Wedding Wedding Dress Question...

[2BMrs.D]

So my FI and I just got engaged this past Saturday and we definately haven''t had time to discuss setting a date yet, but the more I think about it the more I would really love to get married mid-May next year. So, my question is, does that really give me enough time to find a dress that I love, order it AND have alterations done (if need be)? I''ve heard horror stories from friends about how long the whole process took and I''m scared that I won''t leave myself enough time (unless I start looking, like yesterday). If we decided to set a date for after mid-May sometime, I would want to wait until it gets cool again, being in a wedding dress in 90+ degree heat doesn''t seem like fun to me!

(I really don''t want to wait a whole year from now to say our I do''s!)

Any input would be greatly appreciated and any suggestions about where to look would be awesome!!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I would plan on at least 6 months for a dress order. I know Maggie Sottero runs up there and some higher end designers take even longer. You may want to look at off the rack samples or trunk shows where you can buy the samples. You can also do rush orders, but they can be expensive.

 

[mjso]

I''m getting married May 1, 2009. I haven''t started looking for dresses yet. I''ve been engaged for 8 months. So I think if you want a May wedding it is still doable.

Most things I''ve read have said 6-9 months. It''s just about 9 months now. I figure as long as I order by October/November it should be fine. If you start looking this month and decide by October that gives you 7 months.

I guess it depends on how long you think you will have to "look" in order to find the right dress. I know it can take people a while, but you currently have 8 months until Mid-May, so unless you think it will take you like 3 months to look and find the dress (assuming you have the money now and don''t need to save it up) you should be fine.

Most people suggest going to a bridal salon (or a few) and trying on everything the sales rep will pull plus what you really think you want to try on.

Good Luck!

 

[violet02]

I ordered my dress in Jan, in came in July. My first fitting was a week ago.

Had i ordered a pronovias, they were telling me I had to do it asap if I wanted to get it in for an october wedding. I guess the ones from Spain take longer?

I know my dress was handmade by one person so it took ages.

There are dresses you can put rush orders on and that you can get faster though. I''d give myself 8-10 months personally.

 

[2BMrs.D]

I don''t think I''ll be super-picky about the dress, something that flatters my figure is my only concern (and isn''t too poofy)! I think the hardest part is going to be that we only have about 3 or 4 bridal salons in town and I have no idea how they operate (if they sell off the rack or if they have to order everything). I would rather avoid David''s Bridal, but it may come to that. There''s just so many options to choose from as far as shape/style are concerned, I''m not really looking forward to it (I''m not very "girly", but I do want to look beautiful for my FI on our day)!

Thank you ladies for your responses, I guess I need to start looking soon, in the off-chance we do set our date for May!

 

[galvana]

Hi there
You have plenty of time i think but i would suggest you get moving if you want May - not so much for your dress but for a venue for your reception. Im not sure which state you live in but in my area they book up well in advance so i definitly would start working on it now. My wedding is July 09 and I just ordered my gown recently.
They come in pretty quickly - 2 months or so - depending on what you get. I got a maggie sottero (love the entire line) and its coming in quickly.
Congrats on the engagement and let me know if you have any questions along the way, this site will be a great help to you - it has been for me!

 

[marchswallowbird]

I started shopping early to give myself enough time to order a dress and have it altered without having to stress out about it. My wedding is still more than a year away and I found a dress I love and bought the sample! So, I didn''t even have to go thru the ordering process and I have the dress REALLY early. You have time, especially if you start now.

 

[zipzapgirl]

I''ve been doing lots of dress research lately (that''s how I found this forum

) and everything seems to come in in 9-12 weeks. It depends on the manufacturer, since some are fairly reliable and others entirely untrustworthy when it comes to delivery dates.

Then you need about 3 fittings, depending on how much you need to change on the dress (some hems and a bustle on a fairly simple dress should be shorter; with beading, bodices, etc. it''s more complicated and takes longer to get right). The bridal salons like to do a fitting every 2-3 weeks, so that adds maybe two months to the process, but the CAN do it quicker if you push them.

By the way, David''s doesn''t do all that much off the rack. Try a sample sale if you want to go that route, look at jcrew.com, Saks or Nordstrom for less formal dresses, or look online.

 

[CDNinNYC]

I don't know how common this is, but when I was at a Pronovias boutique trying on gowns, they had my dress, in my size and in stock; I was able to take it away with me right away.

BTW, I'm a May 2009 bride too.

ETA: I think I saw this happen too on Kleinfeld's "Say Yes to the Dress" where some brides needed a dress in a hurry and the consultants were able to pull dresses they had in stock that matched the brides measurements.

 

[bee*]

I''m getting married in June of next year and I''m not planning to go dress shopping for 7-8 weeks so I''d say that you''ll have plenty of time. I''m kind of going on a six month order time-frame.

 

[Izzy03]

I am getting married on April 4, 2009 and I just started looking for my dress last weekend. I plan on ordering one in the next few days. If you get on the ball this weekend, and make ad decision soon, you should be okay. Some consultants have told me that they can "rush" the dress but it costs a little more.

 

[Laila619]

I had just a 5 month engagement. I'm getting married this November, and I ordered my dress in July. My gown is by Mon Cheri Bridals. It came in in 3 weeks!!!

I was amazed. So if you order from a reliable, speedy manufacturer (Casablanca and Mori Lee are very good as well) it can be done.

 

[kittybean]

Start looking now and you''ll have plenty of time, even with some of the high-end designers. You''ll be surprised at how quickly manufacturers and bridal shops will push things along if your wedding date is (relatively) soon, many times without incurring rush charges. If you choose a dress within the next couple weeks, I think you will be right on schedule.

 

[doodle]

honestly, i think the biggest determinant is your figure. it''s harder to find a dress if you''re a size 16 and can''t try on most of the samples. it also depends on what your dress budget is, as that will determine where you''re shopping, and it depends on the style of wedding you want--will it be very formal? a little more low-key? it''s harder to find one specific style and size of dress than it is to go into things with a lot of flexibility. that being said, i think you have enough time, but you need to get on it, girl! and it''s mandatory to post pictures, too...there''s laws regarding the posting of dress pics on ps...i may have made that last part up...

 

[bootsiekin]

Hi,

Youve brought up Davids Bridal a couple times - Id like to suggest Alfred Angelo. Thats where my sister and I got our gowns and BM dresses. My gown came in very quickly - probably about a month and my sisters came in about 3 months after ordering. Their prices are very affordable and I think they have a really large and diverse selection, although it is a chain. Though I was lucky and didnt need any alterations besides the bustle!

 

[2BMrs.D]

Wow! Thank you ladies for all your responses! I definately need to start looking!!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

 

[waterlilly]

David's Bridal has an online collection, no dealing with the sales folks! Would arrive quickly and give you time to have it altered somewhere nearby if needed...