Bride Slammed for Demanding Strict Guest Dress Code: 'Ultimate Approval'

A bride has been slammed online for demanding her wedding guests adhere to a strict dress code.

In a post on London-based internet forum Mumsnet, user Igcoopers explained how she has been asked by the bride to "send a picture of what I've chosen" to wear.

"I must wear a dress that's sage green," she explained. "So must my daughter and son. My daughter has to wear a dress but is exempt—bride's words—from wearing ballet slippers because she isn't walking yet."

She explained that all men at the wedding must wear a black suit with a sage green tie.

But after looking, the woman could not find anything suitable to wear and asked the internet: "Am I being unreasonable to tell her I can't find anything in my size that's sage green?"

The post gained over 320 replies as commenters on Mumsnet quickly asked if the poster was in the wedding party, which she explained she was not, and users were shocked to hear such strict rules for a wedding guest.

"Why is she thinking she can dictate what you wear?!" asked one commenter. Another said: "Sorry the bride is telling guests what to wear?? Is this really a thing?"

Gabriella Rello Duffy, editorial director of Brides, told Newsweek: "There are a number of reasons why a couple might ask guests to wear a certain color: Sometimes they've decided on a specific color as part of a dedicated dress code for the event. In many ways, asking guests to wear a specific color is not much different than asking them to arrive in cocktail or black-tie attire. In other cases, the couple has chosen not to have a wedding party but still want to honor important guests by having them stand out through coordinated dresses and suits.

"Ultimately, it's reasonable to make the ask, but it's unreasonable to assess every single guest's outfit of choice and have ultimate approval over what each person wears."

Other commenters on the viral post continued to share their outrage that the bride was expecting such a strict dress code to be followed.

"Unless she's buying what you wear as a guest it's your business," said one reply.

"If you're thinking about asking some guests to wear a specific color in the spirit of being part of an honorary wedding party, I would suggest explaining this to them, because being asked to dress a specific way as a symbol of your close relationship will make sense to them, and they'll likely be elated to make it work," said Duffy.

"If you can't find anything that fits the dress code, I would choose whatever feels like a reasonably close match. For example, if the couple has asked everyone to wear sage green but you can only find a dress that's within your personal style and budget in a deeper hunter green, I would wear that."

Newsweek was not able to verify the details of the case.

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