Dress Timeline

You could basically plan to try-on and buy around December or January for many of the designer dresses. Start getting an idea though of things you don't want and aspects you probably will want. Since your wedding is in September you may want to avoid satin or other thick materials. And probably no sleeves. You can decide if you are okay with a bustle if you have a train, but trains don't have to be bustled. If you want to do much dancing or even sitting, a mermaid style could get in the way if not the right material. Maybe get a sense of which necklines and shapes look best on you. What do you want people to notice most -- or least? Note some features you really don't want, so you are not automatically convinced to get a dress outside of your preferences.

Hello!

My wedding is early August 2025. I went dress shopping last weekend because my mother was moving out of state the following week and I wanted her to be a part of the shopping. I am glad I did because when I got to my appointments all the stores we went to (3) told me that I came at the right time because once summer hits the wait for dresses to be shipped will increase by a few months. I found my dress and just got an email that it will be in this August. Then, you have to consider alterations and the waitlist there may be for the seamstress. Could also take a few months. So I would say it is never too early. Especially if you want to shop multiple stores and take your time to enjoy the process of finding your perfect dress! Something that I found very helpful was using the wedding wire dress tool to see what I liked by designer that a lot of stores carry.

Some considerations for delaying dress shopping include having a verified venue and style of wedding figured out. You also might buy later so that the dress you order will be closer to the fit you need -- in case your weight changes. If you buy early, you might end up with more time to second guess what you bought -- but really, if the dress was good when you first select it, you should be happy to stay with what you buy.

Hi! I think it would be a good idea to start looking for inspiration around Memorial Day weekend of this year (check Pinterest and or Instagram, lots of designers have profiles!) and save things you like. Then, right around October, revisit the saved pictures and note any designers or elements you see a lot of in your saved and like. If you have designers you like, it would be a good idea to start looking for local bridal shops that have those designers. I wouldn't start scheduling appointments until after New Year's because holidays are busy, so start looking in January. Hopefully you'll have a dress by March. That should hopefully give you enough time to get it altered as needed, but still making sure that you still have the right size