Never wear these outfits to a wedding! As Molly-Mae raises eyebrows in a black outfit on Venezuela’s big day, how even celebs are guilty of breaking dress codes and upstaging the bride

Molly-Mae Hague has been subject to an influx of internet backlash this week for her unconventional choice to wear all-black to Venezuela Fury’s high-profile wedding.

The influencer, 26, who is due to give birth to her second child with Tommy Fury any day now, made a brief appearance at the Isle of Man nuptials on May 16 with her daughter Bambi, three, who was one of Venezuela’s bridesmaids. 

‘Black at a wedding?,’ questioned one Facebook user, while another added: ‘Black is a no no at a wedding sorry’.

Traditionally, wearing black to a wedding was heavily frowned upon, as black is usually reserved for mourners at a funeral.

Yet while Molly’s decision to opt for black trousers and a sheer matching top has sparked controversy, she is just one in a long list of celebrities who have drawn controversy with their wedding guest outfit choices.  

Celebrity stylist Lisa Talbot told The Daily Mail: ‘I think if a dress is predominantly white, even with a pattern it can still feel risky. 

‘If there’s any chance it could resemble bridalwear in photographs, I would avoid it. There are so many other beautiful colours to wear as a guest.

‘The same applies to very revealing outfits. Weddings are emotional, family occasions, so there’s a fine line between looking confident and looking as though you’re trying to command attention.’

From Victoria Beckham and Princess Diana’s questionably white gowns to Kendall Jenner and Ariana Grande’s risqué fits, these are the celebrities who have famously risked breaking dress code etiquette…

Victoria Beckham 

While wearing white is traditionally seen as a strict fashion faux pas for wedding guests, Victoria Beckham has not held back from breaking this rule on numerous occasions.

In 2019, the former Spice Girls star stepped out for the nuptials of footballer Sergio Ramos and Spanish TV presenter Pilar Rubio in a white patterned midi dress fit with quarter-length sleeves.

Perhaps in an attempt to draw attention away from her fashion rebellion, Victoria opted for a pair of hot pink heels, which certainly made the look appear less bridal.

Three years later, Victoria stirred up intense debate among her fans when she stepped out in a white satin gown for a close friend’s wedding.

Vogue editor Edward Enninful and film-maker Alec Maxwell tied the knot in 2022 at Longleat House in front of a star-studded guest list that included the likes of Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss.

But the attention was slightly diverted towards Victoria, who stepped out in a silk white bridal-inspired dress featuring delicate straps and lace detailing for the occasion.

Princess Diana 

Even the royals have been known to go against the no-white wedding guest protocol, with Princess Diana attracting a wealth of attention on her brother, Charles Spencer’s wedding to his first wife Victoria Aitken in September 1989.

Stepping out in a bridal white dress and matching ivory heels and hat, the Princess of Wales opted for a slightly darker coloured jacket in a bid to conceal the more bridal aspect to the outfit.

The princess attended the high-profile event with a young Prince William, dressed in a blue jacket and yellow tie, while Prince Harry was undertaking the role of page boy with a cream shirt and red sash to complement his outfit.

Ms Talbot added: ‘White is still the colour that causes the most controversy. 

‘Ultimately, the best wedding guest style is polished, respectful and appropriate for the setting.’

Kendall Jenner 

When Kendall Jenner attended the wedding of close friend Lauren Perez in November 2021, her figure-hugging cutout dress was branded ‘tacky’ by numerous social media users who deemed it inappropriate and ‘disrespectful’ for the occasion.

The striking Monot outfit’s cutouts saw the Kardashian even face criticism for attempting to ‘upstage’ the bride during the reception.

One social media commentator wrote:  ‘Cute dress but nothing could be worse for a wedding. All that money and no class or consideration for others.’

In response, Lauren took to Instagram to defend Kendall and wrote: ‘(Kendall) looked stunning and I loved it!’

Kendall also clarified that she had in fact asked for the bride’s permission on the day to wear the dress. 

Kylie Jenner 

Perhaps one of the most controversial wedding guest outfits in the last decade was by Kylie Jenner, who sparked criticism for choosing a metallic gold foil gown by J’Aton Couture for Hailey and Justin Bieber’s wedding in 2019.

The head-turning number has inspired plenty of oohs and aahs from fans on social media, but it also had people wagging their fingers at the reality star, calling the dress inappropriate and accusing Kylie of trying to steal Hailey’s spotlight. 

The crinkly metallic fabric glistened and the revealing cut was jaw-dropping, making for an overall scene-stealing effect.

‘You don’t show up to a wedding trying to look better than the bride… just rude,’ one Instagram commenter wrote.

‘She looks fabulous but not for a wedding,’ wrote another.

Meanwhile, TV host Wendy Williams admitted that, in her opinion, Kylie did ‘upstage’ Hailey, but said that the bride should ‘get over it’ if she had any issues with her friend stealing her spotlight.

Ariana Grande 

As sister-of-the-groom and bridesmaid, some may have expected Ariana Grande to opt for a somewhat low-key outfit when Frankie Grande said ‘I Do’ in 2022.

However, in keeping with her usual stylish looks, Ariana opted for a custom matching two-piece Vera Wang black bra top and mini skirt which garnered some attention from more traditional fans.

To finish off the glamorous look, she opted for an updo, with a large bow. 

While some fans criticised the singer for ‘doing too much’, others defender her and added: ‘She looks perfect. If Frankie loves it, who are you to say she’s doing too much?’ 

Ms Talbot noted that while ‘cut-outs, plunging necklines and sheer fabrics can work’, balance is key. 

‘I always say choose one statement feature rather than everything at once.

‘Celebrities often push boundaries because fashion is part of their personal brand and weddings are highly photographed events.

‘Someone like Victoria Beckham or Kendall Jenner will naturally dress in a way that feels authentic to their image, even if it divides opinion. But public reaction usually comes when people feel the outfit risks overshadowing the bride.’

Hailey Bieber 

Molly-Mae Hague may not be the first A-lister to risk wearing black to a wedding, with Hailey Bieber also opting for a dark minidress when she attended the nuptials of musician Harv (from WeTheBand and Felisha King) in April 2021.

Stepping out with Justin Bieber for the event, Hailey wore the knitted dress from the AZ Factory ‘My Body’ collection, paired with a Saint Laurent bag and strappy black heels.

At the time, she received criticism for the darker dress choice given it was not in line with traditional wedding guest attire, particularly for a spring wedding.

However, Ms Talbot added that black has become ‘far more acceptable now, particularly for formal city weddings or evening receptions’. 

‘The key is how it’s styled. If it feels elegant and sophisticated rather than sombre or attention-grabbing, it can absolutely work,’ she added.

‘Ultimately, the best wedding guest style is polished, respectful and appropriate for the setting. You want people remembering how chic you looked, not questioning whether you broke the dress code.’