What To Do When Your Wedding Dress Is Too Small

It is every bride’s worst nightmare: the wedding day is fast approaching, and her bridal gown does not fit! Don’t panic yet – there are things that can be done to save the day. Learn what to do when your wedding dress is too small.

There are many reasons why a bride could have a too-small gown. Perhaps she ordered it small as motivation to slim down, or found a really great deal on a sample sale dress that she bought thinking she would lose enough weight to make it fit by the wedding day. Maybe she gained a few pounds between the time she ordered her dress and when it arrived. Whatever the reason, there is almost always a solution that can be found to make the dress work in the end.

When the wedding is still several months away, you still have enough time to slim down to get into your dress. The best way to hit the ground running is to work with a personal trainer. He or she can design a workout program with the right mix of cardio, weight training, and stretching to get you into peak condition before you say your “I dos”. Maintaining motivation is key, so it can help to have a workout buddy. You are less likely to blow off the gym if you know that a friend is waiting there to meet with you. Remind yourself of what you are working for by keeping a picture of your fabulous wedding gown tucked into your wallet. Sneak a peek at it every time you are thinking about skipping your workout.

Exercise will definitely help you get into your wedding dress, but you also need to think about your diet. Between the cake tastings, bridal showers, engagement parties, and so on, brides can easily end up eating a lot of extra sweets and appetizers. There are also a lot of empty calories in all those celebratory glasses of champagne! Work with your trainer or a nutritionist to determine the optimal number of calories you need to be healthy while also slimming down. A lot of women find that keeping a food journal helps to keep them honest about how much they are really eating. When you are eating with awareness, you will find that you can enjoy the occasional treat in moderation without packing on the pounds.

Brides who tend to use food as a reward or a stress-reliever will need to find something else. Treat yourself to a fabulous set of crystal bridal jewelry instead of a decadent dessert to celebrate special occasions. Or promise yourself a non-food reward for every five pounds lost. Make it wedding related to keep your motivation high. One piece of bridal jewelry for the every five pounds plus a killer pair of designer bridal shoes when you reach twenty ponds should do the trick! And when you feel stressed out from work or wedding planning, unwind with a yoga class instead of a pint of ice cream.

If you do not have enough time to lose the necessary weight to fit into your gown, a good seamstress can help. Many wedding dresses are made with generous seam allowances. Sometimes all it takes is to let out the seams in the bodice to give you a little breathing room. If the gown is a long way from fitting, the seamstress can match the fabric and add new side panels. Skirts which fit too snugly over the hips can often be adjusted by lifting the skirt at the waist. Since skirts normally get a little fuller as they go down, this is an easy way to create more room around the hips. And don’t overlook the power of a pair of Spanx to tuck everything in and smooth out any less-than-firm areas. Before you know it, you will be zipping comfortably into your wedding gown!

Bridget Mora is the former manager of a high end bridal salon and has written hundreds of articles advising brides about wedding gowns, bridal jewelry, and wedding planning. To keep up with the latest trends in unique bridal jewelry and bridesmaid gifts, sign up today for the free Silverland Jewelry newsletter. Subscribers will receive special offers and discounts, previews of new designs, and more!