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Updated Oct 14, 2024Indian Wedding Colors for the Perfect Palette
Color can be so much more than just a color.
Photo: Emily Loeppke
Forget the classic Western wedding palette of black and white. Indian wedding colors are all about embracing vibrant, bright hues that are as meaningful as they are colorful. Red is the traditional Indian wedding color for brides, and, depending on the event, there are other go-to colors, including yellow and orange. But that doesn't mean couples are restricted to the classic Indian wedding color palettes.
"In the past, most couples stuck to very vibrant and saturated color palettes such as fuchsia, orange and turquoise with gold, for example," says Vicky Choy, CEO and founder of Event Accomplished, based in Arlington, Virginia. "But couples are also using more muted color palettes, leaning into the soft pinks, mauve and lavender, ivory and champagne, mixed metallics and earth tones."
Want to find just the right color palette for your modern Indian wedding? Look to The Knot Vendor Marketplace. You can search or apply multiple filters within vendor categories to find the wedding pros that are the right fit for both your style and budget. From stationery to attire to a planner to bring it all together, there are thousands of talented professionals on The Knot. Plus, you can favorite images within the Real Weddings section by creating an account and using the heart icon located on the right-hand side of each image. This keeps all of your colorful inspiration in one place.
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If you're ready to get inspired, here are a few of the most popular color themes for an Indian wedding and how to pick wedding colors for an Indian wedding, according to the experts.
Red
Red is the traditional Indian wedding color that is most often associated with Desi weddings, which is the broad description of the various cultures of the Indian subcontinent. Rena Sweeney, owner and event planner at New Orleans-based Alchemy Events, explains, "Red is the color of the goddess Durga, who represents feminine power and is considered to represent fertility, love, power, passion and strength in marriage. It brings good luck and prosperity."
Because of its connotations and importance in Indian wedding traditions, red has always been a beloved color for Indian brides. "Red is seen as an auspicious color, and the majority of brides still wear red for the ceremony," says Choy, explaining that this is most common for Indian weddings beneath a mandap, which is the covered wedding structure that is often the centerpiece of Hindu wedding traditions and ceremonies.
Turmeric
In the days preceding an Indian wedding, many couples hold a traditional Haldi ceremony, which represents a cleansing of the couple before embarking on their new life together. The ceremony involves rubbing a turmeric paste on each other to purify each other, and, because of its symbolism, turmeric yellow is a lucky wedding color that is often used throughout Indian weddings. "For the Haldi ceremony, since it involves the use of turmeric, couples will often wear yellow attire and use yellow in their decor," Choy says.
Orange and Pink
For a nod to the traditional red and yellow colors for Indian weddings, but with an updated, cheerful feel, look to orange and pink. Orange can be considered a color passion, and who doesn't want to infuse a bit of that romantic energy into their wedding day? Pair it with pink—particularly hot pink—and you have a palette of vibrant Indian summer wedding colors that will infuse a happy vibe into your Indian wedding decorations.
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Bright Pink and Turquoise
Many Indian wedding weekends feature an event called the Sangeet in the days leading up to the wedding. This prewedding celebration is a time for dancing and music, and the color palette should be just as joyful as the event itself. That's why colors like bright pink and turquoise are often favorites of couples planning out colors for their wedding. "Traditional Sangeet ceremonies often tend to have bright pink as part of their color palettes paired with other vibrant hues," Sweeney says.
Green and Gold
Not all Indian wedding colors are warm and vibrant. Some Indian couples choose high contrast palettes like green and gold, which contrast the cool tones of green with the glimmer of gold. The look is glamorous and elegant.
Green, White and Red
"Gujarati brides often wear panetar sarees with green included along with the red and white," says Sweeney. This cultural group in India specifically wears panetar sarees, which are a type of bridal saree. For their Indian wedding color combinations, they often incorporate shades of green used alongside the more traditional red and white.
Pale Pink and Ivory
Photo: Mir Anwar Studios
For a softer alternative to traditional red as a primary wedding color, some couples are looking to the serene, feminine shades of pink and ivory. "The use of a pale pink symbolizes affection, harmony and peace and is seen as a toned-down shade of red, making it acceptable for brides," Sweeney says.
Gold and Champagne
For Indian couples looking to blend their heritage with a more Western wedding color palette, they'll often choose gold and champagne as accents to bridal white. "South Indian brides or those marrying into a different culture often wear white and pair it with a gold or champagne accent color," Sweeney says. "Even famous designers such as Sabyasachi offer white bridal lines in both lehengas and sarees."
Purple and Gold
Purple and gold is another modern take on the traditional red Indian wedding color palette. This vivid hue adds a regal, elegant look to the prewedding events when couples want to think outside the box on colors. Deb Porter, director of events and conference planning at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, explains, "For the Mehndi ceremony or Sangeet, these call for bright, vibrant colors—typically purples, greens and reds."
Black and White
For a black-tie wedding, what's better than black and white? This stark color combination can lend itself to a contemporary twist on classic Indian wedding attire.
"Black and white is popular for more modern styling," Choy says. "As couples are hosting events in venues other than a hotel ballroom, spaces with modern architecture lend themselves to using less traditional color palettes.
