The Most Inappropriate Celebrity Wedding Guest Dresses

When it comes to wedding etiquette, we're all guilty of breaking a rule or two. Maybe you peeked at your phone a couple times during the reception. And perhaps you had a few too many hors d'oeuvres or too many cocktails, only to pull an Elaine Benes and dad-dance the night away. But when it comes to the sartorial side of weddings, there are strict unspoken rules that guests really should abide by. For instance, wearing white on your BFF's big day? Big no-no. "It's the number one rule," wedding planner Alexa Kritis previously told The List. "It's the bride's day, not yours. She spent a lot of money on that white gown, so be respectful."

But there are some people who always want to be the center of attention and no amount of wedding planning is going to stop them from giving off main character energy (even when they're decidedly not the main character). Especially when it comes to celebrity weddings, a clash of egos can lead to a monumental nuptial no-no.

Regardless of the implications of supposedly upstaging the bride, every guest is free to dress how they want — just as your fellow attendees are free to sit, stare at, and silently judge you. So get ready to do that as we run through the most inappropriate celebrity wedding guest dresses.

Though Britney Spears and Sam Asghari have now called it quits, their 2022 wedding was a momentous occasion. For Spears, the ceremony was symbolic of breaking free from her allegedly abusive father, whose conservatorship she was under for 13 years. As such, it was only right that all eyes ought to have been on the blushing bride. But some guests apparently didn't get the memo.

Paris Hilton — Spears' pal since the pair's Y2K days — was thrilled to be invited to the ceremony, so much so that she canceled on President Biden to be there. The "Simple Life" star turned heads by donning a black glittery dress with a huge thigh-high slit showcasing her lengthy limbs. The gown was controversial not only because of its revealing nature but also because black dresses are typically deemed incompatible with the joyous energy of a wedding. Traditionally, black attire is associated with funerals, and considering the immense trauma Spears endured in the decades prior to her big day, it seemed a tad insensitive for Hilton to dress macabre on the occasion.

The socialite wasn't the only one who showed up to the ceremony in gloomy hues, however. Her mom, Kathy Hilton, sported a lacy black mini-dress. Evidently, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Sophie Turner took "Red Wedding" a little too literally when she attended the nuptials of her "Game of Thrones" co-stars Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie. In 2018, the couple tied the knot in a fairytale ceremony set against the backdrop of a 12th-century Scottish castle. While the union was a thoroughly classy affair, not all the guests wore attire befitting the occasion.

Turner, Harrington's onscreen sister, showed up in a bright red blazer mini-dress, complete with thigh-high black boots. Although there's nothing wrong with showcasing a splash of color at a wedding, the garishness of the dress, coupled with its micro-mini length, felt more than a tad inappropriate. On Twitter (via Refinery29), fans were quick to accuse the star of making her co-stars' special day about her. "Ehhh no. This is not what you wear to a wedding," argued one user. "Some may say 'break the rules, stand out' ... No. Weddings are about the couple and their life together, not guests making thigh-high statements!"

But Turner is the first to admit that this wasn't her finest hour. "Ohhhh no. I'll forever regret this look," she admitted to Elle in 2020. "One of my worst looks." The actor explained that she'd suffered a fashion emergency and had to quickly choose between heels that showed her entire leg or thigh-highs that provided more modesty. "Urgh, it was a disaster. Worst fashion choice," she concluded.

When Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley tied the knot in 2023, the couple's special day was hipster chic. They wed at Parker's Garage in New Jersey, where the bride wore Mary Jane ballet flats and the groom paired white socks with black brogues. But as unconventional as the ceremony may have been, is there ever any excuse for a guest to don borderline bridal wear? Taylor Swift seemed to think so.

Wearing a fitted Erdem dress with a lace corset, the "Anti-Hero" singer managed to look even more bridal than the low-key Ms. Qualley. This was largely due to the lighting, with the pale blue hue passing for white in the August sun. Subsequently, folks swarmed social media (via Newsweek) to call out the singer for supposedly wearing white to a wedding. "Who tf wears white to someone else's wedding?" one user commented on Instagram. "Crazy fans this, Jack's pants are too short that, what I wanna know is why Taylor Swift wore a WHITE DRESS to someone else's wedding??" tweeted another observer.

Although Swift actually wore a soft blue dress, wedding experts argue that it's best if guests shun heavily muted or off-white tones so as to avoid such misunderstandings. "Out of respect to the bride and the legacy of tradition, go with another color," wedding planner Lindsey Sachs told Newsweek.

The year was 2018. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were still working royals and were set to tie the knot at Windsor Castle. It was the most hotly anticipated royal wedding since, well, Prince William and Princess Catherine's nuptials seven years earlier. For such a momentous — not to mention regal — occasion, one would expect the guests to go all out with the aristocratic aesthetic. We expected fascinators, pastel hues, and the fanciest finery. We did not expect Victoria Beckham to show up in her mourning gear.

