Traditional Indian Wedding Dresses: Exploring the Beauty of Indian Bridal Attire

Traditional Indian wedding is a dream project by any standard of grandness, ceremonies, rituals and fashion. While this stands true for all members of the bride’s and groom’s families, for an Indian bride this is even more. 

Professionally driven or a docile dreamer, every Indian girl has so much to look forward to when it comes to planning her wedding with the taste of tradition and culture intact at every step. The most important role is played by her traditional Indian wedding dress. With multiple events and ceremonies that line-up to the grand wedding, she has the luxury of choosing traditional Indian wedding attires of different style and design, to her heart’s content. 

Though in a candid conversation all brides will agree, that when they start with their wedding outfit hunting journey, their first thought is; ‘What are Indian wedding dresses called, and which will be best suited in which occasion’?

The next milestone of decision making happens while choosing between a fully traditional Indian wedding dress, or opting for an Indian inspired wedding dress. Furthermore, with considerations of body type, ceremonies, jewelry and accessorizing, the decision is truly deep.

However, we have got you covered with this blog, where we discuss these decisive aspects in depth to help you gain clarity in selecting your best traditional Indian wedding attire. 

Let’s start with the first milestone usually encountered; ‘What Are Indian Wedding Dresses Called?

While India is a diverse nation with amalgamation of various cultures, traditional Indian wedding dress largely comprises of lehenga, and sarees as the most loved outfits. They are closely followed by ghararas and shararas. The modern fusion outfits create admirable contemporary designs inspired by Indian traditional wear.

The Cultural Significance of Indian Inspired Wedding Dress

Lehenga : Inspired from the north Indian region, this flared skirt with a fitted choli and flowing dupatta is a showstopper. These are commonly designed in love infusing shades of red, maroon, magenta, pink etc. The intricately decorated dupatta talks of the grandness and glamour. 

Gharara : These are riding the fashion-trend winds lately. They find their origins in the Mughal era, and are made with longer cholis than a lehenga and the bottom is a pant fitted at the knee and flared knee down. These too are decorated with a dupatta that is heavily embellished.

Sharara : It is safe to say that decades ago the Indian traditional lehenga and gharara were reimagined into a new trending outfit design called Sharara. It maintains the cultural significance of wearing a lehenga style outfit with the comfort of having a pant style structure instead of a skirt. Unlike gharara it is loose, and flowy, waist down, not fitted at knees. 

Saree : If there can be anything called ‘timeless’ and ‘graceful’ in a fashion outfit; it is a saree. Wrapped around with style and elegance it enhances the beauty of every female who dons it. Made from a plethora of fabrics every weave style is different and brings a new shade of fashion alive in every saree.

Choosing the Right Traditional Indian Wedding Dress for Different Body Types

Lehenga : A-line lehengas beautify pear-shaped bodies, while fishtail styles suit hourglass figures. For petite brides, high-waisted lehengas with vertical embroidery create an elongated effect.

Gharara : These flared bottoms and fitted knees are best suited on tall brides, as they add a touch of drama. Slim brides can opt for ghararas with heavy embellishments to add volume.

Sharara : They have a flowing silhouette that goes with all body types. Especially suited on rectangular shapes, adding curves and dimension.

Saree : Draping style makes all the difference in the final look. Slim brides may go with heavy embellishments and stiff fabrics like jacquard and velvet. Brides with curvier bodies can choose lighter fabrics like chiffon or silk.

Jewelry and Accessories for Indian Inspired Wedding Dress

Lehenga : Traiditonally speaking gold jewelry is preferred, however, other traditional jewelry sets such as polki, kundan, jadau are also opted for. Accessorizing with a  maang tikka, nath (nose ring), and kamarbandh (waist belt) enhances the bridal vibe.

Gharara : Statement earrings do the magic here. Jhumkas or chandbalis, paired with a passa (side headpiece) and heavy bangles can elevate the Mughal-inspired look.

Sharara : Light and playful vibe comes with a shararas, making lightweight, delicate necklaces and earrings match its playful tone. Using floral accessories for pre-wedding ceremonies completes the look.

Saree : Classic choice has been gold for sarees too. Modern preference has widely accepted diamond and pearls too. Matching bangles, potli and kamarband adds the oomph factor.

Tips for Maintaining and Caring for Your Traditional Indian Wedding Dress

Caring for these heavy outfits is as important as donning them on your wedding. Some basic tips are to dry-clean them immediately. Cover them in a muslin cloth and put it away in proper cases or box. Try and add acid free tissue papers between the layers of embellished and embroidered outfits. These tips will add a good number of years to your outfits.

Summing-up on Indian Inspired Wedding Dress

Indian bridal attire is not just a dress or an outfit you choose to don. It is like wrapping a whole bunch of tradition and cultural values in the weaves of the bridal wear. The sparkle and shine it has is symbolic of the heritage it holds, the creativity it expresses and personality it presents. With the right fit, accessories, and care, you’ll not only look beautiful on your big day but also cherish the memories for a lifetime.

Embrace the splendor of traditional Indian wedding dresses, and let your attire tell a story of love, tradition, and timeless elegance. To check out some stunning bridal outfits take a look at the collection we have curated for you at Cbazaar, right here. Form colors to fabrics, styles to trends, we have it all ready to make your outfit dreams come true.