Tattooed You?
When I was a girl, tattoos weren’t things “nice” people of either sex got. Tattoos were for sailors, disreputable bikers, and sideshow attractions, in about that order. Getting one was tantamount to announcing you had no interest in participating in polite society or any of its rituals.
Times have definitely changed. Now movie stars and CEOs have tattoos. Getting your first tattoo seems nearly as common a rite of passage as getting your ears pierced was back when I was in high school.
That means that if you’re getting married now, there’s a very high chance that someone in the wedding party will have at least one tattoo. And that means you’re going to have to decide how to handle it.
Basically, you have three options. The first of these is coverage. If the tattoo in question is covered by an average amount of evening wear, then there’s no question. If, on the other hand, you’ve determined on coverage and the tattoo is in a place normally visible such as an arm or neck, then it’s time to consider using some sort of concealing makeup. Since I don’t have tattoos (look, I nearly fainted getting my ears pierced I’m so freaked out by needles, there’s no way in or out of hell I’m going to cold-bloodedly pay someone to stick needles into me when they aren’t medically necessary), I cannot recommend between the products out on the market, but I did find a set of instructions online that refreshingly don’t scold people for having tattoos or for wanting to cover them up, but simply gives tips for covering them successfully should they wish to do so for whatever reason they may have.
Of course, coverage is not the only route to go. In fact, I howled with laughter at a recent episode of Bridezillas where the bride informed her ladies that no tattoos would be allowed, so they’d better not get any before the wedding…only to discover that all four of them already had tattoos that would show in the gowns she’d carefully chosen for them! What’s more, all four flat-out refused to cover their ink. She wound up following the second possible route: ignoring them. The tattoos were there, and that was that. It’s fine to simply not worry about them one way or the other. After all, you loved these people inked or no enough to ask them to stand up with you. Why not accept their body decoration as a part of them?
Of course, it’s possible to take one more route. If you’ve got some spectacular ink (or your bridesmaid does), why not choose a gown designed to show it off? If you’re wondering how that might be done, take a look at this lovely lady and be inspired.
I say, if you’ve got it, flaunt it…unless, I guess, you really don’t want grandma knowing you’re Born To Ride or whatever. One of my bridesmaids had 3/4 (I think) sleeve tats and she wore a sleeveless dress. She asked me if I wanted her to cover them, and I was thrown for a loop. The thought had never even occurred to me — I wasn’t even aware that you can buy makeup specifically for that purpose!
Tattoos are not to my taste, but they don’t have to be an impediment to wearing what you want: http://class-factotum.journalspace.com/?entryid=1773&h=tattoo
My niece has a lovely, delicate “elfin dragon” on the upper curve of her right breast. She chose the neckline of her dress so that the little feller was peeping up over the edge, and touched him up with glitter paint for the occasion. Another acquaintance has a filigree design bib-style tat, and she did much the same thing: chose her neckline to compliment it, added touches of glitter paint, and carefully placed some glue-on rhinestones. From more than about 10 feet away it looked like a fabulous necklace
NtB, I can’t imagine asking someone I love to stand beside me at my wedding and then ask them to cover up their body art, either. It was, however, sweet of your friend to ask since some brides do have a problem.
Class Factotum, that was quite the image.
rabrab, your niece’s dragon sounds absolutely adorable and I like your acquaintence’s style. Sometimes the only thing to do is take it to eleven and trust the people who love you to understand.
I was just a bridesmaid in a wedding and was the only member of the entire wedding party without a tattoo. Needless to say, the bride was all about showing off the ink everyone had, and the photographer took some lovely pictures of both the guests’ and wedding party’s tattoos.
Ionly saw one wedding where the bride wanted to cover the ink of a bridal party member-the BM in question had an obscenity as part of it, and she was afraid people would be offended.
I don’t have any tattoos, but I can’t imagine being asked to cover it up if I did. I probably would decline to be in the wedding. That’s some serious bridezilla attitude — “everything must be perfect, everyone must look just like I want them too….” I’d consider it one step away from asking everyone in the bridal party to lose 15 lbs. for the sake of the pictures.
I don’t know, Chiken. I would consider covering tattoos more along the line of having everyone wear updos. Definitely not my style, but not completely out of line. We’re talking about an application of makeup or choosing a bridesmaid’s dress that covers a touch more skin, not a significant change to the body that may or may not be something the bridesmaid can achieve at all, let alone in time.
If I had a tattoo and was asked to be in a wedding, I’d probably do as NtB’s friend did and ask the bride how she felt about it. But if I had asked someone to be in my wedding who happened to have a tattoo – or even several – I wouldn’t ask them to cover up.