Reception Dress?

I am of the mind that comfort trumps everything. You’re going to be running around busy all day and the last thing you’re going to want to be is uncomfortable at your reception. So if you think you’ll be uncomfortable (or unable to dance, etc.) in your dress or shoes, I would highly suggest bringing along an extra, just in case. I had 2 dresses for this purpose, but I wanted to wear my ceremony dress at the reception for as long as I could (until it got annoying). I made it 30 minutes 😆

My best friend just got married a couple months ago, after her reception ended she looked at me exhausted and said "try to find it in your budget to get a ceremony dress to dance in." She was so hot from her dress and dancing


I more than likely won't be since I paid over $1000 for a dress I want to wear it the entire time 😂 maybe I'll get a simple white dress if I really can't stand it ill change

I got a less ornate ceremony dress as I was in it for about 45 minutes + pics with family. My reception mermaid had all the sexy, bells and whistles and I was in it for about 10 hrs + couples pics. It's up to you to have 2, but it is a pain to store both after.

BTW, you will not be mistaken for a guest in a minimalistic dress. It's your party and you can adorn as you like!

View Quoted Comment Thanks . I would like to have something simple but yet elegant because I dont think I wanna stay in my wedding dress to the very end with dancing and all. I will look further into it again thanks

View Quoted Comment I would love to stay in my ceremony dress as long as I can. It just depends on which one I choose out of the two that I'm getting. We will see. Thanks.

View Quoted Comment That's what I was thinking as well. I was looking at some online last night when i made this post.

I agree with going for comfort or picking a dress that works for both in the first place. I’m going to wait until I’ve been through alterations to make a decision, but these things are too freaking expensive to wear for just the ceremony IMO. Even if I get a second dress, I’m going to be one of those holding out as long as possible before changing.

I couldn’t imagine wanting to spend less time in it, or taking the time to change for that matter. But I was perfectly comfortable in mine after the bustle and it wasn’t as if dancing at a wedding is comparable to a night at the gym. If your dress is heavy or cumbersome to wear you may feel differently.

I was on the fence as well on getting a reception dress in case I want to be more comfy for dancing. I actually found a reception dress at Ross that I loved! It's an all sequin, sheath dress and was $35.

Stay in your dress with comfy shoes. You have to rock the dress of the day. It took time, love, and patience to find the RIGHT dress. We need everyone to see it & the dress needs to be experienced in all its glory

I'd been thinking about a reception dress as well, but I really love my ceremony dress I just may keep it on all night

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That is great. I will prolly know more what I will do if I get a reception dress or not. Once I get my wedding dress and see how it fits and all...

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Thanks.. You do have a point.

It’s personal preference. It started out as an Asian custom that took off on Instagram as a current trend that not everyone follows. Never seen this is in real life. For many women, that is the only time they will ever wear a wedding dress for a few hours maximum and most dresses cost a small fortune. A ceremony only dress is worn for 2 hours, 30 minutes for ceremony and 1.5 hours for pictures. For many brides that is not practical or economical and they prefer to wear a dress that they feel beautiful in and they can easily move in without issues.


For me, that was not worth the money for the small amount of time worn. Plus, the clothing change takes time away from guests where the venue already has you on a strict schedule

I would say it’s all about the price for me. If I’m spending a good chunk of money on my dress, I would want to wear it the whole time. Maybe if my dress was only a couple hundred dollars, I would consider changing it. But it’s all up to you. I plan on spending a good chunk of money on my dress (thinking 1k top), so I would want to wear it the whole time. I would suggest changing shoes, rather than changing the dress.

Comfort trumps everything as previously stated, even for a very small ceremony and short reception that is extremely low key, I found a top that is similar to my dress design, that I can switch into with comfy pants when I get tired of being in a dress. Always good to be prepared to avoid being miserable.

Reception dress seems like a very trendy idea, even with that, I thought about it also. It sounds like fun! However, my dress is way too expensive designer dress, not to wear the whole time IMO. If you can do it and have the budget go for it.