If you have recently received an invite to a Chinese wedding and are fretting over what to wear, now is the time to stop the madness. Use the following tips and advice to make a wedding day splash without taking anything away from the bride or bridal party.
Wedding Time
The time of day the wedding is happening generally plays a big role in attire. For example, if it’s an evening wedding, you can count on it being more formal. If the wedding is in the morning or afternoon, a more casual approach is fine. Look at your invite or the couple’s wedding website for more clues.
Conservative Dress
Conservative dress is the general recommendation for Chinese weddings. Again, look to the wedding website or simply ask the bridal party if you are not sure. However, if the wedding includes a traditional tea ceremony, you won’t want to wear a short skirt or dress! Longer skirts and dresses are usually best for women, and nice slacks for men.
Flower Trend
An increasingly-popular Chinese wedding trend is for all the guests, not just the bridal party, to wear flowers honoring parents and grandparents. Look for special corsages or boutonnieres featuring lotus, orange blossom, or plum flowers.
Wearing White And Red
Some Chinese brides wear white, however it is generally a taboo hue symbolizing death, and not meant to be worn by guests. Feel free to rock black, blue, purple, gold…but not red. Red is a color reserved for the bride, so wearing it will be viewed as trying to steal attention away from her. Only the bride, the bride’s mother, and the groom’s mother can wear red.
Keep these tips in mind, and remember to ask if you have an attire question! Have fun and perhaps find inspiration for your nuptials!