Wedding dress as formal wear?

[nmlmom]

I read somewhere that someone was wearing her wedding dress as her formal attire. Has anyone ever done this or seen anyone do it? It's my honeymoon, but I wouldn't want to look like a dork. If I can get an extra wear out of my dress!!!

 

I wouldn't try this, but if it's been done, well, maybe!

 

Thanks,

Kim

[Copper_beeches]

I think it would depend on the dress, if it was a simple cut maybe that would work... what's it look like?

[Jane110]

I think it depends entirely on the dress. If it looks like a wedding gown, I'd say no.

 

However, many women wear dressy gowns or dresses that are not wedding gowns for their wedding ceremony. If that's what you're doing, then sure, why not wear it again?

 

Congrats on the wedding Kim!

 

Jane

[BlueHerons]

Agree with Jane. If it is an intricately beaded white ballgown, you may want to skip wearing it as your formal wear.

[momofmeg]

I think it would depend on the dress, if it was a simple cut maybe that would work... what's it look like?

 

That would be the key. My friend got married at 35 for the first time. she wore a white dress but just had a small wedding mostly family,so her dress was beautiful but simple. It hit mid calf. She had a small veil she wore at the wedding but ofcourse she did not wear this on the cruise though she said she did put a silk flower in her hair.

 

Now if you have like a big church wedding with a catheral style trane-yes you would be calling attention to yourself and may feel uncomfortable-of course some of those gowns the trane can be taken off as most brides don't like to dance in a long trane. Then it would work I would think.

Hey I saw some beautiful gowns in Dilliards that could easily be a wedding gown or a formal gown-no one would necessarily even know it was your wedding gown unless you told them.

 

Ask your Mom, sister, or close girl friends- they could probally tell you better as they have seen your gown.

[momofmeg]

Agree with Jane. If it is an intricately beaded white ballgown, you may want to skip wearing it as your formal wear.

 

I have seen intricately beaded white ballgowns at formal events that were not weddings. If there is no veil or long trane-they do not necessarily look like a wedding gown. You do see ball gowns on formal night-not many- but they are there.

I know I saw a woman in a silvery grey inttricately beaded gown and a blue fox fur on one cruise. She looked gorgeous like Marilyn Monroe in an old movie. Now no one else was as decked out as her (this was a 3 day cruise) but she did not seem to mind. She seemed to have a lot of self confidence and she definetly did not look like a fool-she carried herself very well.

[Happy ks]

Well, I have seen brides wear their wedding gowns for formal nights, train, veil and all. If they were just married that day (in port) I think it is lovely. But, to take along a wedding gown, geeze, what a packing nightmare.

[melissa76]

Yeah, I think the people who do that are usually the ones who were married on the ship.

 

I can't imagine just bringing my wedding gown for formal night :).

 

Melissa :)

[BlueHerons]

The only white beaded sequined ballgowns I've ever seen were either at Deb Balls or weddings.

[KJPG]

I was married in a little black dress... it would work for formal night... ;)

[momofmeg]

The only white beaded sequined ballgowns I've ever seen were either at Deb Balls or weddings.

 

Well "ballgown" may not be the best term for what I was referring to. As I said the "Marilyn Monroe" type gown. Long and slinky. They are often covered with beads so to me that is "intricately beaded" - not the traditionial wedding gown, but I have seen brides wear these gowns-not a wedding that I have attended but in these bridal fashion magazines. It seems to be the trend now (or for all I know that was a trend.) Anyway I have seem these gowns in Dilliards and Maceys just sold as evening wear not wedding gowns in white, ecru, ivory. long slinky, covered with beads,sometimes sold with a matching wrap.

 

To me these gowns are very eleaborate, in some ways more eleaborate then a traditionial wedding gown-if her gown was that type I think she could get by wearing it formal night as it is not necessarily a wedding gown.

 

As I said that one woman I saw in the silvery one with the silver fox stole over her shoulders pulled it off very well. She did not look like a "dork" at all.

Now I was not too crazy about her wearing the fox fur-I believe in letting the little animals live but if she had worn like a marabou feather stole I would have thought nothing but she looked great.

[BlueHerons]

momofmeg, I too have seen what you are describing for formalwear.

 

 

I was specifically refering to ballgowns.

[rjack22]

If it obviously looks like a wedding gown, then I would say no it is not appropriate.

[suziescruzin]

I wore a white dress when we renewed our vows on board and it also doubled as 1 formal dress. It was more of a prom dress type than an actual wedding dress though.

 

Whatever you decide, it is your cruise and you need to wear what you are comfortable wearing even if it is an intricate wedding dress!

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/287844401xXEdoA

 

Suz

[momofmeg]

momofmeg, I too have seen what you are describing for formalwear.

 

 

I was specifically refering to ballgowns.

 

 

Then you have probally seen bridal gowns like that too. In fact in the TV shows Friends both Monica and Emily wore those type of gowns (minus the beads though) It seemed to be a trend for a while. To me they did not look like wedding gowns but more like prom dresses.

