A TikToker from the UK accidentally sparked controversy when she described a dress as perfect for a wedding guest. At first glance, you may not notice anything unusual, just a long sage green dress with floral embroidery. But many people disagreed, saying it was a terrible choice for the wedding since the color was so pale it looked white. And wearing white to a wedding is a basic etiquette no-no. But Lauren Candy, known as @laurencandy3 on TikTok, struggled to see the issue with her dress.
Is This Dress Appropriate For a Wedding?
In Western culture, wearing white to a wedding is considered rude. The reasoning is simple. The color is reserved for the central couple, especially the bride, who traditionally wears an all-white gown on the wedding day. So, guests or family members who wear white without the couple’s permission are viewed as attention-seekers trying to draw the spotlight away from the bride. After all, people from the groom’s side may not know the bride personally and may confuse her for a guest also decked in white. The wedding day is all about the couple, and it’s considered bad taste to do anything that can deliberately steal their thunder. But debate arises when it comes to pale colors.
“We see many brides opting for light blush, champagne, and ivory dresses,” says Kirsten Gutowski of Willoughby Golf Club. “So it’s safer for a guest to just choose a colored dress of some sort.” [1] So should very light pink or faded blue also go on the don’t-wear list? What about green? The dress in question is from ASOS’ Bridesmaid collection, and is called the cami embellished midi dress with embroidery in sage green. But many commenters insisted it looked white. [2]
Read: ‘My fiance wants me to wear red to our wedding because I’m not a virgin’
The White vs. Green Debate
One commenter wrote, “Really pretty but wouldn’t wear it to a wedding.” And many seemed to agree, saying the dress is too close to white. “Too bad it’s not a darker color,” wrote another. “Would be lovely for a bride in a simple country or beach wedding.”
Others said it’s better to play it safe. “If someone says something looks white — don’t wear it to a wedding, it’s a great dress but not for a wedding.” Another agreed with this take, adding, “My rule for weddings is if you have to wonder if it’s too close to white… it’s too close to white.”
Meanwhile, some people agreed the dress was green but it looked too close to white on camera. “The point is in the photos and video it will look white. There aren’t enough other colors out there to wear? Not this girl, just saying in general.”
But at the same time, many other commenters sounded confused. One wrote, “Why is everyone saying it’s close to white? IT’S LITERALLY GREEN!!!” Another added, “Why is everyone getting offended like it’s their wedding you’re going to? It’s definitely green.” And another dismissed the idea that the color was too close to white. “The point of not wearing white is so people don’t mistake you for the bride. No one would mistake this dress as a bride’s dress.”
Read: 89-Year-Old Grandma Was A Bridesmaid At Her Granddaughter’s Wedding And She Didn’t Disappoint
“Let’s Prove It’s Green”
Having had enough of the debate, Lauren Candy decided to end it once and for all. She posted another video with the caption: “Y‘all making me doubt my eyesight now so let’s prove it’s green.”
During the clip, she showed the dress lying on a bed with a white shirt on top of it. In the background, she says, “This dress seems to be stirring up a fair bit of controversy. Just to prove to the internet that I know what my colors are, this is a white top and this is the dress [which is] clearly green. Personally, if someone wore this to my wedding, I’d be saying how beautiful they are… but of course everyone has their own opinions.”
While many people agreed that the dress looked green, not all were convinced. “But the point is that on camera, it looks white,” wrote a commenter. “You don’t have control over the lighting of a wedding.” Another person said, “I work in the wedding industry and I see a lot of photographers edit photos and the filters make dresses like this look white even if it isn’t!” But many viewers concluded that anyone in doubt about a wedding guest dress should check in with the bride and call it a day. [3]
Keep Reading: Every Wedding Guest Dress Code, Explained
Sources
- “Wearing White to a Wedding: Cool or Not Cool?” Brides. Rachel Varina. July 19, 2021
- “A TikToker defended herself over a wedding guest dress controversy after viewers thought it looked too white: ‘The dress is clearly green’.” Insider. Charissa Cheong. March 21, 2023
- “’It’s clearly green’: Woman defends ‘terrible’ wedding guest outfit choice.” KidSpot. Eleanor Katelaris. July 20, 2023