The Asian Bride Show 2011 has recently come and gone. And preparations for the next year seem underway. Google the show and you’ll hit upon descriptors like ‘the biggest’, or the show that ‘housed the best bridal brands, products and services from around the world’.

Considering the thousands of attendees, the PR is definitely paying off. But was the show all that it was cracked up to be? I for one wouldn’t use superlatives when describing it.

As I read the invite I knew I wanted to attend it given the iconic venue – the Wembley Stadium.

Enter the hall(s) that house the bridal show and it was like walking into a desi wedding - upbeat music, models wrapped in embellished saris, henna artists painting away, inviting floral mandaps, and performers moving to the latest Bollywood numbers. Much like an Indian wedding, it was overpowering.

The only aspect that differed from a wedding – this venue had exhibitors.

For brides-to-be who are pressed for time when it comes to planning, this show offered a head start. The exhibitors consisted of professional photographers and videographers who entertained with mock-shoots, fashion designers who helped potential customers drape a sari, beauty consultants who were giving away make-up trials at a fraction of the cost, jewellers, catering companies who lured you with complimentary pani-puris, bespoke honeymoon planners, cake makers, wedding card printers, and even an orthodontist.

Kudos to the planner’s attention to detail in rounding up exhibitors and packaging the show as a unique shopping experience. That said, the show didn’t score a perfect ten with me.

Even if you are no bridezilla, there’s one aspect every bride spends many sleepless nights over – her bridal wear.

When all eyes are on you, you’ve got to look your best. And that’s one of the essential areas where the show came off lacking for me as a fashion journalist based in Mumbai.

While I appreciate that trends differ from place to place, some of the clothes on show here were what I’ve seen in my city several seasons ago.

Consider for instance, the colours. The dominating colours at the show were auspicious reds and greens with little deviation from the norm.

While these traditional hues are seen on the ramps in Mumbai, there is more experimentation with colour in the fashion capital of India.

Says Shyamal Shodhan of the Shyamal and Bhumika label, “We suggest that brides bend the rules a bit. If you are looking to choose from the family of reds, instead of blood red, opt for blended maroons. Instead of shocking pink, go in for a pale or dusky pink.

"Feeling a bit more experimental? Try a combination of beige and sangria or violet. Instead of just two colours, throw in just a dash of a third colour in the form of a piping or trims.” While some of the clothes showcased at the show did have delicate embroidery, several sported huge stones and gaudy embellishments.

Shyamal advices, “Delicate embellishments are the way forward. A sort of whispering elegance.”

Instead of opulent stones, opt for subtle sequence work. Instead of flashy, gold thread-work, opt for antique gold embroidery which says royalty sans the garishness.

While many of the cuts at the show were what we see in Mumbai as well, some didn’t meet the Mumbai mark.

Consider the show-stopper with scallop cuts or the sari with a variation of fish pleats. Shyamal elaborates, “Panelled lehengas flatter the South Asian woman. Fish pleats are a total no-no for us.” For a classy look, stick to clean cuts as scallops may be just too busy, even on a bride.

As far as attire for the groom goes, sherwanis dominated the Asian Bride Show as they do in Mumbai. But on the Mumbai ramps, sherwanis are often teamed with dhotis.

Apart from the trends, there were another slight let-downs - the wardrobe malfunctions with sari blouses riding up or slipping off the shoulders.

The ill-fitting clothes left a couple of models fidgety and red-faced on the ramp. It was almost as if some of the labels decided to showcase on-the-spot rather than months ahead of time.

The singers however made up for everything. Mumzy, Rishi Rich, Naveen Kundra, Juggy D and several other Asian artists had the crowd moving to their beat. Karan and KSPARK had many brides-to-be swooning as they set the stage on fire.

The same unfortunately cannot be said of all the dance troops.

While numbers like Munni and Sheila ki Jawaani were the predictable, hot favourites with the dancers, many came nowhere close to Malaika’s jhatkas.

The saving grace – the upbeat tempo of the song itself. Ironically enough another song that played at the show was Zok Ka Jhatka where marriage is compared to a life-sentence!

Given this experience, will I attend again? Sure, considering it was entertaining. But this won’t be the place I’d shop for my wedding dress.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 (Kiran Mehta is a Mumbai-based features writer who contributes to the Times of India Group, BBC Good Homes, Femina, Jet Wings, ITP publications and The Asian Image; Shyamal Shodhan and his wife Bhumika set up their label in 2006. Soon after, Shyamal left for London to research fashion. The designers have been showcasing at the country’s premier fashion show, the Lakme Fashion Week since 2006)