Can Guests Wear a White Dress With a Print to a Wedding? (2024)

Can Guests Wear a White Dress With a Print to a Wedding? (2)

Finding the right outfit to wear to a wedding event always presents a bit of a challenge. First, you have to observe the dress code and find a style that will match the formality of the day. Next, you want to choose something for the day that you love and feel comfortable in. As a final check, you should keep to tradition and avoid wearing white to not pull attention from the bride. Although not all brides wear white, it is a tradition most people in the Western world agree upon. However, here comes the gray area... What do you do if you have an outfit that is white with a colorful print?

"I think it all depends on the amount of white, and if the bride is in white as well," shares destination wedding photographer Perry Vaile Adams. "I had a rehearsal dinner recently where the bride were a vibrant sherbet orange rehearsal dinner dress and I can tell you no one was looking at or worried about white patterns that day."

"That being said, after working in this industry for so long, if anyone shows up in anything withtoomuch white, it’s cringe and I generally avoid photographing them too much. I still remember when a member of the vendor team showed up in an all-white ensemble on my own wedding day (in 2010!) and it still annoys me 12 years later."

Ahead, we chatted with industry and etiquette experts to help you determine whether or not you should pull that printed dress out of your closet for the next wedding on your calendar.

Meet the Expert

Put Away the Print

The general consensus of our experts? Say no to the dress. "As far as I am concerned, if the dress is white with a print over it, it still is white," shares etiquette expert Diane Gottsman. "There is very little wiggle room when wearing a white dress. There will be multiple other times a guest can enjoy wearing her beautiful dress, but not on the bride's wedding day."

However, the degree of white can make a difference. "If a guest wants to wear a dress that is predominantly a variety of other colors and only a small thread of white throughout the dress, it would be acceptable because it’s not the predominant color," Gottman continues. Yet, you should still be apprehensive with your fashion choice. "If you are spending any time analyzing the difference—don’t wear it," advises Nathalie Cadet-James, founder of Luxe Fête Event Planning and Design Studio. "Hundreds of years of loving tradition tells us that only the bride is in white. Let her shine."

Luxury wedding planner and designer Nicole-Natassha Goulding agrees. "White is always a tricky color for weddings and every bride may have different feelings on what guests can and can't wear on theirweddingday," she says. "My rule of thumb usually is, if you have to question if thepattern or print has too much white, I would err on the side of caution and avoid it."

Goulding notes that this rule should apply to all wedding events, including bridal showers and rehearsal dinners as well. "I always suggest guests stay away from white for all wedding activities unless prompted to do so by the couple i.e. all-white or themed parties," she adds.

Can Guests Wear a White Dress With a Print to a Wedding? (2024)

FAQs

Can Guests Wear a White Dress With a Print to a Wedding? ›

Can a Guest Wear a Printed White Dress to a Wedding? According to the experts, it's best to avoid wearing a printed white dress to a wedding. "As far as I am concerned, if the dress is white with a print over it, it still is white," explains etiquette expert Diane Gottsman.

Can I wear a white dress with patterns to a wedding? ›

We advise against wearing white to weddings, but a printed dress with a hint of white or ivory is definitely approved. A black-and-white dress is a classic choice, as long as the pattern isn't too distracting.

Can you wear an ivory dress with flowers to a wedding? ›

Yes, a floral dress with a white background is completely fine & acceptable. With the caveat that the dress is appropriate for the season, time of day & formality of the particular wedding. Just please don't wear a solid white or solid light cream or pale ivory dress.

Is it okay to wear a floral dress to a wedding? ›

Can you wear a floral dress to a formal wedding? The short answer: Yes! Floral wedding guest dresses come in so many different styles, from festive frocks to sexy slips. No matter the dress code of the event you're attending, you're bound to find a floral wedding guest dress that's perfect for the occasion.

How to make a white dress not look like a wedding dress? ›

High low dresses, paneling, cutouts, stiffer textures, and sharp angles can make the perfect non-bridal white dress. Adding a splash of colour to your white dress can also do the trick. It could be subtly on the hemline, piping or paneling, or more obvious with the bodice or skirt in the different colour.

Can I wear white to a wedding if it has a print on it? ›

Can a Guest Wear a Printed White Dress to a Wedding? According to the experts, it's best to avoid wearing a printed white dress to a wedding. "As far as I am concerned, if the dress is white with a print over it, it still is white," explains etiquette expert Diane Gottsman.

What is too white for a wedding guest? ›

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.

Can you mix white and ivory at a wedding? ›

Ivory and white together are also a great choice - subtle and distinct. While these colors are often chosen as a base for building on, they can also stand alone as a theme. The colors themselves also take on a different tone as the sun starts to set, lighting them up as they glimmer in the golden rays.

Can I wear a white and blue dress to a wedding? ›

Blue and white is such a popular color scheme for weddings! Many couples choose to have their wedding decor in these colors because they are classic and beautiful. If you are wondering if you can wear a blue and white dress to a wedding, the answer is most likely yes!

Should flower girl dress be white or ivory? ›

Your flower girl dress can be white or ivory to match/coordinate with your gown, like a mini bride. A flower girl in white historically is a symbol of purity and sweetness. It also highlights the contrast between the bride and young girl as the passage from childhood to womanhood.

Can you wear a cream patterned dress to a wedding? ›

Most guests know better than to wear a white dress to a wedding—and most steer clear of anything in the ivory or cream family altogether.

Can you wear print to a formal wedding? ›

"Whereas before, black tie or white tie typically meant women wore gowns in more muted colors, now there's freedom to play with color and print. For black-tie and black-tie optional events, men can wear printed or colored dinner jackets and be a little more creative with their fashion, too."

What to wear to a wedding as a guest female? ›

Women wedding guests should wear a full-length dress, be it a ballgown, a sheath or an A-line style. High heels are strongly recommended. Feel free to accessorize with opulent jewelry and even elbow-length white silk gloves.

Can you wear a white dress to a formal event? ›

Unless the invitation specifies it's an all-white dress code for guests, avoid the color for a wedding, bridal shower, bachelorette party, or rehearsal dinner.

Can you wear a white dress with a pattern to a bridal shower? ›

In most cases, you do want to avoid wearing white to a bridal shower as a guest (unless specifically stated in the invite). Why? It's traditional for the bride, or the couple, to wear white at the bridal shower. This also includes pastel shades, like blush or soft blue, that can be photographed as looking white.

Can you wear cream pattern dress to wedding? ›

It's generally disrespectful to wear white, cream, or ivory to a wedding, especially if the dress is bridal or could upstage the bride. However, there are exceptions, such as if the dress has a lot of patterns, or if the wedding theme or dress code is all white, or black and white.

Can you wear a dress with white spots to a wedding? ›

A black dress with tiny white dots is fine. Just don't wear a predominantly white dress to a wedding.

Can you wear a black dress with a pattern to a wedding? ›

Since nuptials are celebratory occasions, the dark hue was labeled off-limits for attendees in the past. However, in today's modern-day age, wearing black to a wedding is completely acceptable, and in many cases, it's even encouraged.

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