is it OK to wear a sleeveless ao dai during the wedding reception?

newsgirl5000

Hi ladies,

I'm white and my fiance is Vietnamese. We are doing a traditional wedding ceremony but having a Vietnamese-style reception with Vietnamese and Chinese food and a band that will play half American, half Vietnamese songs. I wanted to change into an ao dai, the Vietnamese dress, as my going away dress since I found a gorgeous one online that is sleeveless that looks like a formal long dress for a cocktail hour. Is it appropriate to wear a sleeveless ao dai or do I have to go traditional?

feminivy

What about pairing the sleeveless one with the formal ao dai overcoat, which you can take off to dance?

newsgirl5000

Thanks for the reply. Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. Now I'm thinking about wearing a more modern, either long-sleeved or three-quarter sleeved ao dai. Maybe that would work better?

Mai Lan

It is traditionally not advisable to wear no sleeves to your own Vietnamese Traditional wedding.  It shows lack of respect for the elders and the guests.  However, if you completely remain within your culturally accepted traditions, the Vietnamese are fine with it.   Good luck.   :-)

clearheavens

I personally think that it would be ok.  It would be like any traditional Vietnamese bride wearing a strapless gown to the reception.  Most people, even the elderly, don't seem to mind.  I think your sleeveless ao dai would be received the same way.  The key here is that it's the reception.  People are a ton more liberal there than at the ceremony.

But going along with what Mai Lan said, yeah...if you were wearing an ao dai to a traditional Buddhist ceremony, then that wouldn't be recommended.  But you mentioned you were having a traditional wedding ceremony (which I assume is in a church or some sort of Christian setting?) so you would probably be wearing a white gown.  So no prob there.