There is nothing wrong with wearing red to a wedding

[LadyMaid]

Inspired by another thread.

Why do people feel red shouldn't be worn to a wedding? As a guest.

As a bride, with Indian heritage, I wore red at my wedding, and there were countless guests wearing red, and white, floor length gowns.

I didn't give it a second thought.

I have attended a lot of weddings over the years where red and white have both been worn.

I wouldn't wear red to a Chinese wedding (it's the bridal colour there)

I think that as the world becomes more interconnected, and as communities become more diverse, people to become aware of more and different traditions.

But sometimes don't assimilate them appropriately. Nothing wrong with red in most contexts.

I've worn red to a wedding
And trousers
Shock horror! 🤣

There's nothing wrong with wearing anything to a wedding if it suits you and you feel comfortable. With the possible exception of wearing a bridal gown if you are not the bride.

Interestingly if you look at Phase Eight's occasion dress section they have red dresses and cream dresses on there for weddings! I think all these "rules" are an MN thing.

Unless you are the bride, bridesmaid or mother of the bride/groom, nobody is looking at you anyway so why does it matter what you wear?

I am 50 and this is news to me.

Perhaps there should be a uniform for weddings, beige smocks for all?

I think historically wasn't it the other woman who would wear red! But I don't think it should be an issue nowadays, like pp have said as long as it's not a wedding dress! I'm actually wearing a coral based red to a wedding this year, can confirm I am not the other woman haha

I got told by mumsnet the other day that I shouldn't wear green to a wedding! apparently it's bad luck. so that's white, anything else too pale that could read as white, black, red, green ... what can we wear?

First I've heard of it.

I wore a scarlet floor length dress to my brothers wedding.

Deliberately hunted for that too.

But then, they're goths and I figured it would fit their aesthetic. Badly misjudged, they went "Brontë sisters" style...

Still looked amazing and the bride loved it....

The only "rule" I'll ever adhere to is no white.

Which is easy, cause white looks shit on me

Any wedding where I was told what to wear, would be a wedding I won't attend.

The only colour that would be a no no for a wedding for me is White/Ivory.
I usually wear black with a tiny bit of colour. Bright colours for me are a big no.

I cannot get my head around some of the things people think around weddings.

white/lacy obviously not
but why not a white background flowery summer dress? But apparently that is a no-no.
Funereal black I can understand,
But classy black outfit that has nice accessories and looks appropriate to weather etc why not? But again scandal.

and now red. Red? Why? Cannot see why a red dress makes you stand out any more than a bright pink one or yellow with a big hat or whatever. Bizarre.

Glad my family are more relaxed. Come, we'd love to have you. Wouldn't mind if you made a bit of effort to dress up, wear what you are comfortable in.

*Just in case I wasn’t clear bright colours on me personally are a big no I like dark plain colours.

My mums outfit was an amazing red suit as it was a winter wedding. Iv seen some lovely summer dresses that are white with red flowers that are perfect for a wedding.

Nothing wrong with red. White if the bride wears it and a wedding type style would be inappropriate IMO though.

@LollyPollyPop

I've worn red to a wedding And trousers Shock horror! 🤣

What a rebel

It's misogynistic. If you dare wear a colour that suits you, you must be an attention seeking harlot out for the groom, and all brides are obsessed with not being OUTSHONE and want their guests to wear shapeless beige.

At every wedding I've gone to, the men have been in navy/black suits like OHMYGOODNESS the groom, yet noone makes this into a thing because obviously men don't care about such frivolous things as looks, only women who are in constant competition with each other.

@callmeblondie

For a traditional church wedding where the bride wears white or ivory, I would steer clear of a red, black, white or ivory outfit. The bride should be centre of attention.

The bride and groom would be the centre of attention even if they wore t-shirts and jeans. It's their wedding.

@steppemum

I cannot get my head around some of the things people think around weddings.

white/lacy obviously not
but why not a white background flowery summer dress? But apparently that is a no-no.
Funereal black I can understand,
But classy black outfit that has nice accessories and looks appropriate to weather etc why not? But again scandal.

and now red. Red? Why? Cannot see why a red dress makes you stand out any more than a bright pink one or yellow with a big hat or whatever. Bizarre.

Glad my family are more relaxed. Come, we'd love to have you. Wouldn't mind if you made a bit of effort to dress up, wear what you are comfortable in.

Hear, hear. Hideous washed out pastels or beige seem to be the only acceptable colours.

I think its about saying/sentiments that are no longer present in society. In olden days the scarlett woman was a fallen woman, who enjoyed sex, had a lover (in addition to her husband), who perhaps left her husband etc so those women wore red and generally everyone else wore subtle colours. But now, women wear what they want, sleep with whom they want in principle could have a husband a lover and more but there is no close knit society to sit and cast judgment.

You cannot upstage a bride on her wedding day.

However, you can make yourself THAT guest.

The one that's wearing a dress more suited to clubbing. The one that's stumbling in spike heels across a field at a barn wedding. The one wearing the floor length white dress that the bridesmaids are planning to spill red wine on.

Personally spotting the person who is THAT guest is all part of the fun of a wedding to me, and I was practically disappointed that none of my own were THAT guest.

OP I was on that thread that you mentioned and I thought the suggestion that red "just wasn't done" for a wedding was absolutely batshit!! Ludicously old fashioned, if it was ever even a thing...

I have worn red to a wedding twice. It suits me. Many years ago (80s) I wore a black trouser suit with short waiter style jacket with a cobalt blue blouse and hat. One wedding I was at someone wore head to toe black.

I sort of knew it wasn't the done thing but I couldn't tell you why!

So I likely wouldn't wear red myself but I wouldn't think badly of somebody who did

I thought the connotation of wearing red to a wedding was that you had slept with the groom.

Not that I really buy into wedding traditions anyway, other than not upstaging the bride and not wearing the same colour as her and/or not wearing white.

No white, no red, no black.. the list of acceptable colours is ever-shrinking, it seems.

Some people think green is unlucky!

My Mum wore a fabulous red YSL suit to my wedding. That was the thing then, to wear skirt suits to formal occasions. Looking at my wedding photos it seems weird to the modern eye, lots of beautiful teens and 20-somethings all dressed like mini Maggie Thatchers. Anyway, my Mum looked great and nobody thought anything of the colour so I don't think it's a very widespread thing, at least not in Ireland.

I think, in the post in question, it was the fact that MiL wore red to husband's wedding to ex (OK) and black to the poster's (not OK). I haven't read the whole thread so this might already have been mentioned.