Indian Wedding Dress

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White wedding dresses are, for the most part, standard in the Western hemisphere. But, it’s likely you’ve also seen some beautiful Indian or Chinese dawning glittering red skirts and veils down aisles, too. Up until contemporary began toying with the tradition, Indian have been wearing saffron red to their wedding ceremonies for centuries.

Whether you are an Indian bride-to-be or are just curious about the tradition, spoke with sisters Niki and Ritika Shamdasani—designers and co-founders of Sani—about the origins of the tradition, what it means, and how modern can break with the tradition if they choose.

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Niki and Ritika Shamdasani are the sister duo behind the fashion label Sani, which is the manifestation of their Indian heritage and American upbringing. Their label includes a range of Eastern to Western clothes, from bridal lehengas to bomber jackets, and is based in Delhi, India and North Carolina.

Any Indian person will tell you that nearly everything in Indian culture is a symbol, and color is no exception: Yellow, orange, white, and green all have powerful symbols attached to them, for example. Of all those colors, red is likely the most prominent. A dominant color in most religious ceremonies, red has an array of positive connotations in Indian culture. “Every woman we speak to has their own take on why red is significant to them because it is such a rich and meaningful symbol, ” says Ritika. “In our culture, it means new beginnings, passion, and prosperity. Red also represents the Hindu goddess Durga, who symbolizes new beginnings and feminine power.”

Always an auspicious color, red was first worn by Indian monks and hermits in the third millennium B.C., but wasn’t worn by until the Mughal Era in the early 16th century. With astrology so closely connected to the Hindu religion, red is also a symbol of Mars—the planet that rules marriage. Niki explains, “In Indian culture, the woman is the one who is leaving her house and going to the man’s house to be with his family. It’s a far bigger change for the woman than the man, so it is appropriate that she be the one commanding the most attention and wearing a bold color like red that symbolizes new life.”

Beautiful Indian Dresses Options For The Bride And Groom!

Absolutely not—especially nowadays. “We’ve seen a lot of gold with our clients having interfaith marriages, ” says Ritika. “That neutral color pays homage to traditional Western white wedding gowns but we’ve also seen a lot of baby pink and orange be especially trendy lately.” The color Indian choose to wear today is less about custom and more about expressing individualism, so feel free to break with tradition!

If you decide red just isn’t your color, but still want to honor the tradition, the multitude of Indian bridal accessories lends itself to infinite options. “A lot of our clients don’t wear a red lehenga, but just wear a red dupatta, jewelry, or bangles, ” says Niki. “I love when just wear red shoes, too, ” says Ritika.

On the contrary, most tend to stray from red for their reception outfits—this is your opportunity to represent your individualism as much as you’d like. “Most choose neutral colors or deep, royal colors for their receptions, ” says Niki. “There aren’t any rules anymore, and red is definitely not the most popular reception color we see with our clients.”

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As Niki said, there really aren’t any rules. But, because white is the color worn to Indian funerals, it’s a color we’d recommend staying away from both as a bride and a guest.

Just as most guests of Western weddings would be advised against wearing white, most guests of Indian weddings should stay away from red. But, the Shamdasani sisters confirm that the lines are getting increasingly blurred as fewer Indian decide to wear red. “We don’t know what color are wearing anymore when we go to a wedding, ” says Ritika. “The most important thing is to make sure that the bride is [in] the spotlight, so I’d play it safe and advise against wearing red—just in case, ” agrees Niki.

Red lehengas embedded with heavy gold embroidery, paired with matching floor-length veils draped over the head are traditional, but the status quo is changing in favor of modern and originality. Here are other colors to wear down the aisle if red doesn't suit you

Indian Bridal Dress

The second most popular color for Indian , the country’s royalty has historically dawned the earthy shade as a symbol of fertility and growth—it also looks great with traditional gold jewelry.

Younger are gravitating towards lighter pastels over royal hues for a more playful look. Plus, the shade looks beautiful when color-blocked with a red accent of roses in the hair.

For a neutral look that pairs well with gold jewelry, champagne is a versatile shade to opt for. If you want a dramatic look, you can get something heavily embroidered with gold or simply play up your jewelry—or both.

Traditional Indian Wedding Dresses Clothing Outfits

If you don’t want to stray too far from tradition, fuschia is a perfect shade that looks universally flattering on the mixed undertones of Indian skin. It’s a fun, playful shade for the bride who wants a more dramatic look.When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.

From intricately designed lehanga’s to colorful sarees, Indian bridal fashion is known for its bold designs. Maximalism is at the core of these garments, and the designers behind these looks embrace just that. Traditionally, Indian wear the color red, which is known in their culture for prosperity and fertility—and is also the color of Mars, the planet in charge of marriage in Hinduism.

While the culture does embrace maximalism, today, modern Indian bridal designers have interpreted tradition in their own way. From bright pinks to minty greens, there are an array of colors can choose from, in addition to looks that are more simple and embrace crisp lines and minimal embellishments. But whatever direction you decide to take with your bridal look, just know that there will always be a remarkable design for you.

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So, to better acquaint you with the names dominating the Indian bridal scene, we put together a list of nine Indian bridal designers that should be on your radar—including some of the top names known worldwide and a few emerging brands.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee is one of the most sought-after Indian bridal designers today. He is known as the designer to the stars, creating bridal looks and jewelry for the likes of Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone, and Priyanka Chopra, to name a few.

With timeless and elegant creations, Sabyasachi designs are for the modern Indian bride. From minimalist looks to more elaborate and glamourous numbers, Sabyasachi has something for a variety of bridal tastes.

Indian Brides In Us

Not only has Manish Malhotra made a name for himself in the bridal world, but he has also worked as a costume designer for thousands of Bollywood films. This comes as no surprise given his showstopping and fantastical design aesthetic. For those swooning to see his magnificent bridal creations, the brand launched a new Instagram account in 2021, @manishmalhotravows, showcasing photos of Manish Malhotra’s designs worn by and grooms.

Malhotra’s designs are for the confident bride who isn’t afraid to stand out. According to the brand's website, the latest bridal edit “is an enchanting medley of bridal glory sprawled across strikingly hued compositions where each ensemble narrates an emotional story of its own.”

Naeem Khan is a New York City-based Indian-Ameican fashion designer. He began his career as an apprentice to the American designer Halston at age 20—later launching his first ever collection in 2003, followed by his bridal line in 2013. His designs have been worn by Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Rachel McAdams, First Lady Michelle Obama, Queen Noor of Jordan, and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, to name a few.

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Khan's designs are constructed for every bride around the