Everyone wants to look their best during wedding celebrations, so they look for the most beautiful, stand-out things to wear. Sometimes, in a bid to attract attention, certain people may even wear white for the event and try to outshine the bride.
In this particular story, a clueless older woman picked a whitish dress to wear to her nephew’s wedding. When she asked her daughter for an opinion on the outfit, the younger woman forbade her from wearing it. Unfortunately, she still wanted to go ahead with her choice.
More info: Reddit
Wedding guests should be respectful of the bride and groom and should refrain from doing anything that might upset them on their big day
Image credits: Mental Health America (MHA) / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The poster and her 60-year-old mother were set to attend her cousin’s wedding, and so her mom decided to show her the dress she was going to wear
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The older woman asked her daughter for an opinion on the dress she had chosen, but her daughter freaked out when she realized it was 80% white
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The daughter advised her mom not to wear any shades of white to weddings and that it was a rule most folks followed, but the older lady was adamant about her choice
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Seeing how stubborn her mom was, the poster warned her that she wouldn’t attend the wedding, as it would be too embarrassing for her
The older woman in this story clearly felt that she could wear the dress she had chosen because it was decorated with flowers. She didn’t feel that it was too white and didn’t see any harm in choosing such an option, despite the fact that her daughter had warned her not to do something like that.
The OP didn’t want to turn down her mom’s favorite outfit option; she just wanted her to look at different colored dresses. She even made sure to tell her mother about the rule that people aren’t supposed to wear shades of white during such events. Unfortunately, her mom did not believe her and kept trying to justify getting the dress.
To get a deeper insight into this situation, Bored Panda reached out to Marie-Anne Lecoeur. She has been guiding women on their personal style journeys and has been a professional stylist since 2016. Before that, she informally advised people on style from her early 20s. She has written two bestsellers, posts style videos on The French Chic Expert channel, and is the creator of The French Chic Academy.
She mentioned that “in many cultures, a key aspect of wedding etiquette is that guests avoid wearing white. Otherwise, this choice can be viewed as disrespectful to the bride. White, often a symbol of purity, is traditionally reserved for her, ensuring she stands out on her special day.”
We also contacted Corinne Pierre-Louis to share her thoughts. She’s a bridal stylist and fashion expert. She said that “white has long been a color reserved for the bride. When a guest wears white, it can unintentionally shift attention away from her and disrupt a longstanding tradition that helps keep the spotlight where it belongs.
“Even white outfits with prints—or shades like cream, beige, or anything that might resemble white in photos—are best avoided. With so many beautiful colors to choose from, it's a thoughtful gesture to pick something that won’t be mistaken for bridal attire. At the end of the day, it’s about honoring a custom that supports the couple’s vision for their celebration,” she added.
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It’s possible that the older woman had never decided to wear an off-white or cream dress to anyone’s wedding before, so she was unfamiliar with the traditional etiquette. When her daughter insisted she change her outfit, she began to act stubbornly and said that neither the bride nor groom would care about her choice.
It might be hard to deal with guests who deliberately—or unknowingly—wear white to weddings. Marie-Anne mentioned that “if a guest wears white to a wedding, the bride, groom, and close family will certainly notice. Since weddings aren’t the place for confrontations, however, they may prefer to keep a dignified silence and overlook the breach of etiquette.”
Corinne added that “if a guest shows up in white, it’s best handled with a gentle, behind-the-scenes conversation rather than a public confrontation. The bride, groom, a wedding party member, or a close family member might pull the person aside and explain the issue. They could even suggest a quick accessory swap or a subtle adjustment to help the guest add some color to their look.”
The young woman decided that she should take a stand against her mom and told her that she wouldn’t attend the event if she chose the whitish dress. This is quite an effective way to make her consciously think about her actions and protect her from the embarrassment that might follow if she had worn white to the wedding.
What would you have done if you were in the woman’s place? Have you ever witnessed someone wearing a white outfit to a marriage function? Share those unhinged stories in the comments.
People sided with the poster and felt that her mother was just trying to draw attention to herself
