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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU - bridezilla dictating what guests should wear

224 replies

Lillyblossom · 28/05/2015 10:30

Would like to know if IABU about this?

A dear friend of mine is getting married next month. It was a selected child free wedding. Some children are attending some aren't the couple have children. We sorted childcare with the PIL but FIL is due a opp the day before so they told us they could no longer babysit so the couple have said we can bring DD.

My friend and I were chatting on the phone recently and she said how angry she was that so many people intended to wear white dresses to her wedding that she had to say something. On FB may I add a angry status along the lines of if anyone dares wear white to my wedding I will throw you out, how dare anyone try to upstage me.

Anyway we had a conversation about this and she asked my opinion and I said I wasn't really overly bothered. Some ladies wore white dresses at mine and it really didn't matter to me.

She asked about mine and my DDs dress and I explained to her I had lost 3 stone recently and knew back in January I was planning too as I knew what size I should be as I've been this particular weight before. I'd been given some john Lewis vouchers for Xmas and because we had 3 weddings to go to this year and there all unrelated people I bought my dress in January to wear to all 3.

I've attached a pic, it's a nice dress I think and I feel comfortable in it. I don't really wear dresses often. I have large thighs and huge boobs despite being a size 10 so to find something that flatters and I feel comfortable in is quite rare.

DD doesn't really wear dresses either but she got given a really pretty dress for Xmas that she's not worn. It's a cream dress that is down to the floor and it does resemble a bridesmaid dress however I have got her a purple bolero chunky knit cardi and she's got some purple shoes that completely change the look of the dress. She wore very similar to a family wedding a couple of years ago and she looked lovely and did not look like a bridesmaid. Pic attached, same without the bow.

Bride has text me and basically gone batshit saying she thinks both of us need to return our dresses and get something more appropriate. Mine is apparently the same colour as her adult bridesmaids dresses. And she doesn't want DD upstaging her DCs.

I have said I had no idea what her colour theme is and it's not done intentionally. And her bridesmaids are wearing full length dresses.
Funny enough my other friend who is getting married is having the same colour theme and I did mention to her that I was wearing blue knee length as that's what her maids are wearing and she said don't be silly your not going to be the only one.

My husband says I should go out and buy new for me and DD just to keep the peace. But why should the bride get to dictate what her guests wear?
It's not low cut or skimpy so what should it matter?

So AIBU to wear this dress? If you were the bride would you be offended by either of these dresses?

OP posts:
strawberry01 · 28/05/2015 10:50

Your dress is fine. Your DDs isn't though.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 28/05/2015 10:50

I think your DD's dress is a bit flower girl/bridesmaid-like but I don't think it should automatically exclude you from the wedding. I've seen lots of kids at weddings in similar dresses and they clearly aren't in the 'official' wedding party because they're not stood at the front, neither are they in the bridesmaid photos, they just look like their parents dressed them in nice dresses.

Nothing wrong with your dress, it's a very similar colour to the dress I wore previously to my Dbro's wedding reception. Over reaction by the bride but I wouldn't have run any of our outfits via the B&G before arriving, you're asking for trouble as it invites their opinion.

Personally, I wouldn't go due to the Bridezilla, can't be doing with the expense of attending a wedding for someone with that attitude. If you do go, I'd probably just buy a cheap supermarket dress for DD, there's some nice ones about.

HermioneWeasley · 28/05/2015 10:51

You've bought your dress and its a lovely dress for weddings. It's unfortunate that is similar to the bridesmaids, but if she hasn't banned it for all guests, she is likely to have several guests in navy.

WRT your daughter's dress, it is very bridesmaidy and I'd put her in something else. She must have another smart outfit she can wear

Oakmaiden · 28/05/2015 10:51

My friend wore her wedding dress to my wedding. OK, it wasn't a traditional wedding dress - but I still thought it was an odd choice, really. And then she criticised my dress for being "over the top" (it wasn't).

I was mildly irritated, but not enough to have said anything about it...

Shame you told her, really.

passthewineplz · 28/05/2015 10:52

YABU about your DD's dress, it does look like a bridesmaids dress, I'd buy her a pretty summer dress instead.

Re your own dress - YANBU I'd wear the dress you've already got, but make sure your accessories are totally different to what the bridesmaids are wearing.

balletnotlacrosse · 28/05/2015 10:53

The bride is being absolutely ridiculous, petulant and rude.

Your dress looks totally appropriate to wear to a wedding. Blue is hardly an unusual colour so there's bound to be lots of guests wearing it. Is she going to go around glaring at them all day?

Your daughter's dress is a little bridesmaidy, but so what really? Lots of little girls like to wear princess dresses to weddings, why is it such a big deal to the bride? It's not as if you're going to be shoving her into the family photos, or sneakily getting her to walk up the aisle behind the bride.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 28/05/2015 10:53

I would think it will be fairly obvious neither of you are part of the wedding party on the day as you don't have active roles in the ceremony. She needs to get over the fact that she can't control every single detail of her wedding day as far as guests are concerned.

This. What on earth does it matter if a little girl looks like a flower girl? Do people think their guests have unlimited amounts of money to spend on going to a wedding? So selfish.

WanderingAboutRandomly · 28/05/2015 10:55

Your dress is lovely but, I agree that your DDs does look like a flower girl.

