Globally, marriage is a union of two souls wherein two people fall in love and decide to come together as one entity. In India, the scene is a little different. It is more about two families in question, and the validation from a million others as a couple begins their journey together.
Being the social creatures that they are, Indians tend to accumulate in large numbers at the time of any marriage. Now, it is human nature to judge a person based on the clothes that he or she is wearing.
In such a situation, it is evident that people take special care to ensure that they are dressed appropriately in weddings.
The reason why ethnic wear considered to be the most appropriate clothing in weddings is that things have traditionally been this way.
Now, talking of appropriate wedding wear, the first thing that comes to one’s mind is that of sarees, lehengas, and Anarkali suits. However, there is way more to it, and there are some versions of these that mostly worn in Indian weddings.
Types of Ethnic Wear for Weddings (TOP 09):
The different styles of wearing these ethnic clothing that is in vogue these days are spoken about in this article. We shall also elaborate on which methods will be more comfortable than the others so that you do not end up in a dilemma the next time you are invited to a wedding.
01. Traditional Sarees:
Traditional sarees are something that can never go out of fashion in an Indian wedding. The five yards of grace is available in multiple colors, designs, and fabrics to suit different age groups and occasions.
An Indian wedding has many rituals associated with it, and the same spans over days. Even if someone decides to wear a saree in all these occasions, they will not look monotonous because of the sheer variety of choices that are available concerning the saree.
The best part of this is the fact that even for the same saree, there are multiple ways of wearing the same.
02. Layered Waistcoat – Lehenga Look:
These days, this dress seems to be a preferred choice for girls who aren’t comfortable in handling the dupatta along with the lehenga choli.
Here a waistcoat that has a lot of embroidery or mirror work in it can be teamed with a traditional lehenga choli. It does not matter if the lehenga is a simple one or a heavy one, as the waistcoat will look chick with both.
03. Heavily Embroidered Bottom with a Flared Crop Top:
This type of attire is preferred by women who aren’t used to putting on heavy clothing (and aren’t confident if they can pull off the same) and yet want to look ethnic enough for the wedding.
Here, all that one has to do is to team a heavily embroidered skirt with a flair crop top of matching or contrast color.
You can also go for dresses that have mirror work or heavy embroidery only at the bottom if you want to pull off a subtle look at the wedding.
04. Mirrorwork Based Clothing:
Indian marriages are all about grandeur and pomp, and that is why clothing with mirror work is trendy here. Depending on how loud you would want to be, you may choose to have it in your saree, lehenga, or salwar kameez.
The embroidery around the mirror work may be done either in the same or in shades that are in contrast with that of the fabric. One may choose from a wide range of cloth here.
However, it advised that they keep away from pastel shades as that will be too dull for the wedding.
05. Floor-Length Salwar Suits:
These dresses are trendy in weddings because of the sheer ease of wearing them. The length of the suit and its flair make it as gorgeous as a traditional lehenga.
However, they are usually cheaper and lighter. It ensures that they are more comfortable to wear.
Which is an important point that must be borne in mind considering that Indian wedding ceremonies go on for hours at length, and guests often expected to be present through it all?
06. A Plain Lehenga with a Fully Embroidered Top:
The beauty of this clothing is that the bottom wear is exceptionally light, allowing the woman the luxury of being able to move about comfortably.
This type of clothing is particularly appropriate for women who like wearing long skirts and are not used to ethnic clothing. In this attire, all the glamour and heavy look that Indian weddings demand are taken care of at the top, leaving the woman looking her gorgeous best.
A heavily embroidered mirror work dupatta, as well as a simple single colored one, both go well with this ensemble. It is this flexibility of choices that makes this particular clothing one of the most preferred ones in Indian weddings.
07. Lehenga Embroidered at the Belt:
These types of lehengas are becoming all the way more popular at weddings as they bring out the curves of an Indian woman.
Single colored lehengas go well with both heavy bottoms as well as simple bottoms with heavy gota border. Ones that have embroidery work at the belt.
These may or may not have any mirror work in them. Most of these types of lehengas made in very bright colors and are ideal as wedding wears.
08. Lehenga Sarees:
While sarees and lehengas seem to be the conventional choice, this fusion dress is becoming increasingly popular. It gives one the grace and elegance of wearing a saree.
While taking away the inconvenience associated with draping a saree. For the layman, this may be called the readymade saree or the pre-stitched version of it.
09. Anarkali Suits:
For women who want to do not like to experiment with clothing. One of the most straightforward options is to go for are the Anarkali suits.
As this is hugely traditional wear, one cannot go wrong with this. Talking of colors, those of darker shades are more appropriate for Indian weddings.
Anarkali suits are lighter than sarees and lehengas. It’s ideal for those women who not use to wear ethnic wear on a day to day basis.
RELATED QUESTIONS:
Is it Necessary to Put on Heavy Jewelry with an Ethnic Wear at Weddings?
If you are not comfortable wearing jewelry. There is no reason why you have to do it just because you are in ethnic wear. Go for clothing that has heavy work on the neckline if you want to do away with necklaces.
Wearing of the long-sleeved dress will do away with the need for bangles or fancy wristwatches—particularly the ones with embroidery, brocade, or mirror work.
Do Girls Need to Wait Until they are of a Certain Age Before they can Wear Ethnic Wear to Weddings?
There is no reason for a little girl to wait to come of age. Before, she wears ethnic clothing to a wedding or family function. Many brands offer ethnic wear for girls as small as a few months of age.
Indeed, little girls look super cute and adorable in ethnic wear. There are some re-stitched saree options available for different age groups.
If you feel that a saree restricts the little one’s mobility, try to go for things like salwar kameez. Also, try to give the dupatta a miss as that may make her a little clumsy.
You may instead go for a brightly colored waistcoat to go with her salwar kameez or lehenga, or you may give it a miss altogether.
Avoid giving children ethnic clothing with heavy brocade or mirror work as they might find it challenging to carry themselves in it.
Is it Okay to Wear Short Western Dresses for Indian Weddings?
While there is nothing wrong with wearing shogrart dresses, the fact is that you might feel a little out of place. If you wear them to Indian weddings as most people around you will be in their ethnic best.
That is why it will be wiser to put on some beautiful ethnic wear for the actual wedding while saving your pretty dresses for cocktail nights or bachelorette parties (like most Indian weddings these days have these functions).
Hi,
As precisely mentioned by you, festivals and marriages are occasions where ethnic wear is preferred. Nice article on suggestions how traditional wear can be worn with modern twist and trends.