Many a bride to be has found herself in the position of falling in love with two wedding gowns. Typically, one is traditional with a full skirt and a long train that would be picture perfect for the marriage ceremony with a long veil. And yet, it can be hard to imagine how functional that fairytale gown would be on the dance floor during the reception. Then there is dress number two: often shorter, usually more sexy, daring, or whimsical, and just the thing for making a grand entrance to the reception and then dancing the night away with your new husband. So what is a bride to do?
A popular choice these days is to go ahead and indulge both fantasies. Be the classic elegant bride for the ceremony and then the fabulous diva for the reception. The biggest stumbling block to this dream is usually money. Wedding gowns costing what they do, purchasing just one gorgeous dress can be a financial stretch for many brides, let alone plunking down another big chunk of change for dress number two. Sometimes it is not a matter of whether the second gown can technically be afforded, as much as it is the bride's parents deciding that it is an extravagant waste of money to buy two dresses even when they can well afford the cost. Of course, when money is not an issue, why not have fun with two different wedding day looks?
For the brides who like the idea of having a distinctive look for the reception but cannot afford a second gown (or simply love their first one too much to ever consider changing out of it), there are some ways to get the effect without actually getting two gowns. One intriguing possibility is a convertible bridal gown, which is a single dress made with a removable lower section. You have a traditional look for down the aisle, and then before the reception, a portion of the skirt is detached, leaving a gown with a skirt to the knee or mid-calf. Add a dazzling pair of crystal chandelier earrings and some fabulous shoes and you will have an entirely new look, without the hassle or expense of changing into a different gown.
Another way to transform your look from demure for the ceremony to more fabulous for the reception is to swap out your accessories. Let your hair down (ask your stylist about creating a style which is designed for this), remove your veil and put on a jeweled headband, and replace traditional pearl earrings with more flashy crystal chandelier earrings. The effect may not be as dramatic as changing into an entirely different wedding gown, but it will nonetheless make for a spectacular grand entrance and a style that says you are ready to hit the dance floor.
