Maternity Wedding Dresses

Maternity Wedding Dresses: What is Appropriate?

It’s difficult to use words such as “appropriate” when it comes to an ASAP wedding. There was a time this type of wedding would either be performed early on in the pregnancy when the bride was barely showing, or in a quick civil ceremony without any fan fare. Way back when, it wasn’t considered appropriate to have all the bells and whistles when the bride had a bun in the oven.

These days it’s not as uncommon for the happy couple-to-be to have started their family before the big day. Eyebrows aren’t raised nearly as much as they used to be. The bride who is in a family way no longer has to hunt for an off-white or colored dress. She can now walk down the aisle in something white and not have to worry about breaching etiquette.

Times Have Changed!

Thankfully, the days of the maternity moo-moo or hiding one’s pregnancy are behind us. Today’s pregnant bride can wear a variety of styles, and either show off her pregnancy or not. The best part is, it’s her choice. Even though the pregnant bride must plan quickly, that doesn’t mean she can’t wear a wonderful designer dress. Many wedding dress designers now include a maternity line.

Instead of wearing the equivalent of a long white smock, today’s mother-to-be-bride can choose from a variety of styles including off the shoulder, strapless, sleek and clingy, full skirted, formal, informal and even a beach wedding dress. Best of all, these dresses were made with the pregnant bride in mind, which means comfort is taken into the highest consideration.

Where Do I Look?

Empire Waist Design

Finding a wedding dress for a pregnant bride might not be the challenge you would think. Many bridal boutiques now carry more than a few maternity wedding dresses. To see if one of the shops in your area carries a line of dresses to fit you, call ahead of time. This will save your having to travel to the shop if it doesn’t carry dresses for the pregnant bride. Many maternity shops also carry a line of maternity wedding dresses. These aren’t always put out on display so you’ll have to ask.

The Internet holds a wide range of possibilities. In addition to auction sites such as EBay, There are also many mail order shops and designers who carry a full line of maternity wedding dresses.

Ordering Online

When you order a dress from an Internet shop or auction site, the dress can’t be tried on. Of course, when you’re dealing with maternity wear, you’re constantly growing. Still, you want to make sure you have room to grow. Be sure to take accurate measurements. Let the shop know where you are in your pregnancy and the date of the wedding. This way, they can be sure the gown will fit. Many shops recommend ordering a maternity wedding dress one size larger and having it altered down to size.

Alterations

Alterations for the maternity wedding dress should be done at the very last minute, say in the last month or so. Final fittings should be one to two weeks before the wedding. Keep in mind there’s still a chance of weight gain after that. You may want to leave a little space to grow – but not enough that people notice. Your alterations expert will no doubt know all the tricks.

A Beautiful Bride

There are many options available for today’s brides-to-be, even those that might be in a family way. This is no longer the embarrassment it was ten or twenty years ago, however. The maternity wedding dress is proof of this.