What colour should a guest wear to a mehendi?

Bright, warm colours are traditional at a mehendi: yellow, green, orange and pink. Prints are practical too, because they hide a smudge of henna. If you know what the bride is wearing, avoid matching her.

What should I wear to a sangeet if I want to dance?

A kurta set with palazzos, or a sharara set, with flats or block heels. Both let you move freely, and a sharara swings as you dance. Choose a fabric with some shine, such as satin, or embellishment like sequins and coin fringe, so the outfit reads well under stage lights.

Do I need a lehenga for a sangeet?

No. A sharara set, an embroidered kurta set or a gown is as dressed-up as a lehenga at a sangeet, and much lighter to dance in.

Can I wear black to a sangeet?

Usually, yes. A sangeet is an evening function, and black with gold or silver work is a common choice. Some families avoid black at wedding functions, so if the wedding is a traditional one, ask the hosts.

What to wear to a mehendi and a sangeet as a guest

For a mehendi, wear something bright and light that you can sit on the floor in: a kurta set or a sharara in yellow, green, orange or a print, with sleeves that push back. For a sangeet, wear something that moves and catches the light: sequins, coin fringe, satin, or a sharara that swings when you dance. Neither needs a lehenga — that can wait for the wedding, if you want one at all.

How a mehendi and a sangeet differ

A mehendi is usually held in the afternoon, often at home or outdoors. The bride has henna applied to her hands and feet, guests have a little on their palms, and much of the day is spent on low seating or floor cushions, holding still while the paste dries.

A sangeet comes after dark. There is music, there are rehearsed performances, and most of the evening is spent standing, dancing or being photographed under stage lights. What works for one is often wrong for the other, which is why so many guests change in between.

What to wear to a mehendi

Colour: yellow, green, orange and pink are the traditional mehendi palette, and a print hides a smudge of henna far better than a pale solid.
Sleeves: three-quarter or flared sleeves that push back easily. Henna paste takes an hour or more to set, and you will not want fabric brushing it.
Cut: a kurta with straight pants or a salwar is far easier to sit cross-legged in than a lehenga with a can-can underneath.
Fabric: georgette, crepe and printed fabrics forgive the creases of a long afternoon sitting down. Keep delicate pale silks for another day.

From our pieces, the Tara Colourblock Kurta Set splits neon yellow and cream with a geometric motif, the Suhana Textured Kurta Set is rust georgette set with small mirrors and a floral appliqué at the hem, and the Nyra Ikat Kurta Set carries a green peacock ikat on ivory.

What to wear to a sangeet

Think about how the outfit looks moving, and under stage lights. A sharara or a wide palazzo swings when you dance; sequins, coin fringe and satin pick up the light in photographs. Jewel tones — purple, deep red, navy, black with gold — hold up after dark better than pastels, which can wash out under warm lighting.

The Anisha Sharara Set is a purple georgette kurti with an embroidered choker collar and beaded tassels at the cuff, over a full floral crepe sharara. The Alia Sequin Stripe Kurta Set has a gold sequin and coin V-yoke over black satin palazzos, and the Rani Crepe Co-ord Set is red crepe with a gold coin-fringe neckline that ends in green bead drops.

If you are buying one outfit for both

Choose a mid-weight embroidered set in a rich colour and change everything around it: flats and small earrings for the afternoon, then statement earrings and shoes you can dance in for the evening. The Noor Embroidered Kurta Set, maroon with gold embroidery across the yoke, hem and cuffs over striped palazzos, works for both — and for the wedding itself.

Shoes, dupatta and jewellery

Shoes: juttis, kolhapuris or block heels. You will be on floor seating at the mehendi and dancing at the sangeet, and stilettos sink into lawns.
Dupatta: pin it at the shoulder for the mehendi so your hands stay free. For the sangeet, a set with a worked neckline, such as a coin fringe or a choker collar, looks finished without one.
Jewellery: one statement piece. A heavily worked neckline does the job of a necklace, so wear earrings instead.

Ordering in time

In-stock pieces are dispatched within 2 working days, then take 2–5 working days to reach metro cities and 4–9 elsewhere in India. Allow 2 weeks before the first function in a metro city, and 3 elsewhere. Delivery is free on orders over ₹5,000. We do not accept returns or exchanges, and we do not refund an order once it has been dispatched, so check the size guide before you order.

For the ceremony and the reception, see what to wear to an Indian wedding if you don't want a lehenga. More occasion pieces are in the Festive Edit.