We receive many inquiries from our customers and visitors about what to wear to an Indian Party or more popular “Bollywood” party.
There is a difference between these two occasions and how one should dress. But most etiquette for an Indian wedding or casual party are similar. It’s always good to learn a few things about the culture of India before going to an Indian party.
For Women
- The choice is unlimited. For a wedding party wear something very bright, red, pink, Gold, Purple or Blue Sari, Salwar Kameez or Churidar . 3 piece Lehenga Choli are also very popular fashion items for Indian weddings. If the wedding is held at a Hindu temple you may need to cover your head with a veil/shawl or the veil part of a Sari. Check with your host who can help you with suggestions. Accessories can be matching or contrasting both are equally acceptable, colourful Bangles and Chandelier earrings are very popular and also look great with Indian costumes, also a Tikli or Bindi for the forehead which will complete your outfit
- For a Bollywood party you can wear as much bling and glitter as you like, a colourful dress, sequined veil or a hip belt, metal coin belt are just some suggestions to accessorise yourself.
For Men
- There are no strict dress codes for Indian parties. However if you are going to an Indian wedding one should dress modestly and elegantly, for men it should be White, off white, cream or beige Kurta/indian embroidered shirt with white pants or trousers with a coloured scarf, or a Sherwani four piece suit . But it is also acceptable to wear black top with white pants and a colourful turban.
- For a casual dinner party or Bollywood theme party wear something bright, Red or Maroon Blue or Green Kurta/ Indian shirt with a coloured scarf, with either trousers or jeans . You can also wear a bright coloured 4 piece sherwani . Adding a turban is a great idea for fun.
Read one of our customers experiences at an Indian wedding
We both absolutely loved the experience of a Hindu wedding! Was so beautiful to be immersed in a rainbow of colorful Saree’s and surrounded by an abundance of beautifully gracious people with the warmest of smiles and everyone accepting each other with open arms. It didn’t take long for us to feel like we were all part of one big family even with the mix of cultures. I think we can speak for the rest of our family in saying that we all really enjoyed wearing the traditional attire and had lots of fun learning how to wear a Saree! It really was such a memorable wedding full of fun, pure love, laughter and precious family memories to cherish for a lifetime! It was an honor to be a part of such a special uniting of two souls and their families from different cultural backgrounds.
Kate from Sunshine Coast.
Helpful hints for attending an Indian party
- When you’re at an Indian function greet people with “Namaste”(Na-mas -tey) Placing both hands together, (picture below) but a handshake is perfectly acceptable man to man. Traditional Indian women may shake hands with a foreign woman, but choose the namaste hands together when greeting a foreign man.
- Indian men may engage in friendly chat and its quite normal for an Indian man to touch such as (back patting) with another man merely as a sign of friendship.
- If you are giving a gift please use both hands to present the gift.
- Indian people do not wear shoes inside a temple or inside the home, so make sure your socks are clean if you’re a man! For ladies always barefoot inside a temple.
- It’s not mandatory to thank the host or hostess for the meal. For Indian people the guest is like their god and entertaining them with food is like a religious duty. Thank the host at the end for their reception
Photo Courtesy – Kate from Sunshine Coast, pixabay