Indian weddings and Mehandi go hand in hand. And every bride takes pride in the stunning and intricate mehandi designs in her hands and feet. We have brought together a collection of beautiful bridal mehandi designs to adorn the bride on her wedding day.
About Bridal Mehandi Designs
Indian weddings are known for its rich, colorful and cultural extravaganza. Loaded with many traditions and rituals, Indian marriages usually last for a week. As a prequel to the main wedding, several pre-wedding ceremonies are scheduled that bring in lots of fun and gaiety to the celebrations.
One of the most prominent is the bridal mehandi ceremony. Attended by close relatives and friends of the bride, bridal mehandi ceremony is typically held few days before the wedding.
Bridal mehandi is applied on the hands and feet of both the bride as well as the bride-groom. While the design is simple for the bride-groom, the bride is decked up with elaborate and intricate patterns.
Beliefs and Significance
Other than using Mehandi for decoration purposes, the medicinal properties of this powerful herb acts as a shield against common ailments on the bride and the groom to keep them healthy for the special occasion. Wedding stress can take an enormous toll on the bride and groom making them prone to headaches and fevers. Henna prevents stress by cooling the body and keeping the nerves from getting tensed.
Mehandi is also known to heal cuts and bruises that the couple might sustain during the course of the wedding rituals and customs. This practice of applying mehandi to the couple stems from the ancient times, keeping the health and wellbeing of the couple in mind.
There are few popular beliefs that are associated with bridal mehandi. The richness of color of the mehandi design corresponds to the deep love between the couple. A good imprint also indicates a cordial relation between the bride and her mother-in-law.
It is considered auspicious if the color of the mehandi stays on the hands for a long time. Henna also represents the transformation of a girl to a woman. It is also believed to be a symbolic representation of fertility.
The Bridal Mehandi Ceremony
Different regions of the country celebrate the mehandi ritual in their own way as per their customs, tradition and culture. The bride’s parents host the ceremony, where the bride’s friends and relatives gather to bless the bride and have fun.
A professional bridal mehandi artist or some relative who is good at drawing bridal mehandi designs applies mehandi to the bride’s hands, feet, arms and legs. In some cultures, the prospective mother-in-law or sister-in-law applies the bridal mehandi.
Trends in Bridal Mehandi
The Bridal mehandi designs and patterns are continuously evolving since the ancient times. Present day brides are experimenting with various types of designs and patterns to decorate their hands along with the traditional Indian mehandi designs. Some of the popular mehandi motifs are flowers, kalash, peacock and baraat patterns.
One of the mehandi traditions is to include the name of the groom’s name in the intricate henna motif. The groom has to find his name in the bride’s mehandi during the post-wedding ceremonies.
Some of the most common bridal mehandi types include Arabic Mehandi, Rajasthani Mehandi, Pakistani Mehandi, African Mehandi and of course, the Indian Mehandi style. Recent mehandi trend appears to be bold floral styles with paisleys along with intricate patterns to make the design look cool and trendy. There is also use of color, glitter, crystals and stones to complement the color of the bridal outfit.
An increased use of bangle and jewelry designs on hands and wrists is also seen. Finger ring designs are enhanced to give the bride a perfect look.
Bridal Mehandi Tips
- Do not come in contact with water after you apply mehandi.
- As mehandi starts drying, dip a cotton ball in a mixture of lemon juice and sugar to enhance the color of the imprint.
- Leave the mehandi to dry for 7-8 hours or if possible, up to 12 hours. Don’t use water to remove mehandi; instead rub your palms together to scrape it out. Later, apply Vicks on the mehandi area for richer color.
- Many also suggest wrapping your hands and feet in a plastic glove or a cling wrap to keep the design intact overnight.
- Remember not to use chemicals in any form on your hands for two days after you apply mehandi.
Do check our unique collection of traditional and stylish bridal mehandi designs. Select the best one to look your best
