My work exposes me to very unique experiences and this latest one was exceptional. I had an NRI bride, who wanted her bridal dress made to measure, but she could not come to India thanks to the complicated visa norms of the US. She had to get married too in the US.

We had a liaison in the shape of her mother, a very thrifty lady, who kept a stern eye on the budget. There were times when I almost gave up the assignment, but I decided on sticking it out. And as always, I learnt important lessons.

The saga unfolded over Skype, FaceTime and Whatsapp. Matters were not as simple as we thought they would be. The colours never looked the same, so some shades of blue looked almost green, maroon looked fuchsia. Textures and weaves were even more impossible to communicate. But we got through it.

For a few days, I stopped reading my son his bedtime story (because I was on a video call with the bride to be), dinners would be abbreviated with phone consultations, much to the annoyance of my family. 

In design school, we had been taught how to take exact measurements for bespoke garments. I simplified these and sent the list in an excel sheet to her. 

Everything from the fabric, to the lace, to the embroidery and the design of the lehenga, was approved over video and conference calls. Had it not been for technology, this would not have been possible even 10 years ago. Apart from a trial, we had accomplished everything else and the ensemble was ready. It was a blue raw silk ensemble, with gold zardozi work and scalloped edges on the floral lehenga. It looked gorgeous and my bride was beaming when she saw it.

Despite a very strict budget, which often had me tear my hair in despair and frustration, I marvelled at the fact that we had actually created a complete bridal outfit without once meeting the bride. This young lady had entrusted me with the responsibility of creating her most treasured piece of garment. There was no recourse if she didn’t like the clothes or they didn’t fit. It would have been a personal disaster to me if anything went wrong. I waited anxiously while the outfit travelled across the ocean packed carefully. The phone pinged two days later and I jumped to answer it. Everything was not just fine, it was great ! The bride had loved the outfit and it fit her perfectly.

The pictures and video of the wedding ceremony, revealed a radiant and happy bride.

I was happy and relieved. But the person who was happiest was my son. He had got his mother back to read him his bedtime stories !!

– As narrated to Neelu Joglekar