Reception Dress

I had 2 dresses and LOVED it! I was able to be comfortable all night, and I love having the diversity in outfits in our pictures (me in my second dress, and my groom took off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt). Seeing the juxtaposition of the outfits really helped “tell the story” of our wedding through photos. When I was trying to decide whether to get the second dress, I kept hearing people say that it would take away from time with guests while you’re changing, but that wasn’t an issue at all. It literally took 10 minutes for me to go up to the hotel room, change, and go back to the reception. No one noticed at all! I also heard the old “you pay too much for the dress to not wear it all night” adage. Which I get. But realistically, you are only wearing it for a short amount of time no matter what - so does it really matter if you wear it 4 hours vs 6 hours?? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Personally, I would rather wear something that allows me to be comfortable and able to freely run around, dance, play yard games, etc. than force myself to wear something that hinders my enjoyment of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, all because I “paid too much” to take it off. Experience is worth way more than an extra hour or 2 in the dress! If nothing else, I would have a change of clothes ready just in case. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

If you do get a second, just consider your partner may want a 2nd look, too! Or the 1 look won't stay a rental for sure. With alterations, accessories, drycleaning, and storage, the $ does add up. 😅 But, don't be shy choosing how you would best be comfortable for your outdoor wedding. Best wishes.

How does your gown you already have fit with the events you’ll be doing at your reception? If it’s going to be uncomfortable or prevent you from participating in certain activities, I would change. Or if you would need to bustle your dress and would really hate the look. But if your dress works for your reception and you don’t really want something else, then it’s perfectly fine to just stick to the one look. There are other less dramatic ways to change your look/be more comfortable, like swapping shoes and hairstyles.