Shopping for a wedding dress can be overwhelming, stressful, and tricky for any bride. However, plus-size wedding dress shopping can be even more so! Especially at a shop that doesn’t have sample dresses in your size. At K&B Bridals, we are so proud to be size-inclusive and offer the same experience to our plus-size brides as we do to all of our other brides. We have a wide range of sample sizes to try on and we make sure that your shopping experience is everything that you could dream of! Our founder, Bridget Moore, had a negative dress shopping experience for her wedding, which is a huge reason why she decided to open K&B Bridals.
PLUS-SIZE WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING: OUR TOP 10 TIPS
Here are our top ten tips for plus-size wedding dress shopping. As a bonus tip, if you’re in the Maryland area, book an appointment with K&B Bridals to get the experience that you’ve dreamed of!
Go when you’re feeling good about yourself
One of our biggest pieces of advice for plus-size wedding dress shopping is to go when you’re feeling the best about yourself. This will be different for everyone! If you feel terrible after eating a bunch of junk food, save the big meal for after your dress appointment. If you feel bad about yourself while you’re PMSing, avoid that time of the month. The morning of your dress appointment, prepare yourself by focusing on all of the parts of your body that you’re excited to show off! This could be your hips, cleavage, or eye color. Whatever the case may be, be sure to share this with your stylist right away! They will be able to help you choose dresses that showcase everything that you love about your body. Remember that you are your own worst critic. Do your best to silence that inner critic before trying on wedding dresses!
Find a size-inclusive shop
A lot of brides go into their plus-size wedding dress shopping experience with a lot of fear. Fear of being treated rudely, having limited options, and just having a downright mediocre experience. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Before you make a dress appointment, call the shop ahead of time to make sure that they have sample sizes that will work for you. It’s an even better idea to ask to work with a stylist who specializes in plus-size wedding dresses. When you go wedding dress shopping, you ideally want to have the best experience of your life. You want to have a stylist who understands your personality and your needs. You want to have a stylist who takes a look at your vision beforehand and already has a few dresses picked out for you to try on. And, you don’t want to be rushed. Thankfully, if you’re in the Maryland area, K&B Bridals in Bel Air can offer all of these things and more! We pride ourselves on being size-inclusive and catering to each and every bride’s individual needs. We truly celebrate the YOU behind the dress. Click here to book an appointment!
Don’t delay
Many brides try to push off wedding dress shopping until they get to their ideal weight. Keep in mind that the longer you wait, the more limited your options will be. Wedding gowns can typically take 6 to 8 months to come in. If you wait too long outside of that window, you could be limited to what the shop has in stock that’s already in your size. Plus, remember that a dress can be altered to accommodate weight loss! You still have time to lose weight after ordering your dress. It’s typically easier to take a dress in than to have it taken out. No matter what, trying to find THE dress as a plus-size bride based on what the store has in stock is a bummer. So, go at your current weight! Besides, your partner loves you just the way you are. Don’t worry about the size Once you have your dress picked out, your stylist will measure you and order the size based on your largest measurement. Keep in mind that bridal sizing is totally different from street sizing. This will probably be the “biggest” size that you’ve bought — and that’s okay! Remember that no one at the wedding will know the size of your wedding dress.
Find the right seamstress
If your bridal shop does not offer alterations in-house, ask for their recommendations of a seamstress who has experience in bridal. Be sure to get references of her work, either from the shop or online. Some of the best seamstresses will be able to add straps, boning, and bra cups to make you look even better in your wedding dress! Your wedding dress will likely be the most expensive piece of clothing that you will ever own. Make sure that it feels amazing and fits you perfectly!
Step outside your comfort zone
Another huge piece of advice for plus-size wedding dress shopping is to keep an open mind and step outside of your comfort zone. It’s a good idea to try on different silhouettes and styles of wedding gowns that you may not be interested in. A lot of brides end up choosing a dress that they thought they would stay away from! You might be surprised at what looks best on you. If you’re against strapless, at least try on one strapless dress. Worst-case, you end up not liking it and can be sure that the style is not for you. Best-case, you end up falling in love with a dress that you wouldn’t have tried on otherwise!
Don’t feel forced into anything
While it’s good to keep an open mind, you should never feel forced into trying on or buying anything. You shouldn’t let anyone tell you what you “can and cannot” wear! Plus-size wedding dress shopping typically ends up steering toward A-line dresses. However, that will work for some people and not others! The best stylist will take into consideration your shape, style, and comfort level — not just your size. This will help find a look that fits your vision! Let your dress be a reflection of your personality, not what’s typical for a curvy-girl stereotype.
Remember that it’s all about you
Going along with the last plus-size wedding dress shopping tip, keep in mind that this experience is all about YOU! Not your mom, not your sister, not your best friend, not your grandmother… YOU. Just because you’ve been trying on dresses for hours does not mean that you should choose a dress. Just because everyone is pushing you toward a specific dress does not mean that you should choose that dress. If it doesn’t feel right, do not buy one yet. Purchase the wedding gown that makes you feel beautiful and happy. The only thing that could make it better is walking down the aisle wearing it and saying “I Do” to your partner at the end!
Keep plus-size “rules” in mind
While this kind of goes against our “step outside of your comfort zone” tip, it can still be an excellent idea to keep plus-size guidelines in mind. There’s a reason that they work for so many plus-size brides and are considered “rules.”
- A-line: Masks hips and thighs without hiding volume, waist is cinched
- Thicker fabrics: Typically more forgiving
- Ruching: Creates an optical illusion
- Flaunt what you’ve got: Think about the features you want to highlight
Comfort, comfort, comfort
Remember that you will be moving around your entire wedding day in your gown. It needs to be comfortable! Also, don’t order a dress that’s 2 sizes too small thinking that you’ll lose weight to fit into it. If you don’t, you’ll be incredibly uncomfortable and won’t look or feel your best. You can always get the dress altered to be a smaller size if you lose the weight! Be sure to check out K&B Bridals for the perfect plus-size wedding dress shopping experience! We can’t wait to help you find the dress of your dreams.