Attire & Accessories Forum

Is it weird to wear my dress to the hotel?

primafaba15primafaba15 member
5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper First Anniversary
So I know in movies people usually change into some cute outfit for the exit from the reception, but I don't know if that's a thing everyone actually does. My mother (who admittedly has not been a good source of info at any point in this process) says that that would be weird and I should just wear my dress for the exit. I'm not super inclined to change outfits -- I'd love to wear my dress as long as possible, plus we are 1.5 weeks out and going out to buy a new outfit is not something I need on my to-do list. But now I'm starting to envision walking into our hotel lobby in my big, poofy wedding dress and wondering if that's weird. The hotel is probably a 30-40 minute drive from the venue. 

Did anyone NOT change their wedding dress after the reception? 
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Re: Is it weird to wear my dress to the hotel?

  • msuprincess04msuprincess04 member
    5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper First Comment
    edited July 2015
    Not weird, totally normal. Most people wear their wedding dress home/to the hotel/wherever, unless they are heading directly to the airport for their honeymoon.
    "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." -Friedrich Nietzsche, "On Reading and Writing"
  • I haven't seen anyone change into a post- reception outfit in a long time.  It's not weird at all to walk into the lobby with your gown.  As a matter of fact it will be awesome.  
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  • I wore my dress as long as possible - straight to the hotel! My mom asked if I was going to get a farewell/exit outfit (that's what she did back in the day) but I just couldn't think about wanting to wear anything else. I also didn't want the added pressure of finding another dress.


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  • I wore my dressing leaving the reception, while we were driven 45 minutes to the hotel, and into the hotel room.

  • I am planning on wearing my dress to the hotel/home after the reception.

    We are not planning an exit or anything. The DJ will just announce the final song and that will be that. I already know there is no way I am leaving before its over, in fact i am sure I will be one of the last people out the door! :)

    As others have stated I love my dress and want to keep it on as long as I can, as it is I spent a lot on something I only get to have on a few hours. Every minute represents a pretty big dollar amount! :)


  • I wore it a Halloween Party that was being held on the same night as our wedding. People were like, OMG, your costumes look so real, my answer was "they should look real, we've been married less then 12 hours". Heck I almost wore it a NFL game the next day. Yes, we went to an NFL game the day after our wedding. The tickets were a gift which my husband loved (we got them in advance of the wedding).  Only reason I didn't was because I knew I would take up 3 seats (bleacher seats in end zone) and with who they were playing, the game was sold out. I knew the people around me wouldn't appreciate the space I would take up with my dress. I loved my dress and wanted to wear it as much as possible and I loved the attention I got while wearing it.
  • definitely wore mine back to the hotel and stayed in it for a drink at the hotel bar.
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  • My FSMIL said she wore her big poofy dress for the whole two hour drive from the wedding to their hotel. My SIL changed right before leaving the reception.

    I will definitely not be changing at the reception because the hall doesn't have anywhere to change except the restroom, so I'll definitely be exiting the reception in my gown. Since we're leaving directly for our honeymoon the next day, though, I'm going to stop and change out of my gown at my future in-laws' cabin near our venue so that my mom can pick it up and have it cleaned while I'm away.

    There is no right-or-wrong here, just find what works in your situation.
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  • Honestly, I've never seen any bride change for a grand exit.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • I've also never seen anyone change for an exit, and I also didn't want to change out of my dress.

    We stayed the night (and the night after, also) at a small B&B cabin on private land in the country, about 20 minutes away from town.  I doubt the horses cared what I was wearing.  After her wedding, my sister went back to her hotel in a poofy ballgown, and didn't think twice about it.

    **The OMH formerly known as jsangel1018**
  • I wore my dress to the hotel. Didn't even think twice about it.
    *********************************************************************************

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  • The reason you see brides changing into an outfit, in say, movies, is because back in the day, weddings were usually mid-day luncheon type affairs and the bride and groom would leave immediately after to head to the train station or airport or whatever for their honeymoon.  

    As for me, my hotel is 2 miles from my venue, so I have no plans to change before heading there.
    Married 9.12.15
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  • i didnt change and on top of it forgot my garment bag to store my dress in so the next day im walking down the lobby in the hotel with my big poofy dress trying not to let it fall of the flimsy hanger that the hotel had 
  • The reason you see brides changing into an outfit, in say, movies, is because back in the day, weddings were usually mid-day luncheon type affairs and the bride and groom would leave immediately after to head to the train station or airport or whatever for their honeymoon.  

    As for me, my hotel is 2 miles from my venue, so I have no plans to change before heading there.
    All of this.  Also the couple would leave before the reception was even over with.  Everyone would gather for the send off and then once the couple was gone would continue with the party.  My Mom always said she regretted leaving early from her wedding because from what she was told the rest of the reception was a kick ass party.

  • Thanks everyone! Sounds like I can wear my dress without worrying. I just have to make sure I figure out the garment bag situation...
    The reason you see brides changing into an outfit, in say, movies, is because back in the day, weddings were usually mid-day luncheon type affairs and the bride and groom would leave immediately after to head to the train station or airport or whatever for their honeymoon.  

