If there’s one wedding etiquette rule that everyone should know by now, it’s this: unless the dress code says otherwise, never show up in white. There are countless ways to make a fashion statement without looking like you might be the person about to walk down the aisle.
That’s why this bride was taken aback when a guest arrived in a dress that seemed to break that unspoken code. She decided to confront her friend about it, but the woman insisted it was cream and refused to see the problem.
Still unconvinced, the newlywed shared a photo of the outfit online, where people had plenty to say about the questionable choice.
The bride was taken aback by the dress one of her guests had shown up in
Image credits: AgoraphobicDisaster
When she confronted her about it, however, the woman insisted it was cream, not white
Image credits: Wavebreakmedia / Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: AgoraphobicDisaster
The white wedding dress is a fairly new tradition
Image credits: Ahmed / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
White may feel like the obvious choice for a wedding dress today, but the tradition is actually fairly recent.
One of the earliest famous royal brides to wear the color was Mary, Queen of Scots, who chose white when she married Francis, Dauphin of France, in 1559. Still, Queen Victoria is usually credited with turning the white wedding dress into the tradition we know today.
When she married Prince Albert in 1840, Victoria wore a white court dress. At the time, royal brides were not expected to dress in white. Many wore elaborate gowns made from rich fabrics, while red was also a popular choice in parts of Western Europe.
Regular brides had even more freedom. Depending on what they could afford and what was available, women got married in all kinds of colors. Blue and yellow were common, while darker shades like brown, gray, and even black were also perfectly acceptable.
Things began to change after images and descriptions of Victoria's wedding spread through Europe and across the Atlantic. Wealthier brides started following her example, and by the end of the 19th century, white had become the fashionable choice among the upper classes.
It took much longer for the trend to reach everyone else. Many middle-class brides in Britain and the US did not fully embrace the white wedding dress until after World War II. As people became more prosperous, buying a special gown to wear for just one day also became more common.
Hollywood helped cement the image even more. Wedding scenes in postwar movies often featured the familiar white gown, helping turn it into the standard many people still picture when they think of a traditional Western wedding.
So, how bad is it to wear white as a guest?
Image credits: Tamara Govedarovic / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Of course, weddings today come in all kinds of styles, and every couple gets to decide what works for them. Some ask every guest to wear white. Others might choose dark clothing for themselves and put their guests in lighter shades. Plenty of couples skip traditional colors altogether.
Still, many people do stick with the classic white wedding dress. That is why, unless the invitation specifically says otherwise, experts generally advise guests to avoid the color.
According to Vogue, wearing white can give the impression that a guest is trying to draw attention away from the person getting married. The same goes for shades that come close to it, including cream, ivory, and beige. “It’s all white!” stylist Micaela Erlanger told the magazine.
By that logic, the guest in this story, who described her own dress as cream, definitely slipped up. Whatever she called the color, it still looked extremely close to white, and the lace detailing only made it feel more bridal. That makes her choice pretty hard to defend.
There is another thing to keep in mind, too. Some pale colors can look much lighter in photos than they do in person. Bridal stylist Anny Choi told Vogue that shades such as pale pink or soft yellow may photograph as white depending on the lighting.
So, if you are standing in front of the mirror wondering whether a dress looks a little too bridal, that doubt might already be your answer. There are plenty of other options in the closet that are far less likely to cause drama.
There is no way of knowing whether the woman had those doubts before the wedding. Still, plenty of people in the comments thought her cream, lace-covered dress was completely inappropriate for the occasion.
What do you think? Was the dress too close to white, or was the bride overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Readers agreed that the dress the woman wore was completely inappropriate for a wedding
