I forbade my wedding guests to wear colorful clothes – my mother-in-law called me a ‘princess’, but I was willing to edit people out of the photos if they broke the rules

A bride has been branded a ‘princess’ by her mother-in-law for setting strict dress codes for her wedding guests.

Shanie Ryan, 39, told all the guests to wear nude or neutral colors – such as beige, pale pink and brown tones – on her special day so everyone would “match each other.”

The mother-of-one, from south London, introduced the strict dress code because she had a ‘clear idea’ of what her wedding photos would look like after her big day.

She worried that guests arriving in brightly colored outfits would create the “wrong atmosphere” and ruin her unique photos.

Shanie and her now husband Tony Sinclair, 39, therefore wrote on the invites that they featured a nude or neutral color scheme – and even Shanie admitted it was ‘a bit cheeky’.

“If someone had shown up really provocatively – bright pink glitter, feathers or crazy prom dress styles that would have felt like a middle finger to us, I would have directed them to the back of the photos, or the photographer would have edited them out,” she said.

‘I was fully prepared for it to come up in a speech and I would laugh at myself – and it did come up.

“Everyone told me that my invitation made them think there might be a bridezilla moment on the big day.

‘I think there were people who thought it was so exaggerated and extra.

‘My mother-in-law said she thought I was a princess, but on the day she was impressed.’

The photos came out exactly as the bride had hoped – making the bold request worth it.

“We had spent a lot of money on our photographer and videographer, and I had a clear idea of ​​what photos and videos I wanted,” Shanie said.

‘I wanted cinematic and romantic; I had a clear vision.

‘The only thing I think would detract from the plan was if people came in crazy bright colours, or with glitter and feathers.

“I was afraid that if the guests at the wedding wore the wrong vibe, it wouldn’t matter how beautiful the photos would be.”

Shanie and Tony, an entrepreneur, married at Primrose Hill Farm in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on July 6 last year.

Their invite read, “We (aka Shanie lol) have a vision for the overall visual look of our wedding photos (sic).

‘That is why we kindly and respectfully ask you to adhere to our preferred dress code.’

The dress code specified their preferred palette of ‘light neutrals’: beige, nude, brown, cream, champagne and pale gold.

They asked that the styles be “glamorous, formal, red carpet worthy” and could include “delicate prints, texture, soft shine and embellishment.”

But the invitation also stated that guests were not allowed to wear “bright colors, black, white, dark colors, neons, bold prints, polka dots, stripes, glitter.”

The couple wanted to ensure that their friends and family did not appear in strong patterns or bright colours, but wanted the guests to ‘dress up and feel fantastic’.

Shanie said, “We just didn’t want it to look like a weird warehouse.

‘I had a little moment where I thought, “is this a bit cheeky?” mainly because some people just like color, and some people like black.

“But it added an element of fun to the run-up, and everyone was excited to show off what they were wearing.”

Luckily, all the guests followed the rules and Shanie managed to get the photos she wanted.

The bride made one pre-arranged exception for a guest of African descent, who wanted to attend her special day in traditional attire that did not match the color scheme.

‘I’m glad we made the colours. Everyone commented on the day that it looked so good and that it was a good idea,” Shanie said.

“People understood when they got there, even if they didn’t know it before.

“With the rolling hills in the background, it captured the essence of the day, and it was also something of a talking point.”