There was a time when the colour red reigned supreme at Indian weddings. Gold embroidery, maroon roses, gilded mandaps and crimson bridal lehengas. But in 2025, that era is steadily being replaced by something softer, more intentional, and unmistakably personal. Today’s brides aren’t just choosing wedding colours, they’re curating moods. Blame it on Pinterest, pandemic-era micro-weddings, or a cultural shift towards individuality, but one thing is clear: red and gold are no longer the only acceptable choices. From pistachio and rose to terracotta and blush, from ivory and sage to lavender and stone, brides are rejecting tradition to create their own wedding language; through colour.
Mood over mandate
Perhaps the clearest sign of this aesthetic shift came with Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra’s 2023 wedding. The bride wore a blush pink lehenga by Manish Malhotra, paired with diamond and emerald jewellery, no red in sight. The decor followed the same soft, timeless sensibility: ivory florals, champagne hues, and warm lighting that reflected their understated romance. It echoed the same quiet luxury we saw in Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s intimate wedding. Held at their home in Mumbai, the space was styled in ivory and whites, setting the stage for a ceremony that felt more like a soulful Sunday brunch than a spectacle. Alia’s ivory sari, the soft florals, and Ranbir’s muted sherwani all said the same thing: we’re choosing calm over chaos, elegance over extravagance.
These weren’t just “colour choices.” They were statements of personality. Reflections of how the couple felt about themselves, each other, and the sacredness of the moment.
The rise of multi-mood weddings
If you’re still thinking brides must commit to one aesthetic, let Jasmine Patel Raj and Siddharth Raj change your mind. The couple’s wedding at Fairmont Jaipur was a masterclass in emotion-led palette shifts. They said their vows under an all-white floral mandap, letting the heritage pink sandstone of the venue shine through. For the sangeet, they pivoted to full Arabian Nights glamour; jewel tones, rich fabrics, and flickering lanterns. But the showstopper was their intergalactic, themed reception, complete with celestial lighting, metallic accents, and futuristic flair.
This wasn’t disjointed, it was intentional. Each function told a different story, each colour scheme matched a mood. Jasmine and Siddharth’s wedding proved that you don’t have to stick to one look, you just have to stay true to your vibe.
Pistachio & Rose: For the dreamers
This palette has fast become a favourite for brides who love softness, subtlety, and serenity. Picture genda phool softened with baby pink roses, sage green cushions scattered across charpais, and rose-tinted crockery glowing in the sunlight. Alia and Ranbir brought this to life at their mehndi at home, with their decor echoing the colours of spring: subdued, romantic, and glowingly personal. Their choice proved that muted hues weren’t just pretty, they were emotional.
The same colour philosophy appeared in cricketer Jasprit Bumrah and Sanjana Ganesan’s wedding. The Anand Karaj was decked out with thousands of roses in shades of blush and pistachio.
Terracotta & Green: Earthy with a twist
For couples who want rootedness without heaviness, terracotta and blush offer warmth and dimension. The palette draws from desert dunes, terracotta tiles, and dusky skies, perfect for outdoor ceremonies and destination functions. Paired with natural materials like jute, clay, and wood, this combination tells stories of nostalgia and earthy elegance. A mandap under a banyan tree with terracotta bells, blush roses in brass vases, sunset cocktails on cane furniture; this is tradition, reimagined.
Ivory & Sage: The new classic
Effortless, grounded, and timeless, ivory and sage is the go-to palette for brides who want softness without going pastel. It works across indoor and outdoor venues, and balances floral detail with spatial calm. Few weddings embodied this better than Vedika Mohan and Omair Warsi’s poetic celebration in Jaisalmer. They held a wedding lunch amidst a wild daisy garden, adorned with custom dragonfly details and hand-painted furniture. The vibe? Whimsical yet intentional. For their reception, they hosted a daytime sit-down meal in New Delhi, with a decor palette of powder blues and pastels.
For their wedding in New Delhi, Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha went with an all white theme for their decor. Every element whispered serenity.
The shift away from red and gold isn’t just visual, it’s psychological. Today’s brides are curators of emotion, not just colour. They aren’t looking to meet societal expectations, they’re trying to build moments that feel real. More brides are asking, What emotion do I want each function to carry? What colours reflect our story? Some pull tones from their nani’s sari. Others use the exact shade of blue from their partner’s proposal outfit. Some want a wild, garden-like mandap that evokes freedom; others prefer minimalism to calm the wedding-day chaos.
In the age of Instagram, that depth is rare, and refreshing.
So, how do you choose your palette?
If you’re a bride, or the one helping plan, it helps to start with feeling, not florals.
- Anchor to emotion: Start by asking what you want each function to feel like. Serene? Lush? Playful? Glamorous? Match colours to those moods.
- Let the venue speak: A beach needs pastels or sea tones. A palace can carry golds or soft creams. Match your palette to the natural elements of your location.
- Tell a multi-colour story: Don’t be afraid to change things up across functions. You can have a haldi in turmeric yellow, phere in sage, and a reception in wine and silver. There are no rules.
- Add personal layers: Whether it’s hand-drawn illustrations, family heirlooms, or embroidered memories, look for ways to personalise the palette beyond trends.
This shift towards mood-based colour palettes isn’t just a design trend, it’s a quiet, powerful act of self-expression. In a space once governed by ritual, today’s couples are reclaiming the wedding aesthetic as a reflection of who they are, how they love, and what they value. By choosing colours that speak to their stories, whether muted, bold, soft, or surreal, they’re saying: our love doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. They’re moving beyond convention, embracing emotion, and redefining what a wedding should feel like.
In the end, the best colour palette is not the one that matches your Pinterest board, it’s the one that mirrors your soul. So, whether you choose ivory and sage or something the world hasn’t seen yet, let your wedding be a canvas of your truth, painted boldly, tenderly, and unapologetically.
