Wedding Dress for a Plus Size Bride

knottie7db900ce5d1aa919

I am going wedding dress shopping Saturday and I am very nervous...not a happy nervous either.  I am plus size, but I have certain parts of my body that I am more concerned about than others.  Mainly my mommy belly (4 kids in 5 years)...and my butt.  So, although I do have a relatively defined waistline, because my bum is so round and high the wrong shape will make me look huge. So my dilemma is how is wear a dress that hides my mommy belly, while being form fitting in the backside to prevent my wait from disappearing.  Any suggestions? .   

maine7mob

I would avoid the fishtail/mermaid style, even though it is flattering to a round butt, because it doesn't look great on round bellies. Would you consider a modified princess style or an empire waist? Those are slimmer in the waist to show yours off, but skim over the belly and minimize the butt. If you do prefer the mermaid style, they make shapewear to deal with the belly, but you also don't want to feel like you can't eat on your wedding day.

There is a Canadian brand (Callista) that specializes in dresses for size 14 and up. You might want to google it and see if you like any of their dresses. The shop where my daughter bought her dress a few years ago had an entire section just for these dresses.

knottie7db900ce5d1aa919

Thank you for the suggestions!  I am definitely going to be wearing a girdle of some sort no matter what style I wear, but I have to find the right one because most of them just push my mom belly up and then I end up looking pregnant.  Empire waist dresses, sadly, look terrible on me.  In addition to the bubble butt and mom tummy, I have huge boobs...an L cup tp be exact.  So I have to have something form fitting in the wait or I just look huge.  I am getting a reduction before the wedding, so hopefully that will help a bit.  I am going to check out the site you mentioned!

maine7mob

Great! I hope you find something you like. If they are too expensive, you can find them secondhand.

short+sassy

Don't go in with a preconceived notion of what will/won't look good on you.  Try on different styles of wedding dresses.

Just as an example, I am plus-sized also and wear a size 20-22.  I thought a strapless dress would look horrible on me because, normally, my boobs are too big for anything strapless.  I wasn't even going to try one one, which was disheartening because most of the dresses were strapless.  But the dress consultant encouraged me to try one and I loved it!  It was, by far, the most flattering style on me.  The difference being that wedding dresses are usually much more structured then other types of clothing. 

knottie7db900ce5d1aa919

Good Advice!  I think the only things I am sticking to are lace and sleeves...just because it is what I want design wise.  Other then that I pretty open, I just need to stay away from empire waistlines they look terrible on me.  Did you have to wear a bra with your dress or did it provide enough support for you to go with out?

short+sassy

knottie7db900ce5d1aa919 said:

Good Advice!  I think the only things I am sticking to are lace and sleeves...just because it is what I want design wise.  Other then that I pretty open, I just need to stay away from empire waistlines they look terrible on me.  Did you have to wear a bra with your dress or did it provide enough support for you to go with out?

I'm a DD cup and I could have gotten away without wearing a bra!  The top of the dress was that fitted and structured.  I have an hour glass shape also and it was fitted through my waist and the very top of my hips and then flared out into a big ballgown poof.

However, I felt more comfortable and "secured in" wearing a strapless corset, so that was what I did.  I don't care for strapless bras.  They always feel like they are about to fall down.  So the corset was a better option for me.

knottie7db900ce5d1aa919

Thank you for the advice.  I was thinking going the corset route, I do not care for strapless bras either. 

charlotte989875

A good consultant will know what to bring you to fit your body, so I’d keep as open of a mind as possible. I’d also bring a corset or strapless bra with you if that’s what you plan to wear. It doesn’t have to be exactly what you’ll wear on the day but it will give you a better sense of how things will fit. Some shops will have them for you to use, others won’t. 

Good luck!! 

MesmrEwe

Purchase your busk as soon as possible (I ordered mine from Amazon) - Metal Busks are so much easier to wear and will last in some cases decades unlike strapless bras or long-line bras when it comes to being plus size.  I had a strapless long-line from David's that lasted exactly four wears, The metal busk (front entry then tie back to tighten) is a million times more comfortable and I can get into and out of it myself!  And, it was less money than the thing from David's!  You want to be wearing as close as possible to the undergarments you'll be wearing on your wedding day.  

Realize that you do not have to order a dress on Saturday in order to have one in time for your wedding.  Do not be pressured into something that you are not entirely sure about.  Do not go in with preconceived notions about what will/won't look good on your body, I have a trumpet style dress with a sweep train I ordered from JJ's House that I had my professional work photos taken in that made me feel/look like a million bucks wearing.  End of the day, it's about you looking/feeling like a million bucks in whatever dress you decide upon.  Take a photograph of you in the dress because some dresses/shades will photograph better than others on you which is another good thing to know in making your decision, but end of the day, it's about you looking in the mirror and saying "DANG!  I'd marry me in this!!"..  

I know you didn't mention size when it comes to being plus size, there's a huge difference between shopping at a size 16W and a 22W-26W that is hard to describe and totally can relate to what you posted especially when it's time for formalwear shopping.  That's actually how I ended up getting comfortable with the risk in purchasing online (JJs House is the one I've had the best success with for formalwear "what you ordered vs. what you got" but also requires knowing what will/won't look good on your body) because no matter how high the price point, I cannot walk into a store and plan that I'm going to find a piece of formal attire that will properly fit, even just going shopping for "the little black dress".  In plus size, we can't purchase something stores won't stock.  The same is true for bridal gowns.  Never be afraid to walk away from the table if they're going to price gouge you for needing to order a plus size, yes, plus size one expects there to be a difference, but keep it on balance.  

Also, like we tell all brides, remember to take your budget and half it because of things like alterations, undergarments, crinoline, etc. But also, your Crinoline and Veil will often be significantly more affordable online than from a bridal salon.  It's a lot easier to have a $$$$ budget and only spend $$$ than it is to have a $$$ budget and fall in love with a $$$$ that you can't afford.  

knottie7db900ce5d1aa919

knottie7db900ce5d1aa919

Hi all,  Thank you for the advice.  I purchased a dress (posted above).  It is nothing like what I went in wanting, but I loved it as soon as I saw it.