Wedding Dresses for Men

Kausy M

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The western suit has become passe at Indian weddings. Indian ethnic wear and Indo Western dresses have revolutionized the wedding dress code for men. The multiple choice in ethnic wear is being promoted by multiple store owners /shops. Walk through Karol Bagh, South Extension & Chandni Chowk Markets to check out the shops.Wedding dressing for men has become an exciting category to explore. With celebrity advertisements & endorsements , the market is wide & expanding. Let us decode the lingo of Indian ethnic wear options for men in this blog and explain the wedding functions & what is expected in terms of clothing.We include wedding dresses for women also here.

Kurta Sets -Wedding Dresses for Men

Kurtas are loose fitting colorful long tops for men. As a matter of fact, a white kurta & pajama set is a traditional attire worn by men in North India. It is a garment worn by men in villages and in the fields as well. They are considered as everyday clothes for both young & old. This simple attire has been modified & embellished to suit modern men .

And so you have embroidered kurtas in colorful cottons, silk, chanderi silk & such fancy materials. While short kurtas can be without a collar, long kurtas usually come with a collar. The beauty of a kurta is that it is versatile & comfortable. In other words,the choice of the fabrics, the colours & the embroidery make them suitable for wedding wear.Further, the kurta can be paired with a short or long jacket and /or a stole.

Kurta set

Nehru Jacket

The Nehru Jacket is also known as a bandhgala jacket. It is a short, fitted jacket popularized by Pandit Nehru. It has a Chinese collar, buttons in the front and a breast pocket. Prime Minister Nehru always added a red rose in his pocket.

Nehru JAcket

Sherwani

This is a grand & long coat like top for men that comes down to the knees. It is traditionally worn by the groom & close relatives of the groom. As a matter of fact ,it is conventionally made in lighter colours and in silk, jacquard (self embroidery on silk), brocade, and such rich & heavy fabrics.It is worn over a light kurta and is buttoned up in the front . A matching stole is also part of the ensemble. The groom typically comes on horseback , a la a Maharajah. However, the horse has been replaced with a vintage car now a days. Grooms usually wear coloured beads or necklaces on their wedding day on the sherwani and some of them also carry a make believe sword.

Sherwani

Achkan

It is a shorter & more fitted coat than a sherwani and can be in light or dark colours and it is made of lighter fabrics .In other words, It is considered less formal than a sherwani.Friends and relatives of the bride & groom typically wear an Achkan at wedding functions.

Achkan

Bottom Wear

It can be a stitched dhoti, that you can wear as pants .( It is has a pleated fall in the front and is loose fitting ).

Churidar- Chudi means bangles . This form of bottom wear is narrow near the ankles .it is tied at the waist .

Pyjama – The pyajama is comfort wear . The bottom is much narrower than the waist.

Pants in appropriate & matching colours can also be paired with any of the above.

Wedding Dresses for Men

Wedding Dresses for Men- Accessorries

Safa- This is a single piece of cloth that is tied on the head of the groom & male members of the family in North India. In other words , it is also referred to as the turban or pagdi. It gives a regal appearance. As a matter of fact, i is 6 meters of colourful cloth . Some families have traditional colours & designs on the safa. In addition, the way the safa is tied differs from one family to another.

Shawls– A beautiful shawl can also accompany the Sherwani

Juttis- These are closed foot wear with a pointed toe & is flat. It is primarily made of camel leather and mostly in light colurs to match the sherwani. It can be embellished with embroidery & stones. (https://www.shopkhoj.com/accessories/juttis-and-mojaris/)

Jewellery – Neck chains, pocket chains, brooch -These items are typically worn with the grand wedding ensemble by men.

Wedding Celebrations in India –Appropriate clothing for the various functions

Marriage celebrations in India are not solemn affairs. And neither is it just a single event. There is great fun & excitement in celebrating the union of the bride & the groom over several events. Further, it is about having fun with an intimate group of friends & family. As a matter of fact, wedding destinations have got fancier. Couples are looking out for exotics locations, both in India and abroad, in which to wed.

Weddings these days are definitely 2 day affairs in most instances, with at least 4 events thrown in. While the main wedding rituals may differ from State to State & from one community to another, several events are common. With celebratory wedding pictures of the rich & famous get splashed across multiple media channels , the average person on the street also aspires to something similar.

Wedding Dresses for Women

While fancy wedding destinations & events are getting chalked out, it is everyone’s desire to be attired suitably for the events. As a matter of fact, there are 4 events. One needs at least 4 sets of clothes for the 4 events. Further, the choice of the venue & the kind of celebrations is important to decide on the clothes.

Events

Mehendi

Wedding functions start with the Mehendi function. The mehendi is a paste made of henna leaves. For instance, women use paper cones to draw with the paste on the palms & legs of the bride and other female guests.However, as the mehendi starts to dry on the skin and starts to peel , one can get to see the design in pale orange colours. In other words, it slowly turns darker red in colour. It stays on for 7-10 days.The henna tattoo is popular in the west too.

Wedding Dresses for women-

Lighter lehenga cholis. The colours could be green or orange or pastel depending on the theme.

Wedding Dresses for men

Men- Stylish kurtas with pants or churidars .

This entire attire is to be matched with appropriate shoes or juttis. Coloured juttis are available in the market.

Sangeet-

The DJ is supreme in the sangeet function. Further, it is music & dancing all the way. Bollywood themes & Hollywood themes are all copied to make the whole function grand & enjoyable. There are family dances from the bride & grooms side as well. They are an important part of the celebrations. There could be some speeches too from the family

Wedding Dresses for men

Western dressing for men such as suits or Indo western wear. Typically,dark coloured suits are worn for this event .If it is a high profile sangeet event, even a tuxedo could work.

Wedding Dresses for women

Women wear Indo western outfits such as gowns/shararas, gararas & pant suits.

Haldi

( turmeric)– This ceremony involves applying turmeric on the bride & groom’s face & neck by family members. However, today, in addition to a bit of turmeric , flowers are used. Playing with flowers is more colorful & fun. While technically it is a function for the family , friends also participate.Games are also part of the Haldi celebrations. Guests have travelled from far & wide for to attend the wedding ceremonies and wouldn’t mind some light hearted fun & games.So, games between the bride & grooms sides are gaining a lot of traction.

Haldi or turmeric is in yellow colour & men & women traditionally wore yellow coloured dresses for the function. Not any more . More the merrier & all bold colours & all kinds of dresses are encouraged.

Wedding Dresses for women

-informal, sporty casual dresses for both men & women. Yellow or colourful kurta with jackets for men would also work well.

The Wedding

Indian weddings are traditional affair -with the pundit or the priest going through the rituals .

Typically, it starts with welcoming the groom’s family by the brides’s family . This event is called the Milni . This is followed by the bride & the groom garlanding each other . It is called the Jai Mala . This is followed by pheras when the bride & the groom go around the fire. The seven sacred steps around the fire is an important part in Hindu weddings .

Wedding Dresses for Men

Groom and other family members wear the sherwani & a safa . The grooms’s family safa & the brides family safa are distinctly different and serves as an identification for both the families.

The male guests typically wear Indo western garments such as an Achkan or a grand Kurta pyjama