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Have you considered an adjustable dress (otherwise known as corset back)?
Are you saying you have a dress but it's too small? How many sizes smaller is it?
@Over the Moon: Like, severely small. I bought it over a year ago, and since then my home was nearly destroyed and numerous personal/work stresses led to serious weight gain. (Obviously my fault.) I don't think the dress is an option anymore.
great job on getting back into the swing of things! i wish i could do the same - i keep telling myself ill get back in the gym but it never happens.
I would cut your losses and go find another dress - you don't need the stress of a wedding AND trying to fit into a dress. Go find something that you feel great in! if you feel good it will show in the pictures. ask about samples the salon may be willing to sell- maybe browse recycled bride for a used dress? try a chain like DB or Group USA who tend to get their dresses a little faster than salons who carry designer dresses.
@totheislnds: Yes, I've given up on the other dress.
To sum it up, my question is when? Do I just stop losing weight now and get a dress and then don't lose anymore weight before the wedding?
Do I have another month? A month and a half? When is my window closed?
Buy a dress as soon as possible in your current size. Consider corset back, since those are easily adjustable. If you continue to loose weight, have alterations done ~4-6 weeks before the wedding
So glad you're back on track! I hope things have calmed down for you, that sounds like a really awful time :(
I know the window depends on your seamstress and your dress. At this point, it might be worth getting a sample you like and taking it to a seamstress. I'm on WW, and the lady working on my dress pushed the first fitting to April - but my dress fits "ok" now, it's just a smidge too big and needs hemming and a bustle, so at most I will be down 1 size.
From "shopping" alterations options, you may better off going with a private person/shop - the salon where I bought my dress quoted me a 4 month window and couldn't promise a week-of fitting. The woman who's actually altering it will have it done in 6 weeks and said we could do a day before if that was what I needed.
ETA - is retail an option? A place like J Crew or The Limited or Nordstrom?
@atalante: Retail is totally an option!
I couldn't care less about what the dress looks like - my chief concern is that I want to look like myself again, so I'd perfer to prioritize giving myself to lose weight and feel healthy again.
ETA - Per your suggestion, I found a high-end seamstress who can do alterations about a month out. Rave reviews about her.
Maybe it's crazy, but my plan is to go shopping at the end of February for something that requires minor alterations, and go that route. (Insane??)
Ok so from what you are saying the dress you have is not an option. That leaves you with 2 options, you can start now and scope out local stores to see how long it would take to get a dress and ask about buying the sample or 2. You could always purchase a dress preowned. Seeing how you seem a bit indecisive, I would not suggest buying online unless you have tried it on before or know it's "the dress."
As far as losing weight goes... I would continue to try but would definitely purchase a dress that has a corset back. However, I would purchase a dress size that is on the mid to larger side. This way if you lose weight you have room to tighten it. If you purchase a dress a few weeks from now and lose 5-10 lbs it can be altered by just pulling the corset tight. Depending on where you lose your weight you may need other mintor alterations. Seamstresses don't like to cut it short but they will do it.
I say start shopping around for a corset dress and stay motivated! Good Luck!
they can take dresses in a lot more than they can let them out. (the consultant at my salon told me that the dresses are MADE such that you can take them in up to three sizes without messing with the structure of it.) find a dress in the size that fits you now and have alterations done starting at around 6 weeks out from your date. at this point, you'll definitely have to rush order a dress, and you may even have to buy off the rack. you'll find something you love though! good luck!
Take your dress to a good bridal seamstress before you write it off if you still like it. Unless it's the kind of deal where you can't even fit your thigh in there anymore, they might be able to do something with it.
If you really can't, consider a store like David's, where they have dresses in the store in multiple sizes. You could theoretically do this up until the day before the wedding if you're not real picky about the dress, because they can do cash-n-carry type of things.
I wish I could give you advice on this but I just want to send my condolences and just say everything will be okay =) Tough situation! I'm in a similar boat with weight and dress. It was a little too small but I want to lose more, so I hope it can be altered a lot. =( very stressful with a wedding in two months.
Start looking soon, don't wait until the end of Feb. If for some reason you can't quickly find a dress you could be in a complete mess. Look for a dress soon and find a corseted one. If you still need to, take it to a seamstress closer to the date.
If you are ok with purchasing a sample gown that may need cleaning or alterations you should check out Church Street Bridal. Add them on facebook to see the dresses they have in stock right now. http://churchstreetbridal.blogspot.com/
@Ms. Martian: Ooh - I was going to drive out to a shop very near there, so it's already on my way! I'd love to help support their programs, too!
You might also consider consignment shops. There are three I know of in the DC area, I Do I Do in Gaitherburg, St. Anthony's Bridal in Bethesda, La Bella Bridal in Occoquan. I Do I Do is larger and has more selection, but La Bella has a wonderful owner who had an eye for picking out dresses you would never look at twice on the rack, but that look gorgeous on you. St. Anthony's has the most limited selection, but their dresses are only $150 each. Not only can you save money at a consignment store, but you can try on the actual dress you would be wearing, and take it home that same day.
Do what you want--wait to get your dress. I got mine two months before the wedding in a sample sale and had it taken in three sizes. I used an independent seamstress.
UPDATE: I found my dress yesterday. I tried Church Street Bridal out in Lynchburg, VA, put a lovely dress on hold, and then went to David's Bridal in Rockville, MD to try on some other shapes and get a sense of whether there was a more flattering shape out there for me.
The first dress I tried on was DB's lace keyhole dress. It perfectly, it was flattering -- so I took it home the same day. No alterations needed, except to get a bustle and some cups put in. And I didn't need to get a corset back!
It really wasn't as crazy as some people warned me it might be. Hooray!
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Bees, my weight has been all over the place. I finally have been in a place/mindset where I can lose weight. That's great, right? And the even better news is that it's working - I've lost like 7 lbs already this month.
Now the bad news - I'm getting married in May. My existing dress doesn't fit me anymore - and I'm not confident I can get into it by May.
I feel terrible about the way I look now, but feel confident I can continue to drop some major weight before May. But what's my cutoff? Realistically - is it possible to get a dress with minimum alterations needed? Or do without? How long can they take (if I'm willing to pay extra to expedite, even)?
At what point do I just have to accept where I'm at and get a dress? I really don't want to look at my photos with disappointment...