Pregnant ahead of your wedding and panicking about wedding dress shopping? Firstly, congratulations! Secondly, don’t fret! Thousands of weddings were postponed as a result of Covid and couples switched up tradition by having a baby ahead of their nuptials instead – and what a bloody lovely turn of events.
Whilst shopping for a wedding dress when you’re pregnant and not sure how your body shape might change over the nine months ahead can be a daunting process, it’s also a super exciting one. According to Kate Halfpenny, founder of British luxury bridalwear brand, Halfpenny London, there are some very practical wedding dress shopping tips if you’re carrying a baby whilst wedding dress shopping, or even if you fall pregnant after choosing your wedding dress.
She tells me: “If you’ve known me for a while, you’ll already know my journey to motherhood was not straightforward. After many rounds of IVF, my husband and I were fortunate to have been blessed with our son, Sylvester. Believe me, I know every woman’s experience is different but if anyone else was asking themselves questions like “should we stop trying before our wedding?” or “is it best to keep trying?”, I sympathise with the dilemma. Or, for others, it’s the opposite and a pregnancy is an unexpected, yet wonderful surprise!
“Thankfully, modern attitudes have evolved beyond the traditional and, sometimes the baby in the golden carriage comes before the marriage. That’s what I want to discuss today, specifically what to do if you become pregnant after choosing your wedding dress, and/or will be pregnant on your wedding day. Here is some advice about your dress journey you might find useful, or comforting.
“Firstly, congratulations! Secondly, don’t stress! There’s no reason finding a beautiful outfit you feel amazing in, or the subsequent fittings process should be stressful so here are some practical suggestions to make things run smoothly.”
Choosing your wedding look
Firstly, I’m not going to talk about the “best” or “worst” silhouettes to wear while pregnant as I personally don’t subscribe to those ideas. Your choice of outfit should be dictated by what you feel amazing in and we’ve had pregnant brides wear everything from our delicious, full overskirts, to our slinky Cheryl dress. My team of stylists in the boutique are utterly incredibly at working with women of all shapes and sizes to find their ideal wedding look so have an honest conversation with them at the beginning of your appointment about your ideal look. This leads me onto my next point…
Communication is key
If you think your body will change between the day you are measured for your wedding dress and the big day, please tell us. There are many reasons bodies may change other than pregnancy and it’s no problem at all, as long as you communicate openly with us so we can do everything we can to alleviate any stresses when it comes to your fittings.
Timing is everything
Typically, wedding dresses take at least a few months to make, so we’d organise your measurement appointment as late as possible. We’d then work with you around your fitting dates to ensure the best fit for you to look amazing on your big day.
Change of plan
If you become pregnant after choosing your dress, let us know as soon as possible. If your dress hasn’t gone into production yet we’ll discuss sizing options with you and invite you in for a re-measure, if that’s the best course of action. If your dress is in production, or has already been made, please talk to us and we can discuss your options.
Trust the experts
It can be a very exciting time, but it can also be confusing as your body goes through lots of changes. Remember you’re in safe hands. This is what we do, so enjoy the process. As long as we communicate with each other, you’ll look amazing and all you have to do is relax and have an incredible wedding