What a Female Guest should wear to an Indian Wedding?

Hey! Have you got an invitation to a big fat Indian wedding? But are you confused about what a female guest should wear to an Indian wedding? Well, don’t worry; I have got your back! In this blog, I’ll give you a complete guide on what and how you should wear to each of the functions and rituals of an Indian wedding. So, stay hooked on this article and get all your doubts cleared while enjoying the fashion tips!

In case you are wondering what a female guest should wear to an Indian Wedding, then the best answer is traditional wear. You can put on any Indian ethnic wear, including a saree for wedding, lehenga, or salwar of any bright and pretty color while pairing it up with heavy or junk jewelry. For a Sikh wedding, wearing a salwar suit or lehenga would be apt. For a Muslim wedding, wear a Sharara or Anarkali suit. A Christian wedding would give you the best opportunity to wear gowns. And depending on the type of wedding, you can add up more to your glamor with beautiful pieces of jewelry.

Other Interesting Reads that our viewers are liking Is Wearing Sari Skirt Cultural Appropriation? Lehenga vs Saree: What Is the Difference? What a Female Guest should wear to an Indian Wedding? Can You Wear a Saree Without a Petticoat?

Wear based on Which Event of the Wedding You are Attending

An Indian wedding dress-up is quite a bit trickier than what you think. Why? Well, the wedding hosts a lot of functions and events. From the lighter pastel-shaded costumes to heavy bright attires, you need to go in parallel with the respective function’s theme and mood. There are wide variations based on which part of the wedding you are attending. So here, have a look.

Sangeet

Well, Sangeet comes with a lot more fun with singing and dancing. So, confused with what you should wear to a Sangeet? I would say, keep it embellished yet light because you’ll go dancing around either with team bride or team groom. So, keeping it colorful and casual would be the best.

Here are some ideas on what a female guest should wear to a Sangeet.

Pastel shade ethnic long skirt

Wear a pastel shade ethnic long skirt with a dark-colored crop top to ensure a contrasting and stylish outlook. For instance, you can put on a light sea green embroidered long skirt pairing it with a gorgeous off-shoulder maroon crop top. If you wish to add more fluff to the skirt to create a scattered look, wear a cancan inside. You need not add too much junk jewelry; keep it simple with long earrings and open hair to highlight your light-dark shaded attire.

Sharara

Do you want to keep the look a bit comfier? Well, then wear a sharara of any bright shade like yellow or fuchsia. Besides, a yellow banarasi skirt with a yellow georgette Kurti, looks great in terms of color combination. Check out this below video.

The fabrics’ softness would also make you feel most comfortable when you are on the dance floor. However, don’t forget to keep your hair open. To cover the jewelry part, you can add a bangle & a pair of jhumka and keep dazzling!

Salwar Suit for Sikh wedding

A salwar suit is another great outfit to wear in a Sangeet, especially if you attend a Sikh wedding. Wear any bright-colored Patiala salwar suit, and braid your hair. Are you wondering why I suggested braiding? Well, that’s because this is how the Sikh girls complement their traditional Punjabi look. Add a “Paranda” at the end of your French braid to create that perfect Punjabi girl look.

Anarkali for Muslim wedding

Are you attending a Muslim wedding? Then, besides the salwar suit, you can also try out a pretty Anarkali. If it’s a summer wedding, wear a very bright leafy shade or a light pink-colored suit. You can even pick a light green full sleeve flared Anarkali gown with tiny mirrors embellished all over. Make a loose bun and leave one or two locks of your hair, and become the beauty of the evening.

Mehendi or Henna Party

After Sangeet, now it is time to attend the Mehendi party. In this event, you need to participate to get the Mehendi done on your hands. So, make sure that the Mehendi or Henna does not touch your outfit and leave a stain.

Now, the question is then what can be the smartest way to dress up for a Mehendi event? Don’t worry; I have suggestions for that too!

