A few of us in the 2015 thread have had guests wanting to wear white to our weddings, so I though it would be interesting/fun to see what the general thoughts of everyone is:

My mother in law is a Greek Cypriot and was initially planning to wear a white skirt and jacket suit to our wedding, it took lots of gentle explaining to her by my (now) husband to convince her that to a British bride, this was extremely rude, and seen as disrespectful.

She said she had never heard such nonsense! And that in Greece/Cyprus it is normal for others to wear white as well.


How would you feel if a guest (especially a female guest) wanted to wear an all white outfit to your wedding?


Forum Poll

I agree with Flossie. I would be angry and upset, I don't think anybody except the bride should wear white, even if it becomes more acceptable I don't think I'd ever be happy with it and people shouldn't even consider wearing it x

I was angry and upset too! Luckily she didn't do it though, she's lovely to have as a mother in law, and eventually accepted that I'd been brought up to view it this way. It also helped that she mentioned it to her friends at bingo, and she told me they were horrified at the thought as well.

I voted for the angry & upset, I don't get why anyone would think it's ok to wear a plain white dress to a wedding unless they were the bride!!
I have had 2 guests ask if I minded if they wore a white dress, surely if you need to ask its because you are aware it is wrong.

I wouldn't be worried about anyone "upstaging" me or anything, I know as the bride you're going to stand out anyway and all attention will be on you etc... I just genuinely think it's rude xx

I agree with Flossie - I wouldn't be worried about someone upstaging me but I just think it's generally rude and disrespectful, it's not something you do and totally against wedding etiquette! I had to explain several times to my cousin that she can't wear a white dress with a train, that did get me angry!

I've never really thought about to be honest. I don't think I'd care too much if it wasn't somebody in the wedding party, but a mother or mother in law then I would be annoyed. As a guest I wore a cream dress to my auntie's wedding a few years ago but with coloured accessories, I really don't think anyone paid any attention.

I have been to a few weddings were guests have turned up in a plain white dress, everyone may well have not said anything to them but were definitely talking amongst themselves about how rude it is. At one wedding the brides sister came into the church in a white lace dress & everyone started singing here comes the bride, what more can you say!!

Thanks Leasa, I am quite traditionalist apart from the wife part ;) but I don't see why just because times have changed that people should forget their values and what they stand for. A marriage/wedding day should remain about the couple, the love they share and people respecting their wishes for that one day.

one of our guests had a white dress on but to be honest I didn't notice till someone else said something to me, It didn't worry me at all she looked lovely in it.

I wouldn't wear white or cream as a guest, personally, but if someone decides to come to my wedding that way it wouldn't really bother me. I'd rather it didn't happen, but I wouldn't be angry or upset if it did.

Personally, at my own wedding, I'm not bothered - I'm not planning on a white dress for myself anyway.

As a guest at other weddings, if I knew the bride was wearing white, ivory, or anything in the white scale, no way would I dream of wearing white (unless I was in the wedding party and asked to do so, like at my sister's).

I think the symbolism is so heavy, and emotions can run so high at weddings, it's best to err on the side of caution.

I went to a wedding once where a girl wore a white dress. I thought that was rude, but I thought it was ruder that she'd turned up in a dress that was basically meant for clubbing and you could almost see what she'd had for breakfast.

I think it's rude to wear white on someone else's wedding day. Even my H2B has been trying to wear a white suit and I'm not having it. Lol. But I'd prefer someone wore say a knee length white dress, to a dress in any colour that barely covered their @rse. xx

I wouldn't have minded, but I've always avoided wearing white to someone else's wedding. I had a couple of people asking me about their dresses for my wedding, one worried that there was too much white and one worrying that it was too close to the bridesmaids' colour. In both cases I told them that as long as they didn't turn up in a wedding gown I didn't mind what they wore.

One of my friends from work wore white to our wedding (she wasn't at the ceremony, just the reception) and, to be honest, I didn't even notice until I was looking through the pictures and one of the guys from work said "I told her not to wear white"(!) It obviously didn't bother me in the slightest (given that I didn't even notice!) I don't know if I might have felt differently if she was at the ceremony as well, but I doubt it.

I agree, white background with a heavy pattern is different.

I don't think it would be possible to upstage a bride unless you wear an actual wedding dress, but I must admit I'd be "tutting" along with the best of people because I've been told since I was little how it's not right to wear white.

Depending on the dress I would probably be a bit miffed but I don't know how much attention I would really give it xoxo

I'd have been angry and upset, it is just not appropriate. Only the bride should wear white/ivory.

My sister was going to wear white suit until my mum told her no! The only thing I have asked Is no hats or fascinators I really have a thing about hats, I will be staring at them all day haha x

I wore a knee length white dress to a wedding once but it had pastel embroidered flowers all over it beneath the waist and a black ribbon around the waist.

I ensured I got approval and permission from the bride before I wore it so I knew it would not upset x

My uncle turned up in shorts and a tshirt with a picture of a bow tie on it! That's weird!

Some people have no respect for weddings.

I sang at a wedding about a month or so ago. there was one woman wearing a stretch denim skirt and t-shirt with trainers. I was amazed

Emily that is so cool!

That's so lovely.