I’m Above 40: Should I Wear a Wedding Dress or Not?

When it comes to brides‒to‒be who are over 40 years old, many wonder whether it is appropriate to wear a wedding dress or not. Indeed, there are many elements of a wedding that brides stress over, from sparkly accessories like the ones they can get from Glitzy Secrets, the colour palette, venue, and of course, the wedding attire. However, it seems like for brides over 40 years old, another question comes up, and that has to do with whether it is viewed as appropriate for them to wear a wedding dress at all. Let’s explore the topic.

What’s Appropriate?

In short? Yes. It is your special day, and you should wear whatever you want to. Do you want to wear a coloured dress? Go for it! Would you rather have a more traditional, long, white dress? You should absolutely do that hen. Do you want to combine modern elements with traditional ones? Essentially, whatever it is you want, you can do. For instance, some over-40 brides don’t feel like making a big fuss over what they wear, and would rather go for something simple, perhaps even coloured. That’s perfectly fine. Other brides, however, feel like going all out with their celebration and wearing a white, princess-like dress. There is nothing in this world that should stop either of these brides, they do as they please.

Now, we’re going to discuss a few lovely ideas, to give you some inspiration. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should feel like you have to stick to these styles, since, as we mentioned earlier, you can do whatever you feel like doing.

Tea Length

Tea length wedding dresses are just perfect in so many ways. They do generally have a vintage air that tends to look beautiful on mature brides, but they also work beautifully for plus size brides and also for petite brides. Another great thing about this style is that they allow the shoes to be seen, and if you’ve invested quite a bit in a pair, then this may be of big importance to you. It can also be quite functional since the top portion of your body can be covered with either long or short sleeves. You can also opt for a high neck, or a V neck, depending on your comfort level.

Sleeved Wedding Dresses

There won’t be any point when sleeves will run out of style, regardless of whether they are long, short or cap sleeves. Oftentimes, older brides prefer to cover their arms, and having a wedding dress that allows them to do so can be of great help. If you feel like a long sleeve dress will cover you too much, you can add playful details such as a flattering V-neck, low back, or lace illusions can work beautifully.

If you do opt for a long-sleeved dress, keep in mind that it would be a good idea to use minimal jewellery, to avoid having too many things that distract the eyes. Then again, you do you, and if you want to go all out with your jewels, then go right ahead.

Embroidered

A good combination of keeping things simple, but also looking sophisticated, is opting for an embroidered wedding dress. In this case, embroidery is used to add a textured pattern to an otherwise simple dress. This is a great way of personalizing your dress to better fit your personal style and add a dose of fun to your look.

High Neck

If you’re not too secure about your neck area, a great way to cover it up is via a high neck wedding dress. And they can be so pretty too! We are thinking lace here. But you can wear other fabrics tot, to cover up in an understated way. If you don’t want to be too covered up, when choosing to wear a high neck wedding gown, you should leave your legs or arms exposed.

Jacket or Wrap

If you opting for a low-cut neckline, but you’re not feeling too confident about staying like that throughout the entire day, you can wear a cute jacket or a wrap, to cover up whenever you feel like it, or when it’s simply too chilly outside.

Empire Waste

If you add chiffon or lace to an empire dress, you’ll create the perfect attire for a delicate summer or spring wedding. This works especially well if your venue is the beach or a beautiful summer garden.

As you see, there are definitely plenty of options if you’re having a wedding after you’re 40. In fact, there are just as many options as when you’re any other age! All you really have to do is to consider what you and your future spouse want, and work towards getting it done.

Diana Simpson

Diana is a passionate journalist and a curious soul who is on the quest of finding what she loves the most; coffee, dogs, books or traveling? Born and bred in London, writing is her healing power.