After The 'I Do', It's Time For The Wardrobe Switcheroo

Your ultimate guide to after-party bridal looks (and hacks to look fabulous while feeling comfortable)...

May 22, 2025
Deepika Padukone transformed her Zuhair Murad gown into her after-party look at her reception, while Sonam Kapoor Ahuja changed from her Anamika Khanna lehenga to a kaftan by Abu Jani Sandeep KhoslaInstagram

So you’ve got the perfect dress for your wedding reception or cocktail party, you’ve got the best shoes to go with it, you’ve got the jewellery you’ll be wearing with it, and you know exactly how you’ll be wearing it. You’ve done your hair and make-up trials, and you just know that you’ll be looking like an art installation that day.


But think againare you missing something? The point of your wedding party is not just for you to look like a dream. It’s that, but also for you to have the time of your life, party like nobody’s business, dance the night away with your loved ones, without a care in the world. Doing that in your glammed-to-perfection-with-not-a-hair-out-of-place look might just pose a challenge (it will). 


Picture this: You’re just a couple of hours into your party, but you can’t wait for the night to end already because your heels are too painful to be able to stand (let alone dance), your outfit is too heavy for you to move, and something from your dress is poking you on the back of your shoulder. We feel you!


So it’s important to also think about what you will be wearing after everybody has seen your perfection of a look, and it's time for some serious partying. We have put together some tips and tricks for you to learn, so you can plan a second look to survive the night.

How To Plan A Second Look For The After-Party To Survive The Night As A Bride

Transform your main look into your afterparty look


For the brides who are too cool to change into a different outfit, you can transform your main look into your after-party look. There are a lot of ways to do that. If your look of the night is a lehenga, you can get a cute custom skirt or pair of shorts that match your blouse, and change into it as the night progresses. 

Stylist Meagan Concessio wore an Amit Aggarwal lehenga for her sangeet, and swapped the skirt for a matching mini skirt for the after-party Instagram/Meagan Concessio

If you are wearing an elaborate gown, you can get it customised to have a detachable skirt with a train as opposed to the skirt being attached to the bodice. You can remove the detachable skirt and train when you’re in the mood for some serious dancing, to reveal that the bodice is attached to a cute matching mini skirt underneath! And there you have itit's the same look, but more comfy!


Pro tip: Drop the clutch for the second look in case you were carrying it with the main look. Go hands-free!

Change into a different outfit


If transforming your main look into an after-party look doesn’t seem like a possibility for you, you can choose to change into a second look. The second look needs to be something very comfy, but it should still have that main character energy, because you’re still the bride! There are a lot of routes you can take while planning an entirely different second look. You can wear something incredibly simple and understated, and glam it up with lots of jewellery. Exhibit A: Sonam Kapoor. For her reception after-party, she wore a simple ivory kaftan from Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla but glammed it with the same exquisite jewels she wore with her main outfit for the night! Super comfy, but still extravagant. 

Sonam Kapoor wore an Anamika Khann lehenga for her reception and changed into a kaftan by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla for the after-partyInstagram/Pernia Qureshi

If this doesn’t seem like your style, you can also wear something glam (very comfy, but also glam). We suggest a cute blingy mini dress that you can actually move around in, and that also says “I’m the bride!”. You can choose to wear little to no jewellery with it.

Alia Bhatt in a mini dress by Oscar De La RentaInstagram/Lakshmi Lehr

Points to keep in mind for planning a second look:

  1. Needless to say, it needs to be comfy. Pick a silhouette that feels like your second skin. It could be a pair of shorts, a mini dress, a kaftan, or even a suit. 

  2. You won’t be doing your hair and makeup again for your second look. So, it’s important to make sure that the hair and makeup that you’ve planned for the main look also go with the after-party look.

  3. Make sure it’s easy to get into. Anything that requires meticulous draping or fixing with a hundred safety pins is a no-no. You don’t want to be gone from your own party for too long changing into the second look.

  4. Wear shoes that you can dance in! Wedges, ballerinas, sneakers…whatever works for you!

To help you make your pick, we have compiled our picks for the coolest after-party outfits for brides. You can thank us later!

Best After-Party Looks For Brides

Champagne Sculpted Sequin Dress, Gaurav GuptaGaurav Gupta

Buy it here

Ruby Metal Mini Saree Dress, Rimzim DaduRimzim Dadu

Buy it here

Coconut hand-embroidered dress, Arpita MehtaArpita Mehta

Buy it here

Mirror-work kaftan, Abhinav MishraAbhinav Mishra

Buy it here

Silk Embroidered Blazer & Pant Set, Anamika KhannaAnamika Khanna

Buy it here

Moulded metallic ruffled dress, Amit AggarwalAmit Aggarwal

Buy it here


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