All About Asian Wedding Trousseu (Dahej)

ASIAN WEDDING TROUSSEAU PREPARATIONS (DAHEJ)

This is a term you will become familiar with during the planning of your wedding. Getting married is no easy task. You are expected to look your best at every moment, before, during and after the wedding. Plus, getting married gives you social license to indulge your every whim and buy a whole lot of gorgeous outfits. What more does a girl need or want?

In the old days, it was the bride’s family’s responsibility to prepare her trousseau (dahej) that she would take with her to her husband’s home. Many brides would not take any of their old clothes to their new home; instead it was customary to prepare 11, 21, or sometimes 101 new articles of clothing for the bride. Today some brides keep old traditions alive while others are not so worried about the numbers game.

The trousseau is not limited only to clothing. It can include accessories ranging from bangles to purses and shoes. Household items such as bed sheets and kitchen utensils may also be included. And of course no bride can forget her new pieces of jewellery.

Preparing and planning trousseau can be frustrating and over-whelming. Here are some great tips to getting it all right:

Plan, plan, and plan! Sit down and make a list of everything you actually need! No point of spending money where you don’t need to spend it.

Divide your trousseau into 4 main sections, formal, semi-formal, shoes and accessories and lingerie.

A wide range of lehngas, saris and salwar kameez could be included for all of the different post-wedding events.

Match accessories and shoes as you go along with the purchase of each outfit. The most annoying thing ever is to have an outfit that has no matching shoes or shoes that don’t really go with any of your outfits!

Do make sure you have some outfits with traditional embroidery. Although what is really ‘in’ right now is crystal, accentuated outfits, which can go out of fashion really quickly so traditional yet elegant outfits would be just perfect to have sitting in your wardrobe for any formal occasion after the wedding. You will be expected to do a lot of visiting after the wedding — your outfits for these should be a combination of the ornate and the chic.

For the Grooms side, it is important in most Asian cultures to prepare a wardrobe full of bridal outfits and accessories for the new bride joining their family.

In summary, Asian weddings are all about shopping until your hearts content. This is the beginning of a new life for you so you deserve to be spoilt in every shopping sense.