The History Behind Why You Should Never Wear White To A Wedding, Unless You’re The Bride
With wedding season right around the corner, it’s probably a good time to issue a refresher about guest etiquette.
No, I’m not talking about simply showing up on time or refraining from taking iPhone pictures during the ceremony. Instead, we need to get to the bottom of why you must avoid wearing white to other people’s weddings.
The History Of The “No White” Rule
Queen Victoria has been credited with trailblazing the white wedding dress tradition. After she married Prince Albert in 1840 and picked out a gorgeous lace-embellished white satin gown, photographs of the ceremony spread like wildfire throughout England.
Then, once women, young and old, saw the images, brides everywhere began to copy the Queen’s style by donning luxurious white gowns to their own weddings.
At the same time, the solidification of white as a “bridal color” meant that a guest wearing white to witness nuptials was generally frowned upon.
And even though Millenials have revamped countless age-old wedding traditions in recent decades, the “no white” rule has persevered. Here’s why.
Stop Wearing White To Weddings
You may have a wedding approaching and a seemingly perfect gown already hanging in your closet. The only problem, though, is that the dress is ivory, cream, eggshell, or any other term for “white.”
kavastudio – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
You start to wonder: is it too close to the hue of the bride’s gown? Would the bride even care? Might other guests notice? Some people might encourage you to “go for it,” but most know that if you are even questioning the color of your guest dress, then it is definitely a “no-go.”
First of all, while you might not care about being the center of attention during your nuptials one day, you cannot speak for your friends and family members.
And if a bride dishes out a generous amount of cash, invites 100+ friends and family members, and goes through the trouble of finding her perfect dress, why would you try to steal the spotlight?
Weddings are obviously about the union of two people: the bride and groom. So, they are supposed to stand out– and any guest dress that draws attention in photos or makes the lovebirds upset just is not worth it. This “no white rule” also comes down to having self-awareness and respecting the boundaries of your loved ones.
If you are invited to attend a wedding, you have to know your place. As a guest, you are supposed to be in the cheering section– not actually involved in the wedding. So, by showing up in an appropriate, non-white dress, you will show your respect for the couple.
Of course, this rule might shift depending on whose wedding you are invited to. Some brides are now opting to wear less traditional gowns on their wedding day or even forego a white wedding dress altogether.
But, you should never make assumptions about guest attire expectations without consulting the bride first. Instead, ask for a color palette or even send a photo of your dress to the couple if you are having doubts about your outfit.
Approximately 99.99% of the time, though, you can rest assured that white will not be acceptable– and may even lead to some serious drama on your friend or family member’s big day. So, for the sake of your loved ones, just leave the all-white attire to the love birds, and save any white or “off-white” dresses in your wardrobe for another event.
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