When most of us hear about ‘bridal make up,’ we tend to view it is an alien thing: one of those things that have recently been ‘imported’ from the western countries to the orient. But the truth of the matter is that efforts at beautifying brides have always been part of the Indian wedding culture since time immemorial. They may not always have been referred to as ‘make up’ efforts, but that is definitely what they always amounted to.

Of course, Bridal makeup in India has undergone changes over the years, with many elements of it being ‘modernized’ in recent times. But what is worth keeping in mind is that it is definitely not an ‘import’ but rather something that has always been part of the Indian wedding rites. A question then arises, as to what role such Bridal makeup plays, in this Indian wedding context. And as it turns out there are at least t

Three important roles played by Bridal makeup in the Indian wedding context:

1. Making the bride look proper:a bride is expected to look beautiful. That is simply the expected thing, and if a bride is taken to a wedding looking ‘dull and plain,’ then all chances are that she will look odd, because that is simply not the ‘expected’ thing.

2. Adding color to the wedding:a wedding is one of the ceremonies that are expected to be colorful. And since the bride is usually the focus of the ceremony, it follows that one of the most effective ways to make the ceremony look colorful is simply by beautifying the bride – which is what Bridal makeup is all about.

3. Adding symbolism to the ceremony:in the traditional Indian wedding context, there was actually some symbolic meaning assigned to the Bridal makeup. This would mean that adorning the bride in some way would be one of the ritualistic requirements that would have to be met, for the wedding to be considered ‘proper.’

Modern Bridal makeup in India

Many couples in India are increasingly opting for what turn out to be, for all purposes and intents, western-style weddings. This doesn’t exempt them from Bridal makeup requirements: it actually adds to them.

Now modern Bridal makeup will tend to be less liberal in the use of color than traditional Indian Bridal makeup. Modern Bridal makeup will, rather, focus on making the bride younger (through the use of aids such as Botox), brighter (without direct use of color), more relaxed, and where desirable, taller (through the use of dressing illusions).

The cost of bridal make up in India

Depending on how you decide to go about it, and where you decide to get it done, the cost of Wedding makeup in India can vary considerably. For as little as 1,000 rupees, you may get some sort of Bridal makeup carried out…But only you can put a limit on how much you spend on the makeup; as there are things that would still cost you as much as 100,000 rupees or even more, all in the name of Bridal makeup. If you are budget constrained, but looking for decent Bridal makeup, the key to getting it would lie in spending the limited amount of money you have where it is likely to have the most impact.