    As for me, my hotel is 2 miles from my venue, so I have no plans to change before heading there.
    All of this.  Also the couple would leave before the reception was even over with.  Everyone would gather for the send off and then once the couple was gone would continue with the party.  My Mom always said she regretted leaving early from her wedding because from what she was told the rest of the reception was a kick ass party.

    So is that not typical anymore? I have only been to 1 formal wedding in recent years and I had to leave early. Not that I'd be disappointed -- I was kind of bummed about leaving the party early! I wasn't sure what to expect with that. Our DJ did ask for a final dance song for us. We didn't plan any kind of fancy send-off because we can't have sparklers, rice, etc. at our venue. 


  • Thanks everyone! Sounds like I can wear my dress without worrying. I just have to make sure I figure out the garment bag situation...
    The reason you see brides changing into an outfit, in say, movies, is because back in the day, weddings were usually mid-day luncheon type affairs and the bride and groom would leave immediately after to head to the train station or airport or whatever for their honeymoon.  

    As for me, my hotel is 2 miles from my venue, so I have no plans to change before heading there.
    All of this.  Also the couple would leave before the reception was even over with.  Everyone would gather for the send off and then once the couple was gone would continue with the party.  My Mom always said she regretted leaving early from her wedding because from what she was told the rest of the reception was a kick ass party.

    So is that not typical anymore? I have only been to 1 formal wedding in recent years and I had to leave early. Not that I'd be disappointed -- I was kind of bummed about leaving the party early! I wasn't sure what to expect with that. Our DJ did ask for a final dance song for us. We didn't plan any kind of fancy send-off because we can't have sparklers, rice, etc. at our venue. 


    From the 15+ weddings I have been to over the past 5 years, no that is not typical anymore. Many times the couple is the last one's to leave.  Even if they have a final send off the couple doesn't actually get into a car and drive off, but rather the send off is just for photo purposes. Then the couple goes back inside because they have to get their any stuff they brought, gifts, and possibly any decor that they need to take with them.

    For my wedding I remember standing by the door and said goodbye to everyone as they left. Once all the guests were gone my immediate family (parents and sister) and H's immediate family helped gather anything we needed to take with us that night.

  • 100% normal. That was my plan too!
  • I'm changing before we leave for the hotel because we fly out very early the next morning and wouldn't have anywhere to put it. Otherwise I would definitely wear mine. We are having an exit but when it's all over. We are not leaving early.
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  • I am wearing that sucker as long as I possibly can so no changing for me! My best friend also wore hers back to her hotel and had to pee so bad by the time we got there we were running down the hall together while I untied her dress. I say it's up to you! I love seeing different wedding gowns so I really enjoy when I'm staying in a hotel and I see a bride walk in all fancy :)

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  • bb2016bb2016 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    I think all of the weddings I've been to on FI's side the bride has not only not changed out of her wedding dress for the send off, but has worn her wedding dress out downtown afterwards to continue the party. 

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  • My sister changed, but only for practical reasons. Her big dress got too hot at the outdoor reception. She probably changed with an hour left to go.
  • So maybe I'm not the right person to answer here, having walked around hotels (as recently as this past weekend) in various costumes involving wigs, spandex/lycra, silk ballgowns, elf ears and a bow, etc., but really the only compelling reason to not do this is if the inevitable attention will bother you. Obviously I don't give a rip, but maybe you do. If you will not get embarrassed or whatever by being congratulated/complimented by most of the people you encounter (because this is what will happen), then rock that dress!

    Yes, but by the time the reception is over you might be totally used to it! Between leaving the hotel I got ready at and going to a park to take pictures, I was used to everyone stopping and staring! We did a "first look" in the park, and my now-husband was like "Everyone is looking at us!" and by then I was like "Yeah, I'm used to it.". Haha. 

    I've never seen a couple leave their wedding reception early...they have danced to the last song played at every single wedding I've been to! A lot of wedding have had some type of after-party (i.e. their friends their own age at a bar after the reception, sometimes the hotel bar), and I'd say about 50% of the brides changed for that. And those that changed changed into jeans and a t-shirt or something, not some kind of post-wedding outfit!
  • kvrunskvruns member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    I was hot and sweaty and changed into the athletic shorts and tank I wore while getting ready. There was no grand exit everyone was already gone by the time we gathered everything up
  • My parents had ensembles for "going away" - it was 1988. Super cute but slightly outdated. I'll probably run upstairs and throw on yoga pants. Fi will never be able to help me get out of that dress. It has buttons..

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  • I'm definitely wearing my gown from the reception, to bowling afterwards (after-party of sorts, as our reception ends at 9pm), maybe to the bar to have a drink, then to the hotel. Keeping my dress on as long as possible because hey, why not? If you're only going to wear it one day, why limit yourself to just wearing it for those 6-8 hours?
  • You can wear your dress for the rest of the day if you feel like it.
  • I wore my gown to the hotel following the reception. I was so in love with my dress I wanted to wear it as long as I possibly could!
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