If you thought that the bride is the only one the people at the wedding are observing and scrutinizing, think again! It’s true that everyone wants to check out what the bride is wearing, how her make up has turned out, what kind of jewelery she’s flaunting etc! But girl, if you are a bridesmaid, there are people observing you for reasons both conjugal and otherwise! So, like it or not, if you are going to attend the Indian wedding of your sister, cousin or friend, as a bridesmaid, the spotlight is definitely going to be on you!
So you need to be very careful while choosing your outfits! Worry not as you are spoilt for choices when it comes to Indian bridesmaid dresses. Whatever option you choose from the list below, make sure it matches the glamor, grandeur and extravaganza of a big fat Indian wedding. Also ensure that it represents your unique personality and is exclusively customized for you!

You can wear anything that is glamorous and comfortable and matches the larger-than-life aspect of Indian weddings. However, the most popular Indian bridesmaid dresses are listed below-

1. Of Course! There’s the Lehenga!
It is better not to opt for traditional, extremely flared, bridal type of lehengas, for obvious reasons! You don’t want to be giving competition to the bride. So choose a different or unique of a lehenga, like the following –
Light Lehenga:  This encompasses all lehengas that are light weight, not very flared and low on the embellishment quotient. With a light lehenga skirt, you can pair a sleeveless choli!
Fishtail Lehenga:  Also known as the mermaid or trumpet lehenga, these resemble the tail of a fish. This type of lehenga is not at all a popular bridal choice so you can use this to your advantage. These skirts are fitted till the knees and flared at the calves.
Fit and Flare Lehenga:  This type of lehenga skirt resembles the fishtail style. It is fitted at the hips and slowly flares from the thighs onwards and forms a full flare only at the knees or the calves.
Lehenga Skirt with Crop Top:  If you really want to sport a flared lehenga skirt, pair it with a crop top and skip the dupatta!
Lehenga skirt with Kurta:  Another non-traditional way of sporting a very flared lehenga skirt is pairing it with a long kurta with very long side slits that expose the flare of the skirt.
Lehenga with Jacket:  Skip the dupatta and go for a jacket instead! Jackets to opt for should be sheer, front open and long so that they form a good silhouette and also flaunt the embellishments on the choli and the skirt!
Lehenga Saree:  Lehenga sarees are still not that popular with most brides! Hence, if you want you can go for a light one as your Indian bridesmaid dress!

Shararas & Ghararas
Extremely comfortable to wear, easy to move around in and glamorous too – shararas or ghararas can make the best Indian bridesmaid dresses.
Cocktail Saree:  Though there is no harm in wearing a normal saree of your choice, wearing something out-of-the-box like a cocktail saree will surely turn heads towards you!
Ethnic Gowns:  Ethnic gowns are the in-things and as brides sport them only in pre-wedding functions like sangeet or engagement parties, bridesmaids can make them their best friends on the wedding day.

Anarkali Dresses
These dresses are fitted at the bust and then slowly develop into a beautiful flare and run down till the ankles. These usually come with a dupatta but you can skip one if you want!

Fusion Outfits
Dhoti with Crop Top:  Some of you might love the boho style. If you want to carry that look even at a wedding, you can think about pairing a well-pleated dhoti bottom with a crop top. You can also pair a long embellished jacket with this outfit.
Sarees with Belts:  Turn your simple sarees into excellent Indian bridesmaid dresses by pairing them with accessories like belts. This looks unique and classifies as fusion fashion. You can also try jackets with sarees.

The simple answer is, of course it should! Being a bridesmaid you will need to do a lot of running around ensuring the comfort and convenience of the bride. So wearing heavy fabrics like velvets, thick silks etc will be a foolish idea! So, choose outfits in raw silks, chiffons, chambray, linen etc if it’s a summer wedding! In winter, any fabric should work but if you are attending a destination wedding at a hill station, choose something that would keep you warm without compromising on the style!

Morning wedding Vs a night wedding:
Well, some things should definitely vary like the color scheme of your outfit. Some styles or fabrics like velvets and brocades don’t look that good during the day time, if heavily used in the outfit! Dark shades like maroon, wine, navy also don’t look good in morning weddings. On the other hand, pastel shades look awesome during the day time!

For the bridesmaids, there is no fixed rule when it comes to color. It should be your personal choice. If you still want an expert opinion, get in touch with us! Our stylist will tell you exactly which color combinations will complement your skin tone.

Should body types play any role in deciding Indian bridesmaid dresses?
The fundamental rules also apply in this case! Indian body types may be categorized into hourglass, rectangular, pear-shaped, apple-shaped, ‘O’ shape etc. So obviously not all body dresses will suit all body types. Talk to our designer to understand which category you belong to and which type of dress will suit you better! If you are curvy and plus-size, there is absolutely no need to feel that most dresses will make you look fat! If customized in the right way, the dress can actually flaunt your curves and hide your flaws!

What kind of fabric should I choose for my dress?
There is no fixed norm about this! While weather, time of day or season should affect your choice, it is better to go for fabrics that are light weight yet glam! The bride doesn’t require to move a lot! But bridesmaids are expected to mingle and also move around mixing with everyone! So fabrics like chiffon, georgette, tulle, raw silks, tussars, blended silks etc should be good for you!

What kind of embellishments should Indian bridesmaid dresses flaunt?
India is a storehouse of different types of arts and crafts that reflect in our clothing! So go for anything that fascinates you – starting from glittering zardozi and aari embroidery, to Kashmiri floral thread work or chikankari to mirror work to zari work to sequin and stone embroidery – the list is endless!

In that case, you have come to the right place! We at GetEthnic, we specialize in customizing a design for you! Talk to us, tell us how you imagine your Indian bridesmaid dresses or show us a picture that has inspired you! Our ace designer, with a team of excellent craftsmen, will help you with tweaking that design in the right way to suit your frame and figure.

Should I co-ordinate my outfit with the other bridesmaids’ dresses?
That sounds like a brilliant idea! It ensures beautiful memories and photographs. But this needs prior planning. You and the other bridesmaids would need to decide on a theme and color choice for your coordinated outfits. This choice may be influenced by the outfit of the bride. Then you need the help of a designer who would plan each and every bridesmaid’s outfit so that they look coordinated and not identical. If you are keen on wearing coordinated outfits, get in touch with us and we will do the rest!