Categories: fashion & style

The “Wearing My Wedding Dress” Challenge | Are You In?

I don’t know whether this is going to be hugely popular or go down like a lead balloon, but I had an idea a little while back: The “Wearing My Wedding Dress” challenge. Genius? Crazy? You tell me…

Say yes to your dress (again)

It came to me whilst watching yet another episode of Say Yes to the Dress. I’ll admit I am totally and utterly addicted to that show – I could watch 10 episodes in a row and not get bored. For someone who didn’t dream of her wedding since she was a little girl (as the show leads us to believe most girls do) and who didn’t actually wear a dress on her wedding day (I wore trousers), I have no idea why I love watching it so much. I’m fascinated by the insistence of so many mothers that their daughters choose something they won’t look back on and wonder What was I thinking…??!!

Why? It’s your wedding day. I say go all out, and forget thinking about how it will look in the future. Just enjoy the moment.

Furthermore, I love looking at people’s wedding albums. For me, the more “of its time” and over the top the dress, the better. Give me a 1970s monstrosity over a tasteful 90s column dress any day.

Watching the show one day it occurred to me: The photos of our wedding dresses should be shared amongst our community of bloggers and Instagrammers and Facebookers for us all to look at and enjoy… shouldn’t they? Who doesn’t love looking at the wedding album of someone they know?

But then I thought, what would everyone look like in their wedding dresses now? How many people could still fit in them (if not, who cares) – and would they still like them?

The challenge

So I have a challenge for you: Try on your wedding dress – when was the last time you did? – and see if you still like it. Don’t get hung up on whether it fits or not – just enjoy the moment. If, like me, you wore something other than a dress, then try on whatever you wore on your wedding day.

And then, to seal the deal:

PHOTOGRAPH YOURSELF IN YOUR WEDDING DRESS BEFORE 9TH NOVEMBER.

ADD IT TO MY #IWILLWEARWHATILIKE LINK UP ON THAT DATE.

THIS IS PURELY A BIT OF FUN!

#wearingmyweddingdress

You might want to do a full-on blog post, you might just want to do a quick selfie and put it on Instagram or Facebook – but show us your wedding dress, no matter what state it’s in. My mother gave hers to my sisters for their dressing up box: It got cut up and dyed blue (they’re much older than me so I missed out on the fun)… the thought fills me with horror (would anyone do that today?)! But if you have yours still but something similar “happened” to it, I still want to see it now, exactly as it is. Maybe your daughter had it refashioned and wore it herself like on Something Borrowed, Something New (yes, I watch that too. And I Found the Gown. I need help).

I’m going to let my #iwillwearwhatilike link up be overtaken on Monday 9th November by wedding dresses. Seems a while away I know, but I’m going to give everyone plenty of time to find/get hold of their dress, photograph it and get a post up on their blog or social media.

But I’ve never been married…

No problem – I’m including bridesmaid dresses! When I was about 27 I tried on the bridesmaid dress I wore to my sister’s 1985 wedding (I was 13) and it was hilarious. The zip didn’t even slightly do up at the back. The fabric was horrible. The style was horrible. (And that’s just what my sister had to say about it.) Bridesmaid dresses are perfectly acceptable and could be just as interesting [read: funny], if not more so.

There’s no way I’ll get in my dress/My dress is no more

If you really, really can’t bear the thought of putting on your dress again (for whatever reason), or you perhaps sold your dress or gave it away, simply share a photo of you on your wedding day. Or do both! Show us a before and after.

Do it however you want – just share some pictures of your wedding dresses and/or bridesmaid dresses (but do wear them to photograph if you can).

So tell me your thoughts – are you in? I just want this to be a bit of fun – if enough people take part I’ll do a round up post with the best ones!

P.S. To whet your appetite in the meantime you might like Why Short Wedding Dresses Are So Stylish & Affordable!