Wedding Dress Shopping Made Easy for the Plus Size Bride

17/10/2009 by Pam.

5 top tips to finding a wedding dress for the fuller figure bride

Here at Plus Size Bridal, we get lots of e-mails from larger size brides who are naturally very excited about their forthcoming wedding and everything that goes with it.

Well almost everything.

Along with the fun of planning the event and the incredible anticipation of the ‘big day’ comes a potential stumbling block… the plus size dress!

Examples of comments we get from brides on a regular basis are “…I’m so not looking forward to the dress bit…”, or “… I’m really not sure where to start!”, or even, “I don’t actually do dresses!”

Searching for ‘the dress’ can be a tricky process for brides of any size, but since size 16 is now widely reported to be the average dress size for women in the UK, many plus size brides-to-be looking through bridal magazines may be forgiven for thinking that only size 6 women ever get married.

Many of the styles shown tend to lend themselves to more slender figures but… and I stress… that really needn’t be a problem - nor should it get you down because there are now more options than ever for the larger size bride.

So we’ve put together some handy styling tips for the curvier bride to consider when looking for her wedding gown.

1. If you’ve got great curves then show them off. Open necklines (such as scoop, keyhole or V-neck) are a perfect way to draw attention to your full bust-line.
2. Sleeves are often a good choice for a bride who feels a bit self-conscious about her arms. Another option is a wrap which you can drape over your arms during the ceremony or throughout the reception.
3. Silhouettes such as A-line are fitted through the shoulders and bodice and flow away from the waist to resemble the letter ‘A’. This is a universally flattering shape.
4. You may also find wrap styles very flattering. They gather at the side and drape across the body (usually from under the bust line) to offer you lots of options.
5. And finally, if you are a plus size bride, pay special attention to those designers who pay special attention to you.

Here’s a list of leading bridal designers offering beautiful wedding dresses specifically in larger sizes:

• Bonny Bridal (’Unforgettable’ Collection)
• Forever Yours
• Justin Alexander
• Nicola Anne (Couture)
• Sincerity Bridal
• Venus (’Woman’ Collection).

As a plus size wedding dress specialist in the UK, we stock a large number of dress samples up to (UK) size 30 from each of these designers in our shop, Elderberry Brides Plus, in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

If you’re a curvier bride and you need some help or advice on finding the right style in your search for a dream dress, please contact us and we’ll do our best to help.

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