Attending the lavish ceremony with hubby David, Victoria wore a dark navy dress paired with a matching netted veil. The ensemble appeared black in photos, leading to critics accusing her of dressing inappropriately for the joyous occasion. "Does Victoria Beckham realize she is going to a wedding rather than a funeral?" asked one viewer (via the Mirror). Meanwhile, another suggested that Vicky's signature austere countenance only added to the funereal aesthetic: "Someone have a word with Victoria Beckham. Anyone would think she's at a funeral by the look on her mush." Indeed, the ensemble appeared less Vicky Adams, and more Morticia Addams.

In an interview with the Evening Standard following the union, Victoria, evidently unperturbed by the backlash, had nothing but praise for her wedding fit, which was from her own fashion line. "I love a bit of navy," she enthused. "The dress is one of my favorites."

Adele may be the queen of British pop, but even a queen should know when to take off her crown for a few hours. When attending the wedding of her basketball star pal Anthony Davis and his fiancée Marlen Polanco in 2021, Adele turned up looking like the belle of the ball (or should that be court?). The singer waltzed into the venue in a custom-made puff-sleeved Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown designed by the king of extra, Daniel Roseberry. She finished off the fancy fit with giant pearl drop earrings.

The get-up was inappropriate considering that the bride would never be able to compete with a Schiaparelli gown — specifically made for Adele, no less — that likely cost about the same as the entire wedding. Moreover, fellow guests were seen in modest dresses, drawing attention to just how extra the "Easy on Me" singer's outfit was. As for the bride herself? A demure strapless gown and elegant veil sufficed. But Roseberry argued that flagrant exhibitionism was the entire point of Adele's dress. "Elsa Schiaparelli's were garments meant to celebrate the joy of peacocking ... the joy of showing off," he told Vogue.

Later that evening, Adele was seen twerking on the dance floor in the designer gown. While we don't condone outshining the bride (and pretty much everyone else in attendance), props to the songstress for being able to twerk in Haute Couture. 

Dua Lipa is a lauded singer and fashion icon to boot, so suffice it to say she will invariably look fabulous as a wedding guest. Still, one wouldn't expect the "Barbie" star to attempt to draw attention away from newlyweds on their special day. Then again, she's always been one for making new rules.

In 2022, she attended the wedding of French fashion designer Simon Jacquemus and his fiancé, Marco Maestri. The grooms looked dashing in their contrasting suits — Jacquemus in black and his soon-to-be hubby in white. There was just one problem: Lipa decided to also wear white for the occasion, donning a sheer gown that showed off her matching bandeau bra and panties. According to wedding etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, the dress may be perceived as attention-seeking. "Unless you are the bride, wearing white or ivory to a wedding is considered inappropriate ... it sends a message that you want to be noticed," Gottsman told Us Weekly.

The dress divided fans, with some marveling at Lipa's beauty in the ensemble and others criticizing her for wearing white. But it seems the singer's dress wasn't that big of a faux pas with Jacquemus, who designed the gown and defended the singer. "People were rather shocked ... There were some comments about Dua Lipa's white dress because it is traditionally viewed as inappropriate to wear white to a wedding," he told Vogue. "We found everything to be airy, vaporous, and light."

When Hailey and Justin Bieber said "I do" in 2019, the bride opted for an elegant and classic gown designed by the late Virgil Abloh. No doubt Hailey wanted to be center stage for her special day, but someone else had showstopping status in mind when attending the bash.

Unfortunately for Bieber, Kylie Jenner turned up to the ceremony in a head-turning gold gown with a cut-out bust and risqué slit. There's no denying that Jenner was exuding main character energy on her friend's big day, and fans were quick to call her out for supposedly attempting to upstage the bride. "Kylie's dress for the Bieber wedding was nice and all but I'd be livid if one of my guests showed up dressed in that," tweeted one fan (via The Sun). "If someone tries to pull a Kylie Jenner move like this at my wedding ... they will kindly be escorted out with a red wine stain down the front of their dress," wrote another.

Meanwhile, some accused the newly single Jenner of wearing the extra ensemble as her very own "Revenge Dress" (think Lady Di rocking up to the Serpentine Gallery in a sexy LBD following her split from King Charles). However, as Melissa Grelo argued on "The Social CTV," Bieber, being friends with Jenner, likely knew and accepted that the reality TV star would show up to her wedding in something over the top.

As Princess Catherine walked down the aisle in 2011 wearing her custom-made Sarah Burton gown, she likely didn't count on her sister generating headlines the following morning. The bride was somewhat overshadowed by little sis Pippa Middleton in her now-infamous skin-tight white dress, which quickly went viral and prompted many memes.

Middleton's frock arguably broke wedding etiquette, resembling a bridal gown itself. But even more eyebrow-raising was how it contoured to her figure, distracting from the demure bride's silhouette. Subsequently, the dress provoked intense debate, with some accusing Middleton of attempting to outshine her sister. "Pippa's dress caused a global stir, firstly, because it was white," Daena Borrowman, a marketing executive for a bridal jewelry company, told Express. "This was rather untraditional, as the color white is normally reserved for the bride on her big day ... Royal watchers have commented that Pippa's dress nearly upstaged the bride's dress."

