Please help dress an overweight woman who can't wear heels for a wedding!

[CrookedTiara]

I was actually going to skip this wedding (which is in about three weeks in the first half of May) because I don't have anything to wear, having put on a lot of weight this year because of medication, making me weigh in at a horrifying 15 and a half stone at just under 5 ft 6. But that seems like a cop out. Can anyone suggest anything I can buy online, as I live in the sticks, work mostly from home at the moment, and can't easily get to a city to shop?

I generally like plain-ish clothes, and favour wrap dresses - and as this wedding partly takes place in a quite conservative synagogue (and partly in a very famous museum, which is why I want to go!), it needs to be covered up, preferably long-sleeved, or with some kind of shrug/jacket.

The other challenge is that I simply cannot wear heels of any kind. When I wear formal-ish clothes at the moment, they tend to be slouchy black/dark/neutral asymmetric dresses worn with heavy silver jewellery and flat knee boots, but that doesn't sound weddingish-at all....? Which is of course annoying, because DH will just be showing up in the dark formal suit he wears every day for work, so why can't I? Grrr/

Any suggestions would be greeted with major gratitude. I realise it's a challenge...

I'm your height and about the same weight...if you need to be covered up how about a shift type dress?

I just bought the dress in the photo below from eBay for a wedding later in the year (I know black and white aren't usually wedding colours but with the pattern and style I think it works).

What size are you and would you wear knee length?

www.yoursclothing.co.uk/scarlett-jo-blue-jersey-midi-dress-with-knot-front-detail-p

www.yoursclothing.co.uk/black-and-red-floral-print-2-in-1-wrap-dress-p

www.yoursclothing.co.uk/deep-red-fit-flare-jersey-midi-dress-with-gathered-waist-detail-p

The one above may be too low cut though.

www.simplybe.co.uk/shop/jameela-jamil-ponte-midi-dress/ez815/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=3467#colour:Red,size:

That's a nice dress, stumbly.

Zesty, probably an 18 or a 20, but with large breasts. I'm happy to wear knee-length, but what footwear do I wear it with for a May wedding? Those are lovely dresses, but again, shoes? So many knee or midi-length dresses look odd with flats. Jerry Hall's wedding dress looked very odd, I thought, and she's incredibly beautiful! And I don't have good legs, even when I'm at my thinnest - I'm cankle-y.

Oh, and I should have said, money isn't an issue. I'm happy to throw cash at the problem in order not to feel awful!

I do like those knot-fronted dresses, but am having difficulty finding a good one in heavy, good-quality jersey that isn't black. I mean, I adore black, but probably not great for a wedding even if I'm wearing a wonderful, colourful jacket and jewellery with it...

Might a jumpsuit be suitable? I'm afraid I don't know if trousers are acceptable for women in synagogs

What sort of budget?

x post abou budget

Have a look at Taking Shape, they have some gorgeous wedding-suitable stuff. For footwear, you can't really go wrong with a quality pair of ballet flats in a lovely colour, or flat Mary Janes. You'll still be standing when everyone else has succumbed to their blisters

I agree with PO re: shoe wear....

A nice pair of ballet flats in a nude colour works well. It keeps attention on you and the dress rather than drawing attention to footwear.

uk.monsoon.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/mon_1,mon_1.2/9524500808

Sandals and a shrug/wrap?

Like this....

I realise Pippa Middleton isn't a size 18 like us but it does work I promise!

So maybe a maxi?

www.simplybe.co.uk/shop/joanna-hope-jersey-maxi-dress/sz984/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=3467#colour:Navy,size:

www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_54488+042533310_-1

Short sleeved as above with a shrug?

I would probably go with a long dress and then flat pretty sandals.

I actually wore a lovely Alice Temperley jumpsuit to a wedding in the last year with flat sandals, but it won't fit me, or go anywhere near me now! But I don't think it would be a problem at the synogogue, and I'm very comfortable in wide-legged trousers, which suit me. I would certainly consider trousers, as long as they were with something that looked smart, and it would help the problem of shoes.

I wear a lot of this kind of thing (se Oska link below, also Sarah Pacini slouchy stuff) so the traditional floral wedding-y frock-y thing is completely alien to me, and doesn't particularly suit me at any size:

uk.oska.com/en/looks/

Any budget. I'm happy to spend hundreds putting something to together.

These are flat shoes and wedding-y.

Thanks, everyone, you are so helpful! I feel as though I have a team of crack surgeons looking at my case... Does it show that I absolutely loathe clothes shopping, at any size, despite owning quite a lot of good clothes?

I am the kind of person who would like to be issued a uniform, as long as I liked it - you know how there are a couple of fashion designers who only ever wear exactly the same thing, like beautifully-cut black trousers and a top? That would be me...

Zesty, that Joanna dress was the first one that has suggested itself as absolutely possible to me - thanks. I agree that a maxi and sandals may be the way to go.

Stumbly, I honestly fear my feet look rather like pig's trotters in ballet flats!

Have a look for Caroline Ann on eBay - she makes some lovely, flowy, forgiving tops/dresses etc. in a Lagenlook style, very reasonably priced, too, and in a choice of colours (for some reason she doesn't seem to list these as options, but you can add a note to your order, or contact her directly to specify the one you want.).

I have that Joanna Hope dress in grey - I bought it last year for a wedding and it's beautiful! I do love a good maxi!

I like the Joanna one myself and there are a few colours though I prefer the navy. It suits me as a size 20 5'7 chunk

Have you wide or standard feet? I am very limited as I have EEE size 9 beasties.

There are loads of gorgeous wedding guest dresses on Simply Be. One of those with a shrug and some party ballet pumps will look gorgeous, whatever size you are. People dressed up in their finery always look gorgeous imho. If you look like you enjoyed making an effort for the wedding, you'll look great.

I would definitely go for wide leg trousers and a nice top or a wide legged jumpsuit [starts searching] because there is nothing worse than wearing a dress and feeling uncomfortable all day [speaks from experience]

Jumpsuits? Can't wear them myself but if you like them?

www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Phase+Eight+Penn+Jumpsuit/238843303,default,pd.html

Have you had a look Here some nice dresses.

Could you wear low wedges?

ASOS have some really lovely jumpsuits

At a similar size I've worn wide legged trousers and a drapey top from monsoon. Very generously cut, if you're buying online.