Wedding dress for an informal second wedding

[Pearjam]

I'm getting married for the second time this summer. We've planned a relatively low key, informal day..
I'd love some ideas about where to find a nice dress. I'm thinking of something knee length, probably not white, and something I might wear again. Budget is up to £250. I'm 43, size 14, quite booby, tummy and waist are my worst feature: in fact I don't really go in at the waist at all. I struggle a bit with getting dresses to fit because I'm quite tall (5'9'') and some brands (Coast for example) are just to short in the waist and the length. I'd actually really love a yellow dress or a dress with some yellow in it, it's a colour I love and was my mums favourite colour: she died ten years ago and if she can't be here to help me chose my dress, then it would be lovely to wear something that reminds me of her a little. (I hope that doesn't sound a bit maudlin...)

Hoss one is amazing. I may get divorced for it.

Sorry OP forgot your 'no Coast' proviso.

Hoss one is gorgeous if you are tall and willowly.

If you have boobs or a tummy you would look like a pair of closed yellow curtains with a christmas tree behind them.

Disappeared to go and get reluctant teenagers to bed, and come back to find a range of lovely options! Thank you all.
The hoss dress is indeed beautiful, just stunning. It's the kind of dress I dream of wearing and image myself drifting about looking effortlessly elegant but I think Barty's eloquent description conjures up a very compelling image of what I'd actually resemble....
However I also really, really love the Max Mara one, and.... I think I'm going to order it! Fingers crossed...

Yay for the Maxmara one! My favourite (alongside the Hoss vision of loveliness). Love the structure and the bold colour. Go pearjam!

a pair of closed yellow curtains with a Christmas tree behind them. Fantastic.

I'd second Monsoon - and have you considered vintage? Something like a 1920's dropped waist dress?

If the MaxMara one doesn't work out, you might find something you like here: www.etsy.com/shop/vintageopulence?section_id=6110170&ref=shopsection_leftnav_1 - she does custom orders as well (prices are in US dollars)

A disappointing update....(although i'm very impressed indeed with the speed of delivery from Matches and from the Outnet...)

The beautiful yellow linen MaxMara dress was just ok on me, but would be lovely on the right person.
www.matchesfashion.com/product/1013961
Not as structured as it looked to be from the photos,and more the kind of dress I'd wear to work rather than a formal occasion. The shape and length weren't good on me, made me look boxy and a bit frumpy, sadly.

I also ordered another beautiful Maxmara dress which is also going back; lovely, but just lacking something special:

www.matchesfashion.com/product/1000323

So, sadly, I'm still searching. I think I might need to forget the yellow and broaden my search, and focus on getting the right shape instead.... i think i need to avoid anything too short, high necked, empire line, or drapey and instead go for a bit more structure.

Tethersend I love this dress that you linked too (well, I loved them all, your taste is fab) I think this kind of style would work, although I'm nervous about ordering something made to measure in case it doesn't fit.
digforvictoryclothing.com/products/238452--gold-brocade-and-copper-taffeta-evening-dress.aspx

Anyone able to suggest where I else I might look?

BartholomewCrouch I think I forgot to mention how much your dramatic D Squared dress suggestion made me giggle. A little bit of me would quite like to flounce up wearing that....In a similar vein, I spotted this opportunity for knee length drama which I feel the need to share in response. Although I think that in the same way the beautiful Hoss dress may not work on my shape, this might make me look like a standard lamp......

www.theoutnet.com/en-GB/product/Stella-McCartney/Fringed-lace-and-crepe-dress/332837

I KNOW this one is way over budget, but had to share because it's lovely -and yellow

I also love this and this, but eye-wateringly expensive.

Would you do vintage?

tethersend thank you, that website was so worth sharing: yes, sadly over budget, but I've just spent a lovely half hour coveting most of the dresses. If I had the money and the lifestyle, that's exactly the kind of thing I'd chose to wear for every possible social occasion!

I would consider vintage, definitely; I'm guessing I'd be a 16 in vintage styling possibly...

this is gorgeous...

Oh sorry, I keep forgetting you want knee length... this would be lovely with a better bra underneath

this one?

www.phase-eight.com/fcp/product/phase-eight/occasion-dresses/loretta-dress/202924551

www.phase-eight.com/fcp/product/phase-eight/sale-dresses/blenheim-print-dress/201856402

This one is beautiful with lovely yellow roses!

How about this - from experience ( 5' 10", booby and with tummy,) I was surprised to find that something I would never try on worked , so on that note :) ?

www.johnlewis.com/l-k-bennett-hannah-printed-cotton-dress-yellow/p1899471

looking at agoodbook suggestion made me look at this - I really like this one too:

www.lkbennett.com/Clothing/Dresses/Lasana-Printed-Dress/p/DRLASANACOTTONMIXPrintYellow?show=All

:) fatnan - the one I actually bought was this, but last year ! (and to be a wedding guest :) )
www.longtallsally.com/p/floral-printed-shift-dress-05G39#05G39MUL

That's a beautiful dress.

And now I confess that I'm 5'2" so probably not actually much help here and also envious of normal height people who can wear lovely dresses!

I think the same though fatnan - being tall, many makes just make things longer- so waists, bust darts ,shoulder seams etc are all in the wrong place...... :)

tethersend I like the second, knee length one: I'm putting it on my list to order this week, thank you!

fatnan the first phase eight one is pretty, and I'd spotted it last week, but I had exactly the problem agoodbook'describes when I tried it on: waist was too high so the sash was in the wrong place and it looked odd, like a kind of support structure for my boobs : ( .

The second phase eight one is gorgeous but sold out everywhere: had it not been, that could have been It: I love the colours!

I am however going to try and order the lk Bennett ones, and I've also been pleasantly surprised by the long tall sally website: I haven't bought from there for a few years but I've just looked and there is a nice midi length white dress I might order just to see (can't link easily, am on my tablet) I am thinking I could accessorise it with yellow, somehow...

I've also been looking at vintage style dress; so far have found collectif, 20th century foxy, and Vivienne of Holloway: wondered if anyone had ever ordered from any of these, and if so what's the quality like? Is it worth a try?

pearjam - I think I know the dress you mean - would go nice with the right shade of yellow. The fit was lovely from Long Tall Sally for me- everything in the right place! They come up a bit big, so maybe try the size smaller as well. I haven't tried an L K Bennett dress, so that may still be a problem - I usually go for German makes as they seem to better at fit for me.-

I don't know if you have looked at these for the vintage/classic bombshell look:

whirlingturban.com/

www.bombshellbykatyawildman.com/products.php?ProductTypeID=149

The second one is the Nigella Lawson look type of dress. I hope you find a dress you love...let us know!