Coordinating colored outfits for our families?

Unless they’re part of the wedding party, this is unreasonable. You can’t tell people how to dress for a wedding and family is in very few pictures. They don’t all need to match.

You’re not being unreasonable, but I actually think it may look a bit odd to have everyone matching in all the photos! My bridesmaids are obviously matching and the groomsmen are too, but for our families we are just showing them our colors and telling them to not clash with it. ie our colors are aqua, light pink, and champagne. So we don’t want our families wearing like, bright red or something. But pretty much any pastel color should look fine for photos, and not so uniform with them all in the same colors!

I honestly wouldn't bother with this. It'll give you a huge headache. You'll get constant texts saying "I couldn't find this color, but is this other color okay" "I just bought this dress, it's not the color you wanted but it looks good on me so I'm wearing it" Or people will wait til last minute and not be able to find anything in your criteria and contact you panicking when you're super close to the wedding and have other things to worry about.

It really is asking a bit much and in the end it's not even something you'll really care about, your pictures will look fine even if the family isn't color coordinated. It's really not worth the stress.

I told my mother and the mother of the groom, that it would look nice in pictures if they wore some shade of blue, green, tan, grey, brown, etc. But I didn't care as long as it wasn't white or ivory or any possible closeness of white. Then I told the dad's whatever color suit they wanted. I would just let her wear whatever she wants, since she's making a big deal out of it.

It’s not a normal thing to do, and it is asking a lot. The only people you get to dress are your bridal party. I would be annoyed if someone tried to tell me what to wear for a wedding I wasn’t in, especially if it’s not a color I own or like/look good in.

No this is not a normal request and yes you are asking too much. The only people you have some say in what they wear are your bridal party. Everyone else gets to wear what they want.

Your request is unreasonable. The only people you get to dress/coordinate is your WP and even then it needs to be within reason. Are you planning to purchase outfits for all of your family? Your family certainly shouldn't take on this burden. I'd expect to get a lot of pushback.

I'd say that is over-stepping the line. I've quite honestly never heard of a bride dictating what color her guests had to wear. There is nothing wrong with asking your FMIL and MOB to wear similar colors to the bridal party, but I would let it go.

My mom and soon to be mother in law asked what colors I wanted them to be in xD originally I said the main colors which would be brown and green bit that quickly changed to we have two main colors and three accent colors (grey ,pink and Burgundy) pick a color

I think this might be a tad too much. I did end up picking what my father and father-in-law wear, but only because they both asked me what I wanted them to wear several times, and it was easier just for me to tell them to wear a blue suit and white shirt and I would buy their ties. I think you can offer a little guidance, nicely, but giving someone only two choices to wear probably comes off the wrong way. Finding a dress for a wedding is stressful enough without having to pick a specific color, so maybe just ask your sister-in-law not to clash and let her go from there

Too much.

My mom wore teal. My sister wore black. My dad wore navy. My stepmom wore a dusty navy blue. H’s mom wore navy. H’s Dad wore navy. H’s brother wore navy. I have no idea what any of our extended family members wore because it doesn’t matter.

View Quoted Comment Okay that that’s exactly what I’m talking about, all of your direct family coordinated. I am asking her to do the same so how am I doing too much? I’m not asking extended family to wear anything special.

My opinion is that if you aren’t paying for it, you can’t mandate it. You can suggest colors if they ask, but you can’t say here are you’re two choices and then tell them they have to buy something. It is overstepping if they aren’t directly in your bridal party.

That's asking too much, it's totally unreasonable to try and dress other adults especially when you're not even paying for it. I don't own a dress in any of those colours so you'd be forcing me to spend money on something I would never wear again.
Just ask your photographer to make sure anyone clashing badly are separated in family photos

You are asking too much. Family is not wedding party, none of them including Dad need to match anybody. Dads often choose or have suit, tux, that match GM, because there are limited usual colors. Not necessary, though. Any family who already has an outfit of suitable formality for a wedding guest, formal or casual, should not ever have to get anything. They are guests. They should not be telling you how to run your wedding or your life. You have no place telling them what to wear. Not color, not style, nothing. People need boundaries. You are hosts, you decide who to invite. But nothing else. So try to back off politely. Watching tv and movies, one gets the impression it is okay for a bride to mandate anything. Not if you want any friends or family. Lots of lessons at wedding time for all of us! 😊

I should put in here that she did ask me what colors she should wear, she is just unhappy about the colors I chose. But she asked so I told her. I also am buying her dress for the wedding and have been throughout the whole process.

Hi Emily!! I can understand how this may present a bit of an issue, but I totally get where you're coming from. I don't think it's too much or out of the norm to have a color palette for the family to wear. Many couples ask that their immediate family such as parents and grandparents wear certain colors. Often times family members ask what colors they should wear or if there is anything that's off limits, so this is to be expected. It may be unreasonable to be harsh about it or very specific and limiting with the color, but if you're giving a few to choose from or a palette then that is totally fine!