Once you've found the wedding dress of your dreams and spent quality time in it on your wedding day, you may end up boxing it up
and never putting it on again. But if you love your dress so much, and
you've spent a pretty penny on it, there are indeed ways you can wear it
again, without looking like the bride in the room. Here are four
stories from real brides who shared where they ended up re-wearing their wedding dresses.
2. To a White Wedding
"Oddly enough, a friend of mine had an all-white wedding, which meant
all guests had to wear white. For my wedding, the dress I wore was sleek and simple.
I took it out of the garment bag and re-wore it to her wedding. I think
out of the 50 women there, at least four others did the exact same
thing." — Paula D., 30
3. On My Anniversary
"On my 10th wedding anniversary, I took my wedding dress out of the box
it was in and put it on. It hardly zipped in the back but it was such a
cool feeling wearing it again. I loved my dress and must have spent a
couple of thousand dollars on it. I had the idea that it would be fun to
re-take wedding photos
in our clothes from the wedding. So my husband put on his tux, we hired
a photographer, and we took new wedding photos in our old outfits. It
was a lot of fun." — Heather R., 38
4. To a Party
"I got my wedding dress shortened so that It was above my ankle. I had a
simple dress to begin with but the dress did have a train. I cut that
all off and it looked like an elegant white dress. I wore it to a summer
garden party and nobody noticed it was my wedding dress. When I told
people, they didn't believe me until I pulled up a photo from my wedding
and showed them." — Claire S., 29
Monday, May 23, 2016
Photo: Meredith Perdue
Finding the wedding dress of your dreams
is a moment that you'll never forget. You can call it love at first
sight, or fashion luck, but either way, getting your hands on THE dress
is reason to celebrate. But before walking that frock down the aisle,
you've got to make sure you're going to be comfortable. In order to
dress to impress on your wedding day,
and feel good enough in that dress to dance the night away, here are
seven ways to break your gown in before it's time to wow the crowd when
you walk down the aisle in it.
1. Put Your Shoes On
Take the shoes you plan on wearing
on your wedding day out of the box and walk a few steps in them with
your dress on. You'll be able to get a good feel for the length of your
dress and also how it will feel to walk in it on the big day.
2. Take a Trip to the Bathroom
It may sound silly, but peeing in your wedding dress is often a time consuming adventure you should always practice and perfect beforehand.
3. Have a Dance Party
Put on your favorite Spotify playlist and dance around in your wedding dress. Get a good feel for how you'll move around it when you hit the dance floor.
4. Take a Seat
Sitting down in your dress will help you break it in and make it feel
less stiff. That way, you'll be able to feel comfortable when it's time
to taste that delicious food at the reception.
5. Try on Accessories
The best way to see what kind of necklace, bracelet, or even earrings work well with your dress is to try on any and all options you have when your dress is on.
6. Find the Perfect Bra
Because finding the right kind of support can make all the difference.
7. Walk Up and Down
Walk up and down stairs, back and forth in your hallway. All of this
walking practice will be of good use on your wedding day when you have
to move around quickly, without worrying about falling or feeling stiff
in the dress of your dreams.
Intricate embellishments
give streamlined silhouettes an ethereal tilt in the Atelier Pronovias
Spring 2017 collection. Take a peek at every wedding dress below.
It's hard to please everyone. But no bride wants to ask her closest
friends to spend $200+ on a dress that they're going to wear once.
Luckily, the diversely dressed but still cohesive bridal party look is in, according to Joe Volpe of Cescaphe Events.
"We are seeing mismatched gowns way more often than uniform looks," he
says. This often means that brides will pick a small handful of dresses
for their bridesmaids to choose from, or specify a color family and let
their pals select their own wardrobes — with approval of course.
If you're leaning towards giving your girls a lot of freedom to pick their ensembles, Alex Chalk of Taylor'd Events suggests providing a few helpful guidelines beyond color. How short or how long you prefer
the dresses to be, whether or not and what type of embellishment they
can have, and what kinds of fabric you like area all good ideas for
guidance. "Having them know what you don't want is always just as
important as what you do want," she adds. A Pinterest board
with some options is a great way to show them what you have in mind,
while encouraging them to pin dresses they're considering. Chalk also
says to urge your bridesmaids to buy early. "That way if something just
isn't fitting in, you can work with them to find something else."
