(Closed) How far in advance should you go dress shopping?

• nybride09
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: September 2009

i think the general protocol is to try and order your dress ~ 6 months in advance. depending on how much time you have to spend / firm your ideas are / how intensely you want to do it (e.g. back to back bridal appointments all in one day), maybe allow yourself 2-8 weeks to find a dress? it also depends on whether you’re the sort of person who is decisive or wants / needs to look at everything before deciding.

• Mrs. Bruschetta
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: August 2009 - St. Thomas of Villanova Church & the F.U.E.L. House

I was SO excited, so started looking a month or so after our engagement.  I waited about six months to order, though — and that was still with about a year until our wedding.  It took eight months for my dress to come in, and then I waited a few months to start alterations!

• chicagobride092010
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: December 2009

I’ll admit that I went dress shopping 16 months (May 2009) before my wedding (Sept 2010).  I have high designer tastes without wanting to spend 3-4K on something I’d wear once, so I knew I had to buy my dress used or as a sample.  Shopping sample sales in hopes that one of my favorites would be in the pile, or would pop up on a website used, might have taken a while, so that’s why I started so early.

Then I wound up finding my favorite dress of the favorites at the first sample sale I went to, and now my dress is sitting in a closet until it’s time for alterations.  Oops!  But oh well, it’s a HUGE peace of mind to have secured it!

• ilovenycmissie
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: August 2009

4 months just had my second fitting yesterday it’s soo beautiful!!!!

• Anonymous
• 11 years ago

My wedding is in Sept 2010 and I went shopping for the first time in June 2009. However, I didnt find anything I liked so I’ve gone once a month since then looking. I like it because I get to see everything with no rush and I get to enjoy it. I plan on ordering before Jan 2010! I think its never to soon to put a dress on. I thought I would only want ALine and found out I love modified mermaid! Who woulda thought the girl that hates her hips would like a tight dress!

• Jessie516
• 11 years ago

We got engaged in late April 2008 and I started dress shopping within a couple of weeks (once we had set our date-May 09).  I spent the whole summer looking for a dress and finally  ordered my dress at the end of Sept 2008.  The dress arrived in late Feburary 2009 and I started with fittings in March.

Although a couple of consultants gave me a hard time about waiting “too late” to look for a dress, I heard that you want to order your dress 4-6 months ahead of your wedding. 

• Stacy Marie
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: July 2010

I was a *tad* overexcited and went the week after I got engaged.  What can I say, I might’ve been looking for a while!

• Miss Hot Sauce
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: March 2010

I am 7 months out right now and am feeling the pressure. I should have gone at least 3 months ago.

• morrisgal
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: October 2009

I bought mine almost exactly 6 mos before our wedding, and the saleslady said that was the LATEST she would recommend.  If I did it again, I would’ve gone looking 8-9 mos before the wedding, just b/c it would’ve been more fun.  I ended up finding a dress in 5 days, b/c I felt somewhat under the gun.  I love what I got, but I would’ve had more fun if I’d given myself more time.

• morrisgal
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: October 2009

I bought mine almost exactly 6 mos before our wedding, and the saleslady said that was the LATEST she would recommend.  If I did it again, I would’ve gone looking 8-9 mos before the wedding, just b/c it would’ve been more fun.  I ended up finding a dress in 5 days, b/c I felt somewhat under the gun.  I love what I got, but I would’ve had more fun if I’d given myself more time.

• Ms Mini
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: July 2010

I am doing my first dress shopping trip in 2 weeks, planning that I won’t find “the one” right away, I will order my dress in November/December (6-7 months before the wedding).

• hunterstorme
• 11 years ago

• Wedding: September 2009

I bought mine 5.5 months before… I told them when I needed it and it was no problem. It only took 3 months to come in. This was at Kleinfeld though.