Wearing red to a wedding?

Trudyooo · 21-10-2014 11:06pm #1

I bought this dress for my boyfriends sisters wedding. My aunt remarked this evening that apparently it's bad etiquette to wear red. I never would have thought that. I can't do a link but it's the red felix maxi dress in Coast. Let me know what ye think.

stargazer 68 · 21-10-2014 11:08pm

Never heard that! My sister is going to a wedding next week and is wearing red. Have seen lots of red at previous weddings

Lol just did a search and seemingly it means you have slept with the groom!!!!! Never heard it before!

GalwayGirl26 · 21-10-2014 11:36pm

I've never heard it, so even if it is a faux-pass, I'm sure you'll still get away with it if it's not widespread!

Trudyooo · 21-10-2014 11:36pm

Oh my god!!! I did not and would not .. Ever!! Im a bit anxious because it's long and it's backless too. Spent all my money on it now so don't have the same budget for a new one.

21-10-2014 11:39pm

I think the idea is that it can be very striking and so draw attention away from the bride. honestly the only one I'd heard before is not to wear green.
If your dress isn't too eye catching or loud I should think it would be fine

is it this one?
http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/001635304alt1?$prod_exlrg$

I think that looks ok

MarieOC · 21-10-2014 11:46pm

My aunt claims it's bad luck to wear red - but if you avoided all the things she claims are bad luck you wouldn't be able to get out of bed in the morning!

The only colour I'd avoid wearing to a wedding is white (cept for at my own of course),

Trudyooo · 22-10-2014 12:04am

Yes that's the dress. It's not as vibrant as this picture. It's very hard to find a dress without the back out these days. I was thinking of putting an insert in the back of the dress so as I could wear a bra.. Would this look stupid? Maybe an embellished silver piece of fabric sown in?

Gatica · 22-10-2014 8:00am

First time I've heard that! Have seen lots of people wearing both reds and greens at weddings. No one ever batted an eye lid. There are lot of old traditions that some far few in between people seem to somehow remember, but rest assured the rest of the normal crowd are unaware of all these weird superstitions and rules.
That dress looks perfectly fine. Everyone dresses up for a wedding. It's not to upstage the bride. If you're not too busty, just wear a stick-on bra and a pashmina for throwing on over your back for earlier in the day if you'd feel more comfortable.

Peregrinus · 22-10-2014 8:14am

In my day, black and white were the colours that you weren't supposed to wear to a wedding. White I can see - that's reserved for the bride - and black I can sort of see. Red? Pshaw! Go for it.

demanufactured · 22-10-2014 8:16am

FFS people can be rediculous.
Wear whate ver you want and don't listen to old wives tales.

Blingy · 22-10-2014 8:20am

Never heard this before. I have worn red to a number of weddings.
Stunning dress. I am sure you could insert some material in the back if your conscious about it!

bananas10 · 22-10-2014 8:34am

I have heard about not wearing red to a wedding before but it was actually from a photographer who said that anyone who wears red in a wedding photo (mainly the group shot I suppose) stands out an awful lot and draws the eye away from the bride.
This was after I had just worn red to a wedding myself.

Matteroffact · 22-10-2014 8:39am

Sur' isn't it the tradition that the bride wears white as a sign of her virginity, and how many virgins get married these days? I have heard of that idea not to wear red but once again that is an old tradition and it doesn't apply in this day and age. I have been to a couple of weddings where the mother of the bride wore red, so think no more about it. The red dress is beautiful by the way.

fits · 22-10-2014 9:32am

bluewolf wrote: »

I think the idea is that it can be very striking and so draw attention away from the bride. honestly the only one I'd heard before is not to wear green.
If your dress isn't too eye catching or loud I should think it would be fine

Why shouldn't you wear green?

pooch90 · 22-10-2014 9:59am

Green is meant to be a colour of mourning I think.
At our wedding MOG wore red, I wouldn't give it a second thought.
That is a stunning dress, wear with pride.

