Bridesmaids dress and air travel question

[hillarywhitney]

I have to order a bridesmaids dress next week. The wedding is May 10, 2014. I will be almost 29 weeks pregnant at that point. The wedding is for dh's brother. 

This is the dress: www.alfredangelo.com/collections/Bridesmaids/7017

I'm not sure how much bigger I should order the dress. One size bigger? Two? If you were in a similar situation, how big did you order the dress? Did it work out? 

The only fitted part looks to be the bust and rib cage. So I guess that's good...better than it being fitted everywhere. I'm also short and so there should be extra fabric in the length that could be used to help cover my bump. 

I wish I could wait to order it, but the bride to be really wants us to get it before the end of the month. I thought about asking if I could wait (we'll probably tell bil and fsil early next week). But I don't want to stress her out. She's already sent out quite a few reminders about the dress. I know she's just anxious for everyone to get the dress ordered. I don't want to mess things up for her. 

I also feel a little anxious about ordering it big....because I know there are no guarantees when it comes to pregnancy. Ah!

Also, we are flying for the wedding. I did a google search and it seems as long as I'm not having a high risk pregnancy it's ok to fly when that far along. Anyone have any person experience with flying around 30 weeks pregnant? 

[speckledfrog]

I have no idea. I think I'd do three to err on the side of caution and then get a good seamstress who can help you basically turn it into an empire waist dress. There is no way to predict how much bigger you will be at that point. Some people carry small, some huge. Your boobs and your ribcage will definitely be bigger, so I'd at least go 2 sizes. You belly basically starts where your bra ends so the band would need to be changed. Hopefully someone who has been in this boat can help.

[hillarywhitney]

Nov 22, 2013 15:01:38 GMT -5 speckledfrog said:

I have no idea. I think I'd do three to err on the side of caution and then get a good seamstress who can help you basically turn it into an empire waist dress. There is no way to predict how much bigger you will be at that point. Some people carry small, some huge. Your boobs and your ribcage will definitely be bigger, so I'd at least go 2 sizes. You belly basically starts where your bra ends so the band would need to be changed. Hopefully someone who has been in this boat can help.

Thanks for the heads up about my rib cage getting bigger. I didn't really think about that. 

[AHappierHour]

I would ask if there was something similar in an empire waist. Where the yellow is is going to be your belly and that might not look right. You could always add a yellow sash you could tie around the top of your belly so you almost match.

[kristie]

How long are you waiting to tell? because I think I would want to get the brides opinion on altering it into a maternity dress, and make sure she was ok with that vs going another route like not having all matching styles or something.

[hillarywhitney]

Nov 22, 2013 15:08:10 GMT -5 AHappierHour said:

I would ask if there was something similar in an empire waist. Where the yellow is is going to be your belly and that might not look right. You could always add a yellow sash you could tie around the top of your belly so you almost match.

They have two maternity options listed on the website. One is long. This one: www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Bridesmaids/7016MA/?pg=1

Maybe fsil would be cool with that? If I add a sash. Except it's not strapless. 

I guess I could go to the store and see what my options are and then let fsil decide. 

[hillarywhitney]

Nov 22, 2013 15:09:59 GMT -5 kristie said:

How long are you waiting to tell? because I think I would want to get the brides opinion on altering it into a maternity dress, and make sure she was ok with that vs going another route like not having all matching styles or something.

Dh is going to talk to his brother Monday or Tuesday probably. The bride is dh's brother's fiance. 

So maybe it is best to let her know and then figure out what she's cool with, regarding the style of the dress. 

[AHappierHour]

Nov 22, 2013 15:13:14 GMT -5 hillarywhitney said:

Nov 22, 2013 15:08:10 GMT -5 AHappierHour said:

I would ask if there was something similar in an empire waist. Where the yellow is is going to be your belly and that might not look right. You could always add a yellow sash you could tie around the top of your belly so you almost match.

They have two maternity options listed on the website. One is long. This one: www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Bridesmaids/7016MA/?pg=1

Maybe fsil would be cool with that? If I add a sash. Except it's not strapless. 

I guess I could go to the store and see what my options are and then let fsil decide. 

That would be a great option and the straps would be awesome because your boobs might need a little support. I know mine would. They are heavy LOL! Good luck with your FSIL

[Deleted]

I don't think that dress is going to work at all. The form fitting (yellow) part is right where the top half of your belly will be. My rib cage has expanded a lot while pregnant. I'm short and at 26 weeks, my bump goes all the way up to the bottom of my boobs. I would size up 2-3 sizes but who knows how you are going to show at this point??

I think it's okay to fly 30 weeks pregnant and would only be concerned after 32-34 weeks.

[hillarywhitney]

Nov 22, 2013 15:16:37 GMT -5 AHappierHour said:

Nov 22, 2013 15:13:14 GMT -5 hillarywhitney said:

They have two maternity options listed on the website. One is long. This one: www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Bridesmaids/7016MA/?pg=1

Maybe fsil would be cool with that? If I add a sash. Except it's not strapless. 

I guess I could go to the store and see what my options are and then let fsil decide. 

That would be a great option and the straps would be awesome because your boobs might need a little support. I know mine would. They are heavy LOL! Good luck with your FSIL

I already have fairly big boobs (D). I can wear a strapless dress when I have the right bra/it's fitted correctly. But that's non pregnancy boobs! So I imagine I may want more support.

