Wedding guest dress options

[Batterseamama]

Need help! Which of these dresses do you think is most appropriate to wear as a guest to a wedding in France. I love the first one but my daughter has said she thinks it’s too white (& therefore to be avoided in the tradition of only brides wear white). Would value any views. It’s going to be hot so I can’t add a coloured jacket. Many thanks!

I agree.

I think a lot of mumsnetters must go to terribly formal weddings. None of those dresses would have looked out of place at any wedding I have attended.

I like the second one with the pink best of all.

I agree with the opinion of them being far too casual. Not really wedding attire.

Nah. It's that lots of women quite rightly are doubtful that this "rule" has been taken to the extremes people have started claiming. So it's a thought process of "I've heard rumours that the widely understood convention of not wearing white has now become don't wear even a hint of white and a dress with a pale background but a bold print has somehow been included in this. I'm assuming this is nonsense and we haven't really had a glut of incredibly precious brides who genuinely think any of these totally mormal dresses undermine them"

Then they are sadly disappointed by being told that yes, things have gone that mad.

Nah, it’s women hear wedding and think white. There are many colours. No one needs to twist themselves in the knots you suggest so they can have at it in a white dress.

No, nobody needs to tie themselves in knots at all. I entirely agree. It's very simple. All white, probably best avoided. Any pattern at all totally fine. Was totally simple that way before people started getting prissy about it.

The second one is nicer, colours are lovely but it is quite a casual dress for a wedding - I would keep looking.

The styles are all the same and the second one with more colour looks better. I assume the wedding is fairly casual? Otherwise choose a dress with more structure and a better fabric.

Not in my experience and I have family who live in France. Just like here some weddings are formal but many are less so. The last one I went to was very informal all the guests brought a home made dish for the wedding breakfast.
It's only on Mumsnet that I have encountered the no white at all rule. Never in real life anywhere

@Tryagain26 MN is totally bizarre about this! I think people posting simply don’t go to weddings! White or off white with a pattern on it is fine. I just prefer the more colourful dress! The black circles is a work dress and none are smart but it depends on style. If chic French, none of them. If casual - the French will still do it better. If predominately Brits - middle one is fine.

The pink dress is so pretty! Have a lovely time at the wedding OP!

My experience of weddings is at the casual end so when I see a lovely dress that mumsnetters say isn't smart enough I admit that is not my experience.

I don't think I have ever been to a stiffly formal wedding.

Most of the guests at yesterday's sort of Royal wedding were wearing the traditional floral print summer garden party type dresses. Plenty with white backgrounds. Others, including the Queen, in plain very pale almost white. Nobody apparently having a fit of the vapours about any of them being inappropriate.

Actually most of them were in block colour. Very few like you say.

And yet according to the "the rule means no white at all" crowd there are at least 5 guests there who would have upset the bride, been talked about by other guests and ruined the photos. Does rather show up the insistence on it being terrible etiquette as very silly.

I agree. There were definitely more women wearing white or black than MN would deem acceptable.

This is because the strict “no white at all” rule is the modern equivalent of insisting on fish knives, holding a knife like a pen at dinner, or sticking your little finger out when holding a cup of tea.

The ones used for decent pictures were wearing Beulah (the founder was there) or were Royal family who definitely know how to dress!

I wouldn't choose any of the dresses in the pic above. Just a personal view and my taste (which could be awful!). Beatrice's dress - the pattern doesn't line up properly and I'm sure that frock cost 1000's. The Beulah owner's dress looks too small, she appears to be poured into it and zipped up tight, and the seams will split if she sits down! Far too fitted. Sophie's dress is just OK, nothing wow about it. And the Isabelle dress is the best of all, slightly unstructured and carried well. But again nothing extra special either.

I'd never be worried about being invited to a society wedding now, anything goes and of course everyone says they are all gorgeous, when they clearly are NOT to most people with a good eye for these things. Doesn't have to be expensive or designer, but it does have to look "right". None of those dresses above do IMO.

The pink one

@santamole That’s your opinion. I think they all look spot on for a wedding without nitpicking the women.

My observations are fair and do not denigrate the wearer, rather the fit and style. Some of them are too small e.g. the Beulah Blue and that's obvious to see. But again, I wouldn't wear any of them. Not that my choice of dress would be brilliant either I might add, since I only wear a dress for a wedding anyway, never any other time!

A good eye, honestly some of the items of clothing recommended on the style and beauty forum on here would indicate many have far from a good eye, so I’m guessing many commenting , in real life, would not be held up as a stylish dresser or having a good eye by those who know them,

@santamole So you think these women have all turned out knowing they will get photographed and their clothes are too small? Completely disagree! Some dresses are made to figure hug. Zara looks amazing. I think the styles are perfect and if you don’t wear a dress, I’m not sure you are a great judge to be honest. For any formal day wedding or mother of groom/bride, these types of dresses are perfect.

Apart from the the caramel and cream dress they're pretty underwhelming.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner I 100% agree about Zara's dress. But I didn't include hers in my comment about the underwhelm of the ones I did mention!

Let's not argue. Everyone's tastes are different, what's sauce for one is poison for another.

That Beulah dress is still far too tight though!