Nov 3rd 2026
Our Vegas Strip Wedding Photos: The Curvy Bride's Version
A Las Vegas Wedding Story
We Took Our Vegas Wedding Photos Right There on the Strip
A golden afternoon, a long lace veil, and a wedding dress that finally felt like mine.
If you'd told me the photos I'd end up framing would be the ones with Caesars Palace lit up behind me and a stranger somewhere down below on a casino floor, I'd have laughed. But that's exactly what we did, out on a stone balcony off the Strip, with the fountains going and the sun doing that golden Vegas thing it does in the late afternoon.
I'm a curvy girl, and I had a lot of feelings about wearing all white in public for a camera. Here's how it actually went.
The afternoon we chose to remember.
01 / The Setting
A Wedding Day on the Las Vegas Strip
Neither of us wanted the standard indoor setup. We got married in Vegas, and it felt wrong to come all the way here and take pictures against a plain wall like we could have done at home. The balcony has these big stone balustrades, and across the way you've got the whole Caesars facade — the columns, the gold lettering, everything. It looks enormous and a little ridiculous and completely like this city. I loved it.
We timed it for the hour before the sun dropped. In some of the shots the light is coming straight at us, and you can see it glowing through the veil. The photographer just said, stand there and don't squint, which is harder than it sounds. People were moving around the whole time, and nobody stopped what they were doing. In Vegas, a bride and a guy in a headwrap on a balcony barely register. That suited me fine.
02 / Finding the Dress
The Wedding Dress That Felt Right
Let me talk about the dress, because I know that's why you're here. I'm about 5'6 and I was around 210 pounds on the day. I've got the kind of body the magazines politely call hourglass and the fitting rooms treat like a problem. I spent a long time assuming I needed a big structured gown to somehow balance everything out. Every ball gown I tried just made me look like I was hiding inside it. So I went the opposite direction.
Mine is a soft white dress with a deep V-neck, fitted through the waist and the hips, then easing out toward the hem. The fabric has a little give in it, which matters more than I can say. It moves with me instead of fighting me, and the waist seam gives me a shape without anything digging in. I didn't want boning and corsets I couldn't sit down in. I wore this for hours, walked around, sat for a break, and I wasn't miserable once.
At my size, fitted doesn't mean unflattering. It means the dress has to actually fit. The difference between this looking good and this looking wrong is entirely in the construction. Mine was made to my measurements, so it skims the parts I'm sensitive about and holds the line where it should. If you're looking for a similar fit, explore our plus size wedding dresses for curvy brides.
The same build is still available — the V neck backless mermaid wedding dress. If you're comparing shapes, browse mermaid and trumpet wedding dresses to see how fitted silhouettes follow the waist and hips. For a different fabric finish, you can also compare our satin wedding dresses.
03 / The Finishing Detail
A Long Lace Mantilla Veil
The veil is what everyone asks about. It's a long mantilla, the flat kind that sits on top of your head and drapes down instead of puffing up behind you. The edges have these lace floral appliques, and it's long enough that the train pools on the ground behind me.
It also does something I didn't expect. The way it falls, it drapes over both of my arms like a cape, with the lace sitting right along the edge. So I get the coverage of sleeves without actually wearing sleeves, and nothing pinches or restricts me. In the full-length shots the train is just lying there on the stone behind me.
A long train on a windy balcony is a project. A couple of times it shifted and I had to move it back with my foot. And there's a reason I'm wearing block-heel sandals instead of anything skinny — I was not going to be the bride who went down on a stone walkway in stilettos. The low heel gave me height and I could actually walk.
04 / Together
The Little Details
He wore a white traditional robe with the embroidery down the front, his headwrap, and clean white sneakers. The sneakers were his call and I was against it at first, but in the photos they work. He's six-three and comfortable, and that's worth more than a pair of dress shoes he'd be limping in by dinner.
The bouquet stayed small and white, and the jewelry I kept almost nonexistent — small studs, a ring, nothing that would compete with the V-neck or the lace. We also shot down by the fountains, where the water was going and the palms were moving. In one of those I've got my hand on my hip like I'm far more confident than I felt. The camera doesn't know the difference, I guess.
05 / A Few Things Worth Knowing
Choosing a Wedding Dress for a Curvy Figure
A fitted wedding dress can be a beautiful choice for a curvy bride. The important thing is how the dress is constructed and how closely it follows your measurements.
A few details are worth considering when shopping for a plus size mermaid wedding dress:
01. The fit
Look for a waist and hip fit that follows your natural shape without pulling or restricting movement.
02. The neckline
A V neck wedding dress creates a clean vertical line and can be a lovely option for brides who prefer an open neckline.
03. The fabric
Consider how the fabric moves when you walk, sit and dance. Comfort matters throughout the wedding day.
04. The veil
A long lace veil or mantilla can add detail and provide additional arm coverage without requiring sleeves.
I don't have a neat list. If you're a curvy bride reading this, I'd say try the fitted dress before you talk yourself into hiding under a ball gown. Get it made to your actual body, not a size you're hoping to be. Pick a veil that gives you arm coverage if that's the thing you're worried about, and wear shoes you can stand in. This piece on what size inclusivity really means in wedding dress shopping is worth reading before you shop.
And go outside. The sun was in my eyes, the train kept moving, and the whole city was carrying on around us. Those are the ones I love.
A day, a dress, and a city full of memories.