18 Maternity Bridal Dresses That Are So Bumpin’
Ah, pregnancy, sooooo many joys, so many stressors, soooo much sickness (for me, at least, my baby boy treated me to 4 months of vomit every single day), but the besttttt thing in the world awaits you in nine short months. And to be honest, even though chronic nausea and heartburn have a way of making a anyone feel less than 100 percent, being pregnant and embracing that adorable, growing bump, is an honor and privilege.
I loved dressing up for events while I was pregnant. I attended bridal market when I was 4, going on 5 months preggo, and I couldn’t wait to wear all my maternity dresses to the shows. From wrap dresses to asymmetrical tops with suuuuuper cute maternity leggings 🙌🙌🙌, I embraced it all. The little guy inside of me made me feel soooo fierce as a woman.
Now, I won’t say that I ever wore a lot of white, my bun-in-the-oven dress code was pretty monochromatic - black, black, more black, and maybe some grey and deep jewel tones, but if I had been pregnant and getting married, I probs would have wanted to wear something perfect. Soft, feminine, strong, sassy, all the things really.
The reality is, though, the bridal market for mommies-to-be is pretty small. You’ll be hard pressed to find much in the bridal boutiques, unfortunately. That’s okay, though! Just means you’ll need to level up on your online searches. And don’t be afraid to use Instagram to give you a leg (errr tummy) up on your fashion finds. Pregnant mamas be proud (and why shouldn’t they be??!?), and #pregnantbride turns up nearly 10K pics of chicks and their precious bundles all dressed up, so if you find a post you love. Do some digging and get the credits on their dresses! And if you’re a pregnant, recently-married bride, who looked like a boss on your big day - do all the present and future mamas a solid by tagging your dress desginers/brands/etc. Consider it your pregnancy, pay-it-forward rite of passage.
In the meantime, we’ve pulled together some of our fave bridal gowns for those who are bumpin’, and we wanted to share a few styling tips to keep in mind, while we’re at it:
Try not to get bummed if your favorite designer doesn’t have a myriad of maternity offerings. This is pretty much status quo (🤞that that changes, though!). And don’t pigeonhole yourself into ‘bridal’ specific brands. If it’s white, and has an aisle-style feel, then ANY dress can be one for the wedding.
Look for options with flattering shapes that will make you feel chic and comfy. Sure you’ve heard it all before, empire waists and drapey silhouettes hit you right below your bust and then flow down to the floor - grazing over that gorgeous bump of yours. And gowns with corseting can give you a little more of a form-fitting feel, but still be flexible (so you don’t feel constricted)
Get over that pregnant bride stereotype, that you need to wear something that looks mumu-ish. 1) You can wear what you want, including two pieces or crop tops 2) It doesn’t even need to be white. If you want to rock an all-black separates situation, a la Christina Perri, you not only have our permission, you are our inspiration.
Don’t limit yourself. Lest you want to end up with wedding regrets in the future, allow yourself to edge things up with your lewk (and yes, preggo brides can have lewks). Leather jacket, yaaaas, statement jewelry, yeppp.
Shop on, soon-to-be mommies!! And for quick reference, hit up these maternity hotspots, for inexpensive fashions for your special day: Tiffany Rose Maternity (responsible for dressing the ever-chic Julia Stiles, when she was about to pop!) Pink Blush, A Pea in the Pod, Motherhood Maternity, ASOS Maternity.
