When the RSVP card for David and Emily’s wedding read, “LADIES — PLEASE WEAR WHITE, WEDDING DRESSES WELCOME,” my wife, Linda, and I were stunned. Everyone knows wearing white to someone else’s wedding is the ultimate faux pas. A quick call to David revealed the truth: Emily’s mother, Dorothy, had been plotting to show up in her own wedding gown to steal the spotlight.

Emily’s clever solution? Invite every woman to wear white so her mother wouldn’t stand out. Word spread fast. On the big day, the chapel filled with women in gowns, veils, lace — even elbow-length gloves. At exactly 2:47 p.m., Dorothy arrived, dripping in rhinestones with a sweeping cathedral train, ready for her dramatic entrance. But her confidence shattered when she looked inside and saw an entire room full of brides.

Outraged, she sputtered, “What is WRONG with all of you?!” Her husband, Alan, shrugged and replied innocently, “But you’re wearing white too, honey.” Dorothy froze — completely outplayed. Then the music swelled. Emily appeared in a breathtaking red-and-gold gown, radiant and untouchable. Against a sea of white, she glowed like fire. Dorothy sat stiff and silent through the vows, her gown no longer special.

Before the cake was even cut, she slipped out without a word. The rest of us danced, laughed, and toasted Emily’s genius. Linda lifted her glass high and said with a grin: “To the bride — who knows when to wear red, and when to raise hell.”