Dress	What color would go the best?	Which pieces of jewelry should you add?	Best hairstyle to match the look
Drop the idea of wearing a lehenga with a dupatta so that you can easily move without any need to manage your lehenga using your hands. Pair it with a long Kurti. You can even wear mojari to complete the look.	Red, Brown, Maroon, Dark Blue, Dark Green, Rust Orange	Juma or Kundan earrings, along with a simple neckpiece, would go perfectly with the attire.	Make a French braid or tie a messy bun and embellish it with Jasmine garlands or a red Rose.
Wear a skirt and crop top; ditch the dupatta to make it easily manageable. You can wear ethnic flats to complement this outfit.	Dark Blue, Olive Green, Dark Pink, Brownish Yellow, Rust Orange	Wear a pair of long earrings only. Also, you can wear a maang tikka if you wish to.	Make a loose bun and embellish it with hair ornaments like pearl bobby pins.
A georgette saree with well-pleated “achal” is always an easy-to-manage and elegant-looking attire for Mehendi parties.	Maroon, Red-Black, Red-Yellow, Dark Orange, Grey	You can wear an embellished necklace and keep the earrings small & simple to highlight the neckpiece.	Make a bun or keep it merely open. Get a bouncy look by simply blow-drying your hair, or you can even straighten the strands.
A simple embellished Kurti with a long skirt or leggings would render you a classy look. You can pair it with platform heels to enhance your style.	Purple, Blue, Indigo, Red, Sea Green, Maroon	Accessorize yourself with jhumkas or chandbali earrings. You may also add a small diamond nose pin to give a glittery finish to your look.	Keep your hair open, or make a sleek ponytail. Don’t forget to add embellished hair clips.

Ceremony or Baarat

Now, it’s finally the day of the wed-lock ceremony! Well, this is the auspicious day, when the groom’s friends and family make an outdoor procession, baarat, dancing, and grooving, to reach the bride’s home. The main seven vows-seven circles wedding function takes place after this.

So, for the wedding ceremony or baarat, pick a dress that not only goes brilliant with the heavy function of the day/ night but also lets you move about at ease. Try to keep the shades shiny and glittery with heavy make-up to highlight your facial features in the bright lighting.

• Wear brocade lehenga with heavy zari or embroidery work. Vibrant colors like golden, pink, peach, beige, maroon, orange, etc., will look great.
• Wear a salwar or Anarkali suit of bright color, like yellow, orange, pink, green, indigo, etc. Pair it with an embroidered dupatta to create a stunning look.
• Wear the traditional saree for any South Indian, North Indian, Marathi, or Bengali wedding. For a South Indian wedding, wear any South Silk saree, including Kanchipuram silk or Pattu sarees, and pair it with heavy gold jewelry to create a more balanced look. For a Marathi wedding, wear their traditional dark maroon or green Marathi style saree. For a Bengali wedding, drape the most common and famous benarasi saree or a “Dhakai Jamdani” in their traditional “atpoure” style.
• A sharara set for a North Indian wedding is the best dress to wear. Also, don’t forget to add heavy jewelry with bright and loud make-up to complement your overall look.
• For a North Eastern wedding, you can wear “Mekhla,” the traditional dress of Assam.

Reception

The reception is a post-wedding formal event and the best time to experiment with your dress-up. There is no typical theme maintained in this function. Do your best dress up while wearing whatever you are comfortable in.

Following are a few suggestions that you can try out at your upcoming reception invitation.

• Heavily embellished floral lehenga with big earrings and necklaces
• A long Anarkali suit with bright make-up
• Pathani suit with long earrings and bangles
• Kanchipuram, georgette, benarasi, and embroidered designer sarees
• Fusion wears like a saree with jacket, silk Lehenga with Kurti, lehenga with a long coat, front slit gown, etc.
• Western gowns

Wear based on Which Community Wedding You’re Attending

India is a country consisting of various communities. So, while attending a wedding in India, you need to keep in mind the variations of outfits based on the community.

So, what can you wear as per community weddings? Here, have a look.

Community-based weddings	Dresses that you can wear
Hindu	Saree, lehenga, salwar suit, Anarkali suit, long skirt-blouse, palazzo-Kurti, gown, Kurti, or Mekhla
Muslim	Salwar suit, sharara set, palazzo-Kurti, Pathani suit, or trouser-Kurti
Christian	Long gown or flared dress
Sikh	Salwar suit, lehenga, Patiala suit, or Pathani suit
Buddhist	Bhaku or long skirt-full sleeved blouse

Wear Based on What Type of Wedding You are Attending

Based on the type of wedding you are attending, you need to opt for the best dress-up that you can do. So, the following are some of the combinations that any female guest should wear to an Indian wedding depending on its type:

Upper-Class Wedding

You cannot look too simple for an upper-class wedding as the rest of the guests will have a very rich and classy appearance. So, you also need to dress-up accordingly. Go a bit loud with your dress. Do not wear very simple attire as obviously; you won’t want to be the one to stay overlooked.

