Indian Bridal Wear – Trends, Traditions and Tips

Indian wedding dresses are as vast and varied in styles and types as the country is. People say “Its unity in diversity.” Compare the Punjabi wedding ghagra choli with South Indian pristine white saree with golden border or the traditional draping style of a red Banarasi saree of a Bengali bride with that of a green version of a Marathi bride and you will be amazed to see the striking contrast. The only common thing in all of these varieties is that no matter what the province or the dress is, the brides look absolutely gorgeous and astonishing. The difference in colours, styles, types, variations coupled with the difference in traditions and rituals make Indian weddings a one of its kind. The works, the elaborate drapes, and the dazzling jewelleries – everything epitomizes the vibrancy and festivity of an Indian marriage.

Indian Bridal Wear – Colour

If you observe closely, you will notice red is the dominating color in an Indian wedding. Whether it’s the red vermillion that will soon adorn the forehead of the bride or the red bangles a bride wears, red is everywhere as this color is considered to be a significant part of wedding rituals. Red signifies the purity of the nuptial bond, the love between a husband and a wife, and it is the sign of a married woman. Therefore, the base colour of an Indian wedding dress has to be red except a few South Indian and North-eastern provinces. In Maharashtra and some other communities, green is the primary colour of the wedding dress. Golden compliments the base colours as being the colour of embellishments, border of sarees or the jewellery.

Indian Bridal Wear – Varieties

The incredibly vast cultural diversities of this sub-continent make it impossible to set or follow a uniform pattern of wedding rituals and traditions. Hence it varies from state to state, region to region, and communities to communities. However, the most common bridal attires are described here if you are planning to be an Indian bride.

Saree: The quintessential dress of an Indian woman, saree tops the list of Indian bridal wears. This six-yard wonder defines feminine grace and can transform a bride into a queen at once.
Ghagra Choli: Ghagra or the long flowing skirt and Choli or the short highly embroidered blouse with a dupatta or the long scarf is dominant in Punjab and other northern regions of India.
Salwar Kameez: A knee-length gown or tunic over a choose pant with a dupatta over the head also makes a perfect bridal attire in different parts of India.

Indian Bridal Wear – Mélange

So those are the traditional dressing convention of an Indian bride. But if you want to go the unconventional way here are some tips for you :

Mix and match: If you are wearing a sari then you can experiment with the draping style according to your choice. You can wear a saree in Ghagra style too and combine it with a matching Choli instead of a blouse.

Play with colors: If red seems too common, go for golden, shades of pink or orange or rust. Except you are getting married in a South Indian community, it is better to avoid white as this colour is connected with misfortune.