Post # 1
Member
251 posts
Helper bee
Our date is still a ways out, May 16, 2015. I really, really want to go look at dresses. I have a small/moderate budget and plan on going to a consignment store in the area, Brides for a Cause and may be DB to keep the cost down. I can’t wait to go shopping and I feel like since I have time I should start checking out places now.. especially the consigment shop since they get new dresses in all the time and it may take a few trips to find something I love. Anyhow, I’m worried with 18 months left to go it’s a little early and I’ll end up buying something now and have dress regret later. I’m also planning on losing another 10-20 pounds before the wedding and the less alterations that have to be done the better. There is definitely no money in the budget for a second dress. Suggestions? How early/late did you buy your dress?
Post # 3
Member
1722 posts
Bumble bee
I think there’s nothing wrong with starting to look now so that you can get an idea of what you want…and like you said consignment shops are constantly get new stuff. I got engaged last september and bought my dress in December. I knew the minute I tried it on that it was THE one and that I wouldn’t have regrets or find something else i wanted later on. I think you should start looking now you should but maybe hold off on buying anything just yet unless you are 100% sure you won’t change your mind later. You have lots of time to find THE one! 🙂
Post # 4
Member
251 posts
Helper bee
@hazyleyedbeauty: thanks 🙂 I’ve been trying to be patient but we went to a fashion show last night and it really really made me want to go try some on!
Post # 5
Member
344 posts
Helper bee
I second holding off on buying until you are sure. Also, don’t look at other dresses after you’ve purchased!
Post # 6
Member
12244 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I’d hold off on buying until 5/14-8/14, but definitely start looking whenever!
Post # 7
Member
1133 posts
Bumble bee
Another May 2015 bride! 🙂 Our wedding is May 23, 2015, and I bought my dress last month! It’s currently in a box and bag sitting on my couch (what to do with it now is a whole other story!). Fiance proposed in June, but I had looked for months online beforehand, casually browsing. I found my dress accidentally online, and had been obsessed with trying it on so my Maid/Matron of Honor came down last month so we could go dress shopping. They actually didn’t have my dress in stock, so I tried on 4-5 others. Liked some of them a lot, but I kept thinking of the other dress. So we went out to another city, I tried it on, and I bought it that night.
I am looking to lose 40-50lb so I know I will need alterations, but I bought it because I got it for $500 (retails for $1100 – Alfred Angelo). I figure I can always sell if need be, but I really loved this one. I’ve shown co-workers and friends, and they all agree it’s the one!
Post # 8
Member
838 posts
Busy bee
@HappyORBride: I bought my dress 1 year and 3 months before my wedding. I actually only had one appointment and bought the 8th dress I tried on. I did have dress regret right after I left the Bridal store because I didn’t have “The Moment” everyone talks about. Most of my family cried and said they all knew it was the one, but I am usually a very indecisive person. I wanted to go through every rack in the store and look at every dress so I knew just by looking at it if it was a yay or nay. Obviously I couldn’t do that nor did we have the time. Lol Well when my dress came in and I put it on I knew it was the dress for me. I just didn’t realize until that moment. I often look at other dresses online, but for some reason everyone has something I hate on it so I know I made the right decision. I don’t think it’s too early to start. Just because you look doesn’t mean you’ll find one right away either. Good Luck!
Post # 9
Member
145 posts
Blushing bee
@HappyORBride: My engagement itself is 7months and many told me that it’s not enough to secure a dress. It was more than enough. I strated to search 5months before, and got it well. Think in this way. Even if you find the one now, it may go cheaper. And if you’re planning to lose 10-20lbs, the type of dress you can rock can change. So losing weight first should be a good plan.
Post # 10
Member
609 posts
Busy bee
Honestly, I feel like I went shopping too soon and it was a year away from my wedding. I had major dress regret but ended up overcoming it, but I wish I would have waited until all the new collections came out!
Post # 11
Member
903 posts
Busy bee
I started looking at dress about 18 months out. I’m glad I did! It took me nearly 10-15 bridal salons and about a hundred dresses to find one i liked more than all the others, and from that I was able to get my perfect dress custom made. Had I waited until 12 months out I may not have had time to do the custom route after wasting 7 months in bridal salons, nor would I have been able to order most dresses from the bridal salon.
It was also nice because I wasn’t rushed to try on dresses. I made the appointments around me and my moms schedules and she was able to come to most (I forbid her from coming to one. I wanted to try on dresses by myself, just once to see if it made a difference.)
So I say: go try on dresses and have some fun! take your time! don’t feel pressured to buy the first dress you try one (or the second, or the twentieth, or the hundreth!)
Post # 12
Member
251 posts
Helper bee
@bapbap: lol that is what will be the hardest! I don’t know how I will possibly go without looking at dresses more.. may be not in stores but online. I love browsing through dresses on this site!
Post # 13
Member
251 posts
Helper bee
@Scorpio88: That totally makes me feel better. We decided to go look this weekend because there is an event in the area. Part of me hopes to find the perfect dress at a great price but part of me hopes we don’t because I don’t want to have to worry about storing it or finding another and having regret.
Post # 14
Member
251 posts
Helper bee
@MrsHotPink: Thank you.. I too am very indecisive which is why I think this is going to be a really, really hard decision for me.
Post # 15
Member
251 posts
Helper bee
@dv3849: Part of why we planned our wedding so far out was so we could enjoy the process. I want to have fun with it and not be rushed so what you said makes perfect sense!
@afake79: what if I get a corset? Do you think that will help if I do find one and lose weight? I’ve heard they require less alterations because they can go up or down a size.
Post # 16
Hostess
326 posts
Helper bee
@HappyORBride: I was engaged just over two years. Like yourself I wanted to lose weight before I tried on dresses. I am an extremely indecisive person so I scoured the internet looking for dresses. I went to a couple of places with the intention of feeling out colour, style, fit, silhoutte… but I wasn’t impressed by anything. It did help me narrow things down though.
I found out that a princess ballgrown wouldn’t look good on someone of my small height and larger body. I found ivory looked great, that I didn’t like Veils, that I didn’t like lace, netting or traditional trains.
It really helped me narrow down what I thought I wanted and what I was willing to try on or not.
I started to seriously look about a year out. So My advice would be to keep searching online. Narrow down what you like/want/price/colour etc, and have just one fun sort of visit to a store to try on styles/colours!
Good luck 🙂