Bride baffled as future in-laws decline wedding invites over dress code: 'Thought they'd understand'

Sometimes, couples go above and beyond to make their special day memorable without realizing that not everyone prefers extravagance. Many people choose to keep things simple, even when it comes to their wedding, valuing intimacy over grandeur. However, the bride couldn’t take it when the groom’s family members started declining their wedding invitations due to the dress code for the event. The bride-to-be, u/Puzzleheaded_Gur3899, who needed “help,” sought people’s suggestions on the complicated situation concerning the dress attire. In the post, she shared a screenshot of a private conversation between her fiancé and her mother-in-law, discussing that the guests were not keen on putting in the extra effort.

Before delving deeper into what transpired between the bride and her mother-in-law, according to the couple's wedding website, the bride shared some tips for guests on how to dress for the occasion. As for her suggestions for the ladies, they could attend the event, which was organized a day before Good Friday, wearing tea-length, midi, or full-length dresses or a jumpsuit/set. "Summer colors are welcome, and frills, tiered ruffles, and floral patterns are highly encouraged! Please avoid white, cream, and ivory, as these colors are reserved for the bride," she noted in the invite. Meanwhile, male guests were asked to attend the event in a dress shirt and trousers and avoid denim or ball caps. "A cute floral tie would be the cherry on top of the cake," read the invite.

However, the woman’s soon-to-be husband received a message from his mother concerning the wedding dress code. Expressing her shock over one of the guests declining the invite, she wrote, “I knew our desired dress code wouldn’t be popular since these people are Western, but I didn’t think they would react this way.” After six years of being in a relationship with her now-fiancé, the bride decided to tie the knot at the age of 24. She, along with her fiancé, was the only one funding their wedding. “If I am putting 12,000+ into my wedding, I don’t want jeans,” the bride-to-be justified her decision to impose a dress code on her wedding.

Additionally, the woman, who lives away from her own family, claimed to have made sacrifices to organize the event in the town where most of her fiancé’s family members live. While calling out the annoying guests who had not agreed to the couple’s request to comply with the attire, she posted a screenshot of a text message from her partner and her mother-in-law. In the message, the mother-in-law was informing her son about a guest named Ryan, who refused to attend the event due to the dress code.“I have a few saying they don't have the proper dress attire and would never wear what they bought if they went,” the mother-in-law added. 

With the wedding scheduled a day before Good Friday, the bride claimed she planned everything accordingly. She asked for an honest opinion from the online community, inviting their take on the unfolding situation. “‘No ball caps nor jeans’ is pretty much the lowest, most minimal dress code I can possibly imagine. I’ve never been out West, so maybe this is a cultural disconnect, but I can’t imagine not owning at least one pair of slacks, chinos, khakis—something—for funerals, weddings, date nights, etc,” u/TravelingBride2024 opined. “I don’t think your dress code is offensive and I don’t think it’s too big of an ask,”  u/Jaxbird39 agreed.