Clothing and Suggested Clothing for the Wedding Feast

The last blog was long....almost too long....and I should just take away the 'almost'.

I will break down the ceremonies, what I will wear, what Tram will wear. And in brief what you should wear.

In General

A light t-shirt, shorts, sandals, a hat, and sunglasses. For some of you it will be hot, for others it will be comfortable. The rainy season is done, so there is a small chance of rain, don't worry about getting wet or bringing rain gear. Don't bring a coat or sweater (unless you live in North America, use it for the plane trip to and from). If you are from the USA and coming to Vietnam, bring a change of clothes and change during your layover (or be insane and dress for the destination during the plane trip, not for your current location).

Other things to bring, beach wear (shirt and shorts that will get wet at the beach and affected by salt water. My standard wear is shorts and a t-shirt and sandals, for government paperwork an untucked button down shirt and trousers, and for teaching a nice button down shirt, wingtips, trousers and a tie.

Asking the Bride's Family Permission to Marry

I will be wearing gray trousers, a gray tie, and a red shirt. Tram will be wearing a formal ao dai that is traditional. If you are a 'Brother', a 'Sister' or part of the family in the ceremony, I suggest trousers, shirt, shoes, and a tie if you are a man, and if you are a woman, I suggest an ao dai for the younger women, and either an ao dai or something formal yet light and comfortable for the elder women.

The Wedding

This will occur at a Catholic Church near Tram's family's house. I will be wearing a black suit, black tie, and a white shirt with a fun pattern on it. She will be wearing a western style formal white wedding dress, we are currently hunting the dress that she will wear.

As for guests, wear a button down shirt, trousers, and shoes for a man (a tie is not needed unless you are direct family). Women can wear something semi-formal and very comfortable, remember it is going to be warm.

The Introduction of the Bride to the Groom's House

I will wear a nice blue shirt, blue tie, and blue trousers (all different shades) along with black wingtips. Tram will be wearing the same ao dai as the previous day.

As for the witnesses and family, be semi formal, no ties, but collared shirts, closed toe shoes, and trousers are suggested for men. For women, a nice dress is suggested, or semi-formal.

The Reception

At the beginning, we will wear our outfits during the wedding when we welcome guests. Before the opening ceremony, we will change. Tram will change into a fun ao dai, and I will change to a lighter suit (the color is giong to be a blend of gray, light brown, and yellow....hard to describe, formal yet fun and practical).

As for guests. This is a moment to have fun, be formal. But wear something fun. I heard a rumor that a friend is going to wear a linen suit. I recently saw pictures of the Irish linen suit, and I am five shades of jealous, especially with a light purple shirt and a fun tie. Mix that suit with a straw boater and that is a great suit, that is formal, yet unstuffy and comfortable.

A Request

If you are a female and coming to our wedding and you are interested in ao dai. Please contact us, we will try to get one made for you ahead of time. We will need a long list of measurements, and we will discuss styles. If you show up and want one here, then we can get the fabric and have it made as quickly as possible, but it will be simple in style and not complex.

Here is a link to ao dai styles. This will give you the general idea. The cost will be lower, but the cost will vary depending on materials and complexity of style.

As a prediction, I think that the ao dai will become more and more popular to wear among Asian women all over the world. It has several styles and there are several fashion designers who not only style the ao dai, but the fabric also. The popularity comes because it is form fitting, but you don't have to be super thin for it to look good on you. The long trousers can cover the shoes that the girl is wearing to make her look taller (at one show, a model was wearing shoes to add 15 cm on her, but the trousers covered the fact mostly. You had to look, and since she was on the runway, her feet were a bit below eye level.