Mehndi is an integral part of Indian culture; it isn’t just about enhancing your looks or about making a style statement (which it definitely anyways will be). Applying mehndi is an emotional and deeply rooted traditional aspect of every Indian marriage. The custom of bridal mehndi is present in many cultures, societies, ethnicities and religions. You could be a Brahmin bride from down South or a Muslim bride from Mumbai, no matter wherever you are from or whatever your background is – one constant that is as vibrant and beautiful as the bride herself is the mehndi. There are a zillions styles, traditional designs and colours – each with its own interesting history and origin.
And if you were wondering why mehndi has managed to be the eternal “in” thing be it as an art form, as a tradition or as an integral part of the bride’s prep for the biggest day of her life, here is the answer. Back in the day when probably gold wasn’t such a popular metal, or maybe even before it was discovered, when the only fashion accessories that women had were sticks, twigs and wild flowers, the womenfolk needed something to style themselves with, to dress up and look chic with whatever they had, and there it was – “Henna” the greatest fashion discovery at that time. It was something that was easy to prepare, easier to apply, was weatherproof and lasted a while before the next change. And over time, in the more recent past, during the times when the Gods were still around, like when Ramayana happened maybe, the art of mehndi had already become a tradition. So as with everything, people started reasoning, and like everything else, the best reason was “good luck” because you can never ever argue about anything which has to do with good omen right? Hence the belief that henna brings good luck, and that the darker the colour of your mehndi after it has dried, the stronger the bond the bride is going to have with her mom-in-law and her husband. Well, that’s all there is on wiki, so let’s get on with the story.
Did you know that the custom of bridal mehndi is not restricted to India? It is an age-old tradition that is practiced in many parts of the world. And the interesting fact is, at the heart of it, the emotion and the flow are the same. Maybe it is just another way in which we are all connected emotionally and psychologically deep down in our genes, with the people from the Subcontinent, most of Middle East, Africa and South East Asia having a history of mehndi use in their cultures.
But as they say, everyone is unique and so is the case with every form of mehndi art. There are so many different styles of mehndi art in India itself that it would take you about 3678.98 days to learn about them all and you’d still be left with a few here and there. So let’s get on with the story and have a look at 30 of the most fascinating, enchanting and super cool bridal mehndi designs for weddings in India.
1. The Orange Flower With Beautiful Blue Accents
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Yet another multicoloured mehndi design, this one is intricate yet compact. A sure-shot choice if you love colours and flowers.
2. Starry All Over!
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A delicate pattern and style, it is one that follows a flowing theme for the hands and legs. The style is simple and is not heavy like many traditional designs, yet it covers most of the area on the palms, fingers and also the feet.
3. The Dotted Floral
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An artistic floral design with a dotted style philosophy. This is another mehndi style that is easy on the eyes and on the hands – appealing and modern.
4. The Elbow Length Floral Indian
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This is a typical Indian mehndi design with a full arm length of henna application. It isn’t cluttered and has enough space for the bangles to be highlighted on your big day.
5. An Exquisite Oriental Pattern
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The standout though is not just the design but also the clever use of silver and deep blue colours, with a shiny feel that sure adds lustre to the whole theme.
6. The Palm And Wrist Band Style
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One where the beautiful circular design is applied only on the palm and on the wrist; it looks like it is a beautiful oriental band around the wrists. Simple, stylish and yet another modern Indian mehndi design.
7. The Big O!
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Well, it looks like a big circle after all! A beautiful circular design pattern that is deeply traditional. It is very innovative in the way that a single hand design has been blown out to be spread on to both the palms.
8. The Extremely Intricate And Consummate Design
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This is something that will wow the guests and everyone else at the wedding. It is a stunner that is truly Indian in essence and elaborate like no other.
9. A Beautiful Red Bridal Mehndi Design
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This one is minimalistic, yet covers all the empty spaces – from the insides of your palms and fingers to the wrist – with its flowing and simplistic floral design.
10. A Stunning Tribal Mehndi Design
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This one covers the palms and the arms halfway through. An elegant design that is beautiful and simple.
11. A Flowery Twist
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A modern and minimalistic design with a large flower in the middle of the flowing design, this one has a unique look and appeal.
12. The Fusion
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A stunning design formula with a traditional Indian lotus flower on the wrist and a flowing design branching out all the way till the fingernails.
13. An Intricate North Indian Design
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With carefully drawn patterns, lines and various small accents, this design is very elaborate and spectacular to look at.
