While many brides dream of brand-new, custom-designed jewellery for their big day, a growing number are turning to pieces steeped in family history. Choosing an heirloom—a necklace from a mother's trousseau or a grandmother's vintage set—adds a layer of profound emotional depth and nostalgia to the bridal look. This trend beautifully symbolises the generational bonds of a family and the love welcoming a new member. In Bollywood, several A-list actresses have wholeheartedly embraced this sentiment, opting for iconic pieces from their family collections on their wedding day.
Royal Beginnings: The Pataudi Legacy
When Kareena Kapoor Khan married Saif Ali Khan in 2012, she didn't just wear any outfit; she stepped into history. She chose to wear her mother-in-law, Sharmila Tagore's, original bridal trousseau from her 1962 wedding. Bebo donned the rust-orange, heavily gold-embroidered sharara suit, revived by designer Ritu Kumar with a mint-green contrast. Completing the regal transformation, she adorned herself with the very same traditional choker, dangling earrings, stacks of bangles, and the stunning passa (maangtika) that Sharmila Tagore had worn decades earlier.
Carrying forward the same family tradition, Soha Ali Khan (Saif's younger sister) also turned to her mother's collection when she married Kunal Kemmu. While her ivory-gold Sabyasachi outfit was custom-made, her standout jewellery was a cherished heritage piece. She wore a beautiful passa paired with an emerald-green beaded raanihaar and matching earrings from her mother's collection, a set that had been in the family for generations and was even previously borrowed by her sister-in-law, Kareena.
Modern Brides, Timeless Treasures
Sonam Kapoor Ahuja's lavish wedding festivities in 2018 were a spectacle of fashion. For her white-themed sangeet ceremony, she looked ethereal in an ivory lehenga by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. The true highlight, however, was her jewellery—a magnificent glasswork kundan-vintage necklace, matching earrings, and a maang tikka set. These pieces did not come from a designer vault but from the personal collection of her mother, Sunita Kapoor, adding a deeply personal touch to the grand celebration.
Intimate Celebrations with Heritage Glamour
Known for her minimalist and sophisticated style, Konkona Sen Sharma kept her 2010 wedding to actor Ranvir Shorey intimate and elegant. True to her aesthetic, she wore a gold silk lehenga complemented by a classic kundan jewellery set. This set, however, was far from new; it was a precious inheritance from her grandmother. The layered necklace and matching earrings provided a timeless and elegant accent to her understated yet beautiful wedding ensemble.
In 2018, Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi surprised everyone with a sudden, hush-hush wedding. Neha looked radiant in a blush pink Anita Dongre lehenga. The stars of her look were her jewels: a kundan pearl choker set and a statement vintage ring. Significantly, these were not her own family heirlooms but precious pieces gifted from the groom's family. Wearing them symbolised her warm acceptance into Angad's large Punjabi family, making her wedding day look uniquely special and meaningful.
These choices by Bollywood's leading ladies highlight a beautiful shift in bridal fashion. It's a move away from purely trend-driven style towards a more narrative-rich aesthetic. Heirloom jewellery does more than just accessorise; it weaves the bride's personal story into her attire, connecting past, present, and future in a sparkle of enduring legacy and love.
