I recently got married, and despite a strained relationship between my mother and my wife, we decided to invite her. My mom showed up wearing a black cocktail dress. My wife found this highly offensive, saying, “It is a funeral color,” and demanded that she change or leave.
I didn’t think the dress was inappropriate. It was a nice cocktail dress, not something drab like you’d wear to a funeral. I didn’t believe my mom wore it to offend anyone, so I refused my wife’s request.
Now, I’m left wondering if I made the right decision. My wife argued that black is not suitable for weddings and saw it as a sign of disrespect. I had never heard of this being a taboo, and I didn’t see it as a big deal at the time.
Was my wife right to feel disrespected, and should I have sided with her by asking my mom to leave? Or is it okay to wear black to weddings?