Half the fun of attending an Indian wedding is getting dressed up. Especially for women, this is the chance to go all out and match dress, shoes, jewelry, makeup, purse, bangles, other accessories, nail polish – anything. The men’s attire is a bit more toned down but still stylish.

Western formal or party wear is acceptable, especially for men, but one might regret that choice later upon seeing all the beautiful traditional Indian wedding outfits. Plus, wearing a saree is not as tough as it looks and there are all kinds of easy-to-wear alternatives like pre-tied sarees, skirts and festive pant-shirt combinations for men and women.

Indian Wedding Guest Attire for Women

Female wedding guests in India have no color restrictions (though there is usually a popular color of the season) and mainly three clothing choices: the saree, the most authentic dress for an Indian wedding; a lehenga, an often heavily embroidered skirt-blouse-scarf combination or a festive salwar kameez. Here are more detailed descriptions of all three:

    * Lehenga (or lehnga): long skirt accompanied by a matching choli (blouse) and dupatta (long scarf). Cholis come in many cuts and styles and are as elaborate as the lehenga. Easier to wear than the saree, this combination has gained popularity at weddings in recent years.

    * Salwar kameez (also shalwar kameez or shalwar qameez): Like the men’s version, salwar kameezes are popular because they are easy to wear, extremely comfortable and fit any body type. The women’s kameez (shirt) comes without pockets to avoid bagginess and assuming that women will carry a purse anyway. It can be worn with loose-fitting pants or tight ones (churidars). Salwaar kameezes usually come with a matching dupatta worn in many different styles.

    * Saree (or sari): The most authentic but also most difficult to wear Indian piece of clothing. Lengths vary from seven to nine meters and there are different saree draping styles. The saree blouse is less elaborate than the lehenga’s because most of it will be covered. However, various saree blouse designs, cuts, necklines and back styles are available.

A word of caution: in India, more is more and definitely considered good taste for women. Too plunging a neckline and exposed backs are frowned upon, especially at weddings. Also check before where the wedding is held – outside or in an A/C hall – as an additional (woolen) shawl for cooler venues or cooler climates (northern India can get quite chilly) might be required.