Whenever you hear the words ‘Indian weddings’, vibrant colours, joyful music, delicious food and lots and lots of celebrations start lingering in your mind. Whether you’re a member of the family, or a mere guest, picking the right attire and styling yourself perfectly for every event can be quite a task, especially for women.
It can become a little more overwhelming with so many events and traditions of the wedding. But don’t worry! This guide will for sure help you out with some simple and effective styling tips to make you look and feel fantastic at any Indian wedding.
Understanding the Events and Their Dress Codes
Before diving into specific tips, it’s helpful to understand the different events that typically make up an Indian wedding. Each event often has its own vibe and expected dress code:
1. Haldi
Every Indian wedding usually commences with this pre-wedding ritual. It involves applying a paste made of turmeric and sandalwood to the bride and groom. You experience a soothing and pleasant atmosphere in this tradition. Often shades of yellow are the typical color code of the ceremony. Just make sure your outfit is comfortable and casual ethnic wear and you are good to go and enjoy for long. You can think of simple cotton or silk kurtis, salwar kameez, or even sarees. Since your clothes can get stains of haldi, you must avoid wearing anything too elaborate. Prefer to wear minimal makeup and simple jewellery.
2. Mehendi
After haldi, comes the ‘mehendi’ tradition. This is the henna application ceremony, usually for the bride, and sometimes also for the female guests. Shades of green are pretty often the color code for this festive occasion. You can choose any semi-formal ethnic wear in green or any vibrant colors and lighter fabrics like georgette or crepe. While females can opt for anarkalis, lehengas, or saree, men can go with kurta pyjamas, or jeans and kurta or any semi formal ethnic wear. Ensure wearing comfortable footwear and keep your jewellery and makeup slightly more elaborate.
3. Sangeet
This is the most awaited event of any Indian wedding as everyone from the little kids to the oldest family member or friends is in a groovy mood ready to sway. Now this energetic event usually takes place at night and the dress code is semi-formal to formal ethnic or Indo-western wear. You can have some fun with your outfit. Ladies can think of embellished lehengas, shararas, palazzo suits, or even a stylish gown with Indian-inspired details. Men can go with semi formal suits, or jeans and nehru jackets. Since you will be dancing throughout the sangeet ceremony, wear comfortable footwear. You can go for bolder makeup and statement jewellery.
4. Wedding Ceremony (Shaadi/Vivah)
This is the main event where the exchange of vows between the bride and groom takes place. You must pick formal and traditional ethnic wear for this occasion. Women can choose a heavily embellished saree or lehenga in rich fabrics like silk, brocade, and velvet. While men can go with formal suits or sherwanis. The bride is often seen in red or other auspicious colours and the groom often dresses up in any Indian formal wear. You as a guest should avoid outshining the bride or groom, but can still choose beautiful and elegant outfits. You can wear heavy jewellery and more elaborate makeup that compliments your outfit. Coordinate with others for any particular color code.
5. Reception
This is the post-wedding party and comes with a relaxed formal vibe. Both bride and groom and their guests can choose to wear formal ethnic to Western formal wear. Ladies can choose a glamorous saree, a stylish lehenga, an elegant gown, or even a chic pantsuit with Indian accents. They may either choose to wear heavy jewelry or keep it simple. Light makeup with a bun will complete their look. Men on the other hand, can choose a formal suit or a combo of ethnic and western wear.
General Styling Tips for All Events
Here we have a few styling tips applying across most Indian wedding events:
1. Make yourself comfortable: an Indian wedding is a call for every participant to look good even though the entire function often involves long hours of standing, sitting, and dancing. It is therefore necessary for you to pick your outfit and also the footwear that allow you to move comfortably while making you look good.
2. Embrace Color: vibrant and lively hues and Indian weddings go hand in hand. Bold hues like reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and blues. However, it is also important to be mindful of the specific color code of the specific event mentioned.
3. Fabric Matters: Before considering the dress material that you choose, keep in mind the weather and the time of the event. When the weather is warm or it’s a daytime event, go with lighter fabrics like cotton, georgette, and chiffon. Whereas, for an evening ceremony or cool temperature, richer fabrics like silk, brocade, and velvet are suitable.
4. Accessorize Thoughtfully: Like jewellery, bags, and footwear can elevate your look. Make sure to choose each of them to complement your outfit as well as is comfortable for you and the occasion. Prefer heavy and traditional jewelry with a potli bag or an embellished clutch, and wear heels or wedges for more formal events. For simpler events, delicate pieces will suffice. Pick a sleek clutch, simple and light jewelry with comfy flats that goes perfectly well with your outfit.
5. Do Hair and Makeup Elegantly: ensure the hair and makeup you do, not only complements outfit but also the formality of the event. This again depends on the time of the event. If it is in the daytime, keep your makeup fresh and natural and for an evening event, go for a bold and more glamorous look. Choose hairstyles that are both stylish and practical.
Also read: 6 Natural Hair Growth Hacks That Nobody Told About
6. Footwear Choices: make sure to have different footwear options for different events. Think of wearing comfortable flats or embellished sandals for mehendi and haldi, while go with heels or wedges to add elegance to the sangeet and reception. Since every ceremony requires standing, walking and dancing, therefore ensure that the footwear you choose is comfortable.
A Few Extra Touches
- Fragrance: you can pick a subtle and pleasant fragrance that can add to your overall charm and make your appearance wonderful. Make sure that the perfume you choose is not too loud, nor dull. Let it harmonize with the elegance of the occasion as well as your ensemble.
- Hairstyling Accessories: ladies can enhance their hairdos with hair accessories like maang tikkas, embellished hairpins, and floral arrangements. If the weather is cool, then you can also wear a turban to look outstanding, especially for the wedding ceremony and reception.
- Stay confident: you must feel comfortable and confident as well in whatever you wear. A positive attitude with a bright smile on your face will let your presence sparkle. Always remember confidence is your best accessory that will make you shine brighter than any outfit.
In Conclusion
Styling for Indian weddings doesn’t have to be stressful. The tips mentioned here will help you create stunning looks for every celebration. Make sure that you plan ahead, respect all of the wedding traditions, and most importantly, make the most of the cheerful ambience of the wedding.
