A sad reflection of today’s society or meeting consumer need?

There was a time when a boutique specializing in maternity wedding dresses would have been unthinkable, of course that would have been the same time that a woman who became pregnant out of wedlock would have been chastised for her reprehensible conduct.

Although such stigmatisation is no longer common, a Chiswick business that specialises in wedding dresses for pregnant brides has still managed to spark a debate.

Tracey Wilkinson launched the business after the difficulty she encountered finding a dress for her own wedding day.

"I got married when I was seven months pregnant and found it very difficult getting a maternity bridal dress to fit.” Tracey told The Daily Mail who believes that simply buying a large size dress would make a woman look like she was 'wearing a tent'.

"Times have definitely changed," she continued "it is no longer frowned upon to get married while pregnant."

However, not everyone is in agreement with her. Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe said, "I think this shop is an extremely sad sign of the times."

Hugh McKinney, of the National Family Campaign, said, "It demonstrates an increasing number of women are getting pregnant outside of marriage. But on the positive side, it also demonstrates that they still want to bring children up within the commitment of marriage."

Public opinion of Expectant Bride ranges from “The white dress for the virginal bride flew out the window with the sexual revolution of the sixties. Deal with it!” through “What a brilliant business idea for meeting a real consumer need.” to “Talk about putting the cart before the horse - this shop is making a mockery out of marriage by not setting a good example!”

April 3, 2008