For brides who want a little more control (we don't blame you!), be
more specific in your instructions. "What I always suggest to clients is
pick a designer and color then have the bridesmaids select the dress
they like," says Jennifer Taylor of Taylor'd Events. This ensures that you'll like the general aesthetic while giving your girls a bit of a say in what they wear.
These approaches are especially useful because what's flattering on one bridesmaid may not be on another, so body types should be a consideration. "Everyone comes in different shapes and sizes," says Araceli Vizcaino-S of Azazie,
who thinks that women who have larger chests are more comfortable in
gowns that are pleated at the top, versus draped. She also recommends
avoiding low-cut or keyhole styles and opting to for an illusion
neckline instead because not everyone wants to wear a strapless dress.
When it comes to length, long gowns are good for elongating legs but
knee-length can look really good when all the bridesmaids are different
heights, Vizcaino-S says.
Your bridal party will also appreciate seasonally appropriate fabrics. "If it's summertime or if you're planning a destination wedding on the shores of a distant beach, opt for lighter fabrics that will provide air circulation like chiffon or organza. While winter weddings
can certainly showcase heavier fabrics like satin or silk, the weight
of these fabrics can be stifling in the heat," says Vizcaino-S.
Looking to narrow down the options to just one dress for everyone?
Vizcaino-S says that a knee-length dress with a sweetheart neckline is
universally flattering. "[It] is a winner every single time." And if
you're going that route, Volpe thinks giving the bridal party a choice in their shoes, accessories, or hairstyle is a nice gesture. They are your nearest and dearest pals after all.
Brides, we feel you. Finding the exact right dress for your
besties to walk you down the aisle in is not an easy feat. To help, we
worked with David’s Bridal to break down some currently fabulous bridesmaid dress
trends. From multi-color to all-in-white, there are so many new ways
brides are encouraging their girls to shine. Browse through and she
which style and fit catches your eye!
Soft colors/pastels
A spring favorite, pastel colors
add a soft, gentle look to your bridal party. Also a great option for a
boho wedding. Pair pale dresses with flower crowns for an ultimate
spring or summer look.
Floral
The newest trend in bridesmaid dresses, floral print dresses
add a great pop of color to your bridal party. These prints are
especially perfect for spring and summer weddings. Want to go for a
mix-and-match look? Floral dresses look great paired with solid colors!
Just pull colors from the floral print and you’re on your way to
beautiful.
all White
We didn’t believe it at first either, but white
has made its way from just a bride trend to a bridesmaid trend. White
is the ultimate wedding color (don’t worry brides – you’ll still be only
one with the veil!) The trend was made popular by royalty and
celebrities, but we’re loving it as a fresh, clean look for a summer
wedding and a sophisticated look for a winter wedding.
Metallic
The perfect touch for a luxury wedding, metallic dresses
add glamour and texture to your special day. The best part of metallic
dresses is that you can decide how much shine to incorporate into your
special day. Looking for a hint of glitz? Add a subtle touch with
metallic lace, or go full-on sparkle with beading or sequins allover.
The hardest part will be deciding between gold, silver, or rose gold
(forget it, just mix-and-match all three!)
“Ombre”
The perfect choice for a bride who knows what color she wants but doesn’t know which shade to choose. The ombre
look fades from light to dark and includes several hues of the same
color. Pull off ombre by having each member wear a different shade of
your favorite color. From there, you can also choose to have your ‘maids
select the same shape/style or not – it’s up to you!. This option is a
great way to give the girls a bit of freedom to find what they feel
their best in.
For any of these trends, we know that your bridal party comes in all shapes and sizes. That’s why we love the range that David’s Bridal offers
brides and their besties. Sizes are available from 0 to 26, they have
maternity and junior bridesmaid dresses and even better, they have 100s
of styles under $100. Something else most brides don’t think of –
David’s Bridal is a great place to get dresses for your engagement
shoot! If you’re in the middle of dress shopping, stop by David’s Bridal and you’ll be very impressed by all their HUGE (and of course trendy) selection.