Getting married at Gretna green, non wedding dress help

[Bluebell79]

I'm going to have to wear a dress but I'm not really a dress person. I've been a sham for a long time and rarely go out, live in skinny jeans so my style is very casual. I'm mid 30s size 14, 32g bra size and carry weight on my tummy. It's going to be a small wedding just our three children and 2 witnesses who might end up being strangers. I'm hoping I won't need to spend more than a couple of hundred pounds for a dress and shoes. I think I've winter colouring dark hair and eyes, pale skin, jewel colours suit me. Anyone enjoy looking for dresses and want to show me some links?

Congratulations.
Is the wedding going to be soon? or in the, hopefully, better weather?

Oh congrats OP!

What kind of style would you feel comfortable in and what height are you?

Do you want something structured and short that you can re-wear, or a bit more formal and floaty? This looks quite pretty to me but maybe you want something a bit less ethereal?

I'm 5"6, definitely don't want long, feel a prat in a maxi dress. I am hoping to book for July/august as we can't take the children out of school, but I doubt Scotland will be very hot, don't want strapless. Dress needs to look special don't want my friends gasping when I show them the photos.

Ooooh, all the best!

I got married at Gretna Green, just us and our 2 witnesses. I wore a green knee-length frock that I bought on eBay. It was a sleeveless dress but I wore a gold lacy cardi-shrug over it.

I've been to a wedding at Gretna Green and we were asked to wear jeans - the bride wore white jeans and looked very pretty.

Given what you said about not being a dress person and suiting jewel colours, why don't you spend less on a dress and more on shoes and flowers?

This looks a really lovely dress, but it depends how you feel about the tummy area
www.reiss.com/womens/dresses/agustini/cobalt/

Don't know how you feel about lace?
www.asos.com/Hybrid/Hybrid-Pencil-Dress-with-Plunge-Neck-and-Lace-Skirt/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=3650951&cid=13934&sh=0&pge=1&pgesize=204&sort=-1&clr=Multi

How do you feel about your arms, your legs? do you want short or long, will you ever wear it again? So many questions. It's hard to know where to start suggesting things without a bit more to go on.

Sorry cross posted.
So, plain or would you wear a pattern OP?

Would you wear red?

If you do like red this is lovely, but top of the budget really
www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Lauren+by+Ralph+Lauren+Cap+sleeve+dress+with+ruching/190187843,default,pd.html

Monsoon have some pretty dresses that are more weddingy and not too strappy. This is just an example, comes in different colours
uk.monsoon.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/mon_11.10/5530120208

You could go with a more neutral colour dress and then have bright shoes if that's something that might appeal.

How would you feel about a 1950s style dress with a big petticoated skirt? They look festive without being too formal.

Thanks for the replies, needs to be plain not patterned, possibly something like the monsoon one would navy be all wrong? Like the idea of bright shoes, I would consider red shoes but not a red dress that's too far out of my comfort zone, I wear a lot of navy, grey and black....just started with the jewel colours.

Do like the 1950s dresses with the big skirts, but my mum got married in something similar and I just know she'd say I'd copied her when she saw the photos.

I forgot to say anything bodycon wouldn't look good round my tummy area.

I like the Antonia short dress in navy from monsoon, but it's not special enough is it? How do I link on an iPad?

Actually I think the Bonnie from monsoon is a better shape for me.

jade biba
raspberry or blue has great reviews too.
sapphire
Love the red one tethers linked too

If you are norky and have a tummy, then it'd be well worth your while trying on a Westwood.

This is gorgeous irl. I know because I fondle it everytime I go into Selfridges!

I think it's really important that you feel comfortable and that you still feel like you and not as though you've been gussied up just because other people think you should.

I think the Monsoon dress here
uk.monsoon.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/mon_13,mon_20/5530206308
in the nude colour would look lovely and you could have some red roses with some lucky heather as a nod to the venue and then match your shoes either to to the roses or to the heather?
A nice necklace or some flowers for your hair if you like that kind of thing and you'd look bridal.

The dress doesn't necessarily need to be OTT, it's the way it's all put together.

If you would like to consider a 50's style dress i would recommend vivien of holloway, give them a quick google they are based in london but do deliver!

Enrique what's the name of the monsoon dress? The link doesn't work.

Oh sorry don't know why that went wrong. It's still the Bonnie that I posted up above in the soft lavender blue, but it has a tulle skirt and is in a different neutral colour. You'd just need to check the colour against your skin tone, but it's very pretty and you could make it striking with the right accessories.

uk.monsoon.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/mon_4,mon_4.3/5530206308

Style number is 5530206308

Ooh yes I like the Monsoon dress, tres chic!