OK so - it’s your first Indian (or Nepalese, Sri Lankan, South Asian wedding), and you don’t know where to start. Well rest assured, we’ve got you covered! In this guide, we’ll talk through the typical events that make up a Desi (another word for South Asian) wedding and what the right attire for each event is.
Events Overview
| Event | What It Is | Typical Formality |
| Mehndi Ceremony | Indian Wedding tradition calls for a Mehndi (otherwise known as Henna) ceremony to be held the night before the wedding; as a way of wishing the bride good health and prosperity as she makes her journey on to marriage. | Sem-Formal - people typically dress up a bit for this event but keep their clothing light and breezy, since women will be applying Henna to their hands & feet. You don’t want to accidentally get henna rubbing on your clothes! |
| Sangeet Ceremony |
The Sangeet is traditionally known as the music night. This is a really fun night often filled with dance performances by family as well as a dance floor that’s going all night. | Formal - typically your Sangeet outfit is eveningwear & party-oriented, so this is the time to unleash sparkle and color, and glitter. |
| Wedding Ceremony | Sometimes the ceremony is preceded by a Baraat which involves music and dancing, but otherwise the wedding ceremony is pretty straightforward. A ceremony will take place officially making the bride and groom husband and wife. | Formal - sometimes the wedding ceremony is many hours before the reception, so people wear a different daytime-appropriate outfit. This is once again formal but typically more understated grandeur than glam. |
| Reception | This is the celebration after the wedding which typically involves dinner, drinks, and more dancing. | Formal - this is your time to shine! Bust out your fanciest, sparkly, glitter eveningwear for this event Too big isn’t really a thing. |
Types of Indian Outfits
Now that you’re aware of the different ceremonies, the next step is understanding the main categories of Indian formal womenswear.
Kurta or Salwar Kameez
- Short or long dress with big slits usually and matching pants underneath
- You can find Salwars that are very casual all the way to very formal, but typically I see women wearing Salwars or dresses to Mehendi ceremonies and daytime wedding ceremonies
Lehenga Choli
- Literally translates to long skirt & blouse, typically also accompanied by a dupatta which is a long stretch of fabric to drape over your blouse
- This is one of the more common styles women wear for the Sangeet or Reception
Sari
- Sari - this is the staple and most recognizable of Desi clothing
- A Sari can be worn at every event of the ceremony because there’s a basically a Sari that you can find that would be appropriate for any level of formality, as well as day or night, the choices are endless
Outfit Ideas
OK that was a ton of information - but what does this mean for you! We’ve put a few suggestions together on outfitting yourself for the variety of ceremonies coming up.
For the main events (wedding & reception)
Well - Khushey blouses were made for this moment. Unlike typical Sari or Lehenga blouses, our stretch blouses are extremely user friendly with straightforward sizing, stretch fabric, and versatile colors that can pair with almost any outfit.
A couple outfit ideas we'd recommend:
We love the Saris over at Kalki Fashion, especially this pink satin saree with stonework borders, paired with our Ice Queen blouse.
We also love the simple skirts over at the Saree Room which can be paired with any of our blouses. We particularly like this combo with the Aquamarine Dream.
Lastly, we recommend checking out the plethora of options at Aza Fashions for lehenga sets that you can mix and match with Khushey blouses. Although Aza Fashions mainly sells Lehenga sets, we recommend our stretch blouses as alteratives to their tops because oftentimes ready-made blouses without any stretch material don't fit perfectly.
We hope you found this guide helpful! Feel free to email us with any questions at shopkhushey@gmail.com - we'd love to help you find the perfect outfit for your next Indian wedding.
Also feel free to check us out on Instagram at @shopkhushey.