Try out an embellished pastel shade lehenga or saree. Besides, make sure you are not applying too much make-up. Keep it light yet classy, and let your elegant attire speak of your incredible fashion taste!

Middle-Class Wedding

Middle-class weddings are not that embellished; they are simple and sober. You can wear a saree, netted lehenga, gown, salwar suit, or anything you want. Just make sure you are not doing anything extra that would make you look odd-one-out.

Small and Simple Wedding

A small and simple wedding is more about happiness, rather than too much dress-up. A simple embellished ethnic Kurti or a saree with light and bright make up would be fine and make you look pretty at the wedding. Don’t dress up too much. Being simple but happy are the only requirements to attend a simple small wedding.

Is There Any Wedding Rental Service in India?

Well, there are plenty of rental service providers that rent you gorgeous lehengas, gowns, saris, and other Indian dresses to wear at a wedding.

The wedding rentals facilitate the best fit and trials that can cost you only about INR 200-500. For safety purposes, you might have to pay a security deposit initially, which is refundable. All the dresses are dry-cleaned and ironed properly prepared before delivery. You can get the dress of your choice, along with free home delivery and pick up.

So, here are the names of a few best wedding rental service providers.

• Stage 3
• Flyrobe
• Rent a Closet
• Liberent
• Rent it Bae
• The Clothing Rental

What Should a Westerner Wear to an Indian Wedding?

Are you a westerner and attending your Indian friend’s wedding? But are you clueless about what Westerners should wear to an Indian wedding? Do not worry anymore; below, I have enlisted a few traditional Indian outfits that any foreigner can wear to a wedding here.

Saree

It is the most common attire any woman would wear, living in any part of India for any cultural wedding – be it a North Indian, South Indian, East or West Indian wedding. And the hosts of the wedding and all the other friends would like when a westerner respects their tradition and wears a saree.

Besides, there is an array of saree types that you can wear for a wedding. The various types include georgette, Kanchipuram Benarasi, silk, Tussar, Pochampally, raw silk, Sambalpuri, Patli Pallu, Jamdani, Tant, Chikankari, etc.

You can complement your saree look while wearing it with any style of blouse, such as the sleeveless, halter neck, full sleeve, half sleeve, glass sleeve, cold shoulder, off-shoulder, etc. Bring out the weightage of the saree by pairing it with the right accessories, like neckpiece, earrings, Kangan, maang tikka, or waistbands.

Salwar

It is the most favorite dress for North Indian weddings. The three-piece outfit comes with flared pants and a Kurti, along with a dupatta. To attend a Punjabi wedding, a bright-colored salwar suit would be the best attire to wear.

Make sure you put on such pieces of jewelry that would go loud with this dress. Wearing a heavy earring with bangles would bring out a bold Punjabi look. Also, you can wear anklets to complement the dress perfectly.

Lehenga

Well, this is another popular and most-loved Indian dress for every woman to wear at a wedding. The high-waisted flared ethnic skirt paired with a stylish blouse looks immensely pretty. For any marriage in India, the lehenga goes best with heavy jewelry as it adds more depth to your costume and look.

Gown

Are you surprised to see this apparel name in the Indian wedding attire list? Well, don’t be! Even here in India, females wear gowns at wedding receptions, just like you. But the only difference is that Indian women keep a little bit of ethnic essence to look Indie even in western wear.

Christian weddings in India get the best glamor when you wear a gown as a female guest. In the case of other community receptions, you can put on a full dark-colored gown with a touch of Indian hand embroidery. Put on minimally designed earrings and light make-up to contrast your heavy bold-looking attire.

What Not to Wear for an Indian Wedding – Which Color Combinations to Avoid?

Generally, there are no hard-and-fast rules and regulations for your Indian wedding attire. But if you don’t want to look off the beat, then here, I have put forward what not to wear for a wedding and which color combinations to avoid to look the best.

