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Is your BFF getting married soon? With the shaadi season around the corner, the pressure is *officially* mounting, not only on the bride but also on you! From bachelorette to bidai, you've to look top-to-toe gorgeous (but never ever upstaging the bride!).
While we know, you've put together the best possible looks for each ceremony, what about your mehendi design? As the bride's BFF, a lot of eyes will be on you, so you cannot afford to leave it till the last minute & settle for a rush job!
Worry not! We've curated some of the best mehendi designs so that you don’t have to keep asking the 'mehendi wale bhaiya' for suggestions or open Pinterest during application! Dramatic, detailed, minimalistic, geometric...there's something for every BFF of the bride.
But before that, if you want your mehendi colour to shine darker than everyone else, here are a few tips to keep in mind before and after you apply mehendi for the brightest pigment.
Tips To Keep In Mind Before & After Applying Mehendi
Here are a few tips to follow if you want your mehendi to have a richer, darker colour.
- Avoid applying lotions or moisturisers before you apply mehendi, mehendi needs to be absorbed into your skin, and if your hands have a layer of product on them, the pigment will not seep into your skin.
- Don’t do activities that require your hands to be in water for a long time, this will dilute the colour of your dulhan mehendi design quicker.
- Apply Vicks vapour rub on your semi-wet mehendi for the colour pay to be more rich.
- For the colour to really show, leave your mehendi overnight.
- If you are wearing mehendi designs as a bride, then apply it 1–2 days before the event main event for the colour to fully reveal itself.
15 Mehendi Designs For Brides & Guests
Read on to know about the best mehendi designs for a bride and friends of the bride.
1. Ornate Mehendi Design
Do you love elaborate mehendi designs as much as we do? Then you have to save this multi-patterned Indo-Arabic design in your mehendi wishlist! Intricate & elegant, it beautifully graces the bride's forearm, with enough empty spaces in between to keep it striking and neat at the same time!
2. Minimalistic Mehendi Design
Quite different from the previous design, this one is delicately designed with pretty interlinked lines. With well-placed bare spaces in between the design, this is perfect for a minimalist bride who'll want the focus on the finer details of her mehendi than the elaborateness of it.
3. Flowers and Peacock Mehendi Design
Perfect for all nature-loving brides, this design smartly yet beautifully integrates both flora and fauna in the pattern. We can't take our eyes off the leaves and flower motifs that end in a mesmerizing & intricate peacock design. Bold yet effortlessly beautiful, this is quite a statement-making design!
4. Symmetrical Mehendi Design
Libran brides, you'll LOVE this beautifully balanced and symmetrical mehendi. We like how the empty space with the scattered floral motifs perfectly complements the rest of the intricate design. The richness of the colour & the pattern on the wrist makes it so aesthetically pleasing...this is nothing short of art!
5. Half & Half Mehendi
Half & half mehendi designs are our favourite as the two hands come together to create a beautiful union - just like a marriage of two hearts. We love how simple yet effortlessly elegant it looks with the jalidar pattern and the long leafy motif. And the fact that the hands come together to make a heart? We say #goals!
6. Geometric Design
Are you that bridesmaid who is tired of the same mehendi design for every event and wants to try something new? Then this geometric mehendi art is for you. This combination of geometric shapes and patterns really makes for an aesthetic pattern that combines traditional art with a modern twist.
7. Finger Mehendi
If your workplace doesn’t allow a lot of mehendi like if you work at restaurants or in the hospitality industry then you can have the best of both worlds with just mehendi on your fingers. You can feel like you are part of the bridal party without committing too much.
8. Negative Space
A great twist to traditional mehendi where the negative space is where the creativity really comes shining through. A style not meant for the inexperienced so make sure you go to a professional henna artist for a clean and elegant look.
9. Moroccan Art
One of the more trendy designs that’s going viral these days is this Moroccan henna art. This design consists of straight lines, triangles, diamonds, and angular art. Although they can be categorised under geometric shapes, visually they are very distinct and an experiment worth taking.
10. Tribal Mehendi Art
Inspired by the nomadic tribal communities this mehendi art lets you be a part of India’s rich tribal culture. These bohemian art forms of the ever-roaming population of the community make for really good bridal henna for brides who are looking for something unique.
11. Arabic Mehendi Design
The brides who like their mehendi design more modern and contemporary can opt for this Arabic design that uses simple designs over complicated and intricate patterns. It is also a great design for people who don’t like to sit for long hours because Arabic mehendi gets done quicker than traditional design.
12. Portrait Mehendi
If you are feeling too experimental and trust your henna artist, you can choose a portrait mehendi. One step further to getting the name of your finance on your hands. Portrait mehendi can be difficult to pull off but with the right set of talented hands, there’s no reason for you to not have the face of your would-be on your palms.
13. Palki Mehendi
As the name indicates, palki mehendi consists of the bride and groom inside the palki, a traditional hand carrier that carries them to their bridal alter. This design symbolises the holy matrimony and the union they are about to share, a design exclusively for the brides.
14. Lace Mehendi
As the name suggests here as well, this mehendi looks like a piece of cloth laying over your hands. The design is so fine and detailed, it adds depth and a cloth-like appearance, making it the perfect bridesmaid art to choose from. It’s intricate yet doesn’t upstage the bride.
15. White Mehendi
Break all barriers of traditional mehendi with this white bridal henna art, although it is no longer henna, but white body glue and paint, the process is still inspired by henna artistry. The white paint looks immaculate on brown skin as the colour really stands out, it doesn’t require any drying time as it won’t get absorbed into your skin.
Bonus: Jewellery Mehendi
Mehendi can also be designed in such a way that it looks like jewellery. For example a henna bracelet and a ring. This may not be a wedding mehendi but surely a good enough choice for engagement parties where you don’t want heavy henna art.
Parting Thoughts
Mehendi is a beautiful art form that can be worn. It adds to the beauty of a bride, and with so many designs to choose from, every henna art is unique and one-of-a-kind. We hope the bride and her bridal party reading this have a fun time choosing from the 15 designs and receive beautiful henna artwork on their hands.
FAQs
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How long does mehendi last?
Mehendi lasts up to 3 weeks, but depending on various factors, it can fade faster. Factors such as your body chemistry, location of the henna (palms fade quicker than arms and legs), and aftercare activities (too much water contact can fade it faster).
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Why does henna change its colour?
Henna is green in colour when it is fresh and when mashed into a pulp for application, it becomes darker, like an olive green, when applied on hands, it initially looks orange, but with time it gets darker and richer due to oxidization.
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How can I remove henna faster?
You can wash with water and soap and also exfoliate your hands with a scrub, it will help remove or fade henna faster.
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Why do people apply henna during weddings and other celebrations?
Mehendi or henna is like makeup for hands, but it also indicates a positive spirit and good luck. In some cultures, henna is also directly correlated to the future of the bride in her new home.
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How long should I keep my mehendi on?
Ideally up to 4–6 hours, but if you want a darker, richer colour leave your henna overnight.
