Getting married while pregnant can add a new level of stress to wedding planning. Even if you find the perfect wedding dress early on, the bride’s body will change by the time of the wedding, requiring essential dress alterations.
So, when thinking about maternity wedding dresses, how can you ensure your dress fits perfectly on your big day? Even though your dress may need more advanced alterations, a qualified tailor can still help.
Getting Married Pregnant: How to Find the Perfect Dress
Pregnant brides are actually less common than they used to be. Back in 1970, 20% of brides got married pregnant. Since then, the percentage has gone down significantly, likely due to better access to contraceptives and less pressure to get married before the child is born.
Even though pregnant brides only make up a small percentage of brides today, it’s important that every bride looks and feels beautiful on their big day. So, there are plenty of wedding dresses that are suitable during a pregnancy.
As a pregnant bride, you should still choose whatever dress you like best. Yet, make sure you consider that your body will look different in the dress by the time of your wedding. If it fits you perfectly when you buy it, consider getting a size or two up to ensure it will fit you when you get married.
What is the Best Style for a Pregnant Bride?
Every bride has different preferences for dress styles, but there are many aspects that are more popular for maternity wedding dresses than others. Most pregnant brides avoid overly tight dresses because those dresses require a very specific fit, which is hard to achieve when your body changes drastically amid the months of pregnancy.
Instead, many pregnant brides prefer empire waist dresses, which have a fitted bodice, but everything below the bust is more loose-fitting. That way, nothing will be too tight around your belly when you get married. Layers and ruffles are also popular for brides that don’t want the dress to accentuate their baby bump too much.
What to Expect When Getting a Maternity Wedding Gown Altered
Most wedding dresses need some alterations before your wedding day. Yet, a maternity wedding dress will almost certainly need more alterations than the average wedding dress. When you’re pregnant, you won’t be the same size when you try on the wedding dress and when you get married in it.
Wedding gown alterations typically take 6 to 8 weeks total and require several fittings throughout. Maternity dress alterations should follow a similar timeline, but it’s extra crucial to schedule your final fitting as close to your wedding day as possible. That way, you can ensure that it was altered to the correct size, and you can make last-minute changes if needed.
How Many Sizes Do You Go Up When Pregnant?
For maternity clothes, you should be able to get your normal clothing size. Maternity clothes are made specifically to fit around the growing belly of an expecting mother. However, in terms of regular clothes, you can expect to go up one to two sizes.
In general, if you’ll be pregnant for four months or less by the time of your wedding, you should order one size up. If you’ll be five months or more, you may want to order two sizes up. Yet, everyone’s body is unique, so this is just a rule of thumb that may not apply to everyone.
When trying on dresses, think about how much your stomach will grow by the time of the wedding. Order a size or two up if you think it makes sense. Even if your estimations are a little off, your tailor can help you get the dress to the ideal size.
When to Schedule Maternity Wedding Dress Alterations
Schedule maternity dress alterations as close to the wedding as possible. Get the appointment on the calendar as soon as you can, but the actual first appointment should be within two months of the wedding date. Then, make sure the final fitting is within two weeks of your big day to ensure that everything will fit right when you need it to.
Luckily, many tailors offer same day services for brides who need last minute changes before their wedding day. While these services won’t include any advanced alterations, they’re great for minor fixes that brides need during a time crunch.
Can a Bridesmaid Dress be Altered for Pregnancy?
While the bride’s dress is the most important, bridesmaid dresses should fit well too. If a bridesmaid is pregnant, you can definitely get their dress altered. Yet, like with maternity wedding dresses, maternity bridesmaid dresses should have their final fitting as close to the wedding date as possible.
If you’re the bride and have a pregnant bridesmaid, consider choosing bridesmaid dress styles that are ideal for pregnant people.
Are There Bump Friendly Cocktail Dresses?
Whether the bride or bridesmaid is pregnant, they’ll likely need to wear other dresses beyond the ceremony gown. Bachelorette parties and rehearsal dinners are other wedding events you might need a second dress for.
Luckily, there are plenty of bump friendly cocktail dresses. Like wedding dresses, these outfits are ideal when the style is loose below the bust of the dress. Regardless of the type of dress you choose, you can get it altered just like you would with a wedding dress or bridesmaid dress while pregnant.
Where to Get Maternity Wedding Dresses Altered
Altering maternity dresses requires a little more precision and care than traditional wedding dresses. The tailor needs to be willing to make lots of alterations, including some last-minute changes if needed.
If you live in the Houston area, Montrose Tailors is willing to take on the challenge of altering your maternity wedding dress to ensure it looks stunning on you. We pay close attention to details when altering gowns, so we’ll make sure you’re ready to walk down the aisle looking your best on your big day.
Schedule an appointment or contact us today for more information!