10 Indian Dresses For The Sister Of The Bride Or Groom

The dates are fixed and shopping has begun for your sibling's wedding. But, are you set to grab the eyeballs during the wedding festivities? In India, the sister of the bride or groom holds a special status. For desi aunties, they are the main target for "you're next in line!", for photographers, they're an important muse, and for the other side (Gharati-Barati) they're the ultimate competition.

Hence, dressing up and being well-groomed is crucial. Whether you are the sister of the bride or the groom, you can find a lot of Indian dresses in the market that cater to various looks suitable for different wedding functions. Keep scrolling to explore all these options!

Indo-Western

This unique spin on Indian outfits is admired by everyone. Essentially, this category includes outfits that are Indian but with a hint of western element or two, be it in terms of fabric, silhouette or colour.

These outfits are apt for girls who want to stand out with their fashion picks but without losing the Indian essence. Saree gown, jumpsuit and corset with wide-legged pants are some of the best bets.

Lehenga

A lehenga might sound like an old-school choice but it's one of the classic Indian dresses for Indian wedding functions. Decide the function(s) on which you desire to wear a lehenga and then visualise the kind of fabrics, embroidery work, colours, silhouette or draping of dupatta you wish to wear.

Being highly versatile and flattering, lehengas give you a chance to play with accessories, makeup and hairstyling.

Sharara and Gharara

Not sure whether you've noticed but the Sharara style, as well as Gharara suits, are back in vogue. These Indian dresses with wide-legged pants are not just trendy but gorgeous too.

Don't miss this outfit for the sangeet night and get ready to dance the night away. You can go for the traditional ones with dupatta and a long kurti or experiment by opting for a short tunic sans any dupatta.

Anarkali Suit

If there's one outfit that brings all of us - regardless of our shape and size or even age - together it has to be an Anarkali suit. From Bollywood celebrities to plus size brides, this Indian outfit has made its way in everyone's closet.

Based on how understated or extravagant your Anarkali is, you can don it on pretty much every wedding function from the Roka ceremony to reception.

Contemporary Saree

Image Courtesy: Payal Singhal's Instagram

The beauty of a saree lies in how perfectly it is draped. But, there are many girls who either do not admire the typical draping of sarees or fail to carry those pleats gracefully.

To solve these dilemmas and cater to dynamic women, various brands and designers now offer pre-draped and pre-stitched sarees that are ready to wear. Watch out for mermaid drapes, thin pallus and crop top blouses this season.

Kurta with Dhoti or Palazzo Pants

Kurtas are a staple for Haldi and Mehndi functions but they do not have to be boring. To give an interesting look to your kurtas – and yourself – pair them with some unique bottom wear.

Dhoti pants and palazzo pants both can make even basic kurtas appear unique. Experiment with the length of your Kurti, accessories and colours to come up with your own statement look.

Dhoti Saree

Both Dhoti and saree are traditional Indian dresses yet their cocktail creates such an unexpected outfit. A Dhoti saree comes pre-draped with a crop-top like blouse. This ready-to-wear garment is not only easy to drape but gives a very chic look too.

You can easily move around and dance the night away in a dhoti saree without worrying about the pleats, Pallu, petticoat or pins all the time.

Indian Dresses with Cape

When in doubt, add a cape to it. Capes are the ultimate way to look sophisticated and increase the style quotient of Indian dresses. For example, a saree with a cape will absolutely stand out.

You can also go for a cape with a suit if you wish to give the dupatta a miss. While choosing the cape, you can go for monotone as well as a contrasting one.

Achkan Style Suit

The outfit with a long tunic, a skirt and a dupatta is called an Achkan style suit for ladies. This suit style gets its roots from the Indian dresses of royal Rajasthani men but it still flatters every body shape and age group.

When choosing for a wedding function, ensure that at least one of the elements of this suit has ornamental work.

Silk Saree

Trends may come and go but none of them can beat the beauty of a classy silk saree. Banarasi, Kanjeevaram, Patola, Bhagalpuri, Tussar are just a few silk saree options that are readily available in India.

You can choose a fully ethnic look or add a modern element to give it a personalised touch. Add Gajra to your hair and a big Bindi to your forehead to complete the look.

You can run, you can hide but you cannot escape dressing up on your beloved sister or brother's wedding. Indian weddings, no matter how intimate one tries to keep them, still have multiple traditions, rituals and functions. So, it is important for you to pick multiple dresses.

To show your true love for your Indian roots, you can get various outfits from this list. Keeping the function on which you're planning to wear an outfit in mind, you may mix and match. Whichever outfits you finalise wear them with utmost confidence and you're sorted.

Which Indian dresses are you picking for your sibling's wedding?