No Short Dresses

In case you are planning to wear a mini skirt, hot pants, or a too-short skater dress, please don’t! You are going to look terribly out of fashion. The beauty of attending an Indian wedding lies in wearing ethnic dresses.

Jeans Look Awkward!

Jeans are fine to wear, but it looks too awkward unless you pair it with the traditional tops to create a fusion look. A casual jeans-top or jeans-Tee look is better to avoid.

Say a Strict NO to Red!

Most Indian brides wear red outfits on their wedding day as it complements the best to a bridal look. So, it’s better not to wear red to a wedding as a guest. It’s her special day, so let her dazzle. You can opt for some other color combinations.

Black is Not a Good Choice

As per the Indian tradition, black is considered to be associated with evil. So, I don’t think Indian wedding hosts would like you much if you are going all black. You can pair black with other bright colors like orange, pink, blue, golden, etc.

Don’t Go White

Well, white is also not the right color choice for an Indian wedding ceremony. Only a white embellished dress or white apparel paired with dark colors would be suitable for an Indian wedding. Otherwise, don’t even try!

Don’t Mix-Match Random Colors

It’s excellent to experiment with colors while attending an Indian wedding, but don’t go too off-beat, which does not look good. Here are some of the color combinations that you should better not try.

• Green with orange
• Brown with dark pink
• Black with green
• Golden with silver

6 Latest Fashion Trend Ideas to Opt for While Attending an Indian Wedding

Following the latest fashion trend ideas to opt for while attending an Indian wedding would be the best way to dress up and stay fashionably upgraded. So here, I have put forward some of the trendy look ideas.

The Simple, Classy Saree Look

It’s not necessary to always look loud and conventional with sarees. Why not try something different? Pick a brocade spaghetti blouse of bronze tone and pair it with an off-white chiffon saree to carry forward a simple yet royal feminine look.

Since your attire is not much embellished, putting on bright make-up is necessary to accentuate your look. However, make sure the make-up is not too bold, or else it will affect the serenity of the look. Pick a stone choker necklace to highlight your collar bone.

Pick an Embellished Ruffle Saree

A ruffle saree is quite trendy for the new Indian wedding looks. Pick an embroidered georgette 3-layered ruffle saree of pastel shade with floral borders. Team it up with simple yet bright make-up to reflect light and shiny contrast. The bright color of the ruffle saree will not look good with dark smokey eye make-up.

While choosing the jewelry for the look, make sure it is not too loud. A pair of flower stud earrings, simple bangles, and stoned hairpins will be great to complement the lovely floral look of the saree.

A Beige Simple Embroidery Lehenga

Keep it as simple as you can. Pick a lehenga with a plain, light-colored skirt and pair it with a heavily embroidered blouse and dupatta. This combination will give off an excellent contrast of light and heavy design works while making your outfit too lightweight and comfortable to carry.

Wear a cuff bracelet and a simple jhumka to create an elegant look. When you put on such a combination, give more emphasis on your make-up. Opt for smokey eye make-up to balance your light-heavy look. Pick a lip shade, which is not too bold, as smokey eyes and dark lip shades don’t sync well. Instead, pick a nude lip shade.

Wear an Ethnic Jumpsuit

Opt for a royal blue sleeveless jumpsuit, and create a stunning look by wearing it with a glittery golden long shrug. Trust me, this color combination, along with dark make-up, looks too royal and eye-catchy under the bright lights at the wedding. Go for a metallic or glossy eye shadow. Secure the bold eye make-up with a winged eyeliner look. To keep a light-dark shade in your make-up, put on nude or brown-colored lipstick.

Make a simple bun and wear minimal designed jewelry to complement the entire look properly. Either accessorize yourself with a stoned maang tikka or heavy neckpiece. Do not wear both, as it would make you look too clumsy.

Pick a Pastel Shade Salwar Suit

For a bright wedding look, a pastel-shaded salwar suit is always pretty. Wear a faded full sleeve green Kameez, along with matching green designer salwar pants and a fluorescent pink embellished dupatta to bring out a pale yet vivid color contrast. Hook golden threaded tassels to your dupatta and large ball tassels on your salwar to add charm to your look.

