Dress shopping while pregnant - married post baby

cmgarcia08

Hello All! 
I just found out that I am pregnant with my first baby! We are very excited! I am due early March 2023. However, our wedding is August 12, 2023 and I already plan on dress shopping Labor Day weekend. I have been told to order the dress AT LEAST a year out, and I live in a very rural area that does not have any dress shops. I am meeting up with my mom and MOH in Denver (the closest big city near me with options - about 6 hours away) to find something. All of this was planned before we found out. My question is: Would it be ok if I order a dress (maybe a size or two bigger) that weekend with the hopes of fitting it post baby? I really can't afford to wait last minute and buy one off the rack since it is a trip for me to get to the closest dress shops. Having a bigger dress seems more logical than hauling my post baby body and newborn to stores 3-6 months before the wedding, 6 hours away. I am just wanting some thoughts on this. Any input is appreciated! Also, we do not want to move the wedding date. We have paid for most already and don't want to lose out on all those deposits. Thanks! 

MesmrEwe

The simple reality is A LOT can change about your body from pregnancy and in the months post-partum.  Sure, in the ideal world, you'd order a dress a year out, the reality is bodies change and your body is going to go through a lot of changes in the next year that to a good extent aren't in your full control and this is a lot of money to risk if the dress doesn't fit vs. rush ordering a dress which is still going to be less than the loss on the risk of having to purchase two dresses but only you can decide what risk you're willing to take.

Some women are super lucky and have just a tiny basketball that goes away and are wearing their pre-pregnancy clothes a week later.  The reality for most is it takes time to get the pre-baby body back and for many it never will return.  Chest size can entirely change as well depending on if you plan to BF or the mere fact you had a baby the size can change which can impact the size of dress to get (I've known some who went from B's pre-baby to FF's never to return down postpartum).  With hormone shifts, weight gain can go higher than two sizes.  Abdominal muscles also take time to return together.  Healing time post-delivery can impact one's ability to get back to being physically active PP.  

All that aside, you won't be dress-less on your wedding day if you don't order a year or even 6mo in advance!  Do not succumb to high pressure sales tactics or articles written and paid for by those in the industry making you believe that's the case!  You can walk into a shop like David's Bridal or order from them online for rush delivery, or buy a dress of the rack at most bridal shops, and have a dress for this weekend if you needed to.  There are sites like JJ's House that you can order two months in advance and have a dress tailored to fit your measurements (plus a couple inches for movement room).  Bridal consignment shops, Ebay!, etc. There are options out there for you after baby arrives, IMO, wait to dress shop until then...  A 3-6mo isn't typically horrible to road trip nor shop with as long as you time your day along with their eating/nap schedule and they aren't colicy.  They are usually awesome in their bucket carseat and stroller at that age especially if their grandparent is along.  

MobKaz

cmgarcia08 said:

Hello All! 
I just found out that I am pregnant with my first baby! We are very excited! I am due early March 2023. However, our wedding is August 12, 2023 and I already plan on dress shopping Labor Day weekend. I have been told to order the dress AT LEAST a year out, and I live in a very rural area that does not have any dress shops. I am meeting up with my mom and MOH in Denver (the closest big city near me with options - about 6 hours away) to find something. All of this was planned before we found out. My question is: Would it be ok if I order a dress (maybe a size or two bigger) that weekend with the hopes of fitting it post baby? I really can't afford to wait last minute and buy one off the rack since it is a trip for me to get to the closest dress shops. Having a bigger dress seems more logical than hauling my post baby body and newborn to stores 3-6 months before the wedding, 6 hours away. I am just wanting some thoughts on this. Any input is appreciated! Also, we do not want to move the wedding date. We have paid for most already and don't want to lose out on all those deposits. Thanks! 

If you buy a dress and guess what size you may be, you will need a seamstress.  If you have one that is local, then you can definitely wait to purchase the dress closer to the wedding.  If you have no local seamstress, then it is all the more important you wait until you see what your post pregnancy body will look like.  Even your shoe size has a good chance of changing! 

I encourage you to wait.  If you experience a pregnancy with little weight gain, you might even be able to get away with shopping towards the end of your pregnancy.  For some, other than that baby bump, their body remains relatively "normal". 

You can keep your September appointment and use it to determine what styles and shapes look best on you.  You can even discuss with the sales associates which dresses lend themselves more readily to certain alterations.  Once the baby is here, it will be much easier then to revisit the shop and the dresses you considered in September.  You might even be able to order it online if you have access to a seamstress closer to home.

Congratulations to you!  Prayers for a safe and healthy pregnancy!

maine7mob

I think a lot depends on how stable your weight is in general. If you are someone who frequently diets or goes on strict health regimens to maintain or achieve a certain look, then you will likely need more alterations than if your weight is generally stable (regardless of whether you are petite or plus-sized.) You don't want to be doing anything unhealthy while pregnant and breastfeeding, so be realistic about your body.

My daughter was in a similar situation as a bridesmaid. She was pregnant when her friend asked her to be in her WP. The wedding was set for 2 weeks after my daughter's due date, so she just ordered her dress one size up and hoped for the best. She couldn't even try it on when it came, because it arrived when she was 6 months pregnant. She ended up giving birth 10 days before the wedding. The dress fit, but not perfectly. We did not have time to have it altered professionally, so I was literally taping and gluing the hem, hoping not to wreck the pictures. Fortunately, a couple of the other bridesmaids did something similar (one didn't realize bridesmaids and wedding dresses are usually smaller than street sizes, so she had to sew in a panel to make the thing fit!)

I know a lot of fabric comes from China, where there are still frequent Covid shut-downs, so it is risky to wait. But you could also consider a non-wedding dress, just something white that you can buy off the rack. And some bridal shops will sell wedding gowns off the rack, although your options will be limited. Definitely ask the salesperson for their advice--you aren't the first person to be in this situation, and they will know what has worked in the past. Here's to a healthy pregnancy and delivery!