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Beginner December 2019

Call for help from my fellow plus-size gals

Wallflower-Bride_UhOh, 5 of September of 2019 at 19:58 Posted on Planning 0 4

Hi everyone,

It’s my first time on these forums so please be gentle! A bit of background in case it helps...

I’m getting married just before Christmas in a registry office in Hertfordshire. This is my second marriage (got married way too young to a horrible man and now at 38 I found the one I wish I’d met when I was 20! My OH has a similar background).

We are doing a pretty low key thing this time around...just my parents and grandmother travelling over from the US and his mum are coming. We didn’t want a big thing (well, he wouldn’t have minded but I completely detest social functions...especially weddings) hence the registry office with parents! The thing is...as we’re both actually with the right partner this time (and we both had registry office weddings before), we don’t want this to feel like it’s ’just another day’ and we really want it to be a special and meaningful day that celebrates us.

Now that that’s all out of the way...

Because of my general hatred of weddings, it’s been really hard to work out how to frame this day! I have so many questions and severely need advice but I will keep it to one question for this post!

I’m starting to look at dresses - I don’t want to spend more than £200 really and am not going for a fancy, first wedding, debt-inducing frock! I’ve been finding things on those cheap dress websites where you can get a dress in any colour and almost any size for really cheap. I popped into Debenhams after work today just to get an idea of styles and colours that might work before taking a chance on online ordering, but I hit a major wall because at a size 22/24, all I could do was grab a 20 (max size for evening-ish dresses there) and squeeze on as much as I could to get an idea of the neckline and colour.

I already feel (and always have) like I have NO business being dressed up, and feel silly at the thought ‘trying’ to make myself pretty but I love my OH and want to push out of my comfort zone and try to look nice for him and for the day.

So...my question is for all my fellow plus size girls who didn’t spend a fortune on a nice dress (doesn’t have to be white - in fact better if not!) where the hell did you find them? Did you find a shop that you could try them on in or did you just order blind online and hope for the best just you had something that fit?

Starting to think my options are either ordering blind or just getting one of the few suitable dresses from Simply Be or Curvissa that I can return quickly if I need to. That or OH will have to compromise again and agree to my already proposed pyjama themed wedding day (it went down like a lead balloon the first time!)

So very grateful for any help or advice you all might have! Apologies if I’ve come off like a Debbie downer!

4 replies

Latest activity by HappyPinkHair15172, 18 of February of 2020 at 17:33
  • L
    Beginner December 2019
    LuxuriousBrownCakes79165 ·
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    Hi

    Im plus size also, I had orginally decided to buy a wedding dress from online shops but in the end i bought a sample dress from a bigger girls shop. I had ordered lots of dresses but asos had a beautiful sequins wedding dress for £180. I did have to size up as well but the dress does go up to size 30 so you would have no worries there.

    https://www.asos.com/asos-edition/asos-edition-curve-flutter-sleeve-sequin-maxi-wedding-dress/prd/10938179?clr=ivory&colourWayId=16313500&SearchQuery=&cid=9577

    JD williams also have some lovely beaded dresses too at great prices. Hope this is helpful x

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  • W
    Beginner December 2019
    Wallflower-Bride_UhOh ·
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    Hiya!

    Thanks so much for your reply! I don't seem to get notified when I get a message so I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner.

    So, this is crazy...over the past week, I've had two people recommend this EXACT dress to me! I started a Pinterest board and shared it with my parents and a couple girls at work so they could make the decision for me (pathetic, I know!!) and when I added it, everyone went crazy over it and kept saying, 'this is the one!' I'm definitely going to order it to see if it will work. Another plus, it has sleeves which will help in December (and with my upside down muscles...aka bingo wings!)

    Do you mind if I ask what size you are and what you ended up ordering as you said you had to size up?

    You said you ended up buying a sample dress...what put you off of the Asos one in the end?

    xx

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  • HappyPinkHair15172
    Dedicated September 2022 Merseyside
    HappyPinkHair15172 ·
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    Hello there!

    I'm a second time bride, plus size and on a budget so I'm with you, sister!

    Have you tried wed2b? I got my dress there, and although it wasn't £200, it was still very much cheaper than a bridal boutique. Even if you spend a bit more you can sell it on afterwards. Have you looked at stillwhite and sellmywedding? Both are UK sites with plenty of dresses for sale.

    The one thing I'd say about these cheap copycat dress sites is that there's nowhere near enough support in their dresses for bigger girls, that's why they're cheap. It's false economy to buy from them!

    Good luck, it's your wedding, do it your way!

    Ali xx

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  • W
    Beginner December 2019
    Wallflower-Bride_UhOh ·
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    Hi Ali!

    Thanks for your message! I've heard about wed2b but couldn't see much on their website - it seemed more of a 'go into the store' kinda thing which I was trying to avoid. I have heard a lot about them, though. I'm glad to hear you managed to find your dress with them!

    I had never heard of the other sites you mentioned which is crazy considering how long I'd been searching online!

    Unfortunately, because I'm not getting alerts when replies come in and it's taking a couple weeks for my posts to be approved, since your message I have miraculously managed to find something that works! It was actually a top and bottom separately and from Ulla Popken for £125 for both! It's plain enough that it doesn't look too bride-y but still looks pretty wedding-y!

    I'm SO relieved - I was starting to really think that despite how far the fashion industry has come in terms of plus sizes, it still had a depressingly far way to go!

    Thanks again for reaching out - I wish I had been able to see your message sooner! ?

    x Lisa x

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  • HappyPinkHair15172
    Dedicated September 2022 Merseyside
    HappyPinkHair15172 ·
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    Hi Lisa

    Ditto on the forum post alerts and posting time, you’ll probably see this in April!

    Glad you’re sorted out.

    I am seriously considering changing career and opening up a curvy bridal shop for budget savvy brides!

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