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Bridal Lingerie, pt. 2: Why I'm NOT Wearing Spanx on My Wedding Day

This article is part of an ongoing series about the journey of buying bridal lingerie for my upcoming honeymoon and wedding. You can find the first installment, which reveals my thoughts on what honeymoon lingerie should be, here.

Simone Perele

When I announced my engagement last March, I got a lot of well-intentioned advice from the lingerie community about the kind of undergarments I should buy. I needed, in no particular order: a strapless bra, a longline bra, a bustier, a thong, a pair of seamless briefs, a waist cincher, pantyhose, stockings, a garter belt, and a pair of Spanx. If I weren't a lingerie blogger, it would all be very daunting. How in the world is the average woman supposed to choose between all that?

So I decided, pretty much in that instant, that comfort would be my guide. Not just for the wedding dress, but also for the wedding lingerie, the wedding shoes, and anything else wedding related. I don't want to come across as judging the choices of others, because that's absolutely not what this article is about, but I hate the notion that comfort should be a bride's last concern... one that comes five or six bullet points after looking "thinner" which is often equated to looking "prettier."

To me, the wedding day is a celebration. It's a party for me and my new husband. I want to eat, drink, dance, hug, kiss, cry, and just generally be merry. I don't want to have to run the restroom every 30 minutes because my lingerie is twisting, binding, riding up or (horror of horrors) falling down. And it's kind of funny because as I was going through my blog archives recently for the TLA FAQ, I found an article I wrote two and a half years ago (i.e. way before I got engaged) about shopping for bridal lingerie. And the very first thing I mentioned was that it needed to be comfortable.

I actually haven't bought the set I'm wearing on my wedding day yet, but I am going to try my dress on again this week (I purchased a sample off the rack about nine months ago, so it's time to start thinking alterations), and I'm giving some thought to what other qualities --- besides comfort --- I want my wedding undergarments to have.

First of all, I want my lingerie to be invisible. That means no panty lines, no bra lines, no random seams or ridges beneath the gown, no visible bra bands, etc. My gown has a low back which means most bra options (strapless, bustier, longline, etc.) are a no-go. I tried on my dress braless, and had no issues with the fit or lift (the structure of the dress is very supportive), so there's a very good chance I'll be braless on my wedding day (scandal!).

Blinged out panties with the word 'bride' in Swarovski crystals aren't really my thing either, so as far as my lower half goes, I'm leaning towards a basic pair of lace boyshorts in white, ivory, or cream. I love the idea of being able to wear my wedding day knickers as everyday knickers later on without feeling awkward or needing an excuse to dress up (because strapless bras and shapewear aren't exactly everyday go-to items for me).

Looking back at this article, I just realized this all sounds really unimpressive for a wedding day. There are no high-end, luxury brands. No fancy, expensive lace or special occasion items. Just more of what I wear everyday, albeit in a different color palette. Because the truth is, the honest-to-goodness last thing I want to think about on the happiest day of my life is my underwear.


Cora Harrington

Founder and Editor in Chief of The Lingerie Addict. Author of In Intimate Detail: How to Choose, Wear, and Love Lingerie. I believe lingerie is fashion too, and that everyone who wants it deserves gorgeous lingerie.