The Kanjivaram bride guide.

A true Kanjivaram is woven in and around Kanchipuram from mulberry silk, with the body and the border woven separately and joined at the korvai. Turn the saree over and look at that join. On a genuine korvai piece the interlock is visible and slightly serrated, never printed or stitched flat.

The pallu on a classic piece is attached with the petni join, which again shows as a distinct band of interlocked threads on the reverse. These joins are the honest signature of the weave.

Pure zari is silver wire wrapped in silk thread and gilded with gold. Half fine and tested zari use less silver. Imitation zari uses a metallic film and will blacken sooner. Scratch a tiny thread at the selvedge: real zari shows red silk under the metal, imitation shows white or plastic.

Ask for the silk mark and the weight of zari in grams. A shop that knows its weaver will answer this immediately. A shop that hesitates is selling you a story.

Heavy is not better. A nine hundred gram saree with a wide border looks magnificent in photographs and becomes punishing by the third hour, especially in a morning ceremony with a long ritual sequence.

For most brides a range of six hundred to eight hundred grams is the balance point. If the muhurtham is long, choose the lighter piece and let the jewellery carry the weight instead.

Temple mornings, hotel halls and outdoor mandaps light silk very differently. Ask to see the saree near a window and again under warm indoor light before deciding.

Classic bridal pairings such as arakku maroon with mustard, or bottle green with pink, hold up in every light. Very pale pastels can wash out under strong daylight photography.

Blouse fabric is cut from the saree, so this decision cannot wait. Decide sleeve length, neckline, and whether the contrast border is used for the sleeves before the piece leaves the shop.

Take measurements in the undergarments you will actually wear on the day, and leave time for two fittings. More bridal mornings are ruined by a blouse than by a saree.

Ask for a video of the actual piece in daylight, the reverse of the korvai and petni joins, the silk mark tag, the exact weight, and the return window in writing. A serious seller sends all five without argument.

Order at least eight weeks before the wedding so there is room for a fall and pico, a blouse, and one exchange if the colour is not what you expected on screen.

Never hang a Kanjivaram on a hanger. Fold it along fresh lines, wrap it in unbleached cotton, and refold it every three months so the zari does not crease permanently.

Dry clean only, and only with someone who has handled silk with zari before. Keep it away from naphthalene balls, which corrode the metal thread over years.