Telugu Hindu weddings run long. Two days or more, with the pellikooturu, the muhurtham and the reception each carrying its own dress expectation, which is why a Telugu groom usually needs two or three outfits rather than one. At Sellers we plan the whole weekend in a single sitting: what goes on for the muhurtham, what changes for the reception, and how the two look next to each other in the album afterwards. That's a great deal easier than deciding it in pieces as the dates come at you.
The muhurtham: traditional dress for the main ceremony
For the muhurtham the groom traditionally wears a fine silk pancha in white or cream with a gold kasavu border, a matching silk uttariyam over the shoulder, and a silk jubba or formal kurta above. In more traditional families this is what the elders will expect to see, and it's hard to improve on. Get the silk right and the fit of the jubba right, and the rest looks after itself.
The sherwani has become common at Telugu muhurthams too, particularly in families with North Indian connections or where the wedding has a grander aesthetic overall. If you go that way, a South Indian-leaning wedding sherwani in fine silk or Dharmavaram silk sits better in the context than a heavily brocaded North Indian one. It's a small distinction, and it reads clearly to everyone in the hall.
The reception: where contemporary choices work
Telugu receptions are large, formal and heavily photographed, with guest lists that run long into the night. This is where the groom has the most freedom: a well-made Western suit, a Jodhpuri, or a rich silk sherwani or bandhgala all work. What matters is that the making holds up. On a stage under that much light, with a queue of guests being photographed beside you for three hours, a poor fit has nowhere to go.
Guests can arrive in Indian or Western formal dress; both are normal. The Telugu preference runs to good silk, so a quality silk kurta with a fine churidar or matching trousers, or a well-cut bandhgala, is always well received. If you're travelling in and packing one outfit, make it that one.