IF you’re a bride to be, then bridal trousseau makes it to the topmost list of all checklists. In fact, the investment in ‘daaj’ (bridal trousseau essentials from the mother’s side) and ‘wari’ (wedding trousseau essentials from the groom’s side) begins the day you come into this world. Dreams of your becoming a bride are manifested, and thus commences the careful collection and curation of your bridal trousseau and wedding trousseau in your beautiful bridal trousseau box. From precious family heirlooms passed down for generations, gold and valuables belonging to the mother and grandmother, handmade linen and clothing, hand embroidered sets to fine china, glassware, and household items, the Indian wedding trousseau is a very important trunk call, and we’ll help you answer it.
Inside the Glory Box: The Bridal Trousseau
For as long as weddings have been around, so has been the bridal trousseau. It’s an age-old tradition practised across the world. In layman’s lingo, bridal trousseau, or trousseau translates to a ‘bundle, truss or tuck’, a box in which the new bride carries essentials she will need to start her new life with. The bridal trousseau can be a humble collection or an extravagant excess of things, but it’s important for the keepsakes and essentials hold immense emotional value. The wedding trousseau box or the bridal trousseau box was also known as ‘hope chest’ or ‘glory box’, while in Punjab, USA, and Canada where Punjabis are, it’s still popular as ‘peti’. And these heavy duty ‘petis’ can be made from iron or wood or nowadays, a stylised, chic set of bridal trousseau suitcases being designed exclusively from leading brands.
Now, dear bride to be, your bridal trousseau is curation is a humongous task, and here’s a checklist from our side for a quick stress-free reference - so take out your notepad and jot these down:
The Wardrobe
Numero uno on the bridal trousseau checklist has to be wardrobe - which includes fabulous outfits, matching shoes, headturning accessories, and statement bags. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the US or Canada or here in India, the Indian wedding trousseau has to have at least 21 outfits (it’s an auspicious number, usually people start with 11, but we can be generous, can’t we!). Our advise - break down the wardrobe in formal, casual, semi casual and lingerie. Slot them according to seasons too. And make sure you have a good mix of sarees, of Indo western, of neutral colours that you can pair with headturning dupattas, stoles, jackets, shawls or jewellery. Pair them with shoes that range from flats, sneakers, high heels to slip ons and moccasins. Protect your new suits/sarees with quality covers in the bridal trousseau box. Now, don’t forget to pack one suit for your sister-in-law who will perform the ‘peti khulayee’ ceremony once you are in your in-law’s home. Also, we recommend you slip in hand-embroidered handkerchiefs, bindis and little parandis with the traditional wear.
The Vanity Case
You have every right to vanity, dear bride to be. Bridal trousseau is incomplete without the vanity box, without the titillating tools of make-up, the lingering effect of perfumes, the lusciousness and gloss of lipsticks and the seduction of the kohl. So, invest in a roomy vanity box, and fill it up with your make-up essentials.
The First Night Suitcase
The first day and night as a bride in a new home can be challenging. You are exhausted, overwhelmed and all by yourself, so you need to pack as part of the bridal trousseau a mini trunk that carries the stuff for your first two nights - clothes, lingerie, toiletries, bathroom slipper, jewellery and make-up, your i-pad, charger, even medicine - little things of comfort that you use on a daily basis and will need asap. Heck it can even be chocolate or gum or a book! Girl, pack it in your bridal trousseau!
The Bridal Trousseau Trunk Box
The peti or the hope chest/glory box is the vessel that protects and preserves the bride’s most cherished memories, heirlooms of love and collection - family heirlooms such as jewelry, portraits or photographs, bed and table linens (often sewn or embroidered by hand by the bride and her family), clothing, household items, shoes, bags, gadgets, lehenga, fine china, gifts - everything that is dear to her, gifted to her, passed down from generation to another demands a bridal trousseau box that is befitting to hold her valuables for her new life. So, invest in a good one!
Lock the Luggage
One bridal trousseau box or bridal trousseau trunk won’t be enough for your wedding trousseau. The wedding trousseau, especially the Indian wedding trousseau is exhaustive - it doesn’t stop at just clothes and accessories! The bridal trousseau will need different bags and suitcases for different things - for instance, for honeymoon, for first night, for gifts, for shoes, for bags, for linen, for winter wear, for jewellery, for tech stuff - yeah, the bridal trousseau will need more than one box to fit it all. So, to have a streamlined bridal trousseau and wedding trousseau, invest in luggage beforehand and start packing things in it as they come. It helps in keeping things in order and check, and you, stress free.
Conclusion
The Indian wedding trousseau is a big deal. Indian weddings, be it in the US or Canada or here, cannot function without the bridal trousseau, the bridal trousseau box etc. The wedding trousseau is the mother lode of all essentials. Now, here’s a suggestion (or two) - bridal trousseau are supposed to be exclusive, select, treasured. You will feel like buying new things right after the wedding. It’s natural. So, stick to the heirlooms, invest in jewellery and accessories, in limited editions of designer clothes and shawls. Second, no matter what the budget, keep the spending on bridal trousseau in check. Go for good deals, especially for linen and household stuff. For this, you can also create a registry of gifts to avoid the overlapping and use that as part of bridal trousseau/wedding trousseau. Go on, enjoy the bridal trousseau trunk call!
