Second Wedding Etiquette - The Wedding Dress

Tips For The Second Trip Down The Isle

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

My daughter is getting married for a second time and she wants a special wedding dress. But I don't want anything too provocative! Any tips on the second trip down the aisle?

Sincerely,

Second Time Around

Dear Second Time Around,

Weddings are a booming tradition, and despite the rising divorce rate, love is here to stay and second, third and fourth weddings are happening with renewed panache — and that means new trends wedding dresses!

White weddings are no longer just for first weddings — anything goes, and many brides choose white for their second weddings, too. But the real determining factors in weddings are:

1. Is it a first, second or third wedding?

Many brides who have been married before opt for something funky or festive in dress and decor for a second wedding. Choices include colors and lengths that run the gamut. Ethnic choices are also fun — like Indian saris or Japanese kimonos. Bridal salons are still tried and true retail outlets, but for this kind of wedding, so, too are couture departments of department stores where evening gowns are sold.

2. How old is the bride?

Young brides can often get away with slinky slip dresses — whether they’re long or short — and therefore, have more options than more mature brides who may feel more comfortable in something like a cocktail dress, or a dress with a matching coat, like the one Camilla Parker Bowles wore. On the other hand, older brides don’t usually feel that they are bound by tradition the way newer brides may, and will feel comfortable in a broad floral print dress that younger brides would only wear to a wedding shower.

And if you're on the market for a man before you start shopping, check out my relationship advice book for women, Think and Date Like a Man! It should have you shopping for a wedding dress in no time!

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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