There are many options for the bride when it comes to finding a Chinese wedding dress. We’ve got traditional sheath qipaos, modern cheongsams, red mermaid dresses, and everything in between. But what about the groom? Don’t let his outfit be an afterthought at your wedding.
Here are some ideas on how you two can match and show up to your wedding like the power couple we know you are.1: Traditional Tang Outfit
Let’s start with the more traditional options. If you are wearing a traditional Chinese wedding dress (also known as a qun kwa or qun kua), you can have your fiancé match with his own Tang suit. Traditional Tang suits typically include a long sheath paired with a jacket. Think the outfits that you find in famous Chinese dramas like My Fair Princess (Huang Zhu Ge Ge).
Tang suits are typically adorned with dragon embroidery. Dragons are a popular Chinese wedding symbol as it represents strength, honor and power.
2: Tang Jacket
If you and your fiance want to go a more modern route, you can consider having your fiance wear just a Tang jacket. These range in styles from more traditional to more modern ones.
The more traditional ones feature brocade fabric, a common silk fabric that often has embroidery patterns of dragons and phoenix tails. For example, our Shang jacket features an asymmetrical red and gold dragon pattern. The dragon represents the groom in Chinese wedding culture and together, the dragon and phoenix together symbolize good luck and harmony in marriage. If you’re wearing a red qipao dress or cheongsam for your wedding, this could be a great option to consider.
At East Meets Dress, we offer a variety of brocade fabric for the groom's Tang jacket.
Not all jackets have to be red. If you are opting for a different color dress, or you’d like your fiancé to be in a black jacket instead, there are also more modern Tang jackets that come in other colors. For example, our Song jacket features a variety of colors and has a subtle dragon embroidery on one side.
3: Brocade Tie or Bowtie
Ok, so your fiancé is not a fan of any of the jackets, or it’s too hot to wear a jacket for your ceremony. We’ve got you covered. A more subtle way to still give a nod to your Chinese heritage is with a tie or bowtie made of brocade fabric. Match it with your favorite dress shirt (like our favorite slim fitting Nimble Made shirts). Our Classic Dragon tie is embroidered with gold dragons and comes in a variety of colors to match your dress, mood, and wedding colors.
4: Mandarin Collar Jacket
If you want a modern East meets West outfit for your groom, consider a minimalist mandarin collar jacket. The mandarin collar is an unfolded, stand up collar that rises a few centimeters up from the neckline (typically 3-5cm). It's an iconic feature that is popular for both bride and groom outfits at Chinese weddings.
5: Chinese flower boutonniere
We all love a classic suit. So at the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with sticking to a classic suit paired with your cheongsam. But you can still choose to add a pop of color to match your red cheongsam with a red boutonniere.
What type of flower should you get? Lilies and orchids are both popular Chinese wedding flowers. The word lily (百合) in Chinese sounds like part of the proverb 百年好合—which means a happy marriage for a hundred years. The orchid flower is also a symbol of love, wealth and fortune in Chinese culture. So ask your florist to make one for the groom in a color that matches your dress (we love red lilies) or get one on Etsy.
The wedding is a celebration of both of your backgrounds and heritage, so choose the option that feels right for the two of you.
More to Love:
- Shop our mandarin jacket collection for your groom's attire.
- Check out our Style Guide for the modern bride here.
- Get inspired by our 30 ideas for a modern Asian-American wedding.