And thanks

[simpsongal]

Honestly, if it were me, I would probably tell the bride on DL (make it abosolutely clear that this is SUPER SECRET INFORMATION). There's no reason to order the dress so early.

Ditto the above comments. Honestly, 3 sizes may not even be enough. Clothes just fit so differently when you have that belly (notice, I'm 30 weeks). The rib cage expansion is aboslutely true. You could probably order an empire waist gown 2 sizes up, but the sash on that other dress is a major problem.

[hillarywhitney]

I'm hoping she's cool with me ordering a maternity dress. It just seems like the easier option.

[hillarywhitney]

And thanks for all the input everyone. I wouldn't have thought about the sash being an issue.

[Jalapeñomel]

I flew to NYC from Lima at 24 weeks and then from Arizona to NYC at 28 weeks and it was just fine.

[jennistarr1]

I wore that dress in a wedding, I think you should order it decently big. I don't think anything you cut off the bottom will be useful at all at expanding the dress. Personally I would go 2 sizes up.

[annabear07]

I agree with telling her and going the maternity dress route. At 29weeks you have no idea what your ribcage or belly situation will be. There are just so many factors there.

Also I just flew at just shy of 35 weeks. Dr. was just fine with it since I've had an uneventful pregnancy.

[D2M]

Another +1 on the expanding ribcage business. I am average size/weight but am very small on top. I am only 12 weeks along and one of my generously sized dresses felt like a torture device on my upper ribcage yesterday. The maternity option for the dress is very cute. I hope the bride OKs it.

[ilikedonuts]

I wore that as a bridesmaid. Now having been pregnant twice, I don't see it working that well at 29 weeks pregnant.

[vmars]

She seems to be ordering these dresses crazy early! You definitely have time, but I would ask her if you can get a maternity dress. Hopefully she's cool with it!

[browneyedgirl9]

I'm in a wedding that will be taking place when i am 38 weeks. I would talk to the bride because there is no need to order so early as you don't know what size you will be. I waited to order mine, and ordered a few sizes bigger. Lucky the bride was fine with us choosing different styles of the same color dress, so i was able to get one that works with my big pregnant belly.

[MrsDarcy]

I was in a wedding when I was 33 weeks, and we ordered when I was 8 weeks along, before anyone knew. Granted, it was a reasonably flowy dress. I normally wear a 12 in a BM dressand ordered a 22, which in hindsight was a little crazy. But the lady agreed with me. (I do have a big chest, though.) I probably would have done well in a 16 or maaabye an 18. That dress looks way too fitted around the middle. Though, perhaps if you ordered it big enough a seamstress could remake it.

[marie3246]

I had a similar situation, but had to order the dress before we even started TTC. I am not a huge fan of Alfred Angelo after my experience, but my advice is to order a few sizes larger than you expect. I went into the store and tried on several sizes and ordered the larger size because I knew that even if we got pregnant right away I would be no more than 25 weeks by the time the wedding came.

Then I got pregnant and would be 20 weeks by the time the wedding was. I got the dress (once you order they don't allow you to change sizes no matter how early you find out). The dress showed up around 7 weeks and I wasn't showing or anything. It fit snug, so I took it into the store to make sure I wasn't crazy and tried on the same exact size which was much larger in store. They had assured me that the one in the store I had tried on hadn't been tried on a ton and due to the material didn't stretch much. Well that was wrong, but nothing I could do now. About 2 weeks before the wedding, I was unable to zip the dress all the way up and it was more because my rib cage had expanded and my boobs grew a lot. I had to order extra material, which was an ordeal in itself, and have a seamstress build a corset into the back. It looked great, but cost over 100 in addition to the already expensive dress. My suggestion is to order a few sizes larger than you think because its so much easier and cheaper to take in than to do what I had to do.

[marie3246]

Also, for the wedding I was in, we had to order super early as well. Alfred Angelo takes forever. We ordered in Feb and got the dress sometime in August.

[soozy87]

I was in a similar situation at the beginning of September. The bride wanted us to order dresses just as we were TTC. We ended up getting pregnant quickly and I was also 29 weeks when the wedding occurred.

I called the bridal store to order the dress and told them the situation, that I may be pregnant at the time of the wedding or I may not be and if I was I didn't know how far along I would be. The salesperson suggested that I order the dress 1 size larger than I normally would have. This was a bad idea. As someone else mentioned I didn't know how much my rib cage would expand. Or where else I would expand. I ended up taking it to 2 different places for a quote. The alterations ended up being almost as much as the dress. I was not happy. At all. I understand why the alterations were that much, they ended up basically making a new back for the dress and attaching it. I also had to order extra fabric from the bridal store.

So over all, I would say order the dress several sizes up. It is easier to take a dress in than it is to go through the hassle of adding fabric or letting it out!

[hillarywhitney]

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm really hoping she'll just go for the maternity dress. I feel like that's the easiest/best option. I feel like the sash on the dress she wants will end up looking ridiculous.

marie3246 I'm also not a huge fan of Alfred Angelo. I had a major issue with them for my friends wedding. They tried to claim I ordered a smaller size than I did (and even put in the notes in their computer system that I DEMANDED the smaller size). Which is bullshit. Because I went with the size they said I should. Someone from another store helped me and it worked out in the end. But it was a huge hassle. Anyway, they've been on my shit list ever since.