Wedding Clothing for Men & Women

Wedding Clothing - Buy Indian Wedding Outfits Online

An Indian wedding is never one event but a run of them, each asking for something different. A haldi outfit looks underdressed at a reception; a reception outfit is unwearable at a mehndi spent sitting on the floor. Our range dresses the bride, the groom, the family and the guests.

What to wear to an Indian wedding

Haldi runs in daylight and turmeric will land on you, so wear something you can afford to lose. Mehndi keeps one hand out of action for hours, so sleeves must push up and stay up. Sangeet means dancing, and weight is the enemy of dancing. The ceremony is the longest sit of the week and traditionally the heaviest outfit. A reception runs under artificial light, which rewards structure and a deeper palette.

How to choose a wedding guest outfit

The guest rule in India is not about avoiding white but about not competing: leave bridal red and ceremonial gold to the couple. You will queue a long time for photographs, and an outfit you keep adjusting shows in every one.

What is the difference between a sharara and a gharara?

Both are wide-legged trousers of Lucknow lineage. A sharara flares in one line from waist to hem, like a very full palazzo. A gharara is fitted to the knee, then breaks into heavy gathers below it, with a decorative band marking the join. The gharara is more traditional and much heavier; a sharara is easier to dance in, which is why it dominates mehndi and sangeet. A lehenga is neither: a skirt, moving as one sweep.

Sherwani, jodhpuri or tuxedo: which one for the groom?

A sherwani is a long coat, knee length or lower, worn over a kurta with churidar: the most formal Indian menswear, and the default for the pheras. A jodhpuri, or bandhgala, is hip length with a closed mandarin collar and trousers; it reads closer to a suit and suits a sangeet or reception. A tuxedo is western black tie: satin lapels, a satin stripe down the trouser, a bow tie. A suit has cloth lapels, a necktie and no satin. Tuxedo for an evening reception, suit for a daytime one.

Which fabric is best for wedding clothing?

Silk carries weight and sheen, holds its shape through a long function and catches indoor lighting, which is why it dominates ceremony wear. A Banarasi-style weave with zari is heavier still and resists crushing. Georgette drapes close and moves with you: the sensible dancing fabric. Net gives volume without weight and is the usual ground for heavy embroidery. Velvet belongs to winter weddings, nowhere near a May afternoon. Cotton breathes and does not cling in humidity, which suits daytime functions.

Which silhouette suits which body shape?

An A-line lehenga flatters nearly everyone, because the volume sits at the hem, away from the waist. A mermaid cut must fit through hip and thigh to work at all, and rewards an hourglass frame. Panelled and straight cuts add height on a petite frame. A saree is the most adjustable garment here: pleats shift, and the pallu can be worn broad to cover or pinned narrow.

Which colour to wear for haldi, mehndi, sangeet, reception and puja

Yellow, marigold and ivory belong to haldi and photograph beautifully in daylight. Mehndi leans green and orange. Sangeet takes jewel tones and metallics that catch stage lighting. The ceremony stays with red, maroon, deep pink and gold. A reception suits wine, midnight blue, black and champagne: artificial light deepens those shades and flattens pastels, which is why pastels work in the morning and rarely at night. For a puja, ivory, mustard and green are traditional.

How to style an Indian wedding outfit

Let the outfit decide the jewellery. Heavy work on the garment means one statement piece and nothing else — the neck or the ears, never both. A plain drape can carry a fuller neckpiece. Juttis and kolhapuris answer for daytime footwear; under a floor-length hem, choose the heel before the hem is finished, or you will spend the evening holding your skirt up. A potli or small clutch is enough.

How to care for and store wedding clothes

Anything with zari, silk, velvet or embellishment goes to a dry cleaner, not a machine. Never iron zari directly: press from the reverse, through a cotton cloth. Store folded in cotton or muslin, never plastic, which traps moisture and turns silver zari yellow. Refold along different lines each year so creases do not set, and hang georgette and net rather than folding them.

Buy wedding clothing online at Shree Shivam

Shree Shivam has sold Indian ethnic and bridal wear for over a decade, with free pan-India shipping and a seven-day return window — check the fit at home before the function.

Dressing for a particular function? See our sarees, lehenga cholis, sharara sets and indo-western outfits. For the men, our sherwanis, jodhpuri suits and tuxedos run from the ceremony to the reception. Children in the party are covered by our ethnic wear for girls.