A 24-year-old newlywed bride vented her frustrations about a guest’s unexpected look choice on Reddit’s controversial “Wedding Shaming” forum. The 19-year-old guest was referred to by the original poster, who used a pseudonym for privacy, as “Ariana.” She had been a longtime family friend who was asked to come to the wedding with the specific request, “Dress elegant.”
But instead, Ariana showed up sporting what the bride calls a “Poster Girl-style” dress that includes a low neckline, sheer panels, front slits, matching gloves, and enough tiger print that would make a Vegas star blush.
The bride shared screenshots of the heated text exchange that took place after the ceremony, together with the dress photo, which was taken from the website of the fast-fashion brand Fashion Nova.
“Why would you show up wearing what you wore to my wedding?” she asked in it. Ariana’s provocative reply? “‘Cause I can???”
A full-blown internet debate came next.
Bride And Her Friend Disagree on Elegance vs. Expression
Redditors didn’t hold back. Many supported the bride, claiming that Ariana’s outfit was much closer to “Temu lingerie level gear” instead of a wedding outfit. One commenter complained that the guest had used her sense of style as a weapon to start some controversy, saying, “That dress isn’t appropriate anywhere other than the club.”
Some were more brutal, comparing the entire look to something worn “on a street corner looking for clients.”
She came, she saw, she conquered that ‘fit 🙌https://t.co/dYuUbbOaBl pic.twitter.com/TGi58iEdwW
— FashionNova (@FashionNova) September 26, 2019
A collective chorus of wedding attendees sharing similar horror stories (and fashion warnings) quickly broke out from the thread. “the perfect wedding has food, fun, romance, and one ghastly person for everyone to enjoy gossiping about on the drive home,” said one user, accurately representing the feeling that followed. “She gave your guests a delightful gift!”
However, a relatively small number of users had a different opinion.
Some disagreed with the bride’s tone, saying that the post-wedding fight was too much. One user said, “You accomplished nothing with those texts. The friend is probably enjoying that she made the bride ‘jealous’ on her wedding day.”
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“The dress is of course trashy. But this is what you’re wasting time on post wedding reception? She dressed tacky,” said another, urging the bride to move on. “I guarantee no one else cares.”
Is The Bride a Fashion Police, Or Does This Friendship Need a Fallout?
Even though Ariana’s outfit might have gone against the dress code, the bride’s public humiliation strategy was also subjected to question. Was it a matter of taste or a more serious rivalry? And when does expressing one’s wedding vision get controlling?
The scenario in question shows an increasing generational gap between those who believe in traditional wedding protocol and those who think that everyone has the right to wear stylish clothes no matter the occasion. The debate has become somewhat of a cultural flashpoint as a result of Ariana’s response, “‘Cause I can,” which has already been meme-ified on social media.
Fashion nova has a business section for clothes you can wear to work. They tryna get me fired pic.twitter.com/eWmBPCUILT
— 🌹RoseGawd🌹 (@djrosegawd) September 14, 2022
More weddings than ever before are being talked about, analyzed, and litigated online, forcing brides and grooms to handle PR crises as well as party planning. In this particular case, Reddit served as a confessional and a courtroom.
The dress had an effect, regardless of whether you believe Ariana was showing off her freedom or committing a fashion crime.
