Why you should never wear red at a wedding (2024)

FAQs

Why you should never wear red at a wedding? ›

Turns out, wearing red to a wedding means to some that “you've slept with the groom.” “Old Wives' Tale, but yeah,” Mitchell explained. However, both wedding planners agreed on a more modern reason for not wearing red: It could be seen as a way to grab the attention away from the bride.

"Tradition dictates guests avoid wearing red out of fear that it could take attention away from the happy couple,” explains Hurwitz. “Visually, it's quite bold. In a photo, your eye is immediately drawn to the color, especially if it's next to neutrals like white, black, gray, or beige.”

To answer the main question of the article, yes you can wear red to a wedding in most circ*mstances. However, in some situations you may want to check with the marrying couple that red is acceptable to wear as a guest and it won't go against their culture or distract from their big day.

Leave all white, ivory, and champagne-hued shades alone, unless the invitation specifically designates an all-white dress code. "White and ivory are such a stark, prominent color that when you are the only one, as the bride, wearing it, all eyes are on you," says Avrumson.

The colour of love, the bride who wears red is bold, passionate and full of desire. Not for the fainthearted this is a bold statement to make on your wedding day.

A friend mentioned to me the other day she had heard you're not supposed to wear green to a wedding. That was news to me. A quick Google revealed that, according to Irish tradition, the colour green attracts the fairies and they could bring mischief and mayhem to the event.

In some cultures, black is less common for weddings. "Certain cultures, such as Indian and Chinese cultures, tend to stay away from black because it represents being in mourning. You want to take an extra thought if you are attending a more traditional wedding to be respectful," says Avrumson.

In Indian weddings, the bride often wears a red sari or lehenga, symbolizing fertility, auspiciousness, and marital bliss. In Chinese weddings, red is a symbol of luck, happiness, and prosperity. Similarly, in many Middle Eastern and North African cultures, red is associated with celebration and good fortune.

Red is associated with passion, love, power, confidence, and anger. Researcher, Louis Cheskin, was one of the first to examine and study the effects of color at the Color Research Institute of America.

You should avoid wearing white or red by any means to any Mexican wedding. Wearing white is considered rude to the bride since they will definitely be wearing white, so choosing to wear the same color on their special day is considered rude. Red, on the other hand, is more of an urban legend.

What does red mean at a wedding? ›

Turns out, wearing red to a wedding means to some that “you've slept with the groom.” “Old Wives' Tale, but yeah,” Mitchell explained. However, both wedding planners agreed on a more modern reason for not wearing red: It could be seen as a way to grab the attention away from the bride.

If you're a stickler for etiquette, then you should also avoid wearing colors similar to white, says bridal stylist Gabrielle Hurwitz. "That means ivory and cream, of course, but to be extra safe, I'd also think twice about silver, champagne, blush, and pale blue, which can read as white in photos," she says.

Don't go *too* casual.

Even if the wedding has a more low-key dress code, I promise you: It is not that casual. Meaning, stay away from sweats, shorts, jeans, T-shirts.

Meaning: Purple is associated with wealth and opulence. Once worn exclusively by nobility, purple was often used to convey one's status in society, so you could make your ladies look like royalty in purple bridesmaid dresses.

Absolutely! Red is classic, sophisticated, and will never go out of style. While soft pinks and enchanting blues always seem to top the list of popular wedding colors, don't shy away from bold shades like red before considering all the ways to style them for elegant and impactful wedding day decor.

What are the Most Popular Wedding Dress Colors? The most popular wedding dress colors are shades of off-white and ivory, which are more universally flattering. However, we've also noticed that many brides opt for a gown with a lining in a shade of blush or nude to allow the details on their dresses to pop!

The red dresses serve as a visceral reminder of the thousands of Indigenous daughters, sisters, mothers, aunties, grandmothers and two-spirit family members and friends who have been victims of violence, often abducted assaulted or murdered without adequate investigation or justice.

The colour scheme, when it comes to what to wear, is designed for the bridal party i.e. the groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids, pageboys etc. Unless you're in that bridal party, you'd be best to steer clear of trying to match them. Think of it a bit like a stage show.

Red is one of the most alive colours. Red grabs attention and is associated with excitement, passion, danger, energy, courage and speed. It makes shy people "speak", and it can build excitement and even encourages appetite! It implies a pioneering spirit and leadership qualities, promoting ambition and determination.