Asking to cover tattoos offensive?

I probably would've thought about the fact that she has a lot of tattoos before I asked her to be a bridesmaid if I thought I was going to ask her to cover them up haha.

You COULD privately ask your photographer to make sure she is towards the back of the photos or to be conscious of the girl with tattoos.

But tbh, i don't think they will take away from you and your dress.

I don't have any tattoos, but I have friends who do. The tattoos are part of them, show their personality, and they are proud of what they chose and proud to show them off. I feel like they would prefer not to be asked to be in a wedding to begin with and attend as a guest instead of being asked to cover them up. It would hurt their feelings to imply the tattoos were unacceptable and needed to be covered up.

View Quoted Comment She would be offended she’s like a little sister . I’m reading some of these replies and i guess it would make sense why someone would be offended by it. I personally don’t care for them i guess bc they are no longer me and mine didn’t really have any real meaning behind them

View Quoted Comment Thank you. I will take this post down soon because I’m seeing a lot of similar replies . I have tattoos that i don’t care about and mean nothing so me covering mine i didn’t think anyone would be offended since i wouldn’t care if i were asked but i understand now . Thank you so much

View Quoted Comment Oh okay that’s a tough cookie ....all the best. Have a discussion and see how she feels about it. But try not to create tension. You need a PEACEFUL wedding day

View Quoted Comment Thank you ! My concern isn’t taking away from me and my dress but the dress she would have on. I haven’t asked her yet but i wrote this bc i have two small tattoos that I’m covering and they don’t really mean anything to me anymore so i guess I’m detached but i didn’t think about people who actually love their tattoos and view them as a part of them . So i needed to see all of this . Thank you very much

I’m not sure how tattoos would “take away” from your dress? People will be focused on the bride way more than the bridesmaid’s tattoos lol. Unless they’re like horribly profane or something.


My MOH has a few hidden tattoos (like on her rib cage and lower back) and she was planning to get one on her upper back a few months before the wedding (which would be visible in her bridesmaid dress) and she actually offered to put off getting her tattoo for my wedding but I thought that was ridiculous and told her to get it whenever she wanted 😂

I would absolutely be annoyed if a bride asked me to do this.


It’s silly to sweat her interference in pictures. You will have TONS of pictures without her showcasing your beautiful look, just you and your husband. The pictures that she IS in are about more than your dress, they’re about your nearest and dearest standing by your side on your wedding day. Nothing takes away from the one in the big white dress anyway.

View Quoted Comment Honestly i don’t think I’m going to ask bc I’d rather keep her in my life then make her feel she isn’t good enough bc i really didn’t think it would appear to be that way but judging by some of these replies makes me feel silly for even inquiring. Thank you for your honesty and respectful opinion !

View Quoted Comment No problem yes some folks on these threads are very rude. I immediately go to their profile and hit BLOCK. But it will all work out lady. Just try to remain peaceful and happy up to your BIG day! All the best it will alllll come together

View Quoted Comment Hello there. I’m not worried about my dress but the one she would have on. I guess i was desensitized bc i have two tattoos I’m covering myself and they aren’t who i am anymore so i didn’t think anything of asking. But this forum has helped a lot. I don’t want to be those brides that just cares about herself so that’s why i asked bc i don’t want to lose someone whose like a sister to me bc I’m not where she’s at anymore with tattoos if that makes sense. Thank you for your respectful opinion

Unpopular opinion here*** I think it's fine to ask her. To an extent.... If her hands and everything are fully covered, I don't think it's realistic to ask her to wear full body makeup, however, asking her to put on a shawl for photos is not offensive. I have tattoos and intentionally covered mine during the church ceremony of a wedding I was in - no one asked me to, it just seemed respectful. I wouldn't have wanted to wear it all night though.

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much you’re very kind! I wish you the best on your big day as well!

View Quoted Comment Thank you for your honest and respectful opinion. I thought of it for church as well only . I’m covering mine for this same reason

View Quoted Comment I’m not worried about my dress but the one she would have on. I guess i was desensitized bc i have two tattoos I’m covering myself and they aren’t who i am anymore so i didn’t think anything of asking. But this forum has helped a lot. I don’t want to be those brides that just cares about herself so that’s why i asked bc i don’t want to lose someone whose like a sister to me bc I’m not where she’s at anymore with tattoos if that makes sense. Thank you for your respectful opinion

If they ask your opinion, you can say you’d prefer if they did, but specifically asking someone to change their appearance because it’ll allegedly make your photos “look bad” is extremely rude.

View Quoted Comment Understood! Maybe you could nicely suggest to her that she may want to cover her tattoos (as you’re covering yours too) but like leave it up to her, don’t imply that she “has to” at all. Maybe she won’t care and will just do it. But leave it up to her and if she seems at all put off then say never mind.

View Quoted Comment Likewise Thanks dear

I would personally be a bit offended, yes. If it is important for you to have them there, maybe you can think of creative angles to "hide" them (like angling the bouquet, etc.)

I agree with some of the pp, that most people would be offended/annoyed/consider it rude if asked to cover tattoos at a wedding unless they are racist, inappropriate, profane, etc.
You also mention she has a lot of tattoos over a significant portion of her body, not only would this take a lot of time and cover up product (and effectively $$ to buy it) and will also mean that for the next 10 hours she has to be diligent not to sweat, sit back in a chair, brush against anything (or anyone!), not link arms with the groomsman walking her down the aisle, etc. which all just seems like a huge hassle?

I personally don't think it'll distract from your photos, and the love and support between good friends is what will really come through.