While you probably have an idea of what a typical bride looks like in your country, it’s certainly not necessary to cling to rigid traditions nowadays. Brides can choose to wear black gowns, grooms can theme their weddings after the Titanic film, and there’s no need to have the same itinerary at your wedding that your parents had at theirs.

But when couples do choose to think outside of the box for their big day, it can sometimes be confusing for guests to understand what exactly they should wear. That’s why one mother recently reached out to Reddit to find out if she was wrong for wearing white to her son’s wedding. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as a conversation with Linzi Barford, founder of Unconventional Wedding! 

This woman wore a white dress to her son’s bohemian, beach wedding

Image credits: javi_indy/Envato elements (not the actual photo)

But now, she’s having second thoughts about her attire

Image credits: Omelnickiy/Envato elements (not the actual photo)

The mom later added a few more details to the story

Image credits: meandmymonkey111

White wedding dresses became the norm in the West relatively recently

Image credits: Oana Lupescu/Pexels (not the actual photo)

When little girls grow up dreaming about their future weddings, they often imagine themselves in long, flowy white dresses that make them look like princesses. But once they’re actually grown up, women realize that any dress can be a wedding dress. And if they want to look like a princess, there are a thousand ways to do so, without necessarily wearing white. 

We all know that traditions are often changing, and according to Vogue, white wedding dresses weren’t even the standard in the West until Queen Victoria chose to make a statement by wearing white at her wedding in 1840. Prior to this, white dresses were actually associated with mourning. And it took even longer for white to become the norm for average citizens to wear on their wedding days, as brides would typically just don the nicest dresses that they owned until after World War II.

During the 20th century, brides took inspiration from royals and movie stars that they had seen wedded in white dresses, and it quickly became the standard for women in the West. Today, however, many couples are realizing that they’re not actually interested in following traditional rules, and choosing a unique outfit is one of the best ways they can express themselves on their special day.

But today, many couples choose to stray from tradition when choosing their wedding outfits

Image credits: Asad Photo Maldives/Pexels (not the actual photo)

To gain more insight into this topic, we reached out to Linzi Barford, founder of Unconventional Wedding, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. Linzi shared that “couples are increasingly looking to plan their wedding days differently and as a result, non-traditional wedding dresses are now more common.”

“The flexibility allows couples to really show their personality and bring it into their wedding day,” she explained. “We’ve seen everything from solid colors, to multi-colored and ombre. You can also choose a white wedding outfit and jazz it up with colored or personalized veils!”

And if neither of the people getting married choose to wear white for their wedding, Linzi recommends guests simply ask the couple what their preferences are before deciding to wear white. “It’s the couple’s day, and they should have the final say!” she told Bored Panda. “Whilst the couple probably won’t mind you wearing a white gown, it is worth bearing in mind that others might have an opinion.”

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We also asked Linzi if it’s best for couples to simply specify a color scheme for their guests. “If, as a couple, you have a strong preference, then yes. Add this into your invitation or wedding website. For example ‘colorful wedding attire,'” the expert says.

To avoid any misunderstandings, it’s best for couples to specify the dress code for guests

Image credits: Mikhail Nilov/Pexels (not the actual photo)

The happy couple tying the knot gets to make all of the decisions about their wedding day: where it will take place, what food and drinks will be served, who will be in attendance, what kind of music will be played, how the day will be structured and more. So it only makes sense for them to have free reign when it comes to their outfits too! 

In fact, one 2014 poll found that 46% of Americans don’t believe it’s necessary for a bride to wear white on her wedding day. And it’s likely that even more people are open to nontraditional wedding attire today. The Knot has featured brides wearing black, light pink, blue, orange, red, purple, and more. Brides might also choose floral dresses or pantsuits in any color that they like. The most important thing is that they’re comfortable and happy with what they wear.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this mother did anything wrong by choosing to wear white to her son’s wedding? Or was the mother of the bride overreacting? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing unique wedding dress looks, we recommend reading this article next!

The groom’s mom responded to several replies and shared additional information about the situation

Many readers assured the mother that her outfit was appropriate

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But some, on the other hand, thought the mom should have known better than to wear white

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