Posting for a friend. She’s going to a wedding here in the U.S. between two people from Colombia. One’s American born, one Colombia born. The invitation didn’t specify anything, but she doesn’t want to commit a cultural faux pas. Anything she should avoid or include, color-wise? Or is she over-thinking it and just go as if it was any other wedding?
Since the OP is looking for advice, let’s move this to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
I would say she’s overthinking it. If one of the parties is US-born, then they must be pretty acculturated. Offhand, I can’t think of any cultural taboos that would apply to a wedding in the US. I would suggest she wear whatever she would wear to any other wedding. I know a lot of Colombians here in Panama, and I don’t think they would be likely to stand on ceremony very much.
Fantastic. Thanks!
Like Colibri said, same stuff she’d wear to an All-American wedding at that time of day and in that venue. IME, Americans are actually a lot pickier about wedding etiquette than many Latin Americans; I’ve seen things listed in these forums as “unwearable for a wedding” that were present in the wedding pictures of my Latin American friends and in the Cuban-American + Armenian wedding I attended in the US.
Nothing that’s going to make her stand out and take the attention away from the bride.
One may wish to wear a nice Colombian suit. But do not under any circumstances get a Colombian necktie.
Yeah, no white I’m guessing, and there are probably Latin American weddings that are harder to dress for.
That is one of the American rules I was talking about. White is ok so long as it’s not something which will lead the wearer to be mistaken for the bride. Black, also ok, so long as either it’s not mourning garb or the wearer actually happens to be in mourning.
She wore a black cocktail dress. She said she was the least colorfully dressed woman there, but it was fine and she had fun. Thanks everyone.
See, this is one that varies by country, and I guess how some of those wedding “traditions” have been copied from other countries. I understand not taking away from the bride, but I’ve been to Latin weddings and around some Latina friends who are all “No white at the wedding! None at all unless you’re the bride! How can you not know this!”. Some friends and I argued that this is not a steadfast rule that they taught us, and that it is possible to get to adulthood without knowing this “rule”. I know I didn’t, and I’m guilty of that faux pas.