Too white for a wedding guest dress?

[VenusClapTrap]

It’s not lacey or floaty, but it is basically white with flowers. Would you give this dress a swerve for a wedding? It’s in Greece in the summer, so I might be better off picking something looser anyway. But I like this a lot, it’s a good shape for me, and it’s reduced - can’t resist a bargain!

https://www.tedbaker.com/uk/p/Womens/Outlet/Clothing/Dresses/LAWANA-Tulip-Skirt-Dress-Natural/258753-NATURAL

I love the dress.
The fabric might be an issue.
Regarding suitability otherwise, depends what bridal party are wearing.
I once wore a cream dress to a friend's wedding when we were mid 20s. We were close so i asked her if was OK, she didn't think anything of it and no one would have mistaken me for the bride!

It’s definitely not only an online thing - I’ve been at weddings when another guest has worn white and comments from other guests have been made behind her back speculating as to her motives.

It’s literally one colour out of all the colours (and the OP is buying a new dress so it’s not as if she’s trying to make one she already has work) - surely it’s easy to avoid in case there is anyone there who would take offence? I’ve been invited to a wedding in India next year and on the wedding list they’ve advised not to wear red as ‘it’s traditionally reserved for the bride’ - I’m absolutely going to respect that and don’t see why I wouldn’t do the same in a different culture.

I do think sometimes online the ‘it’s too white’ gets taken too far and I’ve seen some dresses questioned on here that I think would be overkill to avoid (think ones with large, dramatic, bold prints over the top so the first thing you see when you look at it is hot pink rather than the slither of white background) but I had to click on that link to actually appreciate the bulk of the print - you’ll have the same effect when stood in a big group photo with the bride.

I didn’t even wear white when I got married and I wouldn’t have minded if a guest had but I wouldn’t want to take the gamble as a guest when I could easily chose something else and avoid causing any inadvertent upset.

I don't get the photo thing at all. No one's going to be confused which one is the bride. And how many photos will a guest be in anyway?

As for the guests "speculating about her motives" - what were her motives?

Motive? Upstaging the bride.

It's a lovely dress. The only person who should wear it at a wedding is the bride

They thought she was trying to upstage the bride/make some sort of point to her boyfriend. I’m not saying that I agree with them at all, I was just saying that I had seen criticism in real life (not just online as stated) and I’m not sure why you’d potentially invite it upon yourself when there are literally endless possibilities too wear something else.

Why on earth are you asking a bunch of strangers on the internet? Just ask the bride. I did when I bought a white dress for a destination wedding. My friend said it was okay so I wore it.

Disclaimer: it didn't resemble a wedding dress in the slightest.

Too white and you would find a lot nicer than that for a wedding.

It's always been considered "bad form" to wear white to a wedding meant to symbol ise "purity" or black,it's for funerals, symbolises 'death mourning ". Having said that,unless you are 5, the dress is revolting, out of proportion. Strange waist and much too short. Impractical material.

It’s a pretty well known traditional rule in the U.K, that wearing white to someone else’s wedding is a massive faux pas. I often question why someone needs to wear the 1 colour that generally considered a nono, it just screams attention seeking. If you have the check with the bride or groom if your outfit is suitable for a wedding (not withstanding any untraditional wedding) is it really suitable? You don’t have ANYTHING else? Nah, doesn’t sway.

Gopping are you from Yorkshire? Haven't heard that in years

You can all cancel the cheque, I’ve already said I’ll give it a swerve! 😂 It was just an idle thought. I saw it in a sale and liked it. I haven’t been to a wedding for donkeys years.

By the way it’s not a ‘destination wedding’ as such. The couple are Greek and the majority of the guests will be too. So if anyone has any pointers about what is expected at a bona fide Greek wedding that would be useful!

It hasn't 'always' been considered bad form to wear white to a wedding. Bride's wearing white wasn't a thing until Queen Victoria did it.

Until then brides would wear whatever they liked, their 'Sunday Best', etc.

I'd wear it but I'm not someone who has a lot of respect for made up rules.

If you like it, buy it to wear for dinner one evening (the material will be too hot during the day I think).

I’m a bit amused by all the ladies here fainting in horror though. There’s no hard and fast rule - it comes down to the type of wedding and location. If someone was getting married in a registry office and then having a low key celebration in the back garden it would be risky. But for your regular wedding where the bride has a long dress and a gaggle of bridesmaids, it’s fine.

I got married in Italy and a few friends wore short white or cream dresses without asking me. They looked lovely (but as the bride I was lovelier!) and we’re all still friends.

As somebody who came close to heatstroke in a synthetic dress during a Greek Orthodox wedding, I would wear something else. We were lucky that the priest shortened some elements of the service because most of the guests were looking a bit peaky too with the heat. Some of these weddings go for hours with multiple priests.

Are male guests who wear a suit the same colour as the groom's accused of upstaging him?

All "rules" are made up by someone! Like the ones about no breaking the law. I don't expect us poor plebs would have had much choice of wedding attire in queen victorias day.

What is actually inevitable on MN is some numpty claiming that no one cares about wedding guests wearing white, except on MN.

In fact, it's a well-known rule in France and the US, as well as the UK. This French site asks, "Can I wear white to a wedding?" The answer is, "Of course....as long as it's your wedding"

Some brides won't care, some brides will. Unless you know that the bride doesn't care, why take the risk of upsetting her?

I got married in the Caribbean and nearly everybody was in white/of white linen men and women. If I do say so myself the photos look great. Check with the bride

This is a massively common misconception.

While it was common for poor peasants to wear Sunday best which was 'anything they had in decent condition' because they couldn't afford new clothes the 'White Wedding' was started among the richer member of society by Princess Phillipa and Anne of Brittany in the 1400s. It wasn't just Europe either Mary Queen of Scots married in white in the 1500s as well as countless others.

In non 'western' culture White has been common in Japanese Wedding Kimonos since the 1300s.

It was a thing over 400 years before Victoria did it. The only reason it gained traction was the industrial revolution made textiles more accessible and 'luxury' clothing more available.

Also all rules are made up... we follow them out of respect for others because we are decent people.

Yes and too warm for Greece in summer

most rules/ conventions come in & out of fashion. Following rules isn’t in itself a sign of manners or decency
it used to be the rule a woman had to marry her dead husband brother
used to be a rule women must keep head covered in church
used to be a rule women couldn’t attend church if menstruating
corporal punishment used to be used to enforce rules in schools
rules forbade women retaining property or assets upon marriage

so not all rules or conventions are indicative of decent or good behaviour, not all rules benefit the group

Someone's been googlng! In modern Western society the white dress was much popularised and 'traditionalised' by Queen Victoria despite what royals several centuries earlier wore.

When I read Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence I was very confused about it mentioning May making over her wedding dress as a ball gown.

Also came across it in a Hardy novel (can't remember which one) about wearing a wedding dress to church ( or something similar). The white wedding dress for one use only is a recent phenomenon.

Oh and OP regardless of whether it's too white for a wedding (I don't think it is) it's a nice dress. I wouldn't wear it as I don't wear dresses that short but it's a pretty dress and a good style.

I'm not sure why it's getting such a kicking. It's much nicer than some of the "gopping" dresses being praised on other threads.

No it was always 'aspired too', Queen Victoria just happened to wear a common royal wedding colour and the era named after her was the time that had benefit from the massive leaps forward in mass production.

The two things are not wholly linked but rather coincidence that the two peaks collided... if the textile revolution happened in 1500 you would be saying it was Mary that inspired it but it would still purely the sudden mass availability of textiles that made it possible not Mary or Victoria herself.