Anyone who has ever attended a wedding knows that shopping for a white dress is not a bright idea unless you want guests to give you the side-eye and rightfully accuse you of trying to upstage the bride. Still, that's exactly what this mother-of-the-groom did at her son's nuptials.
In the age of social media, the side-eye extends to thousands of netizens judging your disregard for the newlywed's special moment.
Recently, New.com.au's Kidspot shared a group photo posted in a wedding-shaming Facebook group that caught people's attention.
On his left stood the bride, donning an off-the-shoulder wedding gown and clutching a bouquet. To his right stood his mother, wearing a long white gown paired with a cream hat and a corsage.
Image credits: Brandee Holmes
People were taken aback by the mother's outfit choice, writing, "I wouldn't have been calm at all, and she would have had to change. I'd make sure of it somehow."
"To be honest, this is just humiliating for the mother of the groom," said another person.
"The cape, the gown, the fascinator… oh my God. It would have been over the top, but fine if in any other color. I hope to be as patient as this bride one day," a separate member of the group added.
Others were imagining how they would've helped out the bride. "No one had a glass of red wine? Call me. I got you."
People judged the mother-in-law's white gown as an attempt to steal the bride's spotlight
Image credits: Freepik
Another group speculated about the wedding having a theme that allowed guests to wear the color typically associated with the bride or a similar shade.
"It's a very pale champagne. My guess is this was the bride's theme or requested color. I can't shame this without knowing for sure this was not something the bride authorized."
"I only hate this if the bride wasn't consulted."
"To be honest, this is just humiliating for the mother of the groom," someone said
Image credits: Freepik
However, most were skeptical about this theory, noting that the mother-of-the-groom's gown looked whiter than the bride's in the picture.
"I'm 99% sure this wasn't bride-approved as it's white and the bride's dress is ever so slightly off-white," a Facebook user penned.
The tradition of brides wearing white for their big day traces back to Queen Victoria's 1840 wedding to Prince Albert. The queen opted for that color to show off the detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was floundering at the time.
The long wedding gown has since become synonymous with a nuptial ceremony in Western societies, given the color's association with purity and innocence.
Before the queen's marriage to her cousin, brides used to wear different colors for their big day for practical reasons. For instance, they thought it convenient to buy a wedding dress that could be worn again. Or they simply wore the best dress they already owned, no matter the shade.
"Now where did I put that bottle of red wine?" a Facebook user quipped
