What to Wear to an Indian Wedding

One of the best things about going to a diverse university and studying abroad, working or interning in the corporate world is meeting people from all over the world! Inevitably you will be invited to experience their life events, some of which may be celebrated a little differently than you!
This happened recently when I was invited to an Indian wedding and had to buy a sari! My quest was on.



The Hunt: When I was invited I suddenly became aware of the complexity in shopping for ethnic apparel. You can't exactly run to the mall and pop on one of these outfits! I called up a couple of my girlfriends and got the skinny on what to look for:

The Lehnga, comprised of a full skirt and embellished crop top, will have a scarf or shawl accompanying the outfit. You'll be showing off your midriff in this bad boy! Could be a pro or con, depending on your outlook.

The Salwar is pretty much a long tunic with legging-like pants underneath. It'll have long or short sleeves up top. It's probably the easiest thing to put on; no worries about complicated folding or draping here!

The Sari (or Saree) is probably the most complicated here. It consists of a petticoat underskirt, crop top blouse and a single long scarf that's carefully draped around the body to achieved the look. Some midriff exposure also happens here. If you're not careful with pinning and draping, you also run the risk of losing your sari! Wearing a sari requires some commitment.

What I Bought: I decided to go with the Sari! (You only live once, right?) I visited a local shop that specialized in Indian Bridal Sarees and the shop owner (having a very slow day) was gracious enough to show me around and wrap one on me.

The shop ultimately didn't have what I was looking for- they really specialized in bridal sarees with heavy beading and stoning, but I did learn a lot about appropriate jewelry, hair, and how to actually wrap it. I ended up buying my Sari online from UtsavFashion. They sell on Amazon and had the option to make a matching custom made underskirt to go along with the sari scarf.

Making It Work: Practice, practice, practice! (And maybe learn to cheat...) If you do decide to commit to a sari, you're going to have to watch a lot of YouTube to get the wrap right. If you're STILL apprehensive about draping the sari correctly, many weddings will actually hire someone to come to the hotel and properly pin and drape every woman's sari for a nominal fee. If this is not available, see if ordering a "pre-stitched" saree is possible from where you're ordering. This means the sari will be sewn in such a way that it's already draped. You'll be able to step into it and snap it on! I had mine "pre-sewn" and putting in on was a breeze! (Even though it kind of was cheating!)

What's Out There: When I attended the wedding, my classmates showed up in a variety of Indian garb. Here's what they ended up with:

From Left- Blue/Green Sari, Yellow Lehnga, Green Lehnga, and me in my Purple (pre-stitched) Sari.
Both Lehngas are draped differently

The Event: WAS A BLAST! The ceremony and reception I attended was fairly low key in the south. If you are attending a larger Indian wedding with a larger reception (think NYC/ New Jersey metro), guests may be wearing two outfits to the wedding.  Sometimes guests will wear one outfit to the ceremony, then come home and change into a different outfit for reception. Be careful to cater the rest of your look to the venue and setting, if this is the case.