Guest Dilemma: What to wear to an Indian wedding?
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:02
Calm down for we’re here to break down the lehengas from the sarees and help you figure out how you should dress up for an Indian wedding.
To the foreign eye, Indian weddings are filled with pomp, colour and oodles of entertainment. So it comes as no surprise that an invite to Indian nuptials may tend to be slightly overwhelming right from the get go. From trying to wrap your head around the length of the event to the myriad of traditions involved and eventually figuring out what exactly you should be dressed in, you mind will definitely be going on a whirlwind of a trip.
Hence, before everything consumes you whole, we’re here to break it down for you in simple bite-sized tips. Don’t worry by the end of this, you’ll be fitting in perfectly with everyone else!
Wear something traditional
Typically, it’s best to turn up to the wedding ceremony in traditional garb – the brighter the better. In terms of outfits, there are four kinds you can pick from – saree, lehenga, salwar kameez, anarkali. Saree probably needs no explanation. As for lehenga, it’s a combination of a cropped top with a full circle skirt and scarf. The salwar kameez is a long fitted top, flouncy pants and scarf (usually more appropriate for the temple ceremony in Sikh weddings), and the anarkali is akin to a long full circle dress paired with legging-like pants and a scarf. As long as they are in a festive colour, you should be good to go.
No black or white
Wearing pure black and white at weddings are generally avoided as they tend to be referenced to funerals. So unless they are downright luxurious and beaded to no end, let’s just pass on these two monochrome colours shall we? It’s always better to be on the safe side of things.
Be modest
As guests, it’d be wise to not reveal too much skin, especially your cleavage. So be sure to keep the cropped tops for the lahenga at an appropriate length and the low cut necklines as far away as possible.
Accessorise
Even if your outfit is embroidered and sparkled up to the nines, accessories are always a must. Pile on the bangles, earrings and necklaces and if you’d like you could even try the head piece, known as a tikka, or adorn a small bindi on your forehead. Usually, the accessories are colour co-ordinated, so you would want to pick your outfit before the bling.
Tarandip Kaur
