Do i change for my reception ?

Your dress is absolutely gorgeous! Realistically, even if you don’t wear it for the reception, you are still going to be in it way longer than half an hour. You will have it on for your getting ready pictures, and all the pictures you do prior to the ceremony (whether that’s photos with your bridesmaids, the whole wedding party, your family, first look, etc.), then you will wear it for the ceremony, and all the photos after. You could keep it on for dinner and the first dance also. That’s already hours spent in the dress. If you think the dress will be too uncomfortable or cumbersome to wear at the reception, you can get in an expensive dress to have available, just in case you feel like changing. That way you can decide that evening whether you want to stay in your dress, or change into the inexpensive one. It’s much better to have the option available and not need it, than vice versa. I would also suggest making sure you have really comfortable shoes to change into at the reception also.

I forgot to add, check out regular stores for second dress options. Places like Lulu, Nordstrom, etc.

Similar to what Cece said, it is good to have a second, inexpensive dress to change into if you need to. This idea can work well if you initially wear the ceremony dress to the reception and want to change later on, perhaps after greeting various guests first. As the reception continues, you might have a chance to change. Or, you have that inexpensive dress for other events (or maybe earlier wedding showers, etc. )

I loved my wedding gown so much, and spent so much money on it, I had no desire to change into a different dress for my reception. You only get to wear a wedding dress once (hopefully!), so you may as well wear it for as long as possible.

When it’s hemmed to the right length, bustled, and you take off your veil, you might be surprised how comfy it is for the reception. If not, a cheap off the rack dress might fit the bill.

Do whatever you are comfortable with. Just because social media pressures brides into believing that it’s mandatory to change into a reception dress doesn’t mean at all that it’s half as common as they claim. If it’s not common in your social circle or culture, then ignore the trend, especially if you can’t justify the extra expense and/or the time stolen from being able to socialize with guests. No one ever tells the bride trying on dresses to make sure that she can easily move (sit, bend, walk, dance, and so on) in the dress that is chosen for the ceremony, so then she is pressured to purchase an equally expensive lightweight dress for the reception. For most couples, that wedding day doesn’t last more than 6-7 hours maximum before all clothing is donated and the money spent is not justified.


Wedding dresses are expensive on their own and they are expected/intended to be worn all day from the time you start getting ready for pictures and ceremony until when the last guest ends to go home. Celebrities create trends that take off on the internet and social media and the wedding industry runs away with it, going out of their way to make people feel inadequate if they don’t go along with it. This particular trend began as cultural appropriation, because it originated in Asian cultures where it is customary to have dress changes, and the dresses are priced to accommodate that as well as parents being expected to pay for the wedding. None of these apply to Western (US) weddings. But because celebrities on Instagram and other platforms have put their own spin on it, brides now are made to feel shamed if they fight the trend and stick with one dress for the entire event. It doesn’t help that Western/US weddings have tight time crunches because the all inclusive venues that they are strongly encouraged to use don’t allow for longer times than other cultures do. Couples are not able to get through all of what they want in a “default” 4-5 hour reception, including not being able to greet all guests, and that doesn’t account for time taken away from dinner, dancing, and other festivities to change into a second dress. The wedding dress that costs $300-3k+ is worn for an hour, including pictures, and the reception dress costs the same amount.
In our families and social circles, only 2 cousins of mine did a dress change for cultural reasons (they married into Asian families). They padded on extra time at the reception to allow for dress changes which the average couple doesn’t. OP’s reasons listed were why a reception dress never for a second crossed my mind, and no regrets either not getting one. It’s the only time in your life that you will wear a wedding dress, unless you remarry to someone different down the road. So why would you not want wear it as long as possible? That doesn’t account for cost, which is a separate issue.

I can agree with what Cece said! You look BEAUTIFUL in your dress! Maybe also wear it for the first hour of your reception, then change into a more affordable party dress.