For many brides, their wedding day is a unique opportunity to honor their heritage—often through fashion. Such was the case for Indian-American bride Dr. Jasmine Singh, a psychiatrist based in California.

“Even as a child, I knew—without a doubt—that no matter who I married, or when I married, I would have a Sikh wedding ceremony, and I would wear a traditional red Indian lehenga with gold embroidery,” she explains. “My mother has countless photos of me as a little girl dressed in a tiny red lehenga, adorned with a gold mathapatti (bridal headpiece) and haathphool (hand jewelry), and proudly wearing a bold red lip.”

Dr. Jasmine Singh in her bridal lehenga.

Photo: Mili Ghosh

When the time came for Jasmine to curate her own wedding day looks for her marriage to Dr. Sandeep Mann, she knew immediately that she wanted to work with Indian designers, especially on a red lehenga—that instantly recognizable Indian bridal outfit. “It mattered to me that my wedding outfit was made by hands and minds that understood the symbolism embedded in every motif and stitch,” she explains. “I wanted to wear something that wasn’t just beautiful, but meaningful; something that connected me to my culture and heritage.”

Having become familiar with his work decades earlier, Jasmine immediately thought of turning to the celebrated Indian designer Sabyasachi (who memorably dressed Priyanka Chopra for her wedding celebrations) for her lehenga and jewelry. “I first heard about him when I was a student at UC San Diego,” she explains. “I remember being captivated by the news that an Indian designer had shown at Milan Fashion Week. Since then I’ve followed his career, watching him dress countless brides—including many of India’s most celebrated actresses.”

Jasmine started by selecting her wedding day jewelry from Sabyasachi, while she went back and forth on which of his red lehenga to wear and how to customize it to suit her bridal vision—often having two-hour long video calls with his team in India.