I Upstaged the Bride with my Outfit That She Approved Prior to Her Wedding

In a tale that intertwines cultural diversity with nuptial etiquette, an incident unfolded at a Western wedding that left many pondering the complexities of appropriate attire and the unexpected reactions a wrong outfit can elicit.

This story, shared firsthand on Reddit, offers a deep dive into the events that transpired at an Indian woman's first Western wedding, shedding light on the nuanced dynamics of wedding celebrations and cultural inclusivity. The woman took to the platform to find out if she was in the wrong regarding an unintended incident.

The woman aimed to navigate this new experience with utmost respect and awareness, eager to avoid any cultural missteps. In preparation, she reached out to the groom, a friend, to inquire about the dress code, which was described as an opportunity to dress to the nines within a palette of neutrals and pastels.

With this guidance in hand, the individual selected a saree that she already had in her closet that matched these criteria perfectly. To ensure its appropriateness, she shared a picture of the saree with the groom, who confirmed its suitability for the occasion.

Five months prior to the wedding, an encounter with the bride at a bar, amidst other friends of the groom, presented an opportunity to seek her approval of the saree as well. In a gesture of consideration, the woman offered to select a different outfit if the saree was deemed unsuitable.

The bride, however, welcomed the addition of cultural diversity to her wedding, praising the saree as "delightful" and expressing enthusiasm for its inclusion in her wedding photographs. The woman was satisfied that her saree would be an acceptable outfit to wear to the wedding.

On the day of the wedding, the woman received many compliments on her grey saree. The groom's mother, who was of Indian heritage, complimented the woman on her outfit more than once, with other guests also telling her how wonderful she looked.

The ceremony went off without incident. However, later at the reception, the woman experienced unsavory behavior from the bride and bridesmaids because of her outfit. The reception revealed the bride in a greyish-white gown, which, while predominantly white, featured embroidery and underlayers that echoed the color of the saree.

One bridesmaid attempted to spill her drink on the woman's saree while another questioned the potential impact of the saree on the wedding photographs. These actions culminated during the group photo session when the bride did everything she could to have the woman standing on the outskirts of the photo.

Later, during the bouquet toss as all the single women gathered in an attempt to catch the bouquet, another bridesmaid asked the woman if she was really going to try and catch the bouquet, implying she had stolen enough attention for the day.

Upon leaving the wedding, the woman discussed the situation with friends, who saw no fault in her attire or behavior. The woman was shocked by the bride's behavior because she had always been taught to treat guests with respect, which is not what she experienced at the wedding.

The woman then asked Reddit if she was wrong for having worn the saree even after she got approval from both the bride and groom and was complimented on her appearance by the groom's mother. She soon received commiserations and opinions from readers of her story.

One commenter said the woman had simply encountered "mean girls" and was not wrong for wearing the dress the bride had said was okay. The woman shared that it was "unsettling" for her to be treated so badly, which was half the reason she didn't say anything at the wedding.

The woman said the other half of the reason she didn't say anything at the wedding was the cultural expectation not to cause a scene at a wedding with conflict. Another commenter asked if there was any damage done to her saree when the bridesmaid tried to spill a drink on her. The woman clarified that her friend had pulled her out of the way in time for no serious damage to be done.

One commenter admitted that they were concerned by the color of the woman's dress when she mentioned it, but said that if the bride had agreed it was okay to wear, then she couldn't go back on her word when the wedding day came. The commenter said it was only natural the woman would gain attention as she was wearing a saree to a Western wedding.

The same commenter said they didn't understand brides who didn't want other people to be complimented on their outfits at their wedding. The person then suggested that the woman wear a saree that couldn't easily be mistaken for white the next time she went to a Western wedding.

Another person who read the woman's post was confused as to how the bride was shocked by her outfit, having already seen it months before the wedding. The person thought the bride should have spoken up the first time the woman showed her the outfit if she had a problem.

Another woman found herself in a similar situation when she attended a wedding outside of her culture for the first time. Read the full story here.