14. A Symmetrical Wonder
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An elegant mehndi design that is symmetrical with numerous squares, triangles and pentagons interlinked with each other to form a unique mesh-like design on both the palms, fingers and till the inner sides of your wrists.
15. A Stunning Red Nature-inspired Modern Mehndi Design
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This one would go really well with the matching red theme of the wedding decor and the dress you plan to wear for the wedding. If red is what you’ve had in mind then this is the one for you!
16. All Out Bridal
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The mehndi design that’s most popular in traditional South Indian weddings where the design is all over your hands – almost elbow high. This one is beautiful and truly traditional.
17. The Orange Love Birds!
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This is a beautiful one that is a blend of traditional art forms and mehndi design. Complete with a beautifully highlighted pair of love birds painted in orange, with everything else designed to look like the branches they are sitting on, this is a design that will standout and make people take notice.
18. The Index Design Theme
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A design where the mehndi is applied in a single flowing line – from the index finger till a bit past the wrist on the outer side of your arm. An elegant and pleasing look that will have many takers.
19. The Most Elegant Back
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A beautiful mehndi design option for the bride who really wants to make a statement! Inquisitive head turns at the wedding are guaranteed, especially if you are planning to have a dress or a blouse with a low cut or open back. A beautiful design that is very popular in the west, but not many Indians are traditionally known to have mehndi done on their backs. If you are cool with experimenting then you can actually put it to good use and enhance your looks on the biggest day of your life.
20. Bracelet And Floral Combo
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The stylish of them all! A stunning design that is unique and different for both hands – one has a beautiful bracelet theme and the other has a spectacular floral theme – both ending at the fingertips. They are different and so is this style, giving you a standout design that will make your guests take notice and of course, admire the artistically done mehndi work.
21. The Extra Large Kalamkari Inspired Leaf Pattern
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A clutter-free mehndi design that is beautiful and simplistic but still magical in its own way. A design option that you could definitely consider if a heavy traditional design is something your really don’t want to try.
22. Peacock Feather-inspired Leaf Design
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With a flowing branch theme, this is a very elegant and natural mehndi design with a peacock feather in the centre. Appealing, interesting and pleasing to the eye.
23. The Southern Twist
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A very common design that is preferred by South Indian women from Andhra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the design is intricate and the style is almost iconic – with little or no gaps in the intricate details and encompassing the complete hand, up till the wrists. If going traditional is your style funda then there is no better option than this one.
24. The Floral Pink Theme
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A simple and elegant design with pink colour accents teamed with pink nails. If you are planning to wear a pink lehenga or a saree, then this design will surely work wonders for you on your big day.
25. A Flowing Middle Eastern Themed Mehndi Style
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With its iconic black colour and wave patterns, this is a design that will make you stand out no matter whatever you team it up with.
26. A Large-sized Fusion
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It is beautiful and truly Indian, one that will go well with any bride – North, South, Bengali or Punjabi.
27. The Floating Island
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A stylish modern design with floral accents and flowing lines branching out from the middle of the palm with individual design accents on each finger giving the whole theme a floating island kind of style.
28. Medley
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This is a typical North Indian theme, one that is very popular in Varanasi and Central Indian regions. It is elaborate, exquisite and has a lot of design influences from various other styles of mehndi art – like the florals from the typically south Indian style, the rounded edges of the Arabic style and a lot more fusion, giving it a distinct appeal.
29. The Subtle Stunner
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A very modern and elegant design, this has a perfect blend of styles from the East and the Middle East. It is light and creative. This is one design that will surely be noticed, but it wouldn’t forcibly standout like many mehndi designs these days. If you want to have a beautiful design that is not heavy and jarring, then this is the theme that has been tailor-made just for you – the modern Indian bride.
30. The Stunning Hindu Mehndi Art With An Embossed Om Symbol
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This is one of the most popular designs in the west. It has got something to do with the Om maybe, because a lot of people from the west are fascinated by the land of the mystics and the Om is almost an iconic symbol of everything that is Indian, so to speak. So if you are looking for a traditional mehndi design that is partly religious and yet modern in the ways it feels, then this is one design that would surely appeal to your sense of style.
Well, that’s all there is folks. These are 30 of the most fascinating mehndi designs that we have hand-picked. For any Indian bride, these would surely work wonders on the biggest and most important day. We hope you liked our collection and you could write in to us by shooting a mail or by commenting on this post. We would love to hear from you and hey, you can ever share your own bridal mehndi pictures with us for everyone hooked on to the Bridal Box community to savour. Take care!
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