Real-Life Wedding Dresses For Older Brides, Second Weddings
For some of my readers, love is lovelier the second time around, and so is their choice of wedding dress! If you are about to become a second-time bride, first-time mature bride, or you just enjoy looking at romantic wedding photos (LOL!), then have a peek at these pictures my readers sent in on their big day. Here are real-life wedding dresses for older brides or second-time brides over 40.
Get your Kleenex out!
Real-Life Wedding Dresses For Older Brides, Second Weddings
Sweet Second Wedding in Sonoma, CA
Exactly two years to the day after they first met, Jessica and John were married in the backyard of John’s sister in sunny Sonoma County, California. After visiting 3 or 4 stores, Jessica finally found the dress that stole her heart as John did. She was searching for simple white wedding dresses so that the focus could be on the bride and groom, not the dress. Her last stop was a boutique that focuses on vintage-inspired fashion for all occasions, not necessarily wedding dresses. Upon seeing this dress, she immediately knew it was the one.
About seven months later, Jessica and John were asked to do a photo shoot for a photographer friend when this stunning photo was taken. Talk about Hollywood glam. Lights! Camera! Action! This photo is gorgeous and a unique memento of their love and wedding. What a perfect gown and a stunning photo!
Coastal California Celebration
Columba and Paul were married on March 21, 2020, as the world shut down due to COVID-19. Although they originally planned a fancy wedding, it was transformed into an intimate, romantic gathering in a garden overlooking the ocean on California’s central coast. Although it was different from what they envisioned, Columba told me that it couldn’t have been more perfect.
Columba bought her dress at Nordstrom, where she was shopping with her close friend and matron of honor, who was the one to spot the dress first. Columba loved the sequins and the way the dress spoke to her elegant personal style. It was the first one she tried, and it just checked all the boxes for a second wedding. Flattering and elaborate enough to look unique but not flashy – this second wedding dress was pure elegance.
Paul had lost his first wife to cancer eight years before, and Columba had been a single mom of three for 20 years. Together, they have eight grown children and two grandkids—14 with their spouses! Columba and Paul recently celebrated their second anniversary, proving that dreams come true! They are a beautiful couple!
Shakira and her husband Rick were both previously married.
Shakira was a relatively new single mom of two kids, running her own business with no time to date or anything else! Rick was a newly single dad of two kids, and their four children were friends in the same sport! So you could say it was fate (and their kids) that brought them together!
Their wedding took place on a cliff overlooking Pismo Beach, near their home in coastal central California. They are lucky to be surrounded by such beauty!
Shakira purchased her dress in the garment district in Los Angeles for an amazingly low $300! Talk about blessed! She initially considered a short dress, but after trying on this dress, it fit like a glove. She felt so confident in it and knew it was the one. Ironically, it was also the first dress she tried on. She asked the store to hold it as she continued her search in eight other stores. She tried on several silver dresses (because a friend said not to wear white since it was her second marriage).
But Shakira kept comparing every dress she tried on to the original dress she had put on hold. She called Rick for his opinion, and he told her to buy the dress that makes her feel good when she wears it and that it didn’t matter if she wore a paper bag. How sweet! He knows she’ll look beautiful in anything. Her decision was made! She went back to buy the original dress. She also loved that it had a long slit that showed a flash of leg (which Shakira says is her best asset!). Gorgeous!
Amore in Italy
Petra Zeigler, 55, from Germany, got married in a symbolic ceremony in Puglia, Italy, on May 25, 2021. The wedding was initially planned for 2020, but the pandemic made the happy couple wait one year. Petra says her family-only wedding was a fairytale event that made her feel like a princess. The happy couple enjoyed a sand unity ceremony and recited personal vows by the water.
For her bridal look, Petra chose pastel colors. She wore an airy, romantic, blush-colored dress that had a train and accented her gown with sky-blue accessories – the color of the beach and sea. Petra says every bride, regardless of age, should wear what she likes and that you are never too old for love. To Petra, love is the best defense against aging. You’ve got that one right, Petra!
When Two Weddings and Two Weddings Dresses are Better than One
Can you imagine having two dresses? Debera Weidemann had two weddings and two wedding dresses! Her first wedding was on the beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and the second was in Winnipeg, Canada, a few months later.
For Jamaica, she needed a dress that she could wear while standing in the ocean and having her wedding photos taken, and then wear it to the evening dinner party afterward. All I have to say is, Debera, that’s some wet suit!
For her second wedding in Winnipeg, Debera wanted something more formal but understated compared to what you would wear for a traditional first wedding. Debera decided on this beautiful lace column dress with a simple design, clean lines, and a belt.
Two great choices for two amazing second weddings.
Youthful, Sexy Bridal Gown
Alison and Chris lived in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and married outside on a beautiful fall afternoon. This was their second marriage, and they had dated for six years before. They wed in a civil ceremony at the county courthouse, with a friend performing the service.
Alison bought her beautiful gown at a local bridal shop. Although she admits she was self-conscious about wearing a full-length, ivory dress at her age, after researching online and on Pinterest, she decided it was her day and would wear it. It turned out to be the perfect dress!
As Alison says, “My youngest daughter was married two years before, and I wore a traditional full-length, gold sequined, mother-of-the-bride gown. It was gorgeous. However, this was my wedding, and I didn’t want to feel like the bride’s mother again. My husband is seven years younger than me, and I wanted to feel young, happy, and bridal.