 

I have also noticed many opt not to wear a wedding veil now. That is one tradition I would like to see stay. Do away with the huge tranes-that's okay but I like to see a bride wear a veil.

[Ehpride]

I saw a dress at Younker's once in the Prom section that looked like a Wedding dress. I just couldn't imagine anyone actually wearing it to Prom!

[BlueHerons]

momofmeg a ballgown is a particular kind of formal dress. What you are describing would be called a sheath or column dress.

 

Ballgowns are the most formal of formal dresses are are usually reserved for white tie affairs if not wedding or debutante balls.

[Learning Conformity]

I recently returned from a 7 day cruise on RCCL, and my friend, a fresh bride just married that afternoon, wore (put on again) her wedding dress that evening to the formal dinner. It was her day, she deserved it. Eveyone in the dining room just loved it (the whole surrounding area vibe from absolute strangers became more festive and excited when she walked in - people stood up and applauded, cheers all around!), and she looked RADIANT! It's a cruise, people go to celebrate and be happy just in general! IT'S *YOUR* DAY! LIVE IT UP! :) AND CONGRATS!!!

 

* this look only works if you are a VERY recent bride, and only do it if you can loudly and clearly say that this is your bridal vacation (as to not mislead), not the actual wedding date, and that this is your personal reception/bridal coming out party!

[momofmeg]

I recently returned from a 7 day cruise on RCCL, and my friend, a fresh bride just married that afternoon, wore (put on again) her wedding dress that evening to the formal dinner. It was her day, she deserved it. Eveyone in the dining room just loved it (the whole surrounding area vibe from absolute strangers became more festive and excited when she walked in - people stood up and applauded, cheers all around!), and she looked RADIANT! It's a cruise, people go to celebrate and be happy just in general! IT'S *YOUR* DAY! LIVE IT UP! :) AND CONGRATS!!!

 

* this look only works if you are a VERY recent bride, and only do it if you can loudly and clearly say that this is your bridal vacation (as to not mislead), not the actual wedding date, and that this is your personal reception/bridal coming out party!

 

In her case she was married that day so the veil and trane and whole thingie would be fine. To wear it though on your honeymoon I would think you would tone it down a bit as it is not actually your wedding day but a few days later. Take off the veil. Take off the trane and then if it does not look too "weddingly" then why not.

 

Blue Herons so what you are referring to as ball gowns is the big full gowns right? I HAVE seen those on cruises too. Not in white though.

 

One thing you mentioned was debutant balls-so would it be okay for a girls to wear her white debutant gown? I have seen pictures of these gowns in news papers and although the girls were in white, none of them looked like a bride to me.

 

So I think THAT is the key. The dress or gown can be white-it can be full, straight, or whatever but it should not necessarily be a "wedding gown." I think all of us know what type a gown we are referring to, those gowns with huge tranes that are very obviously wedding gowns. That is unless you got married THAT day.

[Pootersmom]

My wedding dress was a long, cream colored, chiffon skirt and beaded top with cap sleeves. I am 45 and got married last year and I chose that particular dress so I could wear it again someday for something other than a wedding.

[momofmeg]

My wedding dress was a long, cream colored, chiffon skirt and beaded top with cap sleeves. I am 45 and got married last year and I chose that particular dress so I could wear it again someday for something other than a wedding.

 

Sounds like you will look great to me. You will look great on formal night. A friend of mine wore something similiar for her second marriage. Two years later her son got married. She wore her dress to her son's wedding. Her dress was champagne colored though so darker then an ivory so it did not "compete" with her daughter inlaw's wedding gown.

[Learning Conformity]

IMHO, if it's your honeymoom (very shortly after the acutal wedding day), it's still OK on a FORMAL night to wear your gown in celebration. Not each formal night, of course, but to let the room share in your joy - just make sure that they know, should around someone imply, that it is your honeymoon, not the actual wedding day, and that you are celebrating it because you are a fresh bride, and want to live it up to its fullest potential! I have seen this many, many times in various cities (mostly "honeymoon" places like South Beach, Niagra Falls, etc. the US), and it just brings more joy to a room that was only looking for more reasons to celebrate! Congrats! :)

[Gingee]

Do you have a picture of the dress? Maybe send it through to this thread and we can help you out more.

[carrievision]

We're getting married in port at the Bahamas, on the beach. Shortly after the wedding we plan on going back to the ship for dinner.

 

I haven't picked a dress yet, but I think it will be something like this: http://morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=2&D=8902&P=1

 

At this point I don't see how a train (or at that, even a floor length gown) would be practical on the beach. I either need to buy one of the 3 shorter dresses I've found online or shorten another gown (which is a frightening thought!)

 

I am pretty sure when we're at port in Nassau, dinner is a formal night. We were definitely planning on keeping our wedding clothes on to be able to get formal pictures taken again in our wedding garb.

 

If it turns out not being a formal night, is it tacky for us to keep the wedding clothes on? This dress is almost semi-formal so I think it might be okay... any opinions?

[taspat]

What a lovely dress! You should most definetely wear it on formal night. :)