What Does It Mean to Wear Red to a Wedding? We've Got the Tea, and It Ain't Good
In some cultures, it's appropriate, but in others, it's a no-no.
Published June 25 2025, 12:41 p.m. ET
People on TikTok are talking about why one should reconsider if they are planning to wear red to a wedding, and the reason not to is a pretty good one — if you're trying to avoid scandal. TikTok user Sarah Wizeman made a funny skit detailing the reason to avoid the color at weddings, and other people on TikTok are also commenting on the situation.
All the hoopla has people asking: What does it mean to wear red to a wedding? Well, we have the reason, and it may surprise you.
What does it mean to wear red to a wedding?
Most people know it's not OK to wear white to a wedding, but many are unaware that wearing red to a wedding has a secret meaning, at least according to an old wives' tale. The reason one should avoid wearing red to a wedding is that wearing red means that you slept with the groom, according to The Unfiltered Podcast, per The New York Post.
U.K. wedding planners Bethany Smith and Georgie Mitchell explained that wearing red to a wedding is a declaration that "you’ve slept with the groom," and unless that is the statement that you want to make at the event, red should be avoided.
Bethany also said that red is seen as “quite sexy,” "naughty,” and an attempt to steal attention from the bride.
TikTok user Sarah Wizeman performed a skit incorporating the old wives' tale in a video she shared on the platform. She plays a mother, her son, and his fiancée, and the mom wants to wear red to her son's wedding, seemingly unaware of what that means.
"I'm wearing red," she said. "We were supposed to be matching!"
After her son says they've already picked the colors they were planning on wearing, the mother gets upset.
"Fine, I'll just wear red then, and have all the attention on me," she declared. The bride replies, "Well, you know what they say about people who wear red to a wedding," and giggles. After the son, Scotty, tells his bride not to say such things, the mom asks what it means to wear red to a wedding. After some back and forth, she says, "Scotty, will you please just tell me. You know I'm a cool mom."
Scotty continues to tell his mom that she doesn't want to know what wearing red to a wedding means, and at the end of the skit, the mom calls a friend to find out the answer.
TikTok user @paulaaaaaaa421 shared a video of a woman wearing red to a wedding in Mexico. The post was captioned, "So many weddings here #mexico #vacation #wedding #reddress #interesting." Over the video was the text, "I thought wearing red to a wedding meant you slept with the groom," along with the ponder emoji.
The video prompted responses from others who were unaware of the meaning. "Not me wearing red to my step brother's AND step sister's wedding UNKNOWINGLY," wrote on TikToker. Another replied, "Stopppppp that’s why I got those looks????? The bride told me to come colorful."
According to Brides.com, red is often worn in Chinese and Indian weddings, and it should be avoided because it could be the couple's attire and is too bold for guests.
Bridal fashion stylist Gabrielle Hurwitz claims that it's OK to wear red at a wedding. "I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wearing red as a wedding guest," she said. "And while you might see rumors floating around the web that wearing red means you had a fling with the groom, ignore those. There are no hidden meanings to any colors of wedding guest attire."
However, we're going to have to agree with the old wives' tales and TikTok and recommend not wearing red to a wedding.