After getting engaged in August, I joined a few plus size wedding Facebook groups. Quickly my feed was inundated with posts from brides asking if folks had tried on specific dresses. They wanted to see real plus size people wearing the dresses they were considering ordering online before they made the plunge. I know immediately that the first thing I wanted to do wasn’t to plan my wedding. It was to model plus size bridal dresses for my community. I texted my friend Joyniece to see if she wanted to model and she was in! And this lookbook was born.
It features ten plus size wedding dresses ranging from ball gowns to tea length numbers. It took nearly six months of planning, shooting and writing to complete this and I couldn’t be happier. At a size 26 and size 40 in bridal, finding the perfect dresses to suit our bodies was complicated but with the help of brands such as Sydney’s Closet, Eula Bridal and Azazie, we pulled it off.
On the day of the shoot, it was snowing horribly. With almost ten inches of snow on the ground, Joy and I drove up to Madison from Milwaukee. These vendors pulled through to help us create the magic you’ll find here.
Photography: Kelly McKenna Patterson, Makeup: Emmy Hill, Floral: Naly’s Floral Design
Locations: The Little Yellow Studio and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Eshakti Button Down Wedding Dress
Eshakti comes through with their custom dress options and sizes. Not only have we customized the measurements on this dress, we also customized the fabric and style. Eshakti is ideal for a bride that wants a lot of control over their perfect dress but doesn’t want to spend a fortune. We added a little pop of glitz with an Eula Bridal belt, sparkly earrings and a dramatic embroidered veil with a comb, making the veil easy to secure. These Calvin Klein white slip on pumps with a block heel add comfort and a slight lift perfect for this plus size wedding dress.
Size: 0 – 36 or custom 20″ – 100″ waist
Azazie Champagne and Lace Wedding Gown
Champagne and lace have never looked better. At $399, the Azazie Honey dress is both affordable and stunning. This dress doesn’t have the heavy feeling of many traditional wedding dresses but has all the details you want for your special day. Floor length with a chapel train, tulle embroidered in a romantic fashion and zipper hidden by a row of delicate faux buttons. The dress has a beautiful v-neck that’s outlined with scalloped lace and accentuates the décolletage area. It has an illusion back that’s just tulle but ends high enough that you can still wear shapewear if you choose to. Pair this with a tiara and champagne shoes.
Sizes: 0 – 30 and custom 22″ – 70″ waist
Sydney’s Closet Lace A-Line Wedding Gown
This dress is perfect for someone who wants to feel like a queen without the dress that you need two people to carry. Sydney’s Closet
hits the mark with this gorgeous style. The dress is a floor length ivory A-line number with both lace and tulle. Combined with a deep V-neck, it feels nostalgic and modern all at once. The hand-beaded belt is built-in and sits right at the natural waist. A chapel train and floral embroidery add a delicate feminine touch. It’s fully lined and offers a sweetheart neckline. We paired this with a floral crown, kitten heels (sizes 4 – 15) and sparkly earrings.
Sizes: 14 – 40
Eshakti Black Sleeveless Non Traditional Wedding Dress
Black wedding dresses are becoming more popular and this choice is so chic and effortless. This Eshakti dress was fully designed by me. I chose the fabric, style, length and color. If you want to wear a non-traditional dress, what better way than creating a one-of-a-kind option customized to your measurements and style. I added a bridal belt from Eula Bridal, to elevate this dress with some bling and glamour. Silver bridal flats (size 6 – 11) are both comfortable and add to the glam of the belt and veil.
Size: 0 – 36 or custom 20″ – 100″ waist
Kiyonna Tea Length Lace Plus Size Wedding Dress
This true white Kiyonna tea length dress is perfect for a low-maintenance plus size bride. Fully lined and covered in lace, this wedding dress features a stunning boatneck illusion neckline and three quarter length sleeves. With no zipper and a stretchy A-line design, this dress is an effortless pull-on style that requires no assistance to get into. Sam Edelman kitten heels complete the look.
Sizes: 0X – 5X
Michelle Bridal by Sydney’s Closet Strapless Ball Gown
I felt like I was thrust into a magical fairy tale while wearing this Michelle Bridal dress. This is the perfect ball gown for large chested people who want a strapless gown. Floor length with a tulle skirt, sweetheart neckline and corset lace-up back, this dress will transport you straight into your childhood wedding fairytale. This plus size ball gown doesn’t need much accessorizing as it comes with a built-in beaded belt. I wore it with a unique but simple silver threaded earrings, a soft tulle long bridal veil that has a perfect raw cut hem and I went barefoot. You could wear it with comfy shoes as no one will see your feet.
Size: 14 – 32
Eshakti Nontraditional Fur Dusty Pink Wedding Dress
When Joyniece first sent me this dress and said she wanted to wear it, I was a little hesitant. Not quite sure it had the bridal vibe I was looking for when envisioning this lookbook. However, when she tried on this dress, that opinion vanished. This dusty pink knee length fur beauty is perfect for the non-traditional fall or winter bride. It slips on easily and we customized the neckline to an elegant boatneck. Paired with dusty pink sandals (sizes 5 – 12) and perfect face framing earrings, this Eshakti Dress wows in all the right ways.
Sizes: 0 – 36 or custom 20″ – 100″ waist
CoEdition Tea Length Lace Wedding Dress
Whoever said tea length shouldn’t be worn by a bride hasn’t seen this dress. 
The mermaid silhouette ivory City Chic lace wedding dress paired with Sam Edelman white pumps (sizes 5 – 12) and a lace embroidered full length veil, that added just the right bridal glamour, made this my favorite dress of the lookbook. With a soft boned bust and off-the-shoulder stretch lace overlay, it’s fully lined and has beautiful sheer sleeves. I paired it with a BRIDE clutch. If you prefer a dress without long sleeves, this dress is similar.
Size: 14 – 24
Kiyonna Long Sleeve Midi Lace Wedding Dress
This Kiyonna Ivory Lace Wedding Dress is a midi-length dress, which is offered in a size 5X, making it a slightly more unexpected wedding dress option for the plus size bride. The v-neck perfectly accentuates and adds to the feminine delicateness of this beautiful embroidered bridal option. The scalloping at the neckline is matched by the same design at the end of the sleeves, which are unlined lace. Many wedding dresses don’t offer much flexibility in the fabric, but this one has a lot of stretch! Wear this dress with these lace ivory bridal sneakers.
Sizes: 0X – 5X
Azazie Long Sleeve Lace Wedding Gown with Chapel Train
You absolutely can have the best of both worlds with this dress. Classic yet modern, the Azazie Indie plus size wedding gown has built-in nude bra cups, a deep V-neckline and cream colored lace that gives this a vintage feel. The sheer back has a long zipper hidden with buttons running down the middle, creating a delicate classic look. This dress also features the drama of a chapel hem. Ivory lace Maryjanes (sizes 6 – 11) and vintage-like long dangle earrings with a fresh water pearl add the perfect touches to make this dress the star of the show.
Sizes: 0 – 30 and custom 22″ – 70″ waist
Now go! Tweet this! Share this. Help me get this unique bridal lookbook in front of the people who need to see it. Plus size bodies deserve to be seen in beautiful dresses and plus size people do get fairy tale endings too.
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