There were a few things that had to change for me, and only some felt like a sacrifice.
Being a pregnant bride is sometimes planned, sometimes not. For me, I was desperate to be a pregnant bride for two reasons. The first was that I loved the idea of showing my future child my wedding photos and being able to say, “And there you are in Mummy’s tummy”, and the second was that I knew that if I was pregnant, my Italian parents would be so desperate for me to get married that I’d get away with the small, affordable wedding of my dreams.
After I’d carefully explained to Mum for the millionth time that no, I didn’t want to hide my pregnancy in a puffy wedding dress but actually wanted to accentuate it, being a pregnant bride became a lot of fun.
There were just a few incredibly important things I had to do differently, and only some felt like a sacrifice.
1. The cake.
I’m Italian, so we traditionally have a Layered Italian Continental cake. It is FULL of alcohol. Cakes have to be alcohol-free.
2. The cake tasting.
Never stand in front of a pregnant bride and her cake tasting session. I couldn’t have the cake I wanted, so I had to try every, single, other cake possible. I just had to.
3. The dress.
I really wanted a wedding dress that showed off my bump, but there were other issues. It had to be secure and comfortable. And it couldn't be too long because I had to week, a lot. And you will need extra fittings, especially one that is just before the ceremony. Stress makes you swell.
4. The bra.
Pregnant boobs are pretty big, but they sometimes randomly deflate. Mine deflated on my wedding day but I had thought I didn't need a bra for my dress. Mistake. There is a shot of us cutting the cake where one of them is falling out.
5. The walk down the aisle.
Pregnant women don't want to walk very far so my walk down the aisle was short. And choose a reception area that is close to where you get married. The less you have to travel the better.
6. The flowers.
So many smells upset a pregnant bride's nose. I was so sensitive to smells that I really needed to choose flowers that hardly smelled at all.
7. The groom's deodorant.
My husband wears Rexona Sport and has done since the day I met him, except he's had to stop during the nine-months of each of my pregnancies because the smell made me incredibly sick to my stomach. He didn't wear any deodorant or aftershave on our wedding day.
8. The shoes.
Low heels! I would have worn thongs if I'd thought I could have gotten away with it. I was well beyond the 20-week mark so I was very swollen. I had to settle for low heeled shoes that were like sandals with little heels.
9. The planning.
It was incredibly important that I remain as calm as possible during the process of planning the wedding. Stress needs to be minimised for the entire planning process. You are forced to be a very chill bride.
10. The bridal waltz.
You might still get away with the but it may not be as snuggly as you wanted it to be. He won't be able to dip you but you could do a gentle sway.
11. The honeymoon.
We had booked to go on a cruise but I was still feeling sick and didn't want to go on a cruise because I didn't want to be very far away from my hospital. In fact I was too tired to go anywhere. So we stayed home. I'd prefer to honeymoon when I can fit into my bikini anyway.
12. The food.
I really wanted to order carpaccio and a delicious salad with a poached egg in it, both of which you can't eat when you are pregnant. So everything was well-cooked. There was no dip or soft cheese.
13. The photo shoot.
We didn't do any locations for the photo shoot. Some weddings are really big and a few locations are chosen. It can take all day to get the photos done. I napped instead.
14. Somewhere to rest.
Make sure your reception area has a good bridal room with a toilet, somewhere to elevate your feet and somewhere to take a quick catnap if needed.
15. The threshold.
You may not be carried over any thresholds. Try not to take it personally.
16. The wedding night.
I fell asleep and we didn't have sex. Sex with a pregnant bride isn't a given. The groom might just be rubbing her feet instead and then tucking her in. Hey, what can we say? Welcome to married life.
17. The gift registry.
There might be some baby stuff on it. And why not? If you are attending the wedding of a pregnant bride, then the couple has probably been living together for a while. So get them some baby stuff. They need it more.
18. The rings.
Let me just say two words...'fat' and 'fingers'. Yep, you may swell due to being on your feet all day or stress, so get ready for the ring to possibly not fit as the groom tries to slide it onto your finger. Just grab it and put it on your necklace later.
It could be worse, you could have ended up with a wedding cake like one of these..
Want more? Try these:
"Will a small wedding ruin my friendships?"
The official guide to being a good bridesmaid.
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