Please give advise on guest wearing white to wedding

I would be offended, if a guest wore white OR black to my wedding! Black signifies the END of something (hence why it's worn at funerals)! Of course I see that black is actually a common wedding color now days!

I wouldn't care.

Eh, it wouldn't bother me. That dress looks nothing like a wedding dress. Plus, it's generally pretty obvious who the bride is so why does it matter what anyone else wears?

I went to a wedding in May and my cousin wore a black and white dress. I wondered why she wore it. It wasn't like a ballgown or wedding dress though. I personally wouldn't wear white to someone's wedding. My 22year old brother plans on wearing all white to my wedding on Saturday.

I agree with Janeen, regarding someone whose wearing a simple dress possibly feeling upstaged. - I'm also wearing a ballgown dress.

For my bridal shower it was an all white theme, so hopefully everyone got it out of their system. lol

It wouldn't bother me if someone wore white to my wedding. Unless someone showed up wearing a wedding dress, then I would be like WTF.

I wouldn't care-no one is going to be puzzled as to who the bride is (I'm wearing a ball gown). That being said, as a guest that's a Hell No! I tend to steer far from white when going to a wedding to avoid both pissing off the bride and being the topic of conversation.

Some people are misinterpreting this rule. The rule is not that white should be avoided completely. A dress that has white with other colors or a print with white as the background are perfectly fine. White is a popular color in the summer!

I have looked back at old family photos of weddings my parents attended from the 60's all the way to the 90's and guests wore white! There were white sun dresses with a colorful shawl, white blazers with pant suits, white blouses with colored skirts. No one upstaged the bride and no one cared. Brides today seem to take this rule to another level.

The rule is is that you shouldn't be trying to upstage the bride. So a long, white dress or a white ball gown, or any sold white dress - probably not ok. SOME white is fine.

I think this dress is fine. It wouldn't bother me at all.

I wouldn't wear it to a wedding, but I doubt if most would even notice if it was worn to a wedding.

if it looked like the bridesmaid dresses then I wouldn't be thrilled, but I don't think I would find this dress all that upsetting.

I would not be offended at all (in fact, I just realized, 15 years after the fact, that I think someone *did* wear white (suddenly the picture popped to mind!), but I'm with Barbara-- if you have to ask, play it safe and don't do it.

I thought i would mind, but a lady did show up in a plain white skirt and a blue and white top, and i didnt even notice at all until the pictures came back. I even hugged her and talked to her for a while, never even noticed she was wearing white. Even now that i know, i dont care.

I dont care what my guests wear as long as they are there to celebrate myspecial day!!

I wouldn't mind the dress you posted, however I am a firm believer in absolutely NO WHITE at a wedding except the bride.

A white skirt wouldn't bother me. It's offset enough by the black top.

ETA: I do not like the dress shown at all, regardless of where it's worn.

This probably has more white in it than my WHOLE wedding dress will have! My wedding is going to be casual, I don't plan on having a big ball gown, maybe even a short bridal dress. It's not that I'm afraid of being upstaged as to I was brought up that wearing white or black to a wedding is very poor etiquette. With that being said, I have an identical twin that is going to be my matron of honor and she's been upstaging me my entire life! She's has a much more outgoing personality than me, while I just want to blend into the background.

Ehhh it depends on the individual. If a young woman wore white who clearly knows the "rule" against wearing white to a wedding, and I get the sense you just want to upstage the bride, yes, I'd be pissed because of the intent behind it. If it's an older lady who doesn't really know, say maybe my FH's great ain't who is 70, then I don't think I would care.

Coming out of lurk-dom - what do you think about this dress? It's patterned but also pretty white.

...I ask because my friend asked me about wearing it to another person's wedding. I said I wouldn't care, then again I don't really sweat anything. Thoughts would be appreciated! I don't want to give her the wrong advice.

Thank you!

@ Katie: That dress would be fine in my opinion. You can't even tell it's white because of the pattern. It doesn't have a solid white (or black), part to it. I'm one of the people who are strongly against wearing white or black to a wedding, but that wouldn't offend me at all.

Katie, that dress is totally FINE. It's a print with a white background. There is no rule against white backgrounds. Anyone who says that dress isn't ok, is just crazy.

Thanks Angie! I appreciate the response! I also didn't think it looked like a wedding dress at all. I know some white dresses can seem more wedding dress-y than party dress-y