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How Far In Advance to Order Your Gown ?

bebe

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
2,845
My DD is newly engaged and the wedding is set for 9-10-11 (cool date huh?)

Anyway, when should she start seriously looking at gowns? When are the "new" styles released to the showrooms?

She recently heard of a friend's gown taking 9 months to come in. Is that normal? And then should she allow a certain
amount of time for alterations?
 

Octavia

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
2,660
I ordered my dress a little over a year out, and it took about 7 months to come in (they said 6, but it was late). Unfortunately, by the time it came in, I had really changed my mind and was regretting the dress I'd ordered, so I would say not to do it too early. If I could go back, I'd start dress shopping about a year out, but not order until about 8-9 months before the wedding. That should be plenty of time unless the people at the bridal shop say the line has a habit of coming in late (so check with them on that), but won't give as much time for second thoughts.

ETA: I got a Maggie Sottero dress and the prices go up on Sept. 1 of each year, so I just thought I'd throw that out there in case it makes a difference.
 

septsparkle

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
748
Octavia said:
I ordered my dress a little over a year out, and it took about 7 months to come in (they said 6, but it was late). Unfortunately, by the time it came in, I had really changed my mind and was regretting the dress I'd ordered, so I would say not to do it too early. If I could go back, I'd start dress shopping about a year out, but not order until about 8-9 months before the wedding. That should be plenty of time unless the people at the bridal shop say the line has a habit of coming in late (so check with them on that), but won't give as much time for second thoughts.

ETA: I got a Maggie Sottero dress and the prices go up on Sept. 1 of each year, so I just thought I'd throw that out there in case it makes a difference.

Could not agree more with this reasoning and timeline. I also purchased a Maggie dress. :love:
 

lulu66

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
1,304
i ordered mine in feb, it came in the last week of june & my wedding is in sept. fwiw, mine is pronovias.

also, i started looking a year out, found my dress after a few months but waited to put in the order till feb.
 

legallyspoiled

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 25, 2010
Messages
367
My gown is an Ian Stuart and it is taking 7 months to make. I ordered it two weeks ago. Apparently it takes 2 months for the fabric to be made and come back from Italy. Oh, and apparently everyone over there takes the entire month of December off. I'm really hoping that doesn't delay the delivery of my dress! So, I'm told that I found and ordered my dress just in the nick of time for my April 10th wedding. My dress is scheduled to arrive on March 1st!
 

ts44

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 31, 2009
Messages
612
I started dress shopping about 10 months before the wedding, ordered the dress 7 months before the wedding, and it arrived 2 months before the wedding, which I felt was a decent amount of time.
 

bebe

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
2,845
bean - why do you wish you would have waited ?
 

trillionaire

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
3,881
I ordered mine on Friday... it got here today. I get married in 51 days.

I hope this sucker fits! :wink2:
 

mrscushion

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 15, 2008
Messages
3,309
I ordered mine 9 months out, but I could have stretched it to 7 months out. I'm not sure when the new lines come out.
 

Autumnovember

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Messages
4,384
Wow the prices for go up on sept 1st for maggie dresses?!?!?!?!!

Our date is set for 10.01.2011 and I have an appointment Monday to try on a dress I have had my eyes on. I'm going away to cali for two weeks so I guess I'll have some decisions to make.
 

OUpearlgirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
3,081
I work somewhere that sells Maggie... I've seen the price lists numerous times. The prices do not change on Sept. 1. In fact, the price of the gown rarely, rarely changes from the original price.

You should order about 8 months in advance, if you can. Gowns take about 6 months to come in. You'll want time for alterations, portraits, all of that good stuff.

Most companies come out with either 1 or 2 lines a year. They release them in fall and spring. We'll go to market in October and the "Spring 2011" dresses will start coming in around January. They will trickle in for several months. Then we go to market again in March, and those dresses begin arriving June.
 

LtlFirecracker

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 29, 2008
Messages
4,837
I ordered mine 8 months before the wedding, it was supposed to come in 4 months, but it was a month late.

I think 8-9 months is perfect. It gives you enough time to to the alterations without being in a rush (they are doing one thing at a time for my dress so I am already on my third fitting and they haven't even started the hem!) but not so long that you start to regret it. Probably only one new line will come out if you order at the 8 month point, and probably too late for your daughter to realistically consider them.

ETA: Your daughter is getting married the same time I am (just a year later). I would add one month to however long they will tell you the dress will take. I guess that is their "busy season."
 

Autumnovember

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Messages
4,384
OUpeargirl said:
I work somewhere that sells Maggie... I've seen the price lists numerous times. The prices do not change on Sept. 1. In fact, the price of the gown rarely, rarely changes from the original price.

You should order about 8 months in advance, if you can. Gowns take about 6 months to come in. You'll want time for alterations, portraits, all of that good stuff.

Most companies come out with either 1 or 2 lines a year. They release them in fall and spring. We'll go to market in October and the "Spring 2011" dresses will start coming in around January. They will trickle in for several months. Then we go to market again in March, and those dresses begin arriving June.

OU, Thanks for clearing that up for me. What about if the bridal store I'm going to has the particular dress I'm looking to try on already?
 

bebe

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
2,845
Thanks everyone. I'm hoping she can get started soon.
Good to know the fall lines are coming in. Just not sure where
to start looking first, local salons or just go hit the big ones out of town !!
 

OUpearlgirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
3,081
Autumnovember said:
OUpeargirl said:
I work somewhere that sells Maggie... I've seen the price lists numerous times. The prices do not change on Sept. 1. In fact, the price of the gown rarely, rarely changes from the original price.