Make sure you keep a bold dark make-up to adorn your simple look. Either wear a gorgeous choker neckpiece or a three-layered jhumka to contrast with your plain salwar Kameez. Wear a glittery golden-colored jutti, and you are all set to rock the wedding ceremony!

Wear a Front Slit Indo-Western Gown

A front slit Indo-western gown would look immensely beautiful for attending a wed-lock ceremony. Wear a plain, light green, front slit gown with zari embroidered borders on its full sleeves. Pair it with a green cigarette trouser to create a matchy-matchy look. Never go for a palazzo or leggings with a front slit dress, as the balance of the entire look will be lost.

Wear moderate-sized jewelry to highlight the beauty of your simple light-hued attire. However, don’t put on too many pieces of large jewelry. For instance, if your earring is big, keep your neckpiece light & simple and vice versa. Otherwise, you will look extra, which will ruin the entire look. Keep a deep side-parted hairstyle to flaunt your jhumka and highlight your collar bone.

Life-Saving Wedding Hacks

Are you bored of going conventional with your dress-up? Or are you having a lot of wedding invitations in one season? If yes, then buying more than one or two dresses for every wedding is too expensive. So, what can you do? Well, to save you from such situations, here are a few life-saving wedding hacks that you must follow.

Create a Funky Fusion Saree Look

Are you bored of that same old saree-blouse look? Well, now say goodbye to the traditional blouses and hello to the crop tops. In case you have a cold shoulder top or a simple western crop top, you can even use that! Simply club it with a traditional Banarasi or Kanchipuram saree and create a cool fusion style.

Keep the neckpiece heavy to complement the weighty saree. Also, you can wear a jacket over your saree to add a classy touch to your look.

Creative Kurti Look with Uncommon Bottoms

Do you have many Kurtis in your wardrobe? So, besides pairing it with leggings or palazzo, why not wear it with any of your lehenga skirts or dhoti pants? Trust me; such customized combinations will make you the head-turner of the ceremony.

You can keep it contrastive or matchy-matchy as per your choice. Just make sure to wear long dazzling earrings and simple make-up to put the spotlight on your self-designed new contemporary outfit.

Ditch the Dupatta

Are you tired of trying out various dupatta styles on your lehenga? So, are you looking for an alternative? Well, don’t worry. An ethnic shrug can be an excellent choice to pair with your lehenga. Make sure the shrug contrasts nicely with your outfit.

What to Wear for a Theme-Based Wedding?

Well, nowadays, theme-based wedding ceremonies are quite popular to create a modern and trendy outlook. So, while attending a theme-based wedding,you need to wear a dress that can blend well with the theme. So, here are some ideas for you!

Traditional Royal Theme

If it’s a royal theme wedding, you better not miss any detail for the dress-up. There is nothing simple about a royal theme; everything needs to be loud and extra.

So, you can wear a traditional heavily embroidered lehenga to gel with the royal theme. Ensure you pay enough attention to the heavy pieces of jewelry like Kundan, Sita Haar, heavy jhumkas, maang tikka, nose ring, etc. The make-up should be classy yet bright to highlight your luxurious look.

Bollywood Theme

A Bollywood theme is the most anticipated wedding theme for Indian marriage ceremonies. Bollywood means to look theatrical, so go dramatic and bright! You can easily take inspiration from the iconic Bollywood diva looks, as stated below.

• Aishwarya’s Bengali traditional look from Devdas

• Kareena’s too bold lehenga look from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham

• Deepika’s Anarkali look from Bajirao Mastani

• Alia Bhatt’s shimmering lehenga look from Student of the Year

• Priyanka Chopra’s glittery grey saree look from Dostana

Modern Wedding Theme

A modern wedding theme will probably emphasize on all the fusion and contemporary Indian attires. You can go for any playful color combination of a dress as per the theme’s priority. However, don’t forget to add your own touch of style to the look.

For example, you can wear colored shades with your lehenga to create a bossy bridesmaid look.

Wrap Up

So, by now, have you got your required answers to the question, “what a female guest should wear to an Indian wedding?”

Well, you must have understood that it is not too hard a task to decide on your wedding outfit when you have the right dresses in your wardrobe. You just need to pick any and keep on experimenting to bring out the best combinations and look the most beautiful in your upcoming Indian wedding event.