Wedding Dress for Overweight Brides

30 pounds is nothing.....You'll be fine!!! Definitely go to a reputable bridal place and be fitted for a dress. Also, take someone who will give you an honest opinion but not be insulting. Congrats.

Any dress shop will be able to help you find the perfect dress. And you will look AMAZING on your day! Just make sure to buy the dress in a size that fits, not your goal.

I bought a dress with a corcet (sp?) so that I could hopefully tighten it up for all the pounds I planned on loosing! I did loose a little bit, but no where near what I had hoped. It didn't matter though, I have never felt prettier than I did on my wedding day!

I ended up just going to Davids Bridal, I wanted to go to smaller places instead of a big chain, but they just didn't have "the dress" I finally went to Davids and it was the second dress I tried on. I just knew I had to have it! Thankfully it was on bigtime sale and I could afford it. :)

Good luck on finding "the dress"

I was a size 16/18 in my last wedding and I was able to try on a LOT of gowns. Just remember that you need to try on different styles.

A mermaid looks horrid on me but I still tried on one that hugged my hips a bit to see if it made a difference in my silhouette. I didn't care for it but one of my friends thought it looked really good. I tried on some that had waist band, some with layers and layers of ruffled lace, not for me. I am not a lacy girly girl. I wanted to try on dresses with a raised waist that flared out. Very empire waist looking. I have very full hips, large hips, thighs, and arms. I expected a dress to be fuller over those areas and camouflage them. I would have been covering up the good parts, the tiny waist, the small bones in my neck and chest area, and the nice natural curves.

The dress I put on and couldn't take off was nothing like I expected to want. It was glitzy and the top half was covered in sequins and beads, and it was a ball gown with a long train.... It had a low waist that hugged me and held me in in all the good places. My hubby's eyes nearly popped out when he saw me and the "girls" looking so good. It was just this side of sexy. It was a conservative church wedding and they looked very good and stylish.

Make sure they have dresses in your size, the next one or two up in size so you can actually put dresses on and fit them to your body to get the right idea. If you have to I would even go on a weekend trip to Houston or Dallas to see what is avail. in those shops. The internet is an awesome tool too. Many places have their dresses online for you to do some "window" shopping.

Don't worry about your weight. Find a dress you look fabulous in according to your body shape and your height. Since you are short, a tea length dress would be lovely.

A line dresses are great for those who have more hips, butt and gut. Dresses with empire waist lines are flattering too.

No matter what dress you pick out always go after a perfect fit and show off your greatest assets. If that is your legs then play them up. You may not want to show tons of cleavage if that isn't your daily style but keep it simple and fitted for your shape and size and you will be radiant and comfortable in your wedding dress. Congratulations.

You just have to start trying them on, most bridal shops can order nearly any dress up to a 32- now mind you a bridal 32 is more like a regular 26/28 depending on your build and the cut of the dress. My skinny bean pole bestie and I went dress shopping for her a year or so ago, she is typically a size 4 or 6 cut/style depending but she had to order a 12 wedding gown. So, when you talk about sizing please do not let it get you in a funky place wedding dress sizes are determined by the designer, there is no "real" sizing chart just go with the measurements. Working on some weight loss myself next year will be the time to start trying on for me :)

Go try things on and see what you like, but make sure to call ahead and confirm that they store has samples that you could actually try on before you head-out. Make an appointment at the different stores and let the consultant know ahead of time what size you wear and what you think you might like.

Don't rule-out bridesmaid dresses ordered in white or cream. Many of those dresses are designed to be flattering to various figures and come in a variety of lengths and colors.

When you go to shop for your dress, block out a whole day and do your hair and make-up. Bring along a pair of high heels and your best shopping companion! You want to look great walking in so your look and feel amazing in those dresses! Also make sure to either wear or bring the right undergarments (strapless bra, shaper, whatever you wear) b/c the dresses will look and fit very differently with those on!

For what it's worth, most brides drop weight before their wedding b/c of the hectic pace and stress! I lost so much weight in the months before my wedding, the poor seamstress had to essential "remake" my dress.

Good luck and have fun shopping!

I am not really overweight but still because I like to eat and my weight varries I got one with the corset and laces in the back. I call it my grow with me dress. :p Really it is nice to know that whatever I do it will still fit perfectly. Yeah wedding in a week and a half. I like being laid back. :)

I'm a size 22 and my dress was BEAUTIFUL!! I went to David's Bridal, picked out a BRIDESMAID dress style I liked in champagne and no one knew it was not a wedding gown. Their have so many styles of dresses for bridesmaids and so many colors too!! Much more options for the plus sized lady in the bridesmaid gowns than the wedding gowns! I will put my wedding dress up on my profile for a day so you can see what I mean.

Yes, I agree with Kim! Most designers make dresses in all sizes so when you go to try on dresses the fitter will let you know which ones you can order. I would say go to shops you like and go from there. David's has a huge selection and often has big sales, so that's a plus for them. The smaller shops are often "warmer" b/c of their boutique nature, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll have better dresses!

Congrats! and have fun shopping!

Like Gamma G Said try on a lot of styles. I wore a size 18 wedding dress and I had to try on a lot of dresses to find one that didnt make me look like a sausage. I wore an Alfredo Angelo dress, and they have lots of options for brides that arent a size 4.

Don't be afraid to try on something you think won't work. Fitted gowns for instance, many people aovid them when they have a bit of weight but the right one can be gorgeous.