What colours are traditional for an Indian wedding?

Red and gold are the classic bridal colours in many regions, with maroon, orange and yellow also common. Traditions vary by region and community, and many couples now choose pastels or jewel tones too.

What colours are used for haldi and mehndi?

Haldi is usually yellow and marigold orange, matching the turmeric paste and flowers. Mehndi often uses greens, from bright to olive, with earthy accents.

Is gold text on an invite readable?

Gold on white or ivory is usually too light for small text. Use gold on dark backgrounds like maroon or navy, or keep it for large names and decoration.

How many colours should a wedding palette have?

Three to five is plenty: one or two main colours, one accent, a light background and a dark text colour.

How do I get the exact colour of my outfit?

Take a photo in daylight, upload it to a colour picker from image, and click the fabric. Lighting changes colours, so compare the result with the real outfit.

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Indian Wedding Color Palette Ideas with HEX Codes (Free)

Five Indian wedding colour palettes with HEX codes for invites and decor: haldi yellow, mehndi green, sindoor red and gold, jewel tones. Free palette generator.

Published 29 October 2026 · 5 min read

A good wedding colour palette gives every function its own mood while the whole wedding still feels connected. For Indian weddings, that usually means turmeric yellow and marigold for the haldi, henna greens for the mehndi, sindoor red with gold for the wedding itself, and deep jewel tones or soft pastels for the reception. Below are five palettes with HEX codes and readable text colours for invites. Tweak any of them in the free color palette generator.

All the codes below are our suggestions, chosen to look good on screen and stay readable. Adjust them to match your outfits, flowers and venue.

1. Haldi: turmeric and marigold

Bright, sunny and informal, built around the yellow of the haldi paste and marigold garlands.

Colour	HEX
Turmeric yellow	`#F2B705`
Marigold orange	`#F28C28`
Mango-leaf green	`#5A8F29`
Cream	`#FFF4D6`
Deep brown (text)	`#4A2C0A`

For invites: deep brown text on cream is very readable (11.57:1). Brown text on turmeric yellow works too (6.97:1). Avoid white text on the leaf green for small print; it's only 3.89:1, fine for big headings but not for details.

2. Mehndi: henna green and earth

Earthy greens with warm accents, like henna, leaves and terracotta pots.

Colour	HEX
Henna green	`#4F6F2F`
Olive	`#8A9A3B`
Mustard	`#D9A404`
Terracotta	`#B5523B`
Ivory	`#FAF6EC`

For invites: henna green text on ivory (5.33:1) feels natural and reads well. White text on terracotta is 4.95:1, good for a bold band with the date. Use olive as decoration rather than a text background: white text on it is only 3.10:1.

3. Wedding day: sindoor red, maroon and gold

The traditional bridal colours: red, deep maroon and gold, softened with ivory.

Colour	HEX
Sindoor red	`#B3001B`
Maroon	`#6D0E1A`
Antique gold	`#C9A227`
Ivory	`#FFF8E7`

For invites: gold looks wonderful on maroon (5.02:1) and maroon text on ivory is excellent (11.47:1). White text on sindoor red is 7.16:1. The common trap: gold text on white or ivory. At 2.41:1 on white it looks elegant in a mock-up but is hard to read, especially on phones. Keep gold for borders, motifs and large names, and set the details in maroon.

4. Reception: jewel tones

Rich evening colours for a sangeet or reception: emerald, sapphire, ruby and amethyst with gold.

Colour	HEX
Emerald	`#046307`
Sapphire	`#0F3B8C`
Ruby	`#9B111E`
Amethyst	`#5B2A86`
Gold	`#D4AF37`

For invites: every jewel tone here takes white text easily, from 7.51:1 on emerald to 10.37:1 on sapphire. Gold on sapphire is 4.93:1, readable for normal text; gold on emerald is 3.57:1, so keep it to big headings there.

5. Day wedding: soft pastels

Light, modern colours that suit daytime and destination weddings.

Colour	HEX
Blush pink	`#F6C1C7`
Mint	`#BFE3D0`
Powder blue	`#C9DDF2`
Champagne	`#F3E5C8`
Slate (text)	`#3B3B58`

For invites: pastels are too light for text, so set all text in the slate colour. It reads well on every one of them, from 6.84:1 on blush to 8.63:1 on champagne. Avoid white text on pastels entirely.

We checked every contrast ratio here with the free color contrast checker. The usual minimum for normal text is 4.5:1.

Linking the functions together

Using five completely different palettes can make the wedding feel disjointed. Two ways to connect them:

Keep one constant colour. Use the same ivory or the same gold across all invites, so the set looks like a family.
Shift one colour per function. For example, keep the gold and move from turmeric (haldi) to henna green (mehndi) to maroon (wedding) to sapphire (reception).

Match colours to your outfit or venue

The best palette often starts with something you already have: the bride's lehenga, the groom's sherwani, the venue's flowers or a mood-board photo.

Upload a photo to the free color picker from image. It lists the main colours as HEX codes, and you can click any spot (an embroidery thread, a flower) to get its exact code. Our guide on getting the HEX colour from an image has tips for accurate picks.
Paste the code you like into Base colour in the free color palette generator and choose a harmony. Analogous gives a gentle set; Complementary adds a contrasting accent.
Lock the colours you want to keep and press Space or Generate palette to try new ideas for the rest.
Click any colour to see its shades from 50 to 950. Light steps make great invite backgrounds; dark steps make good text colours.
Export as a HEX list and share it with your designer, decorator or printer.

Need RGB or CMYK values for a printer? The free HEX to RGB converter gives every format. Printed colours look a little different from the screen, so ask your printer for a proof card for the main invite.

Where else to use your palette

Digital invites: see making a wedding invitation for WhatsApp.
QR codes on invites for the venue map or RSVP form: QR codes for wedding invitations.
Planning the money side: the wedding budget planner.
Decor brief, welcome boards, signage, return-gift tags and the wedding website.

Build your wedding palette

Start from one colour you love in the free color palette generator, lock it, and build each function's palette around it. It runs on your device, with no sign-up, and exports in one click.

Frequently asked questions

What colours are traditional for an Indian wedding?: Red and gold are the classic bridal colours in many regions, with maroon, orange and yellow also common. Traditions vary by region and community, and many couples now choose pastels or jewel tones too.
What colours are used for haldi and mehndi?: Haldi is usually yellow and marigold orange, matching the turmeric paste and flowers. Mehndi often uses greens, from bright to olive, with earthy accents.
Is gold text on an invite readable?: Gold on white or ivory is usually too light for small text. Use gold on dark backgrounds like maroon or navy, or keep it for large names and decoration.
How many colours should a wedding palette have?: Three to five is plenty: one or two main colours, one accent, a light background and a dark text colour.
How do I get the exact colour of my outfit?: Take a photo in daylight, upload it to a colour picker from image, and click the fabric. Lighting changes colours, so compare the result with the real outfit.

Color tools

Try the Color Palette Generator

Free, no sign-up, works in your browser. Generate colour palettes at the press of a key, lock the colours you like, or build one from a base colour with analogous, complementary or triadic harmonies.

Open Color Palette Generator