Marriages embrace thrilling reputation in Indian culture and so does the nuptial rituals. There is no other country in the world where there are so many ceremonies related to the wedding. Usually Indian wedding celebrations. Usually Indian wedding celebrations last for 5 to 7 days and preparation for these 7 days starts months before. Although India has so many different states and wedding celebrations and ceremonies differs in each part of the country but here I am stating wedding ceremonies that usually takes place in North India. Let’s have a look at the different wedding ceremonies in India and also what outfits you can wear on those occasions:
Roka Ceremony
Firstly there is a Roka ceremony which means an official confirmation that both the bride and groom have accepted each other as their life partner. In this ceremony the Bride’s and Groom’s family exchange sweets and fruits with each other. The groom family also give some gifts or money to the would-be-bride as shagun. This ceremony usually takes place at the would-be-bride’s house in the presence of only few close relatives. So, if it’s your Roka ceremony and you are confused what to wear then here are few suggestions for you. Even though it’s the first official ceremony still you should not go for any OTT outfit for this occasion. A nice anarkali or a straight suit with minimal work would be a good choice for your Roka ceremony.
Engagement Ceremony
After Roka ceremony, the second official Indian wedding ceremony is engagement wherein the bride and the groom exchange the rings with each other. Usually this ceremony takes place few months before the wedding but then there is no hard and fast rule that when this ceremony happens. These days many people prefer having engagement just few days before wedding. Venue of this ceremony depends upon person to person, some prefer having engagement at the house itself whereas some like to get it organized in a proper banquet hall. But these days people prefer getting it organized in a banquet hall only, with all the decoration, music, photographer and stage. Since this is a much official function with all the proper arrangements, you have to get properly dressed up. Outfit options for engagement ceremony can be indo western gown or saree gown but if you are someone who prefers to stick to traditional wear then lehenga is the best option for you to wear at engagement.
Pre Wedding Photoshoot
Since last few years, there is a trend of getting pre wedding photshoot done in Indian weddings. There is no such ritual related to this ceremony. It’s just few fancy photoshoots that couples like to get it done so that they can save it as their memories. Now what to wear on a pre wedding photoshoot actually depends upon the kind of theme you are choosing. If it’s a Punjabi theme then you can wear a Patiala suit, if it’s a western theme then you can go for gown or saree gown, if you want to keep it elegant then go for sarees or salwar kameez.
Sangeet Ceremony
One of the most celebrated wedding ceremonies in India is the sangeet ceremony wherein the bride and the groom dances together. It’s quite a fun ceremony were people enjoy a lot by dancing, cracking jokes etc. For the sangeet ceremony prefer wearing something comfortable as you have to dance. The outfit also can’t be completely simple as that won’t look good on stage while you are dancing. You can pick anything from salwar kameez, lehenga choli or a gown, just make sure it has to be comfortable.
Mehendi Ceremony
This ceremony takes place one day before the wedding day. The beautiful heena is applied on the hands and feet of the would-be-bride. It’s said to be believed that darker the color of bride’s mehendi gets, more the husband will love the bride. Since the mehendi application is a bit of tiry process and it can turned out to be messy if you wear too heavy outfit. My suggestion is that you wear a sleeveless kurti with leggings for your mehendi ceremony so that the heena can be applied without any mess.
Haldi CeremonyThis ceremony is performed on the day of wedding wherein turmeric is applied to the bride-to-be with a belief that it will make her face glow. For haldi ceremony you can wear a simple border saree or salwar kameez in yellow color.
Wedding Day
Do I really need to tell you this? Well, the best outfit to wear on your wedding day is a bridal lehenga with all those jewelry, beautiful hairstyle and dupatta over your head.
Reception
This ceremony takes place after the wedding at the groom’s place. It’s actually a way of formally introducing the new bride to the groom family members, relatives and friends. If it’s a traditional kind of a Reception then you can wear a red saree or a lehenga choli but if it’s a contemporary style Reception then pick up a beautiful indo western gown for the occasion.