# Is it still ok to write on the Groom's car with shoe polish? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111 "2026-10-23T23:42:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/1 "2026-10-23T23:42:35Z")
It’s been a long time since I attended a wedding. Do family and friends still use shoe polish to write on the Groom’s car? _It’s a wedding_, _Good Luck_, _Congratulations!_, _Have a Great life_, _Happy wife - happy life_ etc. Along with the cans strung together and tied to the bumper. I remember attending a wedding just before turning eleven. The guys ran out of paste wax shoe polish. Some idiots used liquid shoe polish. I was told the paste wax comes off pretty easily. The liquid required a professional detailer with a buffer pad. The families chipped in donations to pay for the detailing and wax job. Is it still ok to write on the Groom’s car with shoe polish? _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/2 "2026-10-23T23:49:59Z")
Hmm, No shoe polish. Decorations look very well done [https://beachweddingtips.com/themes/who-decorates-the-wedding-car](https://beachweddingtips.com/themes/who-decorates-the-wedding-car) > **[Why Decorate a Wedding Car? Adding Charm and Personality to Your Special Day](https://omghitched.com/why-decorate-a-wedding-car/)** > > Decorating your wedding car adds a special touch to your big day. It transforms an ordinary vehicle into a beautiful ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/3 "2026-10-23T23:51:27Z")
I think party stores have paint specifically for this. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/4 "2026-10-23T23:51:47Z")
Liquid shoe polish (or anything else) should only go on the windows. Don’t write on the paint! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/5 "2026-10-23T23:57:10Z")
Writing on the glass is a smart choice. Celebrations are supposed to be harmless fun. Never destructive ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/6 "2026-10-24T00:10:27Z")
Soap works well. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/7 "2026-10-24T00:13:17Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Liquid shoe polish (or anything else) should only go on the windows. Don’t write on the paint! Seconded. Also, no hanging cowbells on the underside of the car. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/8 "2026-10-24T00:18:15Z")
Write on my car windows with shoe polish? Ok, I can take it in good humor. Write on my car’s paint with shoe polish (or ANYTHING)? I have a throat punch ready for you, possibly followed by a kick to the oompa-loompas. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/9 "2026-10-24T01:01:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Soap works well. Do they write with bar soap? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/10 "2026-10-24T02:01:04Z")
Yea, doesn’t shoe polish have a slight bit of abrasiveness to it? I’m also thinking that, if the car isn’t perfectly clean, the polish would mix with whatever dirt & grit is on the car, in-effect creating a rubbing compound that will create lotsa micro-scratches. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/11 "2026-10-24T03:21:47Z")
Cars finishes today are much different than 1970. What materials would wash off then _might stain_ todays acrylic urethane paints. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/12 "2026-10-24T03:37:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > What materials would wash off then _might stain_ todays acrylic urethane paints. Modern paints are order of magnitude more durable than 1970s crap. You’re right that cheical compatibility might be different. But if I had ot bet whether Substance X would harm 1970s or 2020s paint more, my money’s on new paint surviving better. Just today I saw a decorated just married car. First time in years if not decades Written on the windows in some kind of paint-like stuff was “Buy the bride a drink - Venmo #somethingorother” and tomorrow’s date. Today being a Friday. Not a sentiment I’d ever seen before, and not one I thought much of. But hooray for a wedding. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/13 "2026-10-24T03:40:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Do they write with bar soap? Yup. That is how it was always done when I have seen it. And write on the windows only since it is possible to scratch the paint. When they want it off just hose the car down and wipe with a cloth. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/14 "2026-10-24T05:14:48Z")
At race tracks in the 1970s we marked the car’s class and number on the glass with liquid shoe polish. Never had any problems. My Thai wife had her car blessed by a monk and he wrote stuff on the velour headliner inside the car with calamine lotion! Surprisingly it washed off easily. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/15 "2026-10-24T08:03:28Z")
I don’t think most people even **have** shoe polish. But either soap or safe paint (like tempera or chalk) is pretty common. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/16 "2026-10-24T12:05:31Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I don’t think most people even **have** shoe polish. Near the end of the wedding ceremony, a small group of men gather in the parking lot to decorate the getaway car. The young groomsmen carefully affix discarded soup cans to the rear of the car with biodegradable hemp twine, and lay garlands of organically grown and locally sourced lilies and peonies all over the vehicle. As they prepare to retun to the festivities, the groom’s aging father limps over, with his signature devil-may-care grin. To the wonder of the groomsmen, he produces a palm sized can containing a dark, waxy substance. “What’s that, Mr. Vanderbilt?” “Guys, this is shoe polish. We’ll paint messages and blessings on the car for the happy couple. Just be careful not to get any on your face.” The young men look at each other, and then down at their suede leather Birkenstocks. Shoe polish? Has his war wound finally gotten the best of him? Nevertheless, they all swirl some onto their handkerchiefs and approach the waiting white Bentley Continental to bestow their best wishes to the happy couple. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/17 "2026-10-24T12:14:49Z")
I’m still trying to figure out how you would tie cans to the bumper these days. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/18 "2026-10-24T13:05:35Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Just today I saw a decorated just married car. First time in years if not decades I’ve done over 400 weddings as a photographer, and I can probably count on one hand how many times I’ve seen a decorated “just married” car. Maybe I’d need my second hand. Maybe. And I can’t remember the car itself ever being written on, much less with shoe polish (I didn’t even know that was a thing). It’s usually just flowers and a sign of some sort placed or draped along the back of the car. It seems like one of those traditions that is nearly gone around here (Chicago). Other wedding traditions that have seriously faded: garter ceremony and toss, bouquet toss, smashing cake into each others’ faces. Garter and cake I almost never see anymore. Bouquet is a bit more common (but under a quarter of weddings for me), but sometimes replaced with the bride just handing off her bouquet to a selected guest. And I do see a loose correlation with geography and income as to which of the traditions are practiced and which are not. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/19 "2026-10-24T13:19:55Z")
I see the writing on the window for new graduates. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111/20 "2026-10-24T13:27:45Z")
Yup, usually in late May people celebrate graduation. Homecoming is another time to write on the glass. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-ok-to-write-on-the-grooms-car-with-shoe-polish/1034111.md?page=2)