If you are getting married later in life, you have probably noticed that most bridal advice is written for someone else: a bride in her twenties, with a Pinterest board and a dress in mind that has little to do with how you actually want to look. You already know your own taste, your own body and what suits you, and that is a real advantage. Here is how we would go about choosing a wedding dress when you are an older bride, without a single rule about what you should or shouldn’t wear.
Start With How You Want to Feel
The best starting point is not a silhouette, it is a feeling. Do you want to feel elegant, relaxed, a little glamorous, entirely yourself? Most mature bride wedding gowns that work well share one thing: the bride forgets she is wearing them. So think about the venue, the time of year and how long you will be on your feet before you think about lace or satin. A registry office followed by lunch asks for something different from a ballroom, and both are perfectly good choices.
Necklines, Sleeves and Shape
Necklines and sleeves are where personal comfort matters most, and there is no wrong answer. A bateau, high illusion or V neckline gives a different feel from a strapless sweetheart, and some brides know straight away which side of that line they sit on. If you like sleeves, there is plenty of choice: long illusion sleeves, cap sleeves, sheer elbow-length ones. Sleeves are a style decision, not a cover-up. Sincerity’s Avril has fine, sheer elbow-length sleeves with scattered floral appliqué over a fitted lace bodice and a crepe skirt with a slit, and Justin Alexander’s Phillipa has long illusion sleeves in dense sequinned lace above a plain satin skirt. They look nothing alike, which is the point.
On shape, a fitted bodice with a softer skirt suits a lot of brides, but it is a starting suggestion and no more than that. An A-line moves easily, a sheath is streamlined, and a fuller skirt is lovely if you want the full wedding moment. If you want to dance, tell your stylist, because skirts differ a lot in how they behave once you start moving.
Fabrics That Feel as Good as They Look
Think about weight and comfort as much as appearance. Crepe and satin hold a clean line, chiffon floats and is forgiving in warm rooms, and lace gives texture and depth. Our lace wedding dresses and floral wedding dresses pages are good places to start if you like detail. Sincerity’s Aliyah pairs a floral lace bodice with sheer short sleeves and a high illusion neckline, then falls into a soft chiffon A-line skirt with pockets, which is a good example of detail that is also practical.
Look at how a fabric feels against your skin as well as how it photographs. Heavy beading all over can be warm and tiring for a long day, while a gown with beading concentrated on the bodice can be much lighter to wear.
Colour: Ivory, Champagne, Blush or Something Bolder
White is only one option. Ivory is softer than stark white on most skin tones, champagne and nude linings add warmth, and blush gives a hint of colour without being obvious. Sincerity’s Shelley covers a strapless bodice in dimensional floral lace over a warm champagne lining, and Enchanting’s Anais has dense floral lace over a blush lining. If you want clear colour, whether that is a pale shade or something brave, tell us. Bring the shade you love, and we will help you work out whether it should be the dress, the accessories or the bouquet.
If This Is Your Second Wedding
There are no rules here either. Some brides choose a gown that is every bit as traditional as a first-time bride might, and others prefer something simpler and shorter, or a dress in a colour. Plenty of brides wear a veil, plenty skip it. If you have children, they may want a say, and you are welcome to bring them. What matters is that you choose something you love, not something you think a second wedding ought to look like.
Comfort, Fit and Your Body Now
Fit is the heart of it. A gown that fits well on the day feels lighter and is easier to forget about, so try sitting down, raising your arms and walking in each dress you like. Check that you can breathe, eat and dance. If you are a larger size, our plus size wedding dresses page shows what we hold, and our plus size guide explains what to expect. Support matters too, so ask about the bodice structure and about underwear you may want to wear.
Your own seamstress, local to you, will do any alterations after you have chosen, so ask her early what is possible with the dress you have in mind.
Budget
Our affordable wedding dresses page gathers gowns at lower prices, and it is worth remembering that cheap doesn’t necessarily mean value. What counts is what you get for the money: fabric, cut, comfort and how the dress makes you feel when you put it on. Our full bridal collection runs from £400 to £4,000, so there is a good deal of choice across budgets, and we will always be upfront about prices before you fall for anything.
Trying Dresses On at the Boutique
We see brides by appointment, with a booking fee to hold your slot, and walk-ins are free. Bring one or two people whose opinions you trust, and not a crowd. Wear underwear and shoes close to what you imagine wearing on the day. Try something you think you will hate, because brides tell us the dress they chose is often not the one they walked in expecting. Nobody will rush you or push you towards a particular style.
With over 250 wedding dresses in store, you can compare designers side by side, such as Sincerity and Justin Alexander, and see how fabrics and shapes feel on you instead of guessing from a photograph.
If you would like to start looking, come and try gowns with us, and bring along your questions about sleeves, colour or fit. Call us on 01206 577756 or book your appointment.