A Curvy Bride’s Guide to Picking the Perfect Lace Dress for Oahu

Just wanted to share some honest thoughts on the dress I wore for our elopement shoot at Paliku Gardens in Kualoa Ranch. There are so many elopement dresses out there, but honestly, this one ended up surprising me in a really good way.

I’m a US 16/18, and ordering dresses online for my size usually just makes me nervous. I went with the size 18, crossed my fingers, and it genuinely fit straight out of the package.

No last-minute tailor trips, no safety-pin emergencies—which I absolutely did not expect. The lace itself is actually soft, not super scratchy, and the nude lining underneath isn't one of those cheap, dark liners that makes you look like you're wearing a slip. It breathes well, which was huge because it got pretty warm out there.

The day of the shoot was pretty humid, but I never felt like I was drowning in fabric, which I was worried about.

We walked around quite a bit—some of it on the paved driveway with the palm trees, and then we spent a good chunk of time on the grassy lawn surrounded by banana plants.

The dress moves so nicely when you twirl. The tiered ruffle hem caught the island breeze exactly the way I hoped, and surprisingly, the off-shoulder sleeves actually stayed in place.

Usually, that kind of sleeve is constantly riding up my arms, but not this one.

One tiny thing I’d flag though—if you're planning on sitting down a lot during your shoot, be gentle with the tulle layers. They're stunning when you're upright and walking, but sitting on them for a while might press the ruffles flat.

We were on our feet most of the time anyway because the Koʻolau mountain views are just insane, and you kind of just want to stand there and soak it in.

Anyway, I'm really glad I went with this Off shoulder lace wedding gown. It’s not crazy expensive, it packed easily into our luggage, and I didn't feel like I needed to suck myself into shapewear hell just to make it work.

If you're curvy and planning a tropical elopement, it's definitely worth looking into. The photos turned out more romantic than I thought they would, and that's coming from someone who's usually super awkward in front of the camera.