What To Wear to an Asian Wedding: As a Guest
Congratulations on your invitation to an Asian wedding! Wedding celebrations are a great time and you’re sure to enjoy all the events they contain.
Weddings can often be a minefield though, especially when it comes to what to wear – even when you’re not the bride or groom. With South Asian and Chinese weddings especially, outfits tend to be vibrant, intricate, and luxurious, making it hard to choose what you’re wearing on the special day.
At Holiday Inn Brentford Lock our event space is host to many incredible celebrations including Asian weddings. Our large dry-hire event space The Waterfront is the ideal place to hold Asian weddings, with a guest capacity of up to 450 people.
With our experience bringing special days to life as an Asian wedding venue in London, we know a thing or two about wedding attire, so here are our tips for what to wear to an Asian wedding as a guest.
Different cultures
While Asian weddings differ from British or Western weddings for many reasons, it’s important to note there’s a lot of variation between cultures in Asia. Chinese weddings require very different attire from Pakistani weddings. We’ll cover just a few cultures in this blog but it’s best to do your own research on the specifics on the traditional attire if you’re choosing to wear it.
It’s not always necessary to wear the clothes of the bride and groom’s culture, however, it can sometimes be a nice gesture. Every wedding is different, and you’ve been invited because you’re close to the people getting married, so you know best.
Colours
Generally, for Chinese weddings, it’s best to avoid black or white in your wedding guest attire. These colours are associated with the idea of death so it’s a bad omen to wear them to the wedding.
The bride may wear several different outfits during the ceremonies associated with the wedding. Red is often a common colour for these outfits so if you’d like to avoid looking like the bride or clashing with her, stick to another hue. Purples, pinks, and warn tones are usually a good choice.
While red might be a popular colour for the bride’s wedding dress in many Asian cultures, white is also popular. So, across the board, we’d recommend you avoid white clothes – whether it be a suit, lehenga, or a dress
Appropriateness
Try to keep your clothes appropriate. Anything too short or revealing can be considered disrespectful.
Especially for Muslim weddings, modesty is key. Cover your shoulders, knees, and arms. Be prepared you may also need to cover your head in certain ceremonies.
Depending on the ceremony, the day, and the culture of the couple getting married what constitutes appropriateness and modesty may differ but if you’re worried about your outfit, feel free to just ask.
Different Ceremonies
Some Asian cultures have various ceremonies and events spread across multiple days as part of a wedding.
Hindu weddings are comprised of many occasions including the Mehendi ceremony, the Haldi ceremony, and the Sangeet night. Each of these will require an outfit if you’re invited – making these weddings a little time-consuming to prepare for!
This can get a little expensive too but don’t worry. There are many places (especially in London, an easy drive or train ride away from Holiday Inn Brentford Lock) that will rent out outfits for Asian weddings.
Accessories
No matter what wedding you’re going to or the outfit you’re planning accessories are crucial. For Chinese weddings gold accessories will complement your outfit. For Indian and Pakistani weddings, guests will often wear bangles and Jhumka earrings.
Many Asian weddings are long affairs, requiring guests to be present for the whole day. This makes comfortable shoes so important!
Wear What Makes You Happy
At the end of the day, you’ve been invited to the wedding because the happy couple want you there. They’re surrounding themselves with their friends and family and you’re one of them. They want you to be comfortable and to feel good. So choose an outfit you’re happy in and makes you feel good.
If you’re interested in hosting your own Asian wedding or looking for an Asian wedding venue, Holiday Inn Brentford Lock is the perfect space for you. We have a variety of packages available and several catering partners to help you make the process smoother.
