Dress change

I’m changing! Actually, I’m thinking of having 3 dress changes - one for ceremony, one for reception and one for the after party. If your ceremony dress is large, uncomfortable, hard to dance in, etc. then changing into something more comfortable for the reception might be a great idea! Or if you have fallen in love with two different dresses, or even if you just want to rock two different looks! I think your wedding is one of those few times you can be a little extra, so why not? 🤷🏼‍♀️😆 On the other though, there’s also nothing wrong with just wearing the same dress all night. Especially if it’s comfortable and easy to move/dance in!

In our circles, the only time a bride changes into a different dress is if she belongs to a culture that does this or marries into one. For example, 2 of my cousins both married Japanese men and those were the only times I have seen the bride change in real life outside of media. All those brides make sure the wedding dress they choose is something they love that is easy to move around in.


For those who are not doing it for cultural reasons, it’s a Pinterest trend perpetuated by wedding tv so brides who are planning believe it’s much more common outside of Asian cultures than it actually is.
Considering how short the time frame of the standard wedding day is and how expensive wedding dresses are for that period of time, I personally can’t wrap my head around the idea of only wearing an expensive dress for an hour max instead of 6+ hours. But I also don’t understand buying a dress that is intentionally uncomfortable either. But do what works best for you.

View Quoted Comment I’m not doing it for cultural reasons, or because my dress is uncomfortable. I just fell in love with 2 different dresses that are completely opposite looks, and don’t want to have to choose between the two. The third dress would be for the after party when we are walking around bar hopping. Definitely not dragging a train around through the streets and bars for people to step on; and I hate the way bustles look. In no way was I influenced by social media or tv into thinking it was “common” or in any way expected/needed. I couldn’t care less if everyone else or no one else is doing it… it’s just what I wanted to do for me, what made me happiest, and what works best for our event. I figure if I want 3 dresses and can afford 3 dresses… why not get 3 dresses? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm on the fence, but I think I'm probably going to wear my original dress for our ceremony (we postponed 2 years due to COVID and I ended up buying a new dress), and my new dress for the reception. If both attire options are in budget and you want to wear one for ceremony and the other for the reception, I say go for it!

View Quoted Comment Ahhh!!! That sounds amazing!!! I love your way of thinking!! You go girl!!! We all can be a little extra on that day!! Thank you for the confidence!

View Quoted Comment Thank you for letting me know that!! I feel educated lol yeah I’m thinking of still changing & enjoying that day I think my second one will be more comfortable & it’s something that I have always dreamed of.. thank you for your input!!!?

3 dresses sounds so fun! Love it!
But as a reminder, the day goes SO FAST! And each dress change would mean time pulled away from your guests!
I would've loved an additional dress, but not leaving my guests was important to me because I wanted to maximize my time with them.

View Quoted Comment Taking the time to change into consideration is a very good point! Luckily, this isn’t an issue for us since we are having a destination wedding and will be with our guests for four 4-5 days (so there will definitely be ample time spent with everyone!). Ourselves ceremony and reception will take place at the hotel we are all staying at, so it will be super easy to change dresses. The first change will happen while guests are at cocktail hour and we are taking photos. The second change will happen once our reception has ended. We are giving everybody 20 minutes to get a to-go cocktail, use the restroom, freshen up, etc. (during which time I will change), then we will all leave together for the after party/bar hopping! I’ve done a trial run on how long it takes me to change out of my dress and into another one, and it is literally minutes. So dress changes can definitely happen with very minimal interruption to the evening! Especially if they are done during cocktail hour when guests don’t expect to see the couple anyway.

I was going to keep the same dress but I decided to do a dress change to be more comfortable. Especially when all my posed photos will be in the main, formal dress...I can change and be happy and comfortable and I don't care if my cake cutting photos are in a less formal dress.


I did think I'm not sure I have time in-between to do a change...but...the venue will be keep everyone entertained for the few minutes a change will add to your timeline. Let the guests talk and mingle.

View Quoted Comment Love it!!! Enjoy your day and all your beautiful dresses! Having the extra days with guests is fantastic!

I personally don't plan on changing until right before leaving the reception and heading to the hotel. I don't want to worry about figuring out what to do with my dress before the honeymoon. It is fun to see brides change though! It sounds like your outfit change will be great

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Ahhh that sounds like what I was thinking of as well!!! I wanna be comfortable & get down to the party mood!! Any idea of what your second dress will be??? The music and drinks will be flowing people will be re entertained when you walk in with a different outfit!!!

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Ohh thats smart!! do whatever works & feels perfect for you Jessica! wheres your honeymoon going to be?

View Quoted Comment Great question 😆 We’re so early into planning we haven’t decided yet! Another consideration is Covid and what travel will look like by then. As of now we’re looking to stay in the states!

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Ahhhh! Good luck with your planning girl! I hope it all works out.. there's some beautiful places in the states that would still be amazing!

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I'm actually thinking about grabbing this dress from Ivy City Co because our Venue is a Colonial Tavern and Resturant and very themed to that era and I think this has a touch of that vibe. Looks comfy and I can get up and move and not be exposed in the top half (I'm very top heavy; 40DD). They have a lot of white dresses if you want to check them out. I had looked at some of David's Bridal bridesmaid dresses as a second dress but I like ld this one better and myself. It's not maybe the dressiest second dress but everyone would have already seen me in the big formal gown anyways.