The wedding guest’s guide to dressing (and shopping) right

The wedding season is closer than ever. The group chats have quieted down since the last bachelorette; your bride has crowdsourced approval on every outfit, and her selfies have already been saved to everyone’s camera rolls. What’s left is you—and the sudden realisation that you’ve RSVPed to four weddings with nothing that feels right. The thought of begging, borrowing, or stealing from friends or impulsively buying a generic sequin sari again is enough to induce scrolling fatigue.

The shift this season is hard to miss. Guestwear feels sharper, more considered, and more about craft than colour coordination. Designers are tweaking old favourites with crisp tailoring, tonal embroidery, and fabrics that hold shape without bulk. Wedding guests, too, are dressing with a clearer eye—aware of proportion, texture, and how something wears through the day. Bandhani and brocade show up in modern cuts; metallics edge out dense embellishment.

Mellow’s out for haldi

Yellow’s monopoly isn’t ending anytime soon, but it’s being handled with more nuance. This season's yellow is high-wattage lemon. The new Haldi wardrobe plays with tone and technique rather than defaulting to turmeric tulle. Gopi Vaid’s lemon silk co-ord set, trimmed with mirror work and finished with bell sleeves, channels old-school festivity through a sharper, more confident silhouette. Style Junkie’s contemporary three-piece set pairs a structured, strapless corset-style top with wide-leg sharara pants. The light, flowing textile is covered in a classic white Bandhani tie-dye pattern. It’s the kind of outfit that can survive the morning sun, haldi stains, and a post-event brunch without losing steam. Shanti’s two-piece set cuts the noise entirely. The piece features a floor-length A-line lehenga skirt with a subtle, tonal jacquard weave. The most striking element is the cropped halter top, which features a sculpted knot or bow detail at the neckline, replacing the need for a dupatta—why add a layer when the mercury’s pushing thirty-five?

Mehndi, blue looks good on you

The mehndi look has matured. Still festive, just more thought-out. Lajjoo C’s three-piece sharara set is constructed from sheer, tissue-finish organza in a muted mint green. The short, straight-cut kameez is paired with voluminous sharara trousers. It’s the adult version of twirl-ready dressing. Traditional saris are always in; Naina Jain’s number is worn over a sleeveless choli, saturated in an electric royal blue. The silk textile features the classic white dots of a Bandhani tie-dye pattern throughout, making it maximal in all aspects, but the balance lies in precision, dense zari florals, a clean drape, and zero styling gimmicks. For those who’ve outgrown the anarkali circuit, Delhi Vintage Co.’s olive brocade blazer sets nails a different brief. The jacket and trousers are rendered in earthy olive and brown silk brocade, featuring a woven damask pattern on the pants. The bralette offsets the structure; the brocade keeps it celebratory.

Sangeet, try not to sweat it

The sangeet dress code is less about sparkle now and more about stamina at this point. It’s the one event where form and function have to coexist. Ekaya’s fuchsia silk sari proves the case: a structured halter blouse, fine silver threadwork. No one’s doing multicultural fits better. Payal Singhal’s mirrorwork lehenga delivers glamour through craft; it’s irresistibly desi girl. The base is an off-white or ivory lehenga skirt, light and flowing, dotted with subtle mirror work and small multi-coloured tassels placed throughout the skirt and hemline. And then there’s Ritu Kumar, still in the mix with a dark maroon velvet gown topped with a cropped jacket, regal but modern in line and perfect in proportion. It features a high-neck gown, constructed from sheer fabric over a lining, with all-over gold zari printing/embroidery.

All that glitters...works

Evening dressing has finally evolved past the disco-ball phase. Sequins haven’t vanished; they’ve just been reworked. Rahul Mishra’s gold sheath is the best proof. This is a midi-length sheath dress fully covered in small, densely packed gold sequins. The cut features a modern, high mock turtleneck and subtle cap sleeves. Manish Malhotra’s pre-draped champagne sari does the opposite: fluid metallic fabric completely obscured by heavy surface ornamentation of multi-coloured beads and semi-precious stones. Who doesn't love that? 431-88’s offers an antidote to the usual palette of golds and silvers. Up close, the sari ensemble pairs a highly reflective, iridescent purple metallic sari with a sleeveless, fitted V-neck choli in bright acid yellow-green. Turns out, the only real trend this season is looking like you planned it all along.