- Most friends of the family in Mexico City do NOT attend the ceremony, but only attend the reception. If you are very close to the bride/groom, and they mention seeing you at the ceremony, go.
- If the invitation says the reception starts at 9, it is ok to show up at 9:30. If you show up at 9, you might be the only one there besides the waiters.
- Most weddings are host bar - this mean the family of the bride or groom pays for the alcohol.
- Dancing is not an option* (*this is my personal opinion, nothing to do with Mexico, ha ha).
- If you have trouble finding a gift off of the couple's registry, money is always accepted and appreciated (in an envelope).
- Mexican weddings tend to be much bigger in size, it is not uncommon to have over 300 people at a wedding.
FORMAL WEDDING AT NIGHT
Men - Tuxedo
Women - Long (floor length) dress/ball gown
FORMAL WEDDING DURING THE DAY
Men - Suit and tie
Women - Cocktail dress
BEACH WEDDING
Men - Guayabera and khakis or linen shirt/pants
Women - Sundress
MORE CASUAL WEDDING DAY OR NIGHT
Men - Dress slacks and dress shirt (with or without tie)
Women - Cocktail length dress or long dress (depending on the fabric)
These are just simple guidelines of what you will see most people wearing. When in doubt, err on the formal side as most people tend to dress more formal in Mexico. As long as you don't wear shorts you should be ok.
Love the advice about formal wear! When I planned my Mexican evening wedding, I told everyone it was just semi-formal (khakis for men, sundresses for ladies). The Mexicans looked at me like I was NUTS. I just didn't talk about it after that, and let everyone go as they wanted! Everyone looked amazing :) So awesome to see everyone dolled up.
ReplyDeleteMen should always wear a nice suit with tie, or a beautiful guayabera, and women can wear a fancy cocktail dress or floor-length.