Erika Wheaton sparked an online debate, being accused of dressing "too sexy" and trying to "steal attention" from the bride. Video / @erikawheaton
A wedding guest accused of dressing "too sexy" to "steal attention" from the bride has shut down critics, labelling the backlash "weird".
Erika Wheaton inadvertently sparked an online debate over the unspoken rules of attending a wedding when she shared a video of herself with her boyfriend all dressed up for a wedding in New York.
In the clip, the 25-year-old wellness influencer with almost 250,000 Instagram followers can be seen posing beside her partner in a gold, strapless Bec & Bridge maxi dress.
But after sharing her adorable TikTok video, Erika was bombarded with unsolicited comments about her choice in outfit.
Erika Wheaton sparked uproar after sharing a video of the outfit she wore to a wedding recently. Photo / Erika Wheaton
Some blasted the satin gown for being "too close to white and bridal for a wedding" – while others suggested it was "too sexy" and that Erika had deliberately worn it to "steal attention" from the bride.
Wearing white to a wedding has long been deemed "bad form" by etiquette experts as it "distracts from the bride" on her big day.
It's often seen as a deliberate move to sabotage or ruin a big day.
However, Erika has defended her outfit, describing it as "elegant" and adding she has done "nothing wrong".
"Never did I ever think this dress was inappropriate for a wedding. I could not imagine wearing a white dress on someone else's day and this dress, simply, is not white," she told news.com.au.
"I chose the dress because of how simple, elegant and timeless it is.
"I actually wanted to originally go with the 'Mid Blue' colour and was told by friends not to wear a colour so bold and bright so that I wouldn't steal any attention.
"That's why I opted for the more muted and simple 'Golden' colour."
Some claimed the dress looked white. Photo / TikTok/erikawheaton
Some social media users were adamant however the champagne shade of the dress would "photograph white", labelling Erika "delusional".
To prove it didn't, Erika decided to share a string of images from the wedding in a follow-up TikTok video, which has since been viewed over a million times.
"I knew that I did nothing wrong and knew that the rest of my audience would agree with me, that's why I responded to her," she told news.com.au
"People love to bring others down and talk poorly of strangers; it's the weirdest thing.
"I also ran a poll on Instagram asking my followers for their thoughts before I responded on TikTok just to make sure I wasn't actually delusional."
The follow-up video prompted a huge outpouring of support, with many agreeing: "It's not white."
"I see gold! Maybe it's like that viral dress where some people see blue and some see gold lol. You look stunning," one wrote.
"That would be gold, not even remotely close to a conventional bridal shade. And you look lovely in it," another agreed.
As one said: "If the bride doesn't then no other person has the right to complain."
She told news.com.au she 'did nothing wrong'. Photo / TikTok/erikawheaton
However, there were people who still remained firm, claiming Erika had broken the unwritten rule of weddings.
"Any form of white, gold, champagne, light light pink etc … Should be left for bride and bride only. I don't understand why people do this," one said.
"The colour isn't the problem, it's a very sexy 'look at me' dress (that looks good on you btw) but it's the brides day not yours," another weighed in.
