Weddings in India are always high energy, colourful affairs. From the dazzling decorations to the varieties in food, every aspect of the wedding is geared to provide a spectacle of joy and celebration for the guests. Indian wedding dresses also reflect the atmosphere of cheer and enjoyment and are one of the most interesting aspects of the ceremony. From exceptional clothing worn by the bride to the regal garment of the groom, from the stylish trends donned by the bridesmaids to the vibrant ethnic dresses of the guests, a fashion lover will find plenty to examine and appreciate at an Indian wedding. Of course, India is a country of many cultures, regions, and religions, and each has a unique style of conducting a wedding which includes distinctive ceremonial clothes and traditional garb.

On the other hand, in urban centers, couples and their families are increasingly turning towards more glamorous and modern themes for the d�cor which also influences the kind of wedding clothes worn. Thus, there are a plethora of Indian wedding dresses to choose for men as well as women. What sets Indian wedding outfits apart from other ethnic party dresses is that they display a harmonious blend of tradition and glamour. They are designed to be extremely beautiful and attractive to match the wedding atmosphere. But, at the same time, they also retain elements of tradition so as to be appropriate for the ceremony.

They often come adorned with intricate and dazzling Indian work, including regional embroidery and embellishment forms. Indian wedding outfits are also usually very brightly colored or, at the very least, incorporate some eye-catching hues or tints to create an interesting visual contrast. The stunning varieties of Indian wedding dresses can thus be browsed on the basis of a number of factors, including color, patterns, designs, and silhouettes. The dresses are often one of these three types - saris, lehenga cholis, or salwar kameez.

The most elegant and traditional choice are the wedding saris. Saris are an ancient Indian garb, worn by women across India for many centuries. They are eternally stylish and are considered a classic and safe choice for any special occasion. Of course, wedding saris are very different in their look than any other type of sari. Even the simpler varieties such as the plain wedding silk saris preferred by women in the south are distinguished by the glorious lustre of the fine silk and the subtle but attractive gold thread (zari) designs on the borders and the pallu. Besides silk saris from south India, women also love wearing gorgeous saris from other parts of India such as the beautifully woven Banarasi wedding saris, Chikankari saris from Lucknow, Patola wedding saris from Gujarat, and Bandhani wedding saris.

Designer wedding saris come in a wider variety of materials, including satin, net, tissue, lace, chiffon, georgette, and crepe. These are often more modern in their look, incorporating dual tones, modern silhouettes, and western-inspired designs. These kinds of wedding saris also incorporate more modern embellishments such as crystal borders, sequin designs, bead patterns, and stone pallu designs.

Women who want to look glamorous and stand out from the crowd often decide to don a wedding lehenga with a daringly cut choli. Wedding lehenga designs are usually very rich and ornate, created using zardosi, zari, ek taar, cut dana, gota patti, booti, and other traditional Indian techniques. The richness of the lehenga is balanced out with a choli with a modern corset-like design that emphasizes the figure of the woman. The wedding lehenga silhouette can also vary. The choices include the classic straight cut, traditional circular (ghera) cut, the stylish a-line or the svelte mermaid cut.

Wedding salwar kameez are also immensely popular because of their perfect combination of comfort and style. The most popular variety for wedding is 'anarkali' salwar kameez which comes with a beautiful silhouette that is both trendy and universally flattering. Wedding salwar kameez are made with the finest materials including silk, chiffon, georgette, satin and velvet and come decorated with intricate designs of gold and silver thread work.


To achieve the perfect final look, women have to focus on the styling as well as the dress. Wedding jewellery tends to be quite glitzy and glam in its look and is typically made of gold, silver, gems, stones and crystals. The major trend at the moment is to pick just one piece of stunning jewellery and use that as an accessory. Thus, with an anarkali salwar kameez, women can wear a pair of crystal earrings; with a silk sari, they can wear a pretty gold necklace and with a lehenga choli they can wear a Polki mang tikka or nose-ring. The jewellery chosen should complement the wedding outfit and should not overwhelm it. For instance, with a gold work sari, silver work jewellery will look odd and vice versa. With translucent materials like chiffon and georgette, delicate pearl jewellery is a good choice, while with heavy silk materials, traditional Kundan and Polki jewellery would be a good choice.


About the Author:


Hemant Jain is the founder of Utsav Fashion which is one of the leading shopping destinations for online shoppers. It is an exclusive web store for &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(5313)%>">Indian Ethnic outfits offering an exclusive collection of Indian ethnic clothing right from saris, salwar kameez, lehengas, Indo-western wear to footwear, handbags, jewellery, and accessories.