The audacity! A bridesmaid wants to wear this at the wedding

When childhood friendships clash with wedding planning, tensions can flare in unexpected ways.

UK bride-to-be Chloe Cotterell discovered this firsthand when one of her ten bridesmaids made a request that left her completely speechless.

The internet quickly erupted over the drama that unfolded.

Chloe, a beauty influencer, had gone to great lengths for her bridal party, renting out an entire dress shop and offering to pay for each bridesmaid’s gown with no budget limit.

The only requirement was that they choose from six shades of pink to match her wedding theme.

During the shopping trip, however, her childhood friend Natalie—someone Chloe had known since age three—pulled the shop assistant aside with an unusual request.

Natalie wanted to try on a white bridesmaid dress because she thought 'it would be really cool if she could be the one in a white dress compared to the other bridesmaids.' Chloe was left stunned.

'She's painfully single and enjoys it,' Chloe said in a video shared on social media, which had been viewed over 647,000 times. 'And if it's a joke, I don't find it funny.'

When Chloe confronted Natalie, asking why she wanted to wear white, her friend doubled down, insisting she wanted to 'stand out' from the other bridesmaids.

Chloe pointed out that Natalie was neither the maid of honour nor a head bridesmaid, leaving the bride-to-be speechless.

Wedding professionals were unanimous: Natalie's request was inappropriate.

Wedding etiquette clearly stated that only the bride should wear white, including for the bridal party unless specifically permitted by the bride herself.

Experts advised avoiding white, ivory, off-white, or any cream tones unless the couple requested an all-white dress code.

The distinction between choice and demand was crucial—while some brides chose white bridesmaid dresses for aesthetic reasons, that decision belonged solely to the bride.

Chloe had already shown remarkable generosity, covering the cost of ten dresses with no budget limit and renting out a boutique for a personal shopping experience.

Wedding costs had soared in recent years, making her investment in friendships significant, and Natalie's request appeared ungrateful.

Dr Sarah Thompson, a clinical psychologist, explained that weddings often expose underlying relationship dynamics.

'When someone makes a demand like this, especially after being shown such generosity, it suggests they may feel entitled to special treatment or are struggling with the attention being focused entirely on the bride,' she said.

Longstanding friendships, like Chloe and Natalie’s since age three, could create assumptions about flexibility that did not apply to formal events.

Chloe shared the dilemma on social media, where followers voiced strong opinions.

Comments ranged from direct—'Tell her 'No!', and if she doesn't budge uninvite her to your wedding'—to sarcastic—'So you've nine bridesmaids now?'—to pointed—'Should have told her if she wants to look like a bride, maybe she should fund her own wedding.'

The majority felt Natalie should either comply with the pink dress request or be removed from the bridal party.

Wedding planners advised handling conflicts quickly and directly: set clear expectations early, address inappropriate requests privately, stand firm on decisions affecting the wedding vision, and consider whether the relationship could survive the conflict.

Experts urged brides to have honest conversations about boundaries early in the planning process, reminding them that reasonable requests were generally met with support—as Chloe’s nine other bridesmaids demonstrated.

Wedding experts agreed that wearing white to a wedding remained disrespectful because 'the last thing you want to do as a guest is upstage the happy couple.'

For Natalie and others, the rule was simple: white belonged to the bride, full stop.

Any desire to 'stand out' at someone else’s wedding reflected a misunderstanding of what weddings celebrated.

Have you ever faced a situation where a friend crossed boundaries at a wedding or special event?