Delhi ~ A Wedding Shoppers' Paradise
In the second of our guides to wedding shopping in India, we focus on Delhi, a veritable shoppers' paradise. Delhi is home to many of India's leading and most talented fashion designers such as Tarun Tahillani, Manish Malhotra and JJ Valaya, to name a few, each of whom specialise in designing Bridal and Bridegroom's outfits.

Delhi is also home to some of the most well established clothes shops and jewelers in India, which have reinvented themselves over generations and are nationally if not internationally renowned. In recent years a plethora of affordable but none the less, fashionable boutiques have mushroomed all over Delhi, catering to a variety of tastes and budgets. These are most prevalent in the Karol Bagh, South Extension and Greater Kailash areas.

We have put together a list of carefully selected stores to help those of you who are unfamiliar with Delhi. We hope that it saves you precious time in your search for that dream outfit for your special day.

A Few Words Of Advice...
1. Certain areas of Delhi, notably Greater Kailash, Upper Kailash and South Extension are home to some of Delhi's finest boutiques, with fine prices to match! If you are shopping in this echelon, then a visit to the Ansal Plaza, India's largest shopping mall is also a must.

If however you are a more budget conscious shopper, do visit shops in these areas to get an idea of the latest styles and designs and then try and find similar items (which certainly are available) in the more affordable, but none the less chic shops located in Karol Bagh, Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar and Kamla Nagar.

2. Do some research before your trip, to get an idea of the colors, styles and designs of outfits that appeal to you. Browse through the shops in London, flick through wedding magazines, surf the web and ask your friends and family for their input. You will save yourself a great deal of time if you can tell a sales man exactly what you are looking for rather than him showing you every piece in the shop (which he certainly will want to do!)

3. Do a round of as many shops as possible before you start buying, this will give you an idea of local prices and the variety that is available.

4. Always ask about refund and exchange policies before settling your purchase. You may think you have found your dream outfit.till you go to the next shop, where you find something even better. Try and make sure that your purchases are exchangeable if not refundable.

5. Whilst shopping in India, it is very easy to get overwhelmed and confused by the sheer number of items that are available. If you don't like something, communicate clearly what you don't like about the product, so the sales people do not waste your time showing you similar items. Unless you are an impulse buyer, make a list of what you like in each shop so that you can make an overall comparison and shortlist what you finally want to buy.

6. Many shops now claim to be "fixed price" but if you are buying a number of outfits you are well within your rights to ask for a discount. Feel free to bargain in smaller shops and start bargaining at 40% less than what they are asking for. You should ultimately aim to knock off at least 25% of the asking price.

7. Most stores now have an in house tailor to ensure your outfit fits you perfectly. Make sure that all the adjustments have been done properly. Examine the insides of any garment for signs of bad stitching and finishing and if need be, ask for the stitching to be redone. The last thing you want is seams splitting on your big day!

8. When buying Sarees check the WHOLE length of the material on both sides for any factory soils, "Patching" or defects. Shops are experts in making sure these remain concealed until you have made the purchase.

9. Many visitors are duped while shopping with a credit card. Make sure the credit card is swiped right in front of your eyes. Visitors are known to have been cheated by unscrupulous shopkeepers who will charge some more items to the card and forge your signature on the slips later.