Although the dress was deemed too similar to Catherine's, Middleton insisted that she intentionally chose white because she wanted to blend in with her sister's train as she held it while walking down the aisle. Appearing at an event in London (via  US Weekly), Middleton was able to poke fun at the fashion faux pas. "As I have found out, recognition has its upside, its downside and – you may say – its backside," she joked.

Before Paris Hilton was accused of dressing inappropriately at Britney Spears' wedding, she had an improperly dressed wedding guest of her own. In 2021, the socialite tied the knot with beau Carter Reum and, in true Hilton style, she went all out with her choice of gown, opting for a billowing floor-length train and Victorian-style bodice. The dress should have been enough to ensure that all eyes were on Hilton.

However, the bride likely didn't bet on her former assistant, Kim Kardashian, showing up in a super revealing, skin-tight black gown that accentuated her hourglass curves. Possibly most controversial was the barely there boob coverage, with the bodice consisting of two thin pieces of fabric. Over on Reddit (via The Sun), fans were less than impressed with Kardashian's choice of attire, arguing that it was inappropriate. "She looks great but not very wedding appropriate," wrote one detractor. Meanwhile, others suggested that she wore the eye-catching frock because she couldn't stand not being the center of attention on Hilton's big day. "I can't really see Kim as a bridesmaid these days. She's too obsessed with being number one," wrote another critic.

Criticisms of Kardashian's seemingly inappropriate choice of dress aside, the reality TV star was indeed happy for her pal, with insiders telling E! that she supported Hilton throughout the ceremony and even helped her with her own gown.

The sadly departed 2000s it-girl Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was famed for her offbeat fashion choices. Throughout her reign as a British style queen, she sported leather minidresses, color blocked Y2K fits, and, naturally, co-ords inspired by the Union Jack. As she once told The National, "The five words that best describe me are flawed, fabulous, fun, feisty and a fashionista." It stands to reason, then, that she would go all out when attending the 2011 royal wedding, with a suitably flawed and feisty fashion choice.

The former party girl attended Prince William and Princess Catherine's union in a bizarre monochromatic ensemble consisting of an electric blue dress, complete with a cowl neck shawl, boat-shaped fascinator, and matching arm-length gloves. At the time, outlets like The Telegraph argued that the outfit was an epic fail, highlighting the incongruous nature of the old-fashioned gloves with the on-trend dress. What's more, the dress certainly screamed, "Look at me," which is a major no-no when attending someone else's special day. The New York Times also pinpointed Palmer-Tomkinson's comically shaped hat as one of the stand-out faux pas of the occasion.

Critics may have loathed the socialite's outfit, but she couldn't have cared less. "I was delighted with it," she told Vanity Fair. "The inspiration was Venice, and the gloves were still being stitched while I was having my makeup done."

The 2021 wedding of entrepreneur Lauren Perez and her fiancé David Waltzer was a traditional affair. Both the bride and the groom wore classy attire, Perez in a classically simple gown and Waltzer in a chic tux. But not all of their guests opted for similarly conventional outfits. After stepping out of her blue bridesmaid dress, Kendall Jenner slipped into a barely-there black number that left her entire upper and midsection exposed, save for some strategically placed layers over her chest. Vogue declared that Jenner was the most risqué guest at the event, arguing, "There was nothing casual about her criss-crossing cut-out LBD designed to let the abs peep out and say hi. This skin-baring technical feat ... calls to mind Cher's most memorable Bob Mackie look."

The dress proved highly controversial, with social media users accusing the model of attempting to outshine the bride. In fact, the dress was so contentious that it spawned a now-deleted TikTok video that was viewed by almost 7 million people, per BuzzFeed. "It's just blatantly disrespectful to the bride," commented one user. Others said they would have asked her to leave if she'd shown up to their wedding in the dress.

However, Perez defended her friend. When a fan called out Jenner's haters in the Insta comments section, Perez replied (via People), "Tell em! SHE LOOKED STUNNING AND I LOVED IT!"

The stars arrived in droves for Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's nuptials in 2018. But among all the fascinators and pastel blazers was Pixie Geldof, decked out in a bright pink Céline smock dress.

The dress proved somewhat contentious as it deviated from what many deemed appropriate wedding guest garb, and Geldof certainly stood out from the traditionalist crowd. It also sparked debate about whether wearing an eye-catching dress is acceptable at a wedding. "I have always felt that red, or any very bright color, wasn't appropriate," Hillary Kerr, co-founder of Who What Wear, told the outlet. "Because it felt very look-at-me on a day that's not about you ... Maybe save your most showstopping look for another occasion."

Appearing on the "What Were You Thinking?" podcast, Geldof admitted that she chose the dress at the very last minute, feeling that she could get away with the hasty decision considering that she and the princess had been pals since their school days. "I've changed and my style has progressed, but still, I'm still me... I borrowed that dress off my mate because the night before I was like ... "I don't have a dress!" she confessed. "I don't know what you wear to a royal wedding!" As Geldof noted, the dress was also controversial due to it being vintage, but she didn't want to buy a new dress due to her commitment to sustainable fashion.