Bollywood actor Taher Shabbir and international artist Akshita Gandhi’s wedding styling
choices are a lesson in designing a maximalist look even for low-key, small celebrations
Intimate weddings need not be stressful, even if it's a long, multi-day affair. Contrary to popular belief,
smaller weddings do not necessitate muted, low-key jewellery, at least for some brides. Bepannah actor
Taher Shabir tied the knot with his ladylove and acclaimed artist Akshita Gandhi in an intimate nikaah
ceremony followed by a court marriage in October this year in Mumbai. Cut to mid of December, and
the couple has now shared a few double-tap worthy glimpses from their wedding –– that commenced in
a series of different Hindu and Muslim customs over four days.
Akshita chose to be a rather flashy bride with ornate, resplendent statement pieces and one-of-a-kind
high jewellery. Both Akshita and Taher relied upon some old school aristocratic opulence but also kept
things very tasteful and stylised. Here’s decoding this much-in-love couples’ wedding looks.
Elegant gold and polki jewellery for an intimate Nikaah ceremony
For her nikaah Akshita worked smart with note-worthy pieces which are quick to draw attention, like a
statement polka maangtika with emerald accents, pearls and some old school Awadhi design nuances.
The maangtika is elaborate and has quite a lot of work going on, but pieces like this can work wonders if
a bride is not too keen on sporting too much at once. Akshita pairs her maangtika with some rather
simplistic kundan jhumkas, and ditches any other jewellery. Taher steps it up too, as he styles his
embellished red and white sherwani featuring gold kantha with a single-strand pearl mala..
Akshita chose to amp up the bridal drama during the haldi ceremony and chose some heavy-set bling,
primarily because she opted for a breezy ensemble. She repeated her maangtika and added some jadau
and pearl necklaces and swapped her jhumkis for diamond studs When it comes to repeating bling for
brides, it’s easier to curate a look if the bride uses the same piece in a very different style memo, like
how Akshita can stick to the same pieces as she goes from jewel-toned lehengas to elegant, Rajasthani
mirrorwork.
Doing it the Mughal way with elaborate haars and precious jewels
Going for themed looks is an impeccable move, especially for the wedding or reception day since there’s so much more room to play up the drama. For their reception the bride and groom opted for a period look with their regal picks,. Taher dripped aristocracy in a detailed Kalagi encrusted with diamonds and rubies and a statement sath-lada haar with well-defined layers of pearls, emerald and polki further flanked with a bold pendant. Akshita’s look was actually meant to complement Taher’s but was quite the show-stealer as she sported a superbly embellished zardosi lehenga with a single-toned polki set with two statement necklaces, earrings and a paneled matha-patti by Sanzany Jewels. Since the bride wanted to go for a Mughal heritage vibe, she decided to keep the tonal drama very sophisticated without introducing too many colours and instead layering up several heavy-set pieces together. Even for smaller weddings, big dramatic fashion choices shouldn’t be off-limits if the colours palettes are well-chosen.
Old Hollywood-inspired diamonds for the waltz night
For the waltz night, Akshita opted for a modernist wide-silhouetted diamond choker which was chic but
very attention-grabbing. She paired it with a sheer black lace sari and some dramatic diamond danglers
to go all out for a cocktail night vibe.
