the exhibition. Not bad at all. They have everything at 50% off. Gift boxes that can be used as jewellery or mithaai boxes are priced at, like, 50 bucks! You can’t get anything cheaper than that even at Bhuleshwar or Crawford Market!

She also has interesting envelopes for baby showers, birthdays, etc in all shapes and sizes. You can definitely pick something from here without a second thought.

sejaldave.wis@gmail.com | +91-9821221194

#3 Gold Threads by Nisha Ajmera

She has some awesome fusion modern wear in Anarkalis. I saw a lovely teal blue raw silk floor length Anarkali with a floral touch to it in the middle. It’s definitely an unusual yet attractive piece. I also saw a lot of potential in wedding lehengas from this stall. Although she does not have many pieces on display, she takes custom orders.

Editor’s Note: Some of the outfits displayed on her Facebook page are seriously pretty!

Facebook | +91-8898005436

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The Sutra exhibition is at Blue Sea between 13-14 July, 2015. If you want to stay updated on when the next wedding exhibition is happening in Mumbai and other major Indian cities, check our exhibition & events calendar.

How did you like hearing from a Real Bride’s perspective? Do you want more posts like these?