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Spanish weddings: what to wear

Spanish weddings: what to wear

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I’m proud to announce that I’ve finally mastered Spanish wedding attire. On the other hand, I’m embarrassed to admit that it took me so long. With a closet full of American dresses, I suppose I’ve been in denial that my guiri gear just isn’t up to Spanish wedding snuff. Clearly it’s not, and mostly I’ve spent a few years looking like a foolish foreigner.

Awhile back, Jamie posted a handy survival guide for Spanish weddings to, among other things, help us avoid mid-fiesta fatigue and overdoing it on alcohol. But because I’m a slave to la moda española, I thought it might also be helpful to spread the wedding-garb gospel. So with that, a list of do’s and don’ts so that you, my fellow extranjeras, don’t commit a fashion faux pas at your next Spanish boda:

Do

      wear long dresses during fall and winter weddings or to night weddings if it will be

fresquito

      .

Don’t wear short dresses during cooler months without nylons or tights. If you do, be prepared to address a barrage of Spaniards interrogating you about how cold you must be.

Do rock a fascinator, but be sure to take into consideration what time of day the wedding is. Daytime weddings call for larger fascinators or even hats, while smaller tocados are appropriate for evening events. At some weddings the look is a fashion staple, while at others hardly anyone embraces the trend – in the end, it’s perfectly acceptable to go fascinator-free.

Don’t wear a dress that could easily double for church-wear or dinner out with friends. While some dresses do have cross-over potential, in general, it’s safe to assume if your dress is casual enough to wear to Sunday brunch, it’s too casual for a Spanish wedding.

Do bring a shawl to cover up or keep warm because it’s going to be a lonnnggg night.

Don’t use just any old handbag. Make sure you have an outfit-appropriate clutch or cocktail purse.

GG Tip: Old bridesmaids dresses make for the perfect Spanish wedding attire. Style up the look with a tocado, and no one will even know you’re a guiri (unless you’re blonde and apparently have “I’m an American tattooed on your forehead” like me).

Now who’s getting married? I’ve got all the gear and need some weddings to go to.

Spanish fascinator envy

Spanish fascinator envy

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Have you ever been to a Spanish wedding? If so, have you ever found yourself crazy jealous of the ladies’ ultra fancy attire and headpieces? I have. So after living in Madrid for three and a half years and attending several Spanish bodas, I finally purchased myself a floor-length gown. But that snazzy headpiece has still been eluding me, so recently I decided to put an end to my ongoing envy.

During my hunt for the perfect fascinator in Madrid, I came across the hat designer Mamita Linda. I headed off to the “shop” expecting to join other customers while perusing a selection of soon-to-be-mine tocados. Instead, I found myself ringing the timbre of an apartment building near Nuevos Ministerios. Used to Spanish surprises, I rolled with it, passing through the gate, following the Mamita Linda signs up the stairs, around the corner and up an elevator.

Arriving at a door, I knew I was in the right place (or was I?). Before I had time to second guess myself, I was sitting in front of a table of flashy hats, trying them on, and feeling extra Spanish (or perhaps British? I’m thinking I could give Kate Middleton a run for her money at this point).

The designer, Mónica, a darling miniature lady, explained to me at length her labor of love. A former artist, she sells ready-made hats, but also makes custom creations within days. Soon, clients will even be able to rent the flamboyant headpieces (within Spain only).

And did you know that there’s an etiquette to this whole hat-wearing business? Indeed there is. The pamelas (broad-brimmed hats) are for daytime wear, while the tocados (smaller cocktail hats) are for the evening. Regardless of which one you sport, they are not to come off at any time (not a problem for me – you’d have to pry those sweet little numbers off my head).

You can be certain that I’ll be heading back to see Mónica soon, floor-length dress in hand, to finally complete my ultra-Spanish wedding-guest look.

If you too are hankering for your very own Spanish fascinator, be sure to consult shop hours below, or check out the website.

Tocados Madrid Mamita Linda
Joaquin Costa 15
915 634 512
September-November: 12:00-14:00 and 16:00-20:00, Monday-Friday
December-February: by appointment only
March-July: 12:00-14:00 and 16:00-20:00, Monday-Friday
Closed in August

Spanish Weddings – A Survival Guide

Spanish Weddings – A Survival Guide

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If you have lived in Madrid long enough, chances are you have heard about, or been invited to, Spanish weddings. Being in my early thirties, I have been to countless weddings and even considered myself somewhat of a wedding champion…until I went to my first Spanish wedding two years ago. This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending my fourth such affair (felicidades Ana and Pedro!) and I am sorry to report that I was one orujo away from needing to be wheeled out on a stretcher when the night was over. I destroyed my purse, broke my phone, and did an absolute number on my poor, aching feet. 

 

On the car ride home from Valencia, Raúl and I did a post-mortem to try to figure out where I went wrong.  In doing so, this handy survival guide was born:

  • Do go to Spanish weddings hungry!  The quantity of food is outrageous and from my experience thus far, consistently outstanding. 
  • Don’t go crazy with the drinks during the cocktail hour if possible. If I had to describe Spanish weddings in one word, it would be long, so make sure to pace yourself. In fact, it would not be uncommon for most guests to be drinking juice or coca-cola during the cocktail hour.
  • Do expect to sit at your table for a 2-3 hour uninterrupted dinner service. In contrast to my experience at weddings in the U.S. where dancing is intermingled between courses, there is typically not even a dance floor where the dinner takes place. If you want to dance, keep in mind you first need to get through the appetizer course, main course, dessert and then coffee. Making friends with your table is thus highly encouraged.
  • Don´t drink too much wine at dinner if possible. Since there is usually anywhere from 4-5 hours of dancing once dinner is over, if you are anything like me, too much red wine can make it hard to stay awake and can wreak havoc on your dance moves.  I also recommend drinking a lot of water throughout dinner to stave off the impending hangover (epic fail for me this past weekend).
  • Do wear or bring comfortable shoes, ladies. As noted above, expect 4-5 hours of straight dancing…enough said.
  • Don´t get alarmed if the couple provides a bank account number on the invitation –this is very common and widely acceptable in Spain and is the preferred method of gift giving (versus in the U.S. where a cash or check in a card would be the norm).
  • Do have a wonderful time and savor the experience!  I love comparing and contrasting the wedding culture in Spain versus home and am even hoping to incorporate some Spanish traditions in my wedding this fall.

I wish I followed my own advice above this past weekend but now I can look forward to how much more I will enjoy/remember my next boda española with all of this in mind. I currently do not have a Spanish wedding on the horizon, but rest assured the next time I do this list will be tattooed to my left shin!