Lillyblossom · 28/05/2015 10:56

Point taken regarding DDs dress, as I said she wore simular a couple of years ago but it was a winter wedding and her cardi stayed on all day. Plus she was young then so she got away with it.

She had this dress recently for a disco but again it's cream so I don't know people's opinions on this. If not a trip to sainsburys will be in order as there dresses are so lovely and summery.

NOTE THIS IS A CHILDS DRESS NOT MINE!

AIBU - bridezilla dictating what guests should wear
OP posts:
WipsGlitter · 28/05/2015 10:57

Your dress is lovely and tough if it is the same colour as the bridesmaids. IF you'd not shown it to her she would never have known.

I think your daughters is too flower girl and i would get her something else.

ScorpioMermaid · 28/05/2015 10:58

I think your dress is fine and your dds does look a little bridesmaidy but it's not the end of the world.

I wouldn't be happy If people turned up in white to my wedding though. (which I don't think anyone did actually)

gofuckyourself · 28/05/2015 10:58

Your dress is fine and very lovely but your daughters looks like a bridesmaids dress and too formal for a guest. I would get a lovely summer dress for you daughter from Sainsbury's. I got a cute dress for my cousins wedding for my 7 year old daughter from their last year and my cousin thought she looked adorable. You could always try eBay too if money is an issue.

3luckystars · 28/05/2015 10:59

She's a nutcase.

varoom · 28/05/2015 11:03

Your dress is fine but your DD's is quite flower girl

whiteiris · 28/05/2015 11:03

That second dress for your dd looks fine.

1Morewineplease · 28/05/2015 11:04

I'm going to agree with OPs here... Your dress looks fab for the wedding despite BMs being similar but it's an absolute NO-NO FROM me regarding your daughter's dress.. Way too BMy .

PtolemysNeedle · 28/05/2015 11:05

The bride is being a tad bridezilla in her reaction, but tbh I don't think it's too much to ask that guests don't wear white or put their daughters in bridesmaidy dresses.

It's quite a well known no no, so I'm more surprised that so many people think it's ok to wear white or cream to a wedding.

I'm not sure about your dress because that's not white so the one in the picture is fine if it's that colour, but you really need to put y our dd in something else.

Whiteshirt · 28/05/2015 11:06

She sounds ghastly, but you did give her the ammunition by going into enormous detail about both your outfits. It's like people who get annoyed when people are rude about their planned baby names, when they've told them they're planning to call their child Geronimo Ughtred as soon as they had the 20 week scan...

Do you actually want to attend this wedding? Because it sounds like massive faff. I'm going to a wedding this weekend, and I have no idea what I will be wearing, and probably won't decide until I get up that morning!

dailyfix · 28/05/2015 11:07

I think it's perfectly reasonable not to expect your guests to wear white or cream, shows little respect for tradition. But navy, absolutely not, there are going to loads of bridesmaids Wink.
Fair play to you op for looking for something else for your DD. It's nice that they've invited her now and it would be best not to offend. There are some cute cotton checked dresses about which would took cute & summery.

forago · 28/05/2015 11:09

I agree with the prevailing opinions - yours is fine, buy a nice statement necklaces, high shoes, coloured handbag etc to make it completly different form the bridesmaid dresses (which will be long surely?). Daughters one is to wedding'y though and I can kind if see why shed be annoyed. Buy a nice colourful dress from supermarket/H&M that she can wearvwithbthe Cardi. that's what id do. if she still moans, I wouldn't go. I wouldn't mention it to her again either. surely she has more important things to be doing at this point that checking what guests are planning to wear?

Athenaviolet · 28/05/2015 11:11

I just wouldn't put dd in such an impractical colour for a formal event that involves eating.

Doesn't she need a floral or similar summer dress for the season anyway?

FirstWeTakeManhattan · 28/05/2015 11:11

I couldn't care less what people wore to our wedding (which was a full church, sit down dinner formal one). It just does not bloody matter. I cannot believe that anyone gives a crap about this kind of thing.

I would be really pissed off if someone told me what to wear in such a rude way. I probably would find a reason not to go if a 'friend' treated me like that to be honest.

Momagain1 · 28/05/2015 11:13

Dont bother going. Dont indulge unreasonable behaviour. If she recovers from her bridezilla blinders, she will regret creating the situation that prompted your absence and your friendship will renew. If she doesnt, good riddance.

LaurieMarlow · 28/05/2015 11:13

Mmm, she sounds like an ego driven maniac. Your dress looks absolutely fine to me. She can't expect to dictate to her guests to tune of banning blue!!!

I agree with the majority that you're on shakier ground with your DD dress. However, the accessories you describe would change the look significantly and it would be a shame for your DD not to get to wear her pretty frock. Not the most practical present to give, I reckon, but that's another issue.

I'd just wear them and be prepared for the nuclear fall out afterwards. She may calm that raging ego feel differently on the day. Or in the excitement, not even notice

fatlazymummy · 28/05/2015 11:13

The 2nd dress for your daughter looks fine to me. If she's not really into wearing dresses then I would save your money and dress her in that.You can add some pretty hair accessories and shoes to dress it up a bit more.
As a general rule (and if you just want one dress to wear for weddings) a patterned or floral dress in quite bright colours works well. Nearly all bridesmaids dresses are one colour, so you know you're not going to run the risk of looking the same.