Pregnant Woman Defends Revealing Wedding Guest Dress from Critics Who Called Her ‘Tacky’ and ‘Cheap’

One mom-to-be is speaking out after facing criticism for wearing a daring halter-neck dress to a wedding.

Diana Lively, 28, didn’t anticipate negative reactions online when she chose a dress that made her feel “beautiful, confident and comfortable.”

“Being pregnant — as I’m sure some other moms-to-be can agree — I often find it difficult to simply choose something to wear,” she tells PEOPLE. “The wedding was in an outdoor garden setting, the vibe was summer sunset, floral, ethereal, and whichever dress I chose needed to capture all of that. Ultimately, I was happy because I was certain it did just that.”

The light purple dress, highlighted in a series of TikTok videos, features a deep V-neckline that reveals part of her cleavage and growing baby bump. Lively described it as “the best maternity, non-maternity dress on the market” in one of her clips.

Despite having shared a video explaining that she had received the bride’s approval, some online users criticized her choice.

“When I showed her the dress I was considering — the dress — she was genuinely excited and affirming, saying that she couldn’t wait to see my baby bump in it,” Lively tells PEOPLE, recalling the conversation that took place during a bridal brunch.

Wedding Dress Backlash

Commentators were quick to share their opinions. One called the dress “tacky, cheap and wrong,” while another wrote, “You knew it was too much if you had to ask.” A third added, “Girl NOBODY in the comments said anything about your body 😩😩🤣🤣🤣 the dress was inappropriate for ANYBODY at a wedding!!period!!!”

“The first wave of comments came from mutuals on TikTok — both from my personal and online community,” Lively explains. “I received a lot of compliments, especially on the dress’ cut and color. In the second wave, mostly non-followers, I was met with mild criticism — which I had no issue with. I even thought some of the comments were funny.”

She continues, “At which point, the tone shifted, as those comments created a platform for remarks that were much worse. The conversation descended into terrible scrutiny about my body, presumptions assassinating my character, baseless claims about my marriage and children, conjecture about the newlyweds, and even threats of violence.”

Lively says she “felt like a lot of people were projecting their insecurities onto me because they wouldn’t wear a dress like that and didn’t feel like I had the right to feel good or confident in it.”

“I felt the need to advocate for my body, my integrity, my husband and the bride. Seeing the avalanche of negativity, I was truly in fight-or-flight, but I had to stand up for what I knew to be true,” she adds.

While the backlash fueled online rumors, including that she was removed from the reception after a confrontation with the bride’s mother, Lively has no regrets, citing her “firm foundation in my self-identity.”

“Thousands of strangers were telling me who they thought I was based on a few seconds of my life depicted in a couple of videos,” she says. “My husband, my family and my greater community kept me grounded in my character. My faith in God reminded me of the woman I am in real life.”