First comes love then comes…baby? For brides who are pregnant leading up to their wedding day, this can be such an incredibly exciting time as you are accomplishing two major milestones at once. If you’re looking for wedding dress shopping tips for moms-to-be, you’ve come to the right place!
Because at the same time, wedding dress shopping for your dream gown to wear on your big day can be a bit of a challenge. Not only is your body is constantly changing, but dresses typically need to be ordered months in advance, which requires a bit of guesswork when it comes to imagining how the dress will look closer to your wedding day.
Fortunately, our bridal experts are highly experienced in working with all kinds of brides and can help you find the perfect dress that accommodates your baby bump while still making you feel like your most beautiful self. With that being said, here are our wedding dress shopping tips for moms-to-be that will help you find your perfect gown with ease.
Whether you are planning to tie the knot before or after you give birth, it’s important to start your search as early as possible.
The standard recommendation is to start looking for dresses eight to 12 months before your wedding. Since most gowns will need to be special ordered and often take up to 6 months to arrive, this will give you enough time to not only find a gown, but ensure it arrives before your wedding day with enough time for alterations.
And if you are planning on waiting until after you give birth to get married, try to schedule your appointment earlier in your pregnancy if you can, so you can best envision how you will look in the gown on your big day.
When booking an appointment to shop for wedding dresses, we tend to ask lots of questions to learn more about you, so we can best prepare for your appointment and find your perfect gown. Which is why it’s important that you let us know if you are pregnant, so we can give you lots of options when it comes to flattering fabrics and silhouettes that will accommodate your growing bump.
It’s no secret that your body changes throughout pregnancy, which means your dress will have to as well. Fortunately, you have lots of options when it comes to alterations, from a corset back to side seam or panel.
The general rule of thumb is to add one inch for each remaining month of pregnancy until your wedding day.
But because nothing is certain, time your alterations closer to your big day. Then the seamstress can alter your gown to your body to best ensure a perfect fit on your wedding day.
For any bride, it’s important to have a vision of what you want to look like. Plus have an idea of what kind of silhouette you want on your wedding day.
When you are pregnant, this means deciding early. Do you want a flowy gown that will cleverly conceal your bump? Or a more fitted dress that shows off your figure and your bump.
Deciding on what look you are hoping to achieve will help you immensely when shopping. Plus it will help you and your bridal stylist find your perfect gown more easily.
Often, we feel we need to conceal a baby bump, but that doesn’t always need to be the case.
If you’ve always dreamed of a sexier fit and flare gown, don’t feel you need to avoid this style because you are pregnant. At the end of the day, it’s important to find a gown that makes you feel most confident and beautiful. So, don’t be afraid to break the mold and wear something that highlights your bump. Just be sure to avoid stiffer fabrics like satin or taffeta, and instead look for a fabric that has a bit of stretch to it.
Your bridal stylist can recommend fabrics that will be the most comfortable.
Because contrary to what you may have heard, pregnancy doesn’t limit you to drapey goddess style dresses or poufy ball gowns that hide your figure.
If you are on the fence about which size will best fit your body in 6+ months, it’s best to follow the golden rule by always, always, ALWAYS sizing up.
Remember, it’s much easier to alter a larger gown to fit smaller than it is to make a too-small gown larger.
It’s no secret that women’s bodies go through a lot during pregnancy. We’re basically superheroes! But that doesn’t mean you need to tough it out on your wedding day and sacrifice comfort to look beautiful.
Remember that you will be wearing your bridal gown for many hours. It’s important that you not only look your best, but you feel it too.
Be sure to ask your bridal stylist about which fabrics and silhouettes will be most comfortable. Or, consider purchasing a second, more comfortable gown to change into for the reception.
No matter what style or silhouette you go with, and what stage of pregnancy (or postpartum) you’re in when you get married, the most important thing is that you look and feel like your most beautiful self and that you radiate joy and beauty.
So, don’t worry about finding a gown you feel is appropriate. Focus on wearing what makes you happy and will help create perfect memories of your big day.
That’s a wrap! Thanks for checking in on our wedding dress shopping tips for moms-to-be!