You should order about 8 months in advance, if you can. Gowns take about 6 months to come in. You'll want time for alterations, portraits, all of that good stuff.

Most companies come out with either 1 or 2 lines a year. They release them in fall and spring. We'll go to market in October and the "Spring 2011" dresses will start coming in around January. They will trickle in for several months. Then we go to market again in March, and those dresses begin arriving June.

OU, Thanks for clearing that up for me. What about if the bridal store I'm going to has the particular dress I'm looking to try on already?

Then go try it on already!
 

Autumnovember

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Messages
4,384
OUpeargirl said:
Autumnovember said:
OUpeargirl said:
I work somewhere that sells Maggie... I've seen the price lists numerous times. The prices do not change on Sept. 1. In fact, the price of the gown rarely, rarely changes from the original price.

You should order about 8 months in advance, if you can. Gowns take about 6 months to come in. You'll want time for alterations, portraits, all of that good stuff.

Most companies come out with either 1 or 2 lines a year. They release them in fall and spring. We'll go to market in October and the "Spring 2011" dresses will start coming in around January. They will trickle in for several months. Then we go to market again in March, and those dresses begin arriving June.

OU, Thanks for clearing that up for me. What about if the bridal store I'm going to has the particular dress I'm looking to try on already?

Then go try it on already!


Haha I am on Monday. I'm just curious if this is too soon to buy a dress....a year and two months away from the wedding :)
 

ts44

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 31, 2009
Messages
612
bebe said:
Thanks everyone. I'm hoping she can get started soon.
Good to know the fall lines are coming in. Just not sure where
to start looking first, local salons or just go hit the big ones out of town !!

Hi Bebe, just from my personal experience I started looking in small boutiques and then my final dress shopping trip was to a huge bridal store. I wish I'd done it the other way around. The large stores can't be beat for selection and your daughter will have 20 designers to choose from instead of 3. She can see a whole lot of different styles all in one place and narrow down what type of dress or fabric she's looking for, which makes boutique shopping easier. Once you've figured out style/fabric, you can go on places like theknot.com or brides.com and use their dress search tools to search for say, "ballgown, organza" and see what designers pop up.
 

Octavia

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
2,660
OUpeargirl said:
I work somewhere that sells Maggie... I've seen the price lists numerous times. The prices do not change on Sept. 1. In fact, the price of the gown rarely, rarely changes from the original price.

Really? Apparently my dress shop lied to me, then... :angryfire: :angryfire:
 

bebe

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
2,845
ts44 said:
bebe said:
Thanks everyone. I'm hoping she can get started soon.
Good to know the fall lines are coming in. Just not sure where
to start looking first, local salons or just go hit the big ones out of town !!

Hi Bebe, just from my personal experience I started looking in small boutiques and then my final dress shopping trip was to a huge bridal store. I wish I'd done it the other way around. The large stores can't be beat for selection and your daughter will have 20 designers to choose from instead of 3. She can see a whole lot of different styles all in one place and narrow down what type of dress or fabric she's looking for, which makes boutique shopping easier. Once you've figured out style/fabric, you can go on places like theknot.com or brides.com and use their dress search tools to search for say, "ballgown, organza" and see what designers pop up.

Thanks, that makes sense.

Has anyone shopped at Stardust in Dallas ?
 

OUpearlgirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
3,081
bebe said:
ts44 said:
bebe said:
Thanks everyone. I'm hoping she can get started soon.
Good to know the fall lines are coming in. Just not sure where
to start looking first, local salons or just go hit the big ones out of town !!

Hi Bebe, just from my personal experience I started looking in small boutiques and then my final dress shopping trip was to a huge bridal store. I wish I'd done it the other way around. The large stores can't be beat for selection and your daughter will have 20 designers to choose from instead of 3. She can see a whole lot of different styles all in one place and narrow down what type of dress or fabric she's looking for, which makes boutique shopping easier. Once you've figured out style/fabric, you can go on places like theknot.com or brides.com and use their dress search tools to search for say, "ballgown, organza" and see what designers pop up.

Thanks, that makes sense.

Has anyone shopped at Stardust in Dallas ?

Nope.. I wouldn't go to Terry Costa. I used to love that place but their customer service has gone to pot!!!
 

Lozza

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
123
Octavia said:
OUpeargirl said:
I work somewhere that sells Maggie... I've seen the price lists numerous times. The prices do not change on Sept. 1. In fact, the price of the gown rarely, rarely changes from the original price.

Really? Apparently my dress shop lied to me, then... :angryfire: :angryfire:

I've done a bit of sales training and that is a classic line 'the price is going up soon, so you'd better buy it now'.

Don't feel bad,it's amazing how often it works.
 

Octavia

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
2,660
Lozza said:
Octavia said:
OUpeargirl said:
I work somewhere that sells Maggie... I've seen the price lists numerous times. The prices do not change on Sept. 1. In fact, the price of the gown rarely, rarely changes from the original price.

Really? Apparently my dress shop lied to me, then... :angryfire: :angryfire:

I've done a bit of sales training and that is a classic line 'the price is going up soon, so you'd better buy it now'.

Don't feel bad,it's amazing how often it works.

That would make sense, but I actually bought my dress in mid-September and she said that the price had just gone up at the beginning of the month but that she'd try to negotiate. She did knock the price down a bit, but I have no idea why she would tell me the prices go up in September if they really don't...she could have just told me what the price was without saying anything about it. Oh well, it was almost 2 years ago anyway (!) so I don't care that much, just don't want to lead the current BIWs astray!
 
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