Rashmika Mandanna, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone: Indian celebrities who chose sarees over heavy lehengas for their wedding day

Many Indian brides usually wear heavy lehengas for their weddings, but some celebrities beautifully broke the stereotype by choosing timeless, elegant sarees for their special day and looked absolutely breathtaking. Actresses like Rashmika Mandanna, Deepika Padukone, and Alia Bhatt chose sarees for their big day, setting a stunning benchmark for future generations of brides.

Rashmika Mandanna finally got married to her longtime beau, Vijay Deverakonda, on February 26. The actress opted for a rich, rust orange silk saree featuring a thick, striking red and gold border, which perfectly incorporated South Indian traditions. She embellished her attire with layered temple-style gold necklaces, including a bold choker, a long chain with deity motifs, and mango-motif chains, along with traditional bangles, kadas, and armlets.

On April 14, 2022, Alia Bhatt tied the knot with Ranbir Kapoor in an intimate wedding ceremony, wearing a custom ivory organza saree by Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Her saree featured fine tilla embroidery, which she paired with a veil and minimal makeup. Keeping it chic and minimal, Bhatt wore a matching neckpiece, earrings, maang tika, and a simple hairdo, which set the trend among the people for a minimal wedding look.

Deepika Padukone, for her two wedding ceremonies, opted for two different traditional attires; one was a heavy lehenga, and the other was a red and gold Kanjeevaram saree, which was gifted by her mother and styled by Sabyasachi. It featured the Gandaberunda (two-headed bird) motif representing wisdom and prosperity. Padukone paired it with a traditional South Indian look, including a gold choker, Guttapusalu necklace, and jhumkas.

In 2021, Yami Gautam got married to the filmmaker Aditya Dhar. Yami wore her mother's 33-year-old traditional maroon silk saree at her culture-rooted Himachali wedding. Portraying simplicity, the actress also wore a traditional Pahadi Nath (nose ring) and a veil belonging to her grandmother.

One of the iconic wedding saree looks also includes Nayanthara's all-red attire. She wore a custom-designed, vermillion red handcrafted ensemble from JADE by Monica and Karishma. The look featured embroidery inspired by the temple carvings, a matching long-sleeved blouse with Goddess Lakshmi motifs, and a personalised veil with the couple's names and the "Fourth Vow" embroidered. She paired her saree with contrasting emerald and diamond jewellery, including a long, layered necklace and maang tikka.

Vidya Balan married Siddharth Roy Kapoor wearing a traditional Tamil-style red and mustard yellow silk saree designed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Embracing her South Indian roots, she paired it with traditional jewellery like jhumkas and kept her hair in a bun with a gajra.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wedded Abhishek Bachchan in 2007. She picked her bridal look designed by Neeta Lulla, and wore a custom-made, traditional golden Kanjeevaram saree which reflected her Mangalorean heritage. Featuring the real gold zari work, the actress paired her iconic look with traditional temple jewellery.

In 2025, Samantha Ruth Prabhu married Raj Nidimoru at the Isha Yoga Centre. The actress wore a custom-made, deep red Banarasi saree designed by Arpita Mehta. Her saree served a simple yet elevated look, combining handwoven Katan satin silk along with gold zardozi embroidery. She opted for a classic bun adorned with a white mogra (jasmine) gajra, along with minimalist makeup.

Shilpa Shetty walked down the aisle in a heavy embroidered red saree, embellished with roughly 8,000 Swarovski crystals. She paired the saree with heavy, traditional jewellery, including a rani haar (layered necklace), choker, and earrings, along with a matha patti (headgear) and an uncut diamond belt.