The Three Functions — and What Each One Requires
Pakistani weddings are structured events. Each function has its own dress code, and turning up in the wrong thing — a suit at a mehndi, say, or a casual shalwar kameez at a barat — signals that you either did not know or did not care. Neither is a good look.
Mehndi: Smart Casual, Colourful, Relaxed
The mehndi is the most informal of the three main functions. It is also the most fun. The colour palette is typically vibrant — yellows, greens, burnt oranges, mustards — and the atmosphere is celebratory and loud.
What to wear: A shalwar kameez is the standard and correct choice for male guests at a mehndi. You do not need embroidery. You do not need a waistcoat. A well-fitted, clean shalwar kameez in a warm colour — mustard, bottle green, teal, rust, cobalt — is entirely appropriate and comfortable.
Kurta with trousers: Increasingly popular among younger diaspora men. A long kurta (knee-length) worn with fitted straight-leg trousers or narrow-cut shalwar in a matching or complementary tone reads as contemporary and polished. This is the crossover option for men who are not fully comfortable in a full traditional shalwar kameez.
What not to wear: Western dress — jeans and a shirt, a suit, a blazer over trousers — is a faux pas at a mehndi unless the wedding is extremely Westernised (rare). Denim at all is a no.
If you are family (close side): You may be given a colour-coordinated outfit by the family. Accept it. Wear it. This is standard Pakistani wedding culture and a mark of your belonging.