I encourage anyone planning a wedding to disregard any concern about the rules that you can’t wear a wedding dress anymore. Mine was a halter-front dress with light beading on the bodice and a short train that a friend gracefully arranged for me. I felt sexier and more carefree that day than when I married 27 years ago!!
The very next day, Alison turned 50! What an incredible Birthday gift, and what a pretty bride you were, Alison!
Vintage Inspired Wedding Dress
When Anne married for the second time, she was inspired by the past and had a 1930s-themed wedding. An inexpensive afternoon reception followed in a church hall, which featured tea-type food, champagne, and a band playing music from the 1930s and 1940s.
Anne wore this romantic dress with the nostalgic vibe that she discovered while shopping at a “discount and used” bridal and formalwear shop. Funny enough, though it looks vintage, it was a brand-new Maggie London dress that only cost her $125. She wore it with silk strappy heels, pearls, and a delicate Adrienne Landau shawl she bought on eBay
Due to this dress’s flowy, body-skimming cut, Anne had to buy shapewear to make it look flawless—and flawless it was! Her unique vintage-inspired wedding dress made her wedding day special and memorable!
Talk about timeless beauty, Anne. Your wedding was a blast from the past!
Magical Christmas Wedding Gown
Sally and Scott celebrated their Christmas wedding in December at the beautiful Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois. However, at 51 years old, Sally found it challenging to find a dress that didn’t look too young or too matronly. She also wanted something elegant to match the formality of the magnificent venue she and Scott chose.
Sally’s sister found her dream dress, which had beautiful lace embellishment, and she loved it. This gorgeous off-the-shoulder designer dress is subtly sexy and nicely balanced because of the long sleeves.
This was the happy couple’s second marriage. Sally had been married for almost 20 years before her first husband passed away in a car accident. Her two daughters, in their 20s, and Scott’s three sons, just a bit older, were part of the wedding party. Sally says, “I feel truly blessed to have found love again! Scott is a wonderful man!”
Aww. It makes your heart melt!
Retro Style Glam For Second Marriage
It was also a second marriage for both Sherri and Steve, who have five boys between them. They had been friends for 15 years, and they finally tied the knot in May of 2017 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Second-time bride, Sherri searched for a traditional wedding gown for quite a while. But when she didn’t find one that was indeed her, she changed directions and searched for vintage and retro dresses since she is a massive fan of this style.
As she was browsing a favorite retro clothing site, Pin-Up Girl, she spotted this beautiful ruched dress for only $149. Sherri ordered, thinking if nothing else, she could still wear it to another function, and when it finally arrived, she immediately knew that it was THE dress.
For a pop of color, Sherri paired her dress with these sexy, red suede Enzo Angiolini pumps, vintage 1930s-style drop earrings, and a matching bracelet. The beaded bag was her “something old,” formerly belonging to her grandmama.
And take a look at the bottom of her shoes! They are beautiful and sweet touches for a perfect day. Sherri says she “felt like a million bucks.”
Sherri, you looked it, too! What a bombshell bride!
A Long Search for the Perfect Wedding Dress
For Cintia, finding “an appropriate wedding dress” was a journey. Friends told her, “Wear what you want; it’s your day,” but as she says, “The truth is we all know that not everything is going to look good on a 57-year-old, and because it was my day, I wanted to look good!”
Cintia visited big and famous bridal stores and even ordered a gown online—it was a complete disaster! After an exhaustive search, she decided to find a designer or seamstress to custom-make a dress, but she couldn’t find anyone, as custom-made dresses are rare nowadays.
She took a chance and went to a small local specialty boutique with some pictures of what she believed would look good on her. This sparked an idea with the shop owner, who showed Cintia this white dress. In a heartbeat, Cintia knew it would make a perfect second wedding gown.
Here she is on her wedding day, looking stunning on her son’s arm, who escorted her to the Chuppah for her Jewish wedding ceremony.
Cintia, you look beautiful, and you are beaming! I love your bridal look.
shop second-time wedding dresses
Are you over 40 and recently married? What did you wear? I’d love to see more wedding dresses for second marriages over 40, and I’m sure my readers would. Please send a good-quality photo of yourself in your second time wedding dress, and you may be featured. Email: info@fabulousafter40.com.
NEED MORE IDEAS?
Do you have a wedding coming up? What are you planning to wear? If you need a little help deciding which mother-of-the-bride dresses (or mother-of-the-groom dresses) might be best for you, check out my bestselling book Tweak Your Chic – Mother of the Bride. It will tell you everything you need to know about one of the most important and cherished days of your life.
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Oooo Lalala!
Best “over 40” bride/wedding dress article/examples out there!!!! And I’ve been combing the internet. So glad to see so many women hit the “beautiful, classy, happy (non-matronly!)” look perfectly.
I can only dream about getting married again since I lost my husband in 2013. I was browsing wedding dresses for older brides and found your site. It’s so wonderful to see happy, beautiful people my age tying the knot – in style! Thank you for this excellent page, dear Deborah!
p.s. You are gorgeous yourself :)
The brides all look lovely! What beautiful stories! Each dress is so perfect for the bride. I wish them all
much happiness.
Do you know where Sheree got her dress? It is beautiful!
Hi Heidi,
She got it from the Retro clothing site called Pinup Girl. I love the ruching!