Wedding gown shopping?

[Grlsbestfrnd]

When is a good time to start looking for your gown? I just got engaged and we're planning on having the wedding sometime next May so, I have about a year till the big day. I'm just not sure how far out I should really start going out and trying things on in search of THE dress. I've already been looking online and getting ideas of what I want. Any insight would be great, thanks!

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

I don't really think there is a BEST time. I think you should be happy to do it whenever you feel like it. However, I think the limitation will be the time it takes for the dress to be delivered allowing time for alteration.

I am getting married in March next year and I got my dress in Jan or Feb this year, even before I booked a venue and things like that. My dress has already arrived at the store, and of course I have more than enough time for alterations.

If you're interested in trends, then maybe wait until later this year. If you truly have a type in mind, go start trying some on, have fun with it.

Congratulations on your engagement!

 

[KittyGolightly]

Dresses can take up to 4 months to arrive after you've ordered them. Fittings can take 2 to 3 months, depending on what needs to be done.

I ordered mine more than a year before the wedding because we originally planned to get married much earlier. Although I was relieved to find a dress early in the process, to be 100% honest, I did have a few moments looking at wedding magazines or here on PS when I thought, "Where was that dress when I was shopping?"

If you plan on losing weight before the wedding, I would suggest postponing the ordering of your dress until about 7-8 months before the date. A lot of shops are kinda weird about not letting you order the dress in a size smaller than you are at the time of ordering. Plus, the closer you are to your goal weight, the easier it will be to see how the dress fits on you. (This may not be an issue for you, but it was for me, so thought I'd throw it out there.)

MTA: If at all possible, I would suggest waiting until you have a venue nailed down. You will probably want your dress to match the overall feel of the event.

 

[merilenda]

I ordered my dress less than 5 months out. It took about 4 weeks to come in and I'm deliberately waiting another month before going to alterations. I think it kind of depends on what you're doing. We're having a very casual, intimate wedding that we really started planning in April (getting married in September). I bought my dress at DB, and they were really fast. So that's just been my experience.

 

[merilenda]

I ordered my dress less than 5 months out. It took about 4 weeks to come in and I'm deliberately waiting another month before going to alterations. I think it kind of depends on what you're doing. We're having a very casual, intimate wedding that we really started planning in April (getting married in September). I bought my dress at DB, and they were really fast. So that's just been my experience.

 

[MrsTulip]

I agree with KittyGolightly. Wait to pick your venue and decide what style your wedding overall will be (garden, blingy, trendy, etc.) This will help you pick out a dress that fits in with the tone of your wedding.

I tried on several dresses from several stores in Houston and Seattle over a 5-6 week period. I happen to buy my dress from a vendor that only sold stock on hand (overstock, unworn sample gowns and runway dresses), so I had my dress in a few weeks. Scored a designer gown at 75% off retail! But, normally it takes a few months once you've ordered your dress from a boutique or designer shop. The alterations process took about 2 months.

I have to admit that I visited a wedding dress shop way before I was ready to buy a dress just for fun. The appointment turned out to be really helpful because I figured out early on what styles did and didn't work for me. It was way fun to try on bling-ed out ballgowns but instantly knew that it wasn't the dress for me.

 

[OUpearlgirl]

Hiyo, I work in bridal!

A few things.. It can take anywhere from 4-6 months for a gown to arrive if you're not ordering from DB. You can get gowns quicker, but it does cost between $100-250 more. Sometimes that is only a month earlier during peak season.

I would start looking now and try to purchase about 8 months in advance.

The other thing, gown prices are on the rise. In the last few months many of our gowns have gone up by $100 to $300 because the cost of materials, etc is rising. At market in April (dresses start arriving to stores by the end of the summer) there was ONE Maggie Sottero dress for under $1k.. She used to have quite the selection under 1K, even a season ago. Every single one of our lines was like this (and we carry many!) There has been no inclination that this is about to stop or that prices will drop again soon, so keep that in mind!

Last thing.. Some designers release one line a year, and some have fall and spring lines. The Fall dresses usually arrive by the end of summer, meaning you could have one in time for a late winter wedding. The Spring dresses start arriving in Decemberish, so you can order one in time for a summer wedding.

Sorry, that was long winded!

Good luck and enjoy the process.