Maternity Bridesmaid Gown - buy or have made?

[LBMommy]

My SIL's wedding is in August and I'll be ~ 9mos pregnant (yikes!). She picked a color for all the gals to get Alfred Angelo separates, which of course, I won't fit into. So my options are buy the one maternity dress they have (basically: empire waist, floor length) or buy the fabric and have one made.

I think I would prefer to have separates made... I have a sleeveless shirt I got from Mimi last pregnancy that I loved and I assume I could find a dressmaker who could figure out the pattern, and then make a skirt too.

So has anyone (1) bought a maternity bridemaid dress and liked it? (was it just like a tent, or was it flattering?) or (2) successfully had a dress made from the manufacturer's fabric?

Thanks!!!!
Jen

[swampnurse]

Mine had one from David's bridal that almost matched the other bridesmaid's dress. Not usually a fan of David's, but the dress wasn't bad at all.

[abooboo80]

I would say either. I had to wear a dress that all of the other bridesmaid's picked out-had to pay $50 for alterations (and she did a terrible job) AND an extra $20 for the material.

[kcmorgmom]

I was in my brother's wedding when I was 6 months along. She chose one non-maternity style for everyone else and let me choose if I wanted a maternity style or wanted to have the regular one altered. I was a size 6/8 pre-preg and ended up buying a size 14 regular dress and having it altered to fit. It actually ended up looking really nice. I felt gimongous next to the other size 2/4 bridesmaids, but people said they couldn't even tell I was pregnant and that the dress was really flattering.

This is a link to the dress:
http://davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_detail.jsp?stid=1552&prodgroup=110

Don't know if that helps at all, but just wanted to let you know another option.

Kristy

[luvsviola]

If your heart isn't set on being a bridesmaid, what we did for my SIL, who found out she was preggo after the date was set and was also 9 months along, was to have her do a scripture reading. Buying the fabric and having the dress made when you have NO idea how big you or your boobs are going to be just wasn't worth it to her or us. It takes thema good couple weeks to make the dress and at that point you grow so fast that something which fit last week doesn't necessarily fit this week.

So, Kelly was involved in the ceremony doing the reading and was able to buy her own clothes...its hard enough to look good pregnant, let along pregnant in formalwear. I was scared to death to unask her to be a bridesmaid, and was going to let her buy the material and spend the couple hundred dollars not because I cared about her in the weedding, but because I was scared it would hurt her feelings if I asked her not to do it. So, finally I asked MIL to put the feelers out for me and it turned out that she was really nervous about looking good and was thrilled not to have to worry so much.

So, just another option for you.

[DebbieJ]

I was about 7 mths along when I stood up. I ordered a dress 2 sizes too big and then had it altered. Having separates made it VERY easy. My seamstress shortened the skirt from the waist to make it wider. She then took the extra fabric that she had cut off the skirt and added panels on the sides of the top. It worked out perfectly.

The bride's family paid for my dress, so I didn't have to worry about that. But then I spent $100 on the alterations. *GULP*

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[LBMommy]

Kristy,

So how did you know what size to order ahead of time? We are supposed to order in February for the wedding in August, so I know what size I was a few years ago for my DD, but this time ???

Thanks!
Jen

[LBMommy]

Wow, $100 for alterations is crazy! I was assuming that the alterations (if done by the dress shop) were included if I bought a dress, but maybe I'm being naive here (my first time as a bridesmaid).

Glad to hear separates weren't too bad, that's what SIL already had decided on!

Jen

[LBMommy]

Yeah, I have thought about this... We haven't told anyone yet about #2 (although the announcement is planned for this weekend), so I probably will have a heart-to-heart with SIL. My biggest worry is not as much looking good/feeling good but rather going into labor beforehand and missing the whole thing! I guess I would be less "missed" as a bridesmaid than as a reader (since the bridal party is mismatched already.)

Thanks for your thoughts on this!
Jen

[kcmorgmom]

I really didn't know what size to buy. I just guessed and got lucky. I had it altered about 2 weeks before, then a bit more 2 days before the wedding. Good luck to you--I hope you can come up with something great!

Kristy