Plus Size Wedding Gowns: Wedding Dress Advice

Nov 17, 2010
Christina Gregoire

Plus Size Bridal Gowns - photo bluebirdsandteapots

Many women have worked as wedding consultants. Many have been in weddings. I, for better or worse, have been a bride several times.

I would like to tell you that it’s no fun to starve yourself for four months before the wedding, so make sure you get a dress that will fit your true size, not your starved size. You should take your measurements on a normal day, when you are eating normally. If you go on a diet before being measured, you will be hungry, stressed, and cranky on your big day. Look for plus size wedding gowns that are easy to wear while sitting down, dancing, drinking, and eating.

Yes, my motto is “Always a bride. Never a bridesmaid.” I guess it's easier to find husbands than to find close friends. Anyway, let me tell you what I know about bridal gowns.

Know What Looks Good on You

Here are the rules:

You are the bride. You can wear whatever color you want. You can wear whatever dress you want. It’s your wedding. If you are the rebellious type, you should have an indie wedding. Make your wedding really fun. And, remember:

It's your body, you have a right to have any body shape that God gave you.
If your inner voice ever says anything negative about your body shape, tell your inner voice to, "Piss off."

Neckline and Backside

In my three weddings, I have found that the two most important parts of the dress are the neckline and the backside. I don’t mean to imply anything about the size or shape of your butt. However, in traditional services, you will face the altar, so the back of your dress is what your friends and enemies will see.

And, in your photographs, the veil or bridal hat and the neckline will be the key to the correct framing of your face. Usually, the best neckline for a topheavy gal is a V-neck, sweetheart, square-necked, or deep U-shaped neckline.

I don't always agree with traditional advice, but here it is, for you to take or leave.

V Neckline: Good for lengthening the neck and breaking up a large chest or a broad-shoulder/wide upper-arm area. (Elegant dress.)
Sweetheart Neckline: Good for large chests. Flattering to most women, but bad for narrow, sloping shoulders.
Boatneck: Good for balancing pear shapes. Bad for wide shoulders, unless very tall.
Halter Neck: Good for broad shoulders. Bad for fat arms. (Good for sex appeal.)
Square Neckline: Bad for narrow shoulders. Good for broad shoulders.
Plus Size Strapless Gown: This can be good or bad. You might be able to add a bolero or jacket if you want, but I wore a strapless gown with my fat arms and it was fine.

I have not been heavy all of my life, but I do have very broad shoulders and a shape like Spongebob Squarepants, and the result in the camera is the same. I have worn a square-necked gown, a V-necked gown, and a strapless gown. They all photographed well on my apple body type.

Wedding Gown Shapes

You, most certainly, know by now that there are many different types of curvy body shapes. While you should try various silhouettes, because you might be the exception to the rule, here are some suggestions from a few "experts" and me:

Plus Size Hourglass Shape: You want to accentuate your waist, so a ball gown wedding dress might work if you are tall. If you are short, don’t break up your line, but add some detail at your waist.
Plus Size Apple Shape: Break up your upper body (chest and shoulders) with a sweetheart, square, or V-shaped neckline. An Empire waist gown or a two-piece tunic and long skirt may be your best bets. The correct Empire waist gown will make you look taller.
Plus Size Pear Shape: Accentuate your small waist. You will probably want a fitted bodice and a long A-line skirt with a bit of flare at the bottom. You might try a ballgown because it will hide everything that is underneath.

If you don’t know where to start, most women look good in princess shapes and A-line shapes.

Sleeves or Sleeveless

If you don’t like your upper arms, you might want sleeves; but if you are top heavy, the worst thing you can wear is a bodice with short sleeves. If you want long sleeves, make sure they are not so tight that you can't dance. Flowing Renaissance sleeves or lace sleeves are my favorites.

Regular Party Dress

My second "bridal gown" was not a bridal dress. It was an off-white, floaty, tea-length designer dress with purple accents in the right places. So, you might want to look at regular party dresses. Adding a veil or a wedding hat to any dress will usually make it look like a proper wedding gown.

So, march yourself down to the nearest bridal shop and experiment. You don't have to choose the first dress that looks half-way decent. Then, put "The Hustle" on your iPod and shake your bootie.

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