Hindu wedding dress code by ceremony.
Pick the function you're attending. We'll tell you what to wear, which colours to avoid, and the etiquette no one explains out loud.
Heavy lehenga-choli, indo-western gown, or a sharara set with statement jewellery. Jewel tones, metallics, sequins.
Bandhgala, embroidered Nehru jacket over kurta-pyjama, or indo-western suit. Velvet shoes or oxfords.
- ✓Comfortable footwear — there will be dancing for three hours.
- ✓Lipstick that won't melt under stage lights.
- ✓Hairstyle that survives a dance floor.
- ✕Don't wear a heavier lehenga than the bride. You can guess how that goes.
- ✕Avoid floor-length trains if you're performing.
Sangeet is the most photographed function after the wedding itself. Plan the outfit for video, not just stills.
A quick note on Hindu wedding dress codes
Indian weddings stretch over three to seven days, and each function has its own mood — daytime rituals are lighter and brighter, evening functions get heavier and more glamorous. The two rules that almost always hold: don't wear bridal red to the pheras if you're a guest, and don't wear all-white at a North Indian wedding (white is a mourning colour in many North Indian Hindu families — South Indian weddings, where cream Kanjivarams are the norm, are different).
Beyond that, comfort matters more than people admit. Mehndi means sitting still for two hours with henna on your hands — wear sleeves you can push up. Haldi gets messy. Pheras involve sitting on the floor. The tool above bakes in those practicalities ceremony by ceremony.
Mandap Chat answers it for you — and venue, parking, dietary, schedule — in 12 languages, 24/7. Flat ₹5,000 for the whole wedding.
Other free tools: South Indian Wedding Glossary