In a move lightly labelled by Vogue as 'slightly high maintenance' Pippa Middleton has reportedly directed her wedding guests to wear two outfits to her wedding later this month. One for the ceremony, which will be held in a church (and in which Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be in the bridal party) and one for the reception, which will be held at her parent's home.
The rule follows on from Middleton's reported 'no ring, no bring' one (the rules are said to have changed for Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle, perhaps after their public snog at the polo). And it fits quite nicely into the narrative about how weddings have become, well, a major production. And word to the wise, Middleton's wedding is said to be costing more than $436k, so it's certainly not a chicken-or-beef and a rousing bout of the Nutbush affair - guests are going to have to dress the part.
But is the rule over the top? I mean, what about poor Uncle Barry (or Uncle Gary) who only owns one wedding suit for weddings/funerals/other?
Or guests who have to travel a long distance and didn't plan on packing two 'good' outfits?
Vogue valiantly attempted to find the reasoning behind the decision, noting that "Middleton's wedding will take place in a church ... while her reception will be held at her parents' home. Perhaps the Middleton-Matthews pair were thinking of their guests' comfort at an indoor-outdoor reception? A country estate's surrounding grounds can, of course, grow quite chilly. There's also the chance that the events have different dress codes. Or maybe the reception has its own theme. Middleton is, after all, something of a party-planning expert, so it wouldn't be completely out of character for her to go above and beyond for her own special day."
And if there's one thing a bride is told ahead of her wedding day it's HER DAY, which can have the unfortunate effect of expecting people to bend to your will/demanding guests bring two hats /asking your bridesmaids to diet.
Whatever the reasoning, and whether it's even true, it certainly makes for another interesting entrant into the wedding industrial complex. Where does it end? And while many brides have a 'costume change' midway through their ceremony (a throwback in some ways to when a bride would change into her 'going away' outfit during the reception ready for her marital evening above the local pub) making demands of your guests is kind of next level.
Just like you have to invite Uncle Barry/Gary to your wedding because it would please your mum, grownups need to realise that even on your special day you can't force people to do things they might not want to do.
And everybody will have fun on the wedding dance floor, whether they're in their church outfit or their disco one.