Thinking ahead--maternity wear for weddings

Hello everybody--

this is somewhat of an odd post, mostly because it is so personal. i am 12 weeks pregnant but we have been keeping it VERY quiet because i have had a lot of complications thus far. thankfully, things are turning around.

g-d willing, i need to start thinking about what to wear for some upcoming weddings. i may be attending FIVE weddings while pregnant but for now i am focused on the first three.

1) traditional evening southern church wedding with reception to follow at a country club. i will be 20 weeks at this wedding

2) long island jewish black tie optional afternoon wedding at a yacht club. i will also be 20 weeks.

3) black tie optional/invited (can't remember which) wedding in downtown cleveland. i will be 25 weeks at this one.

so, at this point, i haven't gained any weight although my weight has slightly redistributed itself. i have no problem wearing any of my regular clothes. i just don't know how/when that will change and even where to look for maternity wedding wear. i'm hoping some of you wise ladies will have some ideas. maybe i'll still be able to wear some non-maternity dresses at least for the first two.

i've attached a couple pictures--the first is today's WIW so you can see my size at this point. the second and third are two dresses i would consider wearing. but i have no idea how to determine whether i will fit into these dresses in 8 weeks. love to hear any and all thoughts and thinks for reading what has become a very long post!

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8 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

CONGRATS and take it easy, Mellllllls. Lovely to see you post.

You look absolutely stunning in #2. WOW. It's that pregnancy glow. And you're super cute in #1 too.

Joy

Veteran

Congratulations. The first 2 outfits can work for you, depending on how far along you are. As you get further along and bigger, tops and dresses will need more to use more fabric for coverage and get shorter. You will thicken through the middle and get bigger in the bust. Jersey fabric and long, full length skirts that can be dressed up or down with different tops are helpful. I got my DDIL a navy skirt like this that was not maternity wear and now, five months after the baby, she is still able to wear it as she works to get pre-baby size. A helpful SA at Nordstroms suggested it.

columbine(erin)

Motherhood Maternity usually has a few dresses made with chiffon that can look great for a dressy occasion. Their skirts are mostly too casual, I think. My new favorite place (I"m 18 wks pregnant) to look for maternity wear is PinkBlush Maternity. I think some of their pieces can be dressed up for special occasions.

annabelle

Congratulations and hugs be with you, that your and the baby's health hold out for this one. I absolutely understand how hard it is to share the fact of being pregnant when things are iffy.

I worked in a boutique maternity shop at one time. Several of the items we carried were *not* maternity, but just gorgeous dresses that worked well up through 4 or 5 or 6 months baby bump. So you might be able to wear from your own closet, or if you need to buy something - you could buy something you can wear after the baby.

I love dress #2, if it's appropriate for any of those occasions with a layer. It will be a nice look to help you keep mums the word, if you choose to, with those who are not close to you. (That little dress can hide a lot. I have an apple shape and it's amazing - I can conceal ten pounds, with the right frock or jacket!)

goldenpig

Congrats and best wishes for a smooth and healthy pregnancy!
This last pregnancy I was able to get by with using a lot of non-maternity clothes especially if the dresses/skirts were stretchy or by hiking the waistband above my bump which made the dresses/skirts a little shorter (which was fine if they were originally midi length and became knee length, or by putting leggings under the dresses). Dresses that would work well either have an empire waist with a loose flowy skirt, have some draping/shaped for apples, or are overall stretchy or have some give to the fabric. It helps if you don't mind being a little more body-con during pregnancy!

Here are some of my wedding/party dresses I wore during pregnancy, and none of them were maternity.
Week 20:
http://goldenpig.lookfab.com/p.....na-wedding
Week 22:
http://goldenpig.lookfab.com/p.....moms-style
Week 26:
http://goldenpig.lookfab.com/p.....fice-party

Here are some of the non-maternity dresses I wore at 39-40 weeks and I still have and wear most of them now!
http://goldenpig.lookfab.com/p.....llet-flats
http://goldenpig.lookfab.com/p.....hter-style

You could definitely still wear #1 just by moving the belt up above your bump. I think you could most likely wear #2 (not sure about #3) as long as the dress is not too tight to zip up around the bust and if the fabric is a little stretchy. I found that my chest size increased as well, which often ended up being the limiting factor for dresses to be able to zip up, even if it could accommodate the belly part. Often times you can also get by with buying a non-maternity dress in the next size up from your usual size. But if you do need maternity dresses which will also work for the postpartum period, you should look into Japanese Weekend--they have dresses/tops with hidden holes for your boobs for nursing...something to think about because you will need access and it's really hard to nurse in a regular dress! http://www.japaneseweekend.com.....es-s/2.htm

You look wonderful in all three outfits...you've definitely got that pregnancy glow! Congrats again and good luck/have fun with your dress shopping!

Mellllls

Thank you all so much for your advice. And thank you so much goldenpig for your illustrations! Lots to think about.

I discovered yesterday that the dress in #2 I can pull over my head, rather than step in to the dress. The band is tough to get over my hips as it is but I might get more out of the dress over my head. It also has a built in bra that I think I can adjust when/if my chest expands (which I expect it will).

Thanks again! I think I will retry the dresses in two weeks and reevaluate.

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