second look

Personally...waste of money. I love my dress and if i'm going to spend that much money on a dress I want to wear it at long as possible.

Meh. I think it's largely a waste of money. I'd rather invest the cash I'd be spending on a second dress in something that would give my guests a better experience. You only get to wear a wedding dress once (hopefully) in your life, so why would you spend so much on something so beautiful just to change right away?

Heck. No. My beautiful ceremony gown that I'm madly in love with and will get to wear one day of my life?!

I'm gonna wear that all day and night.

Some views:

Some people like it.

Some people think it's a waste of money.

Some people would like to but find it a whopping waste of money since you spent so much money and so little time with the first dress.

I agree. I'm not having a second dress. I'm super in love with my dress, and Like Myers mention, why not wear it as long as possible. I am however getting a second outfit for when we leave for Mexico that night. I"m sure the person next to me on the plane doesn't want my dress all on them! Lol.

I wish there was another occasion to wear our wedding dress, where it wouldn't be viewed as strange. I love my dress *sigh*

Waste of money. Plus I would be really sad to only wear my dress for a couple of hours and then take it off to put on something else. I'm thinking I'll probably end up sleeping in my wedding dress because I love it so much lol

Why? I don't get this at all. What is the point of a second dress? I have a white dress that I'm wearing for our after party on our land, but I bought it because I thought it was adorable... I don't understand dropping another grand at least on a 2nd dress + alterations...

@OriginalKD - me and some of my married/engaged friends are seriously considering renting a limo and going out for dinner in our wedding dresses one night. Just to have an excuse to wear them again we would look absolutely crazy, I'm sure.

@venetian - are you close to Texas? I would LOVE to crash that party!!! (And I just broke all sorts of WW etiquette rules) :-)

Waste of money. I wore my dress for around 12 hours and it was not long enough.

My friend had a lace dress with a train after ceremony and pics she was able to remove the bottom train. But it was the same dress.

What about a convertible dress where you can remove the over skirt and a cocktail length dress is underneath. I actually think these are pretty cool

@VenetianBride - I think that sounds like a blast. It would be funny to watch the looks on people's faces as they try to figure out what's going on. Is it a photo shoot? Are they all runaway brides? Where are the grooms? I think it's a wonderful idea!!! DO IT!

If you have the budget for it, why not? I personally chose a dress I will be comfortable in the whole day and I'll keep it on for the afterparty. For me, another dress is a waste of money too, but if you have it, nobody should judge you how you spend it.

Waste of money.

I have a second dress. It was $20. And ill only out it on for the last hour or so to really boogie down. Who knows, maybe I won't even wear it. But it was a bargain do why not?

This is one of those wedding trends I simply do not understand. My wedding dress is the most expensive dress I will ever own. And I love it. I can't fathom changing out of it after just wearing it for an hour or so for the ceremony.

Honestly, I just don't understand it. A woman spends hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on a dress she will wear for no longer than 6 - 8 hours in her entire life. It probably costs as much as her four best outfits combined (outfits she will wear for years). Why would she consider removing that gown after a mere three hours and putting on a less expensive, less bridal dress (yes, I know the sequins look nice, but I rarely see a reception gown/dress that looks like a wedding gown. Most of them look like white dresses with a lot of sparkle)? I would wear that bridal gown for as long as humanly possible, and I'd stop in front of every mirror to see how amazing I looked in it. Actually, taking my gown off in the hotel room after my wedding made me a little sad (despite the pile of envelopes I couldn't wait to open). I knew I was saying goodbye to it. Then, it was cleaned, boxed and relegated to the attic (where is still lives all these years later). There is no need for a second gown. The only time this practice makes any sense to me is if you are a celebrity or socialite who has received a free, one of a kind, designer reception dress with the promise of a healthy payday if you're photographed wearing it at your reception. IMO, those women are the only brides who have a good reason for changing their dresses halfway through the event.

Another view point to offer is the second dress could be an ethnic bridal outfit. If that applies to you, then it is common to have a second dress. If it's just a second white dress, then I say skip it.