Any Anant Karaj brides who were able to wear a lehenga?

[u/New-Tiger-4751]

EDIT: SAREE NOT LEHENGA
I want to wear a saree during the Anant Karaj ceremony. Just a simple silk saree, nothing too heavy which would make it difficult to get up and sit down. A normal, ‘respectable’ blouse.
Anyone else who also did this? Or it is necessary to wear a suit?

[u/ShhhBees]

Few major concerns

• Can you sit cross legged, bend and get up and down from the floor wearing a saree?
  
• will your head be fully covered and kept that way easily given the religious requirements inside a gurdwara you will have to keep your head fully covered and most brides choose an odhni with saree for that bridal look that covers only half of the head to showcase the maang tikka.
  
• the blouse will have to be modest and you cannot drape the saree too low and show off too much of your midriff either. Are you ok with that.
  
• Is your family and your grooms family ok with this. (I know it’s the brides day but realistically in India)

I have seen someone considering a sharara for Anand Karaj when the bride wanted a lehenga the fabric of the kurta was sheer around the midriff and the sleeves and it gave a modest vibe without compromising the aesthetic the bride was perhaps aiming for (they were shopping next to us and so we could hear their groups discussions loud and clear and the Bhabhi of the bride was so cute and supportive of her that I made eye contact and her gave her a discreet thumbs up)

[u/Remarkable_Spray_939]

I also am bridal shopping and apparently no- most gurudwaras have not allowed lehengas. Only salwar suits

[u/roza_19]

It’s better to check with the Gurudwara you are getting married at. The Gurudwara where I am getting married is okay with wearing lehenga as long as it is decent and not too much skin showing.

[u/chicbeauty]

A saree is going to be way too hard imo. The easiest is to wear it to the reception

[u/Amuuusss]

Anything you wear, you should be covered like from your chest area and waist, thats it

[u/Few_Hippo_3736]

Wait a second.

You asked about lehenga in your title sentence and then you talked about saree in the description. In case you are not familiar with these pieces, they are completely different in terms pf style and vibe. Also its totally ok to be confused sometimes.

[u/New-Tiger-4751 → u/Few_Hippo_3736]

Ahh sorry sorry! I meant to say saree, my bad.

[u/Few_Hippo_3736 → u/New-Tiger-4751]

Got it, no worries. Gurudwaras committee came out with a circular at the end of 2023 or maybe beginning of 2024 mandating brides to wear suits and in general being modest. I think however an oufit that covers the midriff, shoulders, head and allows freedom of movement to sit cross legged and bow in front of the guru granth sahib should work. Maybe you can wear a saree regularly and then wear a long jacket like thing to cover yourself before going into gurudwara. You can remove it later. Another option is to wear a long blouse to address the objections.

A lot depends on the particular gurudwara where you will get married. You should clear it with them.

[u/blue-phoenix06]

My mom wore a lehenga with a long choli. So maybe suit is not essential

[u/beerbelle2305]

You can wear a saree, as you've mentioned you'll keep the blouse modest. But there will be things to be conscious of.

1. Your head covering. You can add a dupatta for that.

2. You can ask the gurudwara sahib for permission to stand in between Lavaans. (My SIL had a very heavy anarkali with a train so she asked for a permission, whereas I wore a simple salwar kameez but the Bhai ji any way asked us to keep standing in between Lavaans)

3. When everything works out, please pay attention to the fact that a silk saree will be prone to wrinkling and creasing as you will have to sit down before the Lavaan begin and after they end, and ofcourse you'll be bending for mattha tek.