Pistachios & cream · 22-10-2014 10:14am

Wear it. There is a whole list of colours including black and red that eitquette says you are not supposed to wear to a wedding. The only one to follow is not to wear white or a very light colour that could be mistaken for cream!

fits · 22-10-2014 10:52am

pooch90 wrote: »

Green is meant to be a colour of mourning I think.
.

First I heard of it! So black, white, green and red are all forbidden... might be easier to say what colours you can wear!

Trudyooo · 22-10-2014 12:16pm

Great stuff.. Im not as worried now. i suppose i can see the point on the eye being drawn to red in a photo but still think its ridiculous when the bride will obviously be wearing the most amazing dress there. i just wouldnt want the bride thinking i was trying to outdo her. hardly.

while i have ye here...i have a black bag and sandals to match this. but would silver be nicer?

almorris · 22-10-2014 12:20pm

I was photographing a wedding when a bridesmaid came up to the bride and said" x is wearing the same dress as me" to which to bride replied " She'll just have to go home and change then..."

MarieOC · 22-10-2014 12:22pm

To me wearing the same dress as a bridesmaid is worse than red/green/black - if it happened me I'd be taking myself home to change

michellie · 22-10-2014 12:23pm

almorris wrote: »

I was photographing a wedding when a bridesmaid came up to the bride and said" x is wearing the same dress as me" to which to bride replied " She'll just have to go home and change then..."

Oh God !! I would die if I was wearing the same as a bridesmaid though

I have worn red to a wedding before it was my favourite dress I ever wore to a wedding. I've never heard of that before.

your dress is beautiful, wear it and enjoy!

Electric Sheep · 22-10-2014 3:23pm

michellie wrote: »

Oh God !! I would die if I was wearing the same as a bridesmaid though

Especially since most bridesmaids dresses are hideous.

22-10-2014 11:20pm

fits wrote: »

Why shouldn't you wear green?

bad luck

http://www.thefashionpolice.net/2011/09/pippa-middelton-wears-green-to-wedding.html

That's a really old one mind - I wouldn't expect anyone to stick to it, it's just an old superstition I remember

rainbowtrout · 22-10-2014 11:34pm

MarieOC wrote: »

To me wearing the same dress as a bridesmaid is worse than red/green/black - if it happened me I'd be taking myself home to change

Could easily happen though if the bridesmaids dresses were bought somewhere like Monsoon and that wasn't known by the guests beforehand.

Gatica · 23-10-2014 7:54am

Happened to the MIL recently, and she went back to the hotel and changed. In fairness she looked great in that dress, so she'd have upstaged the bridesmaids LOL!
Honestly, I don't think anyone, other than a handful of the older generation, is aware of these superstitions.

msdaisy7 · 23-10-2014 8:37am

I was recently at a wedding and there was a lot of red dresses, I would say it depends on the age of the majority of the guests, a wedding with a lot of younger people wouldn't bat an eye lid

stargazer 68 · 23-10-2014 9:36am

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Could easily happen though if the bridesmaids dresses were bought somewhere like Monsoon and that wasn't known by the guests beforehand.

This is why brides put on the invite - no dresses from Coast, Monsoon etc. Head over to the wedding forum and see people giving out about this on the invite! I don't see a problem with it myself as I would keel over if I turned up in the same dress as the bridesmaid.

Told my sister about the 'sleeping with groom' thing and she thought it was hilarious. I told her to wink at him a few times next week lol. She isn't changing her outfit!

Just realised I am in the wedding forum duh!

floggg · 23-10-2014 9:59am

fits wrote: »

First I heard of it! So black, white, green and red are all forbidden... might be easier to say what colours you can wear!

I was told I shouldn't wear blue to a wedding before as well (while I was wearing my nice new blue shirt at my friends wedding).

cactusgal · 23-10-2014 10:41am

Dovies wrote: »

This is why brides put on the invite - no dresses from Coast, Monsoon etc.

