Dress shopping !

Hey Jessica! You can definitely start looking around, figure out what you like and don't like. I would hold off on buying the dress till like 10 months out though, so around October this year. That'll be enough time for the dress to arrive and have alterations done.

You can start looking around now. I wouldn't settle on a dress yet this early bc you may have dress regret

I think it's a great idea to start looking around now, just to get an idea of what you like! Try on all different styles and figure out what you feel comfortable in. If you find your perfect dress, you can always search online as well to see if anyone is selling it on Poshmark or eBay or Stillwhite - often times, people buy a dress, then change their minds, so a lot of those dresses are still new with tags, but at a much discounted price! I recommend purchasing at around the year mark, just so that you have enough time for the dress to arrive and for alterations, but it's close enough to your wedding to where you are less likely to change your mind. Happy dress shopping!!

Jessica,


Thank you for your post! A wedding dress was the absolute last thing on my mind when I started wedding planning, and yet, it was my first purchase for the wedding. I was really lucky and my grandmother found the PERFECT dress (sorry to my attendant), and I fell in love. I think it’s an excellent idea to start ASAP, too. I didn’t think about it before the purchase, but it took almost 8 months to get it because it came from Australia. Who would’ve thought! But I would recommend looking whenever you feel comfortable! You don’t want to find the PERFECT dress and then realize it won’t be in in time for alterations. At the same time, you won’t want to second guess your choice either. I’ve had my dress for about 4-5 months now and I make it a point to not look at any other dresses.
There are a ton of resources here and online regarding making the big decision to buy, so I won’t get into all of that. But, no one knows what you want better than you do! Thanks for your post and happy hunting!
Aubrianna Abbema

It's not too early to start looking. I would probably wait until closer to the 1 year mark to start trying dresses on. Typically, bridal boutiques suggest order your dress at least 10 months out to ensure it arrives in time for alterations.

Definitely not too early to start looking! A lot of brides think they know exactly what they want... then after trying on dresses, end up with something completely different! It’s a great idea to go to several boutiques and try on lots of different silhouettes, materials, etc. to narrow down what it is you’re looking for. If you start looking early, you will avoid the feeling of being pressured to find (or settle for) something quickly. And bonus: if you find “the one” you will have the luxury of taking plenty of time to think about it instead of rushing into a purchase. Plus, there is the possibility the dress will go on sale before it’s time for you to purchase it! I wouldn’t actually purchased until about a year out though

Not too early to stop looking at all! It's a great way to look at different designs and fabrics to see what you really like. You never know, the dress you thought you'd love might end up not being the one, and the dress you never thought about could be the one!! Look around and get a good idea of what your wedding gown style is! Like Chrysta said, I wouldn't purchase the dress until a year out.

My wedding dress consultant told me it’s taking over a year to get in dresses! So if you find something you love I wouldn’t wait long. Could just be my location.

Not too early to look! I bought mine a little over a year in advance because I was worried about covid slowing the processing down. I’d keep that in mind since it’s the new normal.