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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU To wear a red dress to a wedding?!

54 replies

Mowgli1970 · 10/03/2010 16:32

I never gave this any thought until I mentioned it to a friend who said I shouldn't wear red to a wedding, but couldn't remember if it was superstitious (and therefore a load of IMHO) or what. Any idea why red is taboo?!

OP posts:
Crapweasel · 10/03/2010 16:33

No idea. Unless it's an Indian wedding where red is the bride's colour?

Green is traditionally unlucky I believe but never heard that red was.

parakeet · 10/03/2010 16:33

YANBU

Never heard of it myself.

I think the only thing that would breach wedding etiquette would be a long white dress.

MrsC2010 · 10/03/2010 16:34

Dunno to be honest. A friend of mine wore a skin-tight, very revealing red dress to my wedding which raised a few eyebrows (I couldn't have cared less at the time but got what people meant when looking at photos) because it was far more suited to a night club than a traditional country wedding...especially when teamed with lots of cleavage hoiking and pouting at the camera for each photo...weird.

Anyway, in answer to your question, I guess it depends on the dress. I guess maybe some people think that red dresses can be seen as provoative. Not sure.

BritFish · 10/03/2010 16:34

cos red is the best colour and you'll look better than the bride :D
is it to do with red being the opposite of the bride's white, purity, virginity and all that balls?
unless you match the bridesmaid dont worry about it!

BigBadMummy · 10/03/2010 16:38

Never heard of that before, plenty of people wore red to my weading.

Only no-no is to not wear a white dress, unless you are the bride!

Mung · 10/03/2010 16:38

My Mum wore a red outfit to my wedding...didn't think anything of it.

Hardys · 10/03/2010 16:41

never heard of it.

MakemineaGandT · 10/03/2010 16:42

I've worn red to a couple of weddings. Didn't even occur to me that it might be a problem

travellingwilbury · 10/03/2010 16:43

Well I wore red to a wedding and it was mine

ShauntheSheep · 10/03/2010 16:43

Blimey never heard of red being unlucky or green either and black apparently isnt good and def not white so not really much choice left is there esp if the bride had gone for purple for the bridesmaids

starkadder · 10/03/2010 16:44

never heard of such a thing. I'd not wear black (bad luck) or white (too much like bride) though.

tablefor3 · 10/03/2010 16:45

I think that some people think that red stands out too much in photographs.

Seems a bit (yay! used first emoticon) to me. Depends on how much you think the bride (and/or her mother) might care about these things and whether you expect to be in any of the close group photos.

For what it is worth my mother wore a bright red outfit for my wedding, including red fascinator (not to upstage me). I am still fairly obviously the bride in the photos.

FourOfFour · 10/03/2010 16:47

I don't think it's so much a matter of being lucky/unlucky as the fact that you will stand out in all the wedding pics (the eye is apparently drawn to red)

Wouldn't have bothered me, but if you're concerned, why don't you have a quick chat with the bride about it?

To be honest, I doubt she'll mind...

notsoteenagemum · 10/03/2010 16:51

Almost everyone wore red to my wedding because it was Christmas and although it clashed with my icy theme, we haven't had any bad luck..........yet

MrsC2010 · 10/03/2010 16:53

I think red looks lovely on most people (obviously in different tones) I think depending on the dress is the big thing. I'm sure you have taste...go for it!

confuddledDOTcom · 10/03/2010 17:01

Don't know about guests, but this is for brides:

Married in white, you've chosen right.
Married in blue, your love will always be true.
Married in pearl, you'll live in a whirl.
Married in brown, you'll live in town.
Married in red, you'll wish yourself dead.
Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow.
Married in green, ashamed to be seen.
Married in pink, your spirit will sink.
Married in grey, you'll go far away.
Married in black, you'll wish yourself back.

travellingwilbury · 10/03/2010 17:03

I haven't wished myself dead yet confuddled , 11 years and counting

MadamDeathstare · 10/03/2010 18:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mumdrivenmad · 10/03/2010 18:58

I remember seeing a poem once and have not been able to google, it was similar to confuddled's post, I remember one of the lines being "a bride in green should never be seen"

confuddledDOTcom · 10/03/2010 19:04

travelling, I hope so, my dress is going to be red and gold!

AmandaCooper · 10/03/2010 19:16

Yes it's considered to be poor etiquette to wear red, due to it drawing the eye. It's all very well to say ask the bride but unless she's happy to appear unreasonable, she really won't have any choice but to say it's okay. Wear red if you like, but bear in mind the possibility (I imagine small) that some people might take offence.

spiderpig8 · 10/03/2010 19:17

Red and white are supposed to be an unlucky combination .Red blood on white sheets

spiderpig8 · 10/03/2010 19:18

Although that might be apt for a virginal bride!!

MadamDeathstare · 10/03/2010 19:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

damnedchilblains · 10/03/2010 19:26

I've heard of it before. It's American I think, it goes back to when if you wore red you were a harlot and if you wore it to wedding you would draw peoples attention from the bride. Where red, but don't stand close to the bride in photos, not because it might reflect but because people are more likely to look straight at you when they look at the picture.