Do people actually do this???!!! Please say no!!!

stargazer 68 · 23-10-2014 10:43am

cactusgal wrote: »

Do people actually do this???!!! Please say no!!!

Yes of course they do. If you buy your bridesmaids dresses off the rack you don't want guests turning up in the same dress!

cactusgal · 23-10-2014 10:51am

Dovies wrote: »

Yes of course they do. If you buy your bridesmaids dresses off the rack you don't want guests turning up in the same dress!

Bizarro, I know I wouldn't give a toss what my guests were wearing, but I also wouldn't want to have bridesmaids, either, so that's all lost on me. Each to their own!

Gatica · 24-10-2014 8:55am

Dovies wrote: »

This is why brides put on the invite - no dresses from Coast, Monsoon etc. Head over to the wedding forum and see people giving out about this on the invite! I don't see a problem with it myself as I would keel over if I turned up in the same dress as the bridesmaid.

Told my sister about the 'sleeping with groom' thing and she thought it was hilarious. I told her to wink at him a few times next week lol. She isn't changing her outfit!

Just realised I am in the wedding forum duh!

That's insane! I didn't realise people actually bothered with such petty things. I do not understand the sense in telling grown people what they're not allowed wear, or that a bride would spend one of the most important days of her life worrying about who is wearing what... wouldn't you just want to enjoy the day?

Sunny Dayz · 24-10-2014 9:28am

I know the say red is a colour for looking for attention but I wore a red dress to my BIL's wedding. And I actually wore the same dress to my best friends wedding after. The dress and the colour suited me!

I do be terrified of wearing the same dress as the bridesmaids. Or even the same colour. Normally the wedding invitations show the "colour theme" which you would guess the bridesmaids are wearing. Or if it's a close-ish wedding I would enquire what colour bridesmaids are wearing. I have a lovely dress from Coast that I got for my hen and I am itching to get another wear out of it. When I bought it, more than what I would normally pay for a dress but consoled myself that my friend was getting married the following year and I could wear it to her wedding. Her bridesmaids dresses were the exact same colour! Thank god I knew this before the wedding!

I think anything goes at a wedding now, except for white. I wore a leopard print maxi to a wedding before and it looked great!

Toots · 24-10-2014 10:08am

Dovies wrote: »

Never heard that! My sister is going to a wedding next week and is wearing red. Have seen lots of red at previous weddings

Lol just did a search and seemingly it means you have slept with the groom!!!!! Never heard it before!

I was bridesmaid for my sister in law a few years ago, I was one of 4. Our dresses were red!! :eek:

Taxburden carrier · 24-10-2014 10:47am

Red weddings can be murder !

stargazer 68 · 24-10-2014 11:17am

Toots wrote: »

I was bridesmaid for my sister in law a few years ago, I was one of 4. Our dresses were red!! :eek:

Lol can just imagine what people were saying about you all!

:D

Arbiter of Good Taste · 24-10-2014 11:50am

I wore a red dress to a wedding recently. No problem.

My cousin wore a red dress to mine, and there is a photo of myself and OH coming into the reception, and she is standing in the background. I love that photo as the splash of red is quite striking in the photo

jaja321 · 24-10-2014 3:53pm

Wore red to my brothers wedding, and I definitely didn't sleep with him!! ;-) My mum, who is normally well up on her traditions, didn't bat an eye lid either, and actually encouraged me to buy the dress as she really liked it.

Dolbert · 24-10-2014 5:02pm

The only colours to steer clear of are white and cream, and even at that most people won't care. I've never ever heard of anyone caring about the no red/green/black rule in real life.

secman · 24-10-2014 5:06pm

i wore a red dress recently to a wedding........... the wife wasn't overly impressed though !

Scarinae · 26-10-2014 10:10pm

Dovies wrote: »

Lol just did a search and seemingly it means you have slept with the groom!!!!! Never heard it before!

My sister wore a red dress to our brother's wedding... Hahaha I must tell her about this

Wearing red to a wedding?

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