Nikah · Baraat · Anand Karaj

A custom sherwani at Sherwani King starts from CA$990 in Canada. The final figure depends on the cloth, how much hand-work is in it, and how many events it is being made for, so it is confirmed at the consultation rather than quoted as a single number. Ready-to-wear sherwanis in the Mississauga showroom start from CA$790.

Eight to twelve weeks to make, with fittings on top of that. The same figure applies whether you are measured in the showroom or over video, although a virtual order also needs shipping time. Count back from the day you want the piece hanging in your wardrobe rather than from the wedding date.

We advise against it. Two ceremonies in the same week end up in the same photograph album, so if the Nikah takes a sherwani, the reception should take a different garment family — a tuxedo, prince coat or indo-western. The Nikah sits quieter, with lighter ground and work that reads close up; the reception is evening, and needs something that holds its place in a crowded room.

Dress the party one step below the groom. Not plainer and not cheaper — a step down in weight of work and depth of colour, so the group holds together and one man still carries the eye. Someone should be able to walk into the room and know immediately who got married. Fathers, brothers and groomsmen can all be measured on the same appointment if you say so in advance.

Yes. Measurements are taken over video with someone at your end holding the tape, and checked against a garment you already own. Nothing is cut until the numbers are verified. The consultation runs about thirty minutes, in your own time zone, with evenings and weekends available.

Yes, alterations are free. A piece is adjusted in the fitting until it is right, which is the process rather than an exception to it. On a virtual order the work is still free and you cover return shipping. There are no returns on a custom piece, because the specification is agreed with you before anything is cut.

Yes. There is a rail of finished pieces in the Mississauga showroom in real sizes, starting from CA$790. They are altered to you free of charge and go out within the week of a fitting. The rail changes constantly, so what is on it now is not what was there a fortnight ago.

There is no required colour. Ivory, gold and deep jewel tones are the most common choices for an Anand Karaj, usually with a matching turban, and kalgis and turbans are stocked and can be customised. We never talk a Sikh groom down from ornate — if the instinct is heavy work, that is the right instinct.