Best Friend Wedding Outfit for Women: What to Wear to Your Best Friend's Indian Wedding

When your best friend gets married, you're in the photographs, on the dance floor, in the mehndi room and probably helping her into her lehenga. You need outfits a step above a regular guest's, that still respect that the family comes first.

First, ask her

Many brides now have a squad dress code: a palette per function, or matching outfits for the sangeet. Ask early. If there is one, see bride squad outfits. If not, the ideas below work on their own.

Outfit ideas by function

Mehndi

Bright or pastel, comfortable on the floor: a sharara, light lehenga or co-ord set. See mehndi outfits.

Sangeet

The best friend often performs. Choose something that moves and sparkles. See sangeet lehengas.

Haldi

Yellow or pink, washable and simple. See haldi outfits.

The wedding

A festive lehenga or saree in a colour that sits beside the bride's, never her exact shade and never heavier than hers. See colours for a red bride.

Reception or cocktail

Your most glamorous look: a gown, a drape saree or an Indo-Western set. See reception outfits.

A few rules for the best friend

• Don't outshine the bride, and check with the family before wearing white or black to the wedding itself.

• Be practical: you'll be helping, so choose a dupatta that stays put. See dupatta draping.

• Think about re-wearing: Indo-Western sets and shararas go to the next wedding too.

Ordering with the rest of the squad

If the bride's friends are dressing together, one person can start a bridesmaid and family order with everyone's name and WhatsApp number. We send each of them her own link for measurements and follow up with anyone who hasn't finished. Each friend can pay for her own outfit. There's no minimum group size. Start about four weeks before the first function. Read who pays for bridesmaid dresses.