A bride wonders if there is a “new normal” at weddings after what she noticed her guests were wearing in photos of her own ceremony—against her wishes.

The newlywed took to Reddit this week, as original poster (OP) Visual_Ad_158, to reveal how her mother-in-law (MIL) arrived in an entire white gown, which, in pictures, looked indistinguishable from a bridal dress.

Additionally, several other guests, including a friend’s date, a family friend’s wife and even her own grandmother, wore white or cream-colored outfits, some featuring floral embroidery.

‘Wearing the right thing’

While the OP admitted she hadn’t noticed most of them on the wedding day itself, the photos made it clear a week later.

“I have always stressed about wearing the right thing to a wedding,” she wrote, explaining her confusion about whether she was just stuck in the past, or if times had truly changed.

“Is this just the new normal now? Are traditions fading? I don’t know if this should bother me or not.”

The bride also emphasized that she wasn’t planning to confront anyone about it, but was curious if this scenario had become more common.

However, the Reddit post received a wave of responses, with many users firmly stating that wearing white to a wedding remains inappropriate.

One user wrote, “No, it is still not normal for wedding guests to wear white at weddings.”

‘Tacky people’

Another added, “You just know a lot of tacky people. Sorry for that.”

A fellow supporter offered the OP a solution: “Have your photographer turn every guest’s white dress in your photos another color. Pastel blue, yellow [and] pink.

“Eventually it will fade from your mind the same way you’ve made it ‘fade’ from the photos.”

Despite such strong opinions, some critics suggested that guests may not have read the couple’s wedding website, where the formal dress code and request to avoid white were listed.

What the Experts Say

Wearing white to a wedding, unless explicitly allowed by the couple, has long been considered a major faux pas in wedding etiquette. Wedding planners and etiquette experts still widely discourage the practice.

According to Newsweek, wedding planner Lindsay Landman advises guests to avoid anything that could be mistaken for bridal attire.

“Even ivory, champagne, or a pale blush color can read as too close to white,” Landman said.

Similarly, Wedding Shoppe Inc. lists, “Do Not Wear White”, as one of the top 15 dos and don’ts for wedding guests.

The site explains that, “White, off-white, or anything that could be mistaken for the bride’s gown should always be avoided,” unless a specific theme calls for it.

Are Wedding Traditions Changing?

Some social media users argued that traditional wedding etiquette is becoming more relaxed. With modern weddings moving away from strict dress codes and formalities, certain long-held customs—like avoiding white as a guest—may be losing relevance.

However, for many couples, the tradition remains important. The OP suggested that the sheer number of people wearing white at her wedding indicated a shift, whether intentional or not.

The OP replied in the thread that she found it interesting to see how differently users thought about wedding attire.

“I know this is overkill, but I ended up not buying a dark pink floral dress for my cousin’s wedding because I noticed the centers of the flowers and some of the petals were white [laugh out loud].”

Newsweek has contacted Visual_Ad_158 for comment via Reddit.

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