What To Wear To An Indian Wedding As A Guest
Here’s your easy guide to what to wear to an Indian wedding as a guest including a breakdown of the different events and functions at a typical North Indian wedding.
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A few things to know about Indian weddings, if this is your first time attending one
Before I jump into the style guide, I wanted to share a few notes about Indian weddings may be helpful, if this is your first time attending one.
Indian weddings go on for multiple days and have multiple events
Indian weddings go on for three-to-five days on average because there are multiple events and functions. Not all weddings are the same, but in general, you will see some of the following event names on wedding invitations.
Bright colors, themes, shimmer, and glitter are very popular
I think this is the right place to also say that dress / color themes are very popular and Indian outfits are on the dressier / heavier / shimmery side, so be sure to pay close attention to themes and don’t be afraid of being “overdressed”.
What colors to avoid at an Indian wedding
Avoid wearing an all-white or all-black outfit at the wedding ceremony and any daytime events. Some families are superstitious about colors and luck, so if you don’t know, better to be on the safe side.
That being said, men wearing black suits is totally fine and for women black outfits are okay for other events such as welcome dinner and sangeet night.
A non-Indian can wear Indian dresses 🙂
It is totally fine for a non-Indian to wear Indian dresses. In fact, it is encouraged to dress in Indian attire for an Indian wedding because you will feel included in all the festivities. Don’t be afraid to ask your host questions about what to wear and when. They can even help you source outfits.
Wearing lots of jewelry at Indian weddings is normal
Wearing “heavy jewelry” is very common at Indian weddings. You can also wear Indian jewelry without breaking the bank by buying or borrowing costume jewelry — remember this term because people will know exactly what you want. Costume jewelry is essentially imitation versions of the real deal, so there are no precious stones, real gold or diamond, and they look just as good.
You can show skin, but there’s a “right way” to do it
Indian weddings are (huge) family affairs, which means you are likely to see a lot of elderly family members, who may be more conservative than you think and wearing something very revealing may garner unwanted attention. So, here’s a good tip about showing skin at an Indian wedding: avoid showing the chest aka cleavage and legs.
You’ll notice a lot of Indian outfits like sarees and lehengas have gaping holes in the back and tummy revealing designs — these are all okay — but showing cleavage and legs are not. It’s a long story why this is the case and that’s a story for another day. But, if you know this little fact, figuring out how to dress for an Indian wedding becomes a lot simpler.
Related:
What To Wear To At An Indian Wedding
Welcome Dinner / Cocktail Night
A welcome dinner / cocktail night is usually a casual event (something like a mixer) to kick-off wedding festivities for all the guests, so that everyone can get to know each other. In general, the dress code says something like “Casual Western or Indo-western” (aka Indian fused with Western fashion). For an event like this, women can wear Western dresses and men can wear trousers and a semi-formal shirt.
Mehendi / Ladies Sangeet
Mehendi / ladies sangeet refers to an event, which traditionally was only attended by women of the bride’s family because it celebrates the rituals of a bride getting ready for the wedding with henna, turmeric face and body mask, perfume etc, but today it has become a lot more casual with men attending too (sometimes it will only be women). The event is usually during the day and hosted by the bride and her family where the bride will get her bridal mehendi (aka henna) done; the family gives her company while singing and dancing to traditional wedding / bridal songs; and guests can also get henna done on their hands.
For mehendi / ladies sangeet, women can wear a kurti and tights, suit, or long casual dress. While men can dress in casual polo and khakis or wear a printed vest over a shirt for a more festive vibe. The colors for a mehendi / ladies sangeet are usually bright colors like yellow, orange, green, etc.
Sangeet
The word ‘sangeet’ means music in Hindi and refers to an evening event of music and dance to celebrate the bride and groom. It will feature songs and dances prepared by both the bride and groom’s families — something like a Bollywood movie! — and usually everyone from grandparents to grandkids are involved. If you are a close friend or relative of the bride or groom, then you might be invited to join a performance too.
This is considered one of the main events at an Indian wedding and people will dress up and dress heavy. So, women usually wear lehengas, which is an outfit with a blouse and a long flowy skirt (a dupatta (long scarf) is optional depending on the design). You can wear a sari or long dress to this occasion, but lehengas are just more fun to dance around in.
Men can wear a suit or Indo-western outfit as shown below.
Groom’s Wedding Procession (Baraat) + Wedding Ceremony (Pheras)
A typical Indian wedding will have a baraat, the groom’s wedding procession, followed by the pheras (wedding ceremony around the auspicious fire). If you are attending from the groom’s side, then you will be part of the baraat in which the groom rides on a horse (or these days we see vintage cars and motorbikes too!) to the wedding venue where the ceremony happens.
For the wedding, women can wear lehengas or saris and men can wear suits.
Reception
Today, the reception event has become optional. Some weddings don’t have a separate reception. Or sometimes will follow directly on from the wedding ceremony or it is combined with the sangeet event to create a music night of celebration after the ceremony is over.
If it is a sangeet/reception hybrid event, then women can wear lehengas and men can wear Indo-western or suits.
If it’s a separate event, then women can wear long dresses (Western dresses are fine for this!) or saris and men can wear suits.
Prayers (Pooja)
Most Indian weddings have pooja (prayers to deities) and you’ll often see there is more than one. These events are usually for the bride/groom and immediate family, so not all wedding guests / extended family are expected to attend, unless specifically asked to do so or you’re curious.
If you do attend a pooja, then women can wear a suit or kurti with tights. Make sure to have a long scarf or dupatta because some prayers require the head to be covered. Men can wear a kurta pajama or pants and a shirt and keep a handkerchief, just in case you require the head to be covered too.
A few more tips about what to wear to an Indian wedding
Keep in mind where each event is happening because many Indian weddings will have indoor and outdoor venues. You will want to dress according to the weather and conditions. For example, for an event outdoors in the monsoon means muddy fields, so skip the heels and opt for comfortable flats.
Women should keep lots of safety pins (in your purse too) to keep outfits secure and in place while moving around and dancing.
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