Bride Asks Wedding Guests to 'Upstage' Her with Their Looks. She Was Blown Away by the Outcome (Exclusive) Charlotte Phillipp, Hedy PhillipsJanuary 8, 2026 at 4:00 AM 0 Erin Wiese l ErinWiesePhoto/TikTok; Courtesy of Connor StrotherLerma One Texas bride isn't worried about her wedding guests "upstaging" her A bridal photographer shared a video to TikTok stating that her friend's wedding dress code was "Upstage the Bride" "Seeing everyone interpret the same idea in such different ways created an incredible energy in the room," she tells PEOPLE One Texas bride isn't worried about her wedding gue...
- - Bride Asks Wedding Guests to 'Upstage' Her with Their Looks. She Was Blown Away by the Outcome (Exclusive)
Charlotte Phillipp, Hedy PhillipsJanuary 8, 2026 at 4:00 AM
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Erin Wiese l ErinWiesePhoto/TikTok; Courtesy of Connor Strother-Lerma
One Texas bride isn't worried about her wedding guests "upstaging" her
A bridal photographer shared a video to TikTok stating that her friend's wedding dress code was "Upstage the Bride"
"Seeing everyone interpret the same idea in such different ways created an incredible energy in the room," she tells PEOPLE
One Texas bride isn't worried about her wedding guests "upstaging" her.
In a November TikTok video that has since garnered over 1 million likes, Orange County, Calif.-based photographer Erin and a friend, Carlee, showed off their outfits for their best friend Connor's wedding — and the dress code was "upstage the bride."
Carlee stepped out wearing a black, bedazzled dress with sheer black opera gloves and sparkling diamond jewelry, while Erin rocked a glittering, lace light blue midi dress from Line + Dot and sequined gold purse.
Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Erin, 31, shared that she was "genuinely excited" for the occasion that took place in Houston — especially considering her individual style taste.
"I love dressing up and gravitate toward colorful patterns, bold colors, and sequins, so this theme felt right up my alley," she tells PEOPLE, explaining that she selected her outfit after a day of online research. "In my experience, wedding guests often play it safe with muted tones because they don't want to draw attention, but this dress code gave everyone permission to go all out, wear what they love, and have fun with it. I think everyone really appreciated that freedom."
According to Erin, the various looks from guests turned out to be "fun and expressive" — and everyone put "their own spin on 'Upstage the Bride.'"
"From bright colors and sequins to more moody, vintage-inspired looks, it felt like everyone showed up as their most confident self. Seeing everyone interpret the same idea in such different ways created an incredible energy in the room," she says.
Connor, Wiese's childhood best friend, shared in the excitement too, telling PEOPLE that she "genuinely loved how everyone showed out in their 'upstage the bride'' attire!"
Erin Wiese l ErinWiesePhoto/TikTok
Carlee and Erin
"I think it elevated the whole night and set the tone," says the bride, who wore a lace two-piece set, an updo and some dark shades for her private courthouse ceremony and later a flowing, cropped two-piece set for the big day. "We don't get a lot of events where you can really dress up and be creative, and I wanted to use our wedding celebration as a way for people to do that."
"It made for great pictures and the party that much more fun!" she adds.
Connor's idea for the theme actually came from another bride she found on social media "a long time ago." She says she "fell in love with that overall vibe."
"I used our wedding website to let our guests know of the theme and encouraged everyone to be creative, bold, one-of-a-kind, camp, and to just bring the drama."
Erin Wiese l ErinWiesePhoto/TikTok
Carlos Lerma and Connor Strother-Lerma
TikTok was a fan of the theme, too, complimenting Erin on her look while others wrote underneath photos of the bride and groom: "Oh there was no upstaging her. BEAUTIFUL."
"Gonna take a safe assumption and say no one upstaged the bride," another commenter chimed in.
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Erin says the internet's reaction to their festivities made the wedding celebrations even more fun.
"It honestly made us really happy," she shares. "We were just trying to fully lean into Connor's vision and have fun with it, so seeing all the positive feedback felt really sweet. We had the best time at the wedding, and it was fun to relive that joy through the video and the comments."
As an experienced wedding photographer, Erin adds that dress codes can often be a lifesaver — and fun, experimental ones like Connor's can help the theme feel "cohesive."
"I personally love dress codes," she says. "I'm around weddings all the time, and I find that having a dress code helps everything feel really cohesive in photos. I also think people appreciate having some guidance."
"Knowing the vibe of the evening helps guests dress accordingly and show up feeling confident," Wiese adds.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: January 08, 2026 at 12:36PM on Source: RED MAG
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