Hi Shawna,
I am a recent convert to Maharani weddings. I absolutely love and adore your site! Everyday at work, I check to see your latest post - it's one of the few thrills I have during the workday:(
So I have a question for you - I'm getting married this August and I'm trying to go for a bit of a different desi bridal look. Specifically, I'd love to wear my hair down, under my chunni, for the ceremony. I've searched the web all over but can't seem to find what I'm looking for.
Do you have any ideas on how to wear hair down and loose while still having the chunni cover your head?
Any tips/suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks and keep up the fantastic work :)
Gita
Hi Gita –
Congratulations on your engagement! What a fun time in your life, make sure that you soak it up!
So, this is a tough one to tackle because there are SO many variables.
What is your hair type?
How do you feel with your hair up?
Are you doing your hair differently for the reception?
What material is your chuni?
How heavy is the chuni?
See what I mean?! So, here are how the best way to break it down to make sure that you look like the ultimate Maharani on your big day!
Rank on the scale of 1 to 5 how you FEEL with your hair all the way up. (1 being the lowest and 5 being a total knock out)
If you said 1 then having your hair all the way up is definitely not an option for you.
If you said 2 or higher then this makes the chuni dilemma a bit more flexible.
Next, rank your chuni on the scale of 1 to 5 on how heavy it is. (1 being light and airy and 5 being the most detailed part of your outfit)
My husband always tells me if you take care of the worst problem first, then the rest seem easier, so let’s tackle the girl who doesn’t like to wear her hair all the way up (1) and has a super heavy chuni (5)
This type of bride (Miss-heavy-chuni-with-her-hair-down) should play with hairstyles in the half up/half down category. Whether that is truly half her hair up or just a few pieces, the key is that you must create a hill to anchor (so to speak) the chuni into. With some soft curls and the framing of the chuni around your face, no one will be able to tell your hair is up. If Miss-heavy-chuni-with-her-hair-down, has very fine hair the key to this fix is clip in extensions. They can be added to the top of her hair to provide more stability for the chuni to rest upon. Another fantastic tip is to not wash your hair the day of your wedding. (The horror, I know!) There is something about dirty hair that provides more support for these types of heavy chunis.
The other option for Miss-heavy-chuni-with-her-hair-down is to order another chuni just to be worn for this purpose. Have a chuni made in the same fabric as your original chuni in a super light version. A modified border with a little bling or embrodiery throughout but that is it. You can then wear your heavy chuni draped forwards or backwards on your shoulder, and then wear this one over your head. I was Miss-heavy-chuni-with-her-hair-down on my wedding day, and I used this method and it worked fabulously!
So, for anyone who ranked your hair 2 or higher or chuni 4 or lower, you are in luck. If you absolutely must wear your hair down you absolutely can. Although, I do not suggest that any bride wear her hair all down with a chuni draped over her head because it has the tendecy to get messy and look flat very, very quickly. Not to mention it gets in the way and is annoying. If you must, you can, but the key word here is hair trial! Make sure that you have someone experienced do a trial with your chuni for you to see and play around with, or if you are doing your own hair make sure that you and your MOH/BFF/Mom practice a few times to get the hang of it. (Tip for the DIYs : using brand new bobby pins makes it easier too because they just tend to stick better!)
Good luck and send us a picture of you looking like a Maharani! We would love to see it!
Wishing you love, laughter & happily ever after,
image by Aaron Delesie
I love to hear from our readers! Drop me a note at hello@maharaniweddings.com
