Punjabi Bridal Suits

Patiala, straight or dhoti: the salwar decides the look

The Patiala salwar, named after the city in Indian Punjab, is cut from a great deal of fabric and gathered into deep pleats that fall over the ankle. It’s the most traditional pairing and gives a suit real volume. A straight salwar or cigarette trouser makes the outfit longer and leaner and shows off a long, heavily worked kameez. A dhoti-style salwar, draped at the front, sits between the two. With a Patiala, a shorter kameez to mid-thigh keeps the proportions right; with straight trousers, a kameez to the knee or below looks more bridal.

The dupatta: phulkari and the bridal drape

Phulkari, the flower-work embroidery of Punjab, is the region’s most recognisable textile, and a fully embroidered piece, known as a bagh, has long been part of a Punjabi bride’s trousseau. Many brides now wear a phulkari-style dupatta at the Mehndi, or with a suit on the wedding day itself. On a bridal suit the dupatta is usually the heaviest element: draped over the head and pinned to frame the face, with a second, lighter dupatta across the shoulders if the outfit calls for it.

Colours and ceremonies

Red, maroon and deep pink remain the classic Punjabi bridal colours, usually with gold or antique gold work. Orange and fuchsia are strong choices for the Mehndi, and in Pakistani Punjab the bride sometimes wears a lacha, the traditional wrapped skirt, with a short kurta for that evening; our Mehndi outfits for brides cover that day. For the main ceremony, a suit is a lighter and easier alternative to a heavy bridal lehenga, and it’s worth comparing the two before you decide.

Punjabi suits within the wider bridal range

If you’re still deciding between traditions, our Asian bridal dresses bring Pakistani, Indian and Bengali styles together, and the Pakistani bridal range covers the full sequence of wedding days. Relatives who want a Punjabi-style suit without the bridal weight will find what they need in our salwar kameez collection.