The daughter of one of my dearest friends was getting married this summer. As I went through my closet trying to decide what to wear, I came across a long white flowy linen skirt. I coordinated it with a grey boatneck top, silver jewelry, and a straw hat.
It was official, I thought I looked cute, and I was going to wear my white ensemble. Surely, fashion norms have shifted in recent years, and it has become more acceptable to adorn a white.
Then I remembered being warned not to wear white to a wedding because, traditionally, white should only be worn by the bride on her special day. Traditionally, wearing white as a guest was seen as inappropriate. I did not want to go against social norms during someone else’s day to shine.
But in recent years, fashion norms have shifted, and it has become more acceptable for guests to appear at weddings wearing white.
After some contemplation, I decided to call a few friends.
I was advised that as long as it was not an all-white ensemble, it should be acceptable. I inquired about wearing a white top with a bottom that was another color. “No way and no exceptions,” said another friend.
I’ve read articles that suggest the bride should decide whether you could wear white. But the bride has enough to be concerned about. Do you really think she has time to ponder over your fashion choices?
So, of course, I went to Google. The Google articles made very few exceptions: “Wearing white is off-limits.”
A wedding is one occasion when your fashion choices are more about another person than yourself. I even considered wearing black. But black has been known to represent sober.
When I arrived at the wedding, no one was wearing white. The bride was absolutely beautiful in her off-white wedding gown. There was no way I could have outshined her.
There may always be a debate over whether guests should wear white to a wedding.
Oops, I didn’t tell you! No, I did not wear white.
Let us know what you think – should guests wear white to weddings or not? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
