It is said that a woman looks pretty when she is in love. We think she looks the prettiest when she is a bride. For every woman, weddings are purely special but equally overwhelming. We’ve asked a lot of brides and brides-to-be and we’ve heard it all – right from the long list of mixed emotions to the excitement of beginning an endearingly new chapter of their lives. The true bliss of getting married for a woman lies in the fact that she shares that moment with the most special people in her life, her family.

When we were children, our homes were our safe zones. We grow up loving our home despite its flaws. We love the closets that store our clothes and the shelves that hold the things we collect over years. We love the walls that carry our memories and every nook and corner of our room including its cracks. You get the drift, we all love our homes. But when a woman gets married, she leaves behind the home that she is familiar with, for years, in the pursuit of building a new home with new family members. Her life will never be the same. However, the joy of beginning a fresh chapter of life with a wonderful person by her side makes her look forward to the wedding day.

As the countdown to the big day starts, a lot of brides begin to panic. It is a turbulence of emotions in their mind, and there is probably nothing wrong with it. All the brides share this phase in common. Of course, the brides get to have all the fun. They team up with all their friends and cousins to decide the outfits, music for the Sangeet, the makeup artists, the photographers, the interiors of the new house and yes, practically almost everything under the roof. They want everything to be perfect for the big day and there shall never be any compromise. But the realization of taking a new leap into the unexplored realm of marriage and its responsibilities dawns on them only during this phase. That moment when they pack their things and look at the empty closets and walls behind them is too much for every woman. No matter how amazing the life that’s waiting for them is!

A certain bride took us into her world by saying that after her wedding, she will definitely miss the conversations she has with her mother in the kitchen every morning. If we dig deeper, there are so many emotions as such that a bride cannot put together in words. For the lack of better words, she doesn’t stop herself from feeling those strong emotions of farewell too. Have you ever noticed how each wedding is a perfect symphony of ecstasy and melancholy? Especially in India, we have a ritual called ‘Bidaai’ or ‘Appaginthalu’ where the parents of the bride entrust the responsibility of the bride to the groom and his family. It is a tearjerking ritual for the bride, her parents and to be honest, for everyone who is a part of the wedding.

The unexplored and the unknown always seems slightly frightening and largely confusing for everyone. It doesn’t mean it is a bad thing, though! A marriage might seem worrisome initially but every bride realizes its beauty only when she experiences it. As a part of growing up and older, it becomes incumbent for every person to take up newer responsibilities – be it a bride or a groom. Together, the bride and the groom build a new home and bring parts of themselves from the previous chapters of their lives to create something wonderful.

So, dear brides and brides-to-be, you have nothing to fear. With the right person by your side, we are sure you will carry all the values and lessons taught by your parents back home to build a new home. You might not live with your parents, but their teaching will reflect in the walls of your new home.

It is okay to feel anxious, but don’t stop with that. Team up with your best girls and have an epic time of your life. Dance till your feet hurt and wear the dream wedding outfit that you’ve always wanted ever since you were young girl. It is your wedding, after all and you gotta own it!