Where to Find The Best
 Special Occasion Maternity Dresses

NOTE: This post was originally published in July, 2017 while I was pregnant with my now one year old daughter, Dessa. I am not currently pregnant, but I recall the frustration of trying to find maternity dresses for weddings, formal events and other special occasions. I know that this post has been helpful to many women pregnant women, so I updated all the shopping links with gorgeous dresses for the season that are currently in stock at ASOS and Pink Blush. If you are expecting and in need of a dress for a special event, I sincerely hope that this post helps you discover the perfect dress for your holiday party or event!

This is not a sponsored post. I just love ASOS so, so much and I know that this slightly under-the-radar online store will be someone else's favorite place to stock up on maternity clothes. This post does contain affiliate links. We receive a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of our links, which helps to support the blog. 

I had a few special events over the course of my pregnancy and I wanted to find something a little more unique than the standard jersey wrap dress that's so popular with most maternity retailers. I combed through every maternity dress style on the ASOS website until I found the perfect special occasion maternity dress to suit my needs to an early spring “red carpet” event and an April wedding. This navy Maya Maternity midi dress with sequin embellished top was just my style! Classic, elegant, and the fabric gently draped over my growing baby bump. The dress was also fully lined so I didn't need to worry about wearing a slip underneath.

I've raved about the maternity selection on ASOS before (they have a very fashionable assortment of casual clothes as well) and just like all of their other inventory, the maternity dresses are only in stock for a limited time. This isn't always the best if you are like me and drag your feet while you contemplate purchasing a specific item, but it absolutely has a silver lining. Once an item starts selling out in a few different sizes, it goes on sale. And I don't mean just a couple of dollars off the price – I mean it goes on SALE. My dress was originally priced at $114 and I was fortunate enough to grab it on sale for $74. And it has sequins! How often can you find a high-quality, fully lined, special occasion dress with sequins for under $100?

ASOS has an excellent shipping and return policy. Any purchase over $40 receives free standard shipping, orders over $140 receive free 2-day shipping, and returns are always free. ASOS also offers a Premier Delivery service that works just like Amazon Prime. For an annual fee of $19, you can subscribe to Premier Delivery and receive free 2-day shipping on every single order. I ordered from ASOS often while I was pregnant and the subscription was worth every penny.

Because ASOS has such a fast turnover on their clothes, they do not offer exchanges on any of their merchandise. Instead, your only option is to return an unwanted item for a full refund, then reorder the same item and hope it is still in stock.

My own navy sequin dress had a tiny flaw on one of the sleeves – it was missing some of the original sequins. I adored the dress and was very lucky to get it in my size. My only options were to return the dress (and risk it never restocking in my size) or to keep the dress as-is. Obviously, I kept the dress. It was just too pretty to send back and the flaw was so discrete, I didn't worry about anyone noticing a few missing sequins.

What I love most about getting dressed up for a special occasion is that it's the perfect opportunity to wear my wedding jewelry again. And the silver scalloped heeled sandals? They were just plain fabulous.

Of course, I don't splurge on everything. The silver clutch was a great bargain find at Charming Charlie.

If you're pregnant and have an event coming up that requires something a little more special than the standard maternity dress, I highly recommend stopping by ASOS and checking out their special occasion maternity dresses section. Here are some of my favorites for formal events during the holiday season!

I also found the most exquisitely stunning beaded maxi dress for my maternity photos from ASOS, which was an absolute show-stopper. My pale green dress is currently out of stock, but I've noticed that they almost always carry this dress in at least one color. I am in love with this blush version (it's extra stunning with long sleeves) and this charcoal gray midi dress in the same style would be gorgeous for a New Year's Eve party.

These dresses often go in and out of stock. If you have your eye on a dress that's currently out of stock in your size, STALK these dresses on ASOS and check back daily (perhaps even a few times a day.) There's a pretty good chance that they will go in and out of stock as people return previous purchases and I can assure it is completely worth the time and effort.

If the prices on ASOS are a bit out of range for your budget and you still want to look fabulous, be sure to check out Pink Blush Maternity for even more shopping options. They're dresses are gorgeous and you can often snag them on sale with a discount code! Here are a few of my favorite special occasion maternity dresses from Pink Blush:

Just because you're pregnant, doesn't mean you can't find nice clothes.
Here's to a very fashionable holiday season!

Photos by the exceptionally talented Niki Marie Photography.