When planning their wedding, one popular question that many expectant brides have is about dress size. How does an expectant bride know what size maternity wedding dress to purchase?
It may seem like one of life’s greatest mysteries when you’re both a first-time bride and a first-time mother-to-be! Well, while this article certainly isn’t going to solve any of life’s ponderings, it will shed a little light on the unknowns of maternity wedding dresses.
First and foremost, do not purchase a standard wedding gown just because it has an empire waistline and you think you‘ll be able to fit your belly under it 5 months from now. Also, to expand on that fabulous piece of advice, do yourself a favor and refrain from buying a standard-sized wedding dress in a few sizes larger than your non-pregnant size.
Instead, for the best fit and the largest selection for your new body type, buy an authentic maternity wedding dress.
Why?
Because even though there’s no definitive lower waistline on that empire style dress, taking a risk that your belly will only grow the extra 3 or 4 inches of the room currently available in the dress is just not a smart move.
Remember this: It's easier to take a dress in than it is to let one out. And while we’re on the topic of taking a dress in, that dress that you love and think will fit just perfect if you buy it in a 12 instead of an 8 is going to be anything but a perfect fit.
Why?
Your body parts are going to grow at different speeds. Your belly will grow larger than your breasts. Your thighs will grow more readily than your arms and your butt, well, expect some enlarging in that department as well. So how do you know that dress will fit when you’re ready to wear it? The amount of money you’ll waste on alterations in an attempt to remove boning, embellishments, etc. to make a size 12 dress fit a size 8 pregnant body could be near the $500 mark.
So, now that I’ve convinced you to purchase a legitimate maternity wedding dress over the not-so-great alternative non-maternity wedding dresses, here are some tips when figuring out the appropriate size.
While most designers follow a basic sizing guide, some maternity wedding dress designers might size smaller or larger than others so if ordering online, check to see if there are individual sizing guides for each designer.
Begin first with your natural, non-pregnant bust size and your non-pregnant dress size. If you’re an average size 6, then you’re most likely going to be a size 6 in your maternity wedding dress BUT that’s not always the case.
Why?
Because while maternity wedding dresses are designed and cut to allow room for a growing belly, the most important factor in true sizing is your pre-pregnant bust size.
Think of it this way, if you’re a natural 36D size bust, and a size 8 everywhere else, chances are you’re not squeezing your size 12 breasts into your size 8 dresses on a daily basis.
The point is, just because maternity wedding dresses are cut to fit a larger belly, just like non-maternity dresses, they are not cut to fit a breast size that is 4 sizes larger than the dress size.
Another important rule-of-thumb is to remember that if you’re wedding is going to take place in your last month of pregnancy, your body is going to go through a sort of growth-spurt in those final couple of weeks, especially in the bust area. If this is the case, you’re better off getting a maternity wedding dress that is one size larger than your pre-pregnant size.
Before you order a dress online, make sure you have access to a good local alterations shop that can help you in those final days before your actual ceremony is to take place. Drop by and talk to the seamstress. Explain your situation and make certain they are equipped and available for at least two fittings.
The very day you receive your dress, or as soon after as possible, bring your maternity wedding dress in for your first fitting.
And by all means, order your maternity wedding dress early in case there are any major problems with quality, style, or fit. Like any bride, you want everything to be perfect on your wedding day. And like any bride, the final fitting makes all the difference in how your dress makes you look and feel. But unlike any bride, you’ll be "fitting for two" and need to take that into account.
Also, one final bit of maternity wedding dress advice - if you’re unsure about style, cut, fit, sizing, etc. - pick up the phone and call the customer service number before ordering.
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