Dolores Catania, a reality television star from The Real Housewives of New Jersey, sparked significant online debate after attending her son’s wedding in an outfit that many perceived as inappropriate. She donned a pale blue, heavily embellished gown for her son Frank Catania Jr.’s wedding to Nicole Perricho in Portugal.

A post in the BravoRealHousewives subreddit titled Dolores wore white to her son’s wedding accumulated hundreds of comments regarding the perceived etiquette blunder.

One commenter remarked. Certainly, she wanted to upstage the bride. Another expressed disdain over her choice, insinuating that a TV personality should aim for subtlety in such settings rather than overshadow the bride. The controversy persisted as many Reddit users voiced opinions that the dress, while not white, was too closely resembling the color, which can detract from the bride’s special day.

Wedding guests traditionally avoid wearing white to ensure the bride remains the focus. Wedding guests are traditionally advised to avoid wearing white to prevent upstaging the bride. Dolores’s decision highlighted issues around etiquette, often debated at weddings. Color and dress choice matter greatly. For instance, a pale color can appear white in photographs, thus creating unintended perception issues.

Historically, the standard for bridal gown colors only solidified in the West relatively recently. Before the mid-19th century, brides simply wore their finest dresses, which could vary in colors and patterns as detailed by History.com. Queen Victoria’s choice of a white satin gown for her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840 popularized the white dress norm. This tradition grew with economic progress and the rise of the middle classes by the late 1800s. Queen Victoria is often credited for making the white wedding gown an expected choice.

The Emily Post Institute comments on the flexibility modern brides have over dress colors, suggesting that choosing a non-white dress does not break etiquette but could draw attention away from the bridal celebration, possibly upsetting older generations. Brides are encouraged to consider both personal taste and broader implications when making their dress choice.

Guest attire should focus on not overshadowing the bride. The website The Knot advises guests to verify the wedding party’s colors through wedding websites and invitations to adhere to dress codes properly.

Wedding etiquette expert Diane Gottsman notes, Gold can be suitable for the mother of the bride provided the dress doesn’t appear like one fit for the bride. Guest attire should respect boundaries and not detract from the celebration. Teresa Mull, a freelance writer for Fox News Digital’s Lifestyle team, contributed to this article.