Older Brides and Grooms - why are we invisible to Hitched?

That article does seem a little confused, as it can't make up its mind if it's talking to older brides, second-time brides or both! I've met a number of women who have embarked on marriage number 2 before their mid 20s. I'm in my mid 40s and I'm getting married for the first time! I did find the advice on a veil being 'too much' to be rather patronising though - I'm not planning on wearing one, but if that's what older or second time brides want, that should be what they get!

I think the reason for the young & glamorous models is that this is how all the wedding designers photograph their dresses - the photo at the beginning of the article does show an older couple, but any time you have pictures of wedding dresses as examples of what to wear, they are going to be on younger women.

In general, I don't find the lack of advice for older brides bothers me though - these days, the rules seem to be very much 'do what works for you'. Regarding wedding dresses, I think by the time women are old enough to class as 'older brides', they probably have a very good idea of what works for them dress-wise anyway. I did find a couple of articles on 'dresses for older brides' on other sites, but they were all far more revealing than I would be happy with! I've always preferred modest, loose fitting clothing, so I've gone for a long sleeved, high necked dress with a flowy skirt. I know a lot of people will probably say it's too plain, but I love it and feel good in it, so I don't really care what anyone else thinks. Just as long as my fiance likes it, and he says I'd look great in a bin liner (Now he tells me - a bin liner would have been much cheaper!)

It would be nice to see a few more 'real weddings' with older brides though. Our wedding photographer has photographed lots of older couples, so there must be loads out there getting married.

Hi hun

Your dress sounds perfect for you! I bet you feel a million dollars in it. I do agree with you though, there does seem to be an awful lot of very revealing (and stunning) gowns out there, and if I was 30 years younger, I would deffo be considering one!

I'm not one for rules myself, I have a full on ballgown with train for my second marriage taking place next year. My first dress was a 1991 satin "bell", there's no other way to describe it, end of line Berketex sale job! Cost me £125. What is it they say, marry in haste, repent at leisure!

My H2B is just tremendous, and I can't wait to be his Mrs! He has insisted on me having a veil as he wants to lift it at the right moment (it's his first wedding!) and he really was quite firm on me having what he called "a traditional gown", because he knew what a crap affair my first wedding (and marriage!) was.

I just wish that websites like Hitched and the others would kind of balance their images a bit more, to represent the bridal demographic as it were!

Anyway, I await their reply with interest!

It would be great all round - with so many people getting married later in life, either for the first time or not, many women purchasing bridal gowns will be older, so perhaps it's time bridal manufacturers stopped photographing all their dresses on teenagers and 20-somethings! I've seen a couple of small independent makers who use older models, but mostly it's all really young women.

I think I'd probably be going for my current dress style even if I was much younger - when I asked my fiance what he'd like me to wear, he fixed me with a stern eye and said 'you are NOT to wear a duvet cover' - because he knows that is what I'd probably turn up in given the chance!

He was the one who was keen on a traditional dress for me too - I'd have been happy just to get a nice dress that I could wear again. But we have found a good compromise. The dress I have chosen is viscose, so I'm planning on dying it and re-wearing it for special events!