The wedding outfits of Pakistan look grand! They’re so ornate, bright, and breathtakingly beautiful, you can’t take your eyes off them. There’s no surprise that Pakistani brides and grooms wish to wear folk costumes for their wedding even in the 21st century. Pakistani wedding shalwar kameez and sarees are much more splendid than even the most elaborate Western-style white wedding gowns. And no tux can be compared to Pakistani groom’s clothing.
The most interesting thing about folk wedding clothing is that it differs a lot from region to region and from person to person. The attire depends on many factors, among them, of course, is the social status and financial capability of a family. But even the poorest brides and grooms do their best to look gorgeous at least for one day – during their grand wedding.
All Pakistani wedding outfits are beautiful, no matter what part of the country we’re talking about. Whether it is a sari or a shalwar kameez, a lehenga or a gharara, they are lovely and ornate. But let’s find out the difference between these mentioned costumes. So many strange names and we know so little about them.
Bride’s attire in Pakistan
Pakistani brides may wear a number of traditional wedding outfits, mostly in red, maroon, or pink color. Among them are sari, shalwar kameez, lehenga, and gharara.
Sari is a popular costume in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a tight-fitting bodice, a petticoat, and a long rectangular piece of cloth artfully draped around the body.
Shalwar kameez is a matching set consisting of trousers (they can be baggy pants, fitted trousers, or straight pants) and a long blouse. This attire is complemented with a dupatta – ornate shawl worn over the head and shoulders, thrown over one shoulder, or draped somehow around the body.
Lehenga is a lovely set of clothing that consists of a short and fitting top (or another bodice) and a bell-shaped ankle-length skirt.
Gharara or sharara is a matching set consisting of a long skirt or ruffle trousers and some kind of a blouse.
All of these wedding outfits look feminine and festive. They’re richly decorated with embroidery, sparkling crystals, sequins, gems, bright prints, or other embellishments to suit the occasion. And, of course, every Pakistani bride puts on her best wedding jewelry (either her own or rented). Such jewels are often massive and flashy to show off the wealth of her family. Pakistani wedding jewels are necklaces or pendants around the neck, bracelets (often, dozens of bangles adorn the arms), rings, earrings, pendants on the forehead, hair jewelry, etc.
Groom’s attire in Pakistan
Pakistani grooms are usually dressed almost as ornate as their brides. Sure, they don’t wear as many jewelry pieces, but they can use the finest fabrics adorned with gold embroidery, ornate shoes, eye-catching elaborately-wound turbans, and fancy shawls draped around one shoulder.
It is traditional for Pakistani men to wear knee-length jackets called “kurta” or coats called “sherwani”. And these garments become the center of attention of any groom’s attire. They can be extremely ornate.
The outerwear is accompanied by fitted trousers called “shalwar” or “churidar”, opulent traditional shoes called “Peshawari chappal” (comfy leather sandals) or “khussa” (soft leather shoes with upturned toes that look like they came from a Persian fairy-tale), a turban, and a shawl, often worn over one shoulder.
Pakistani grooms look so elegant and sophisticated in their wedding outfits. The Eastern charm of their traditional clothing only adds to the look.
