Should I wait until I've finished losing weight before going wedding dress shopping?

I would wait. You have plenty of time and you don't really have to order your dress until 9 months or so out.

You have plenty of time, but also know, if you are not the weight you want to be by the time you do have to shop, don't stress about it. My wife bought her dress in February and it finally came in in June. She had lost like 20-30lbs by the wedding. Finally fitting was 2 weeks before. It's better for you to buy it too big than too small.

Hello potential date twin! Congrats on the weight loss. There's a lot of time between now and April. I say as soon as you get maybe ten pounds within your goal, I'd go shopping. But PP is right, probably ideal to go 9-12 months out so you don't have to go right away in April. Just don't make the mistake some do and order a smaller dress! It's a lot easier to take in than it is to be taken out

You have plenty of time. start looking at 12 months out.

I'd start looking 12 months out and include alterations in your budget. Dresses can be taken in.

I would start looking 9-12 months out. 20lbs will translate into 1-2 sizes difference and most designers can take in 2 sizes without altering the shape.

Wait! You don't wanna lose too much weight after getting the dress and end up having extra fittings in the days before the wedding (like I did, super stressful). Be more or less the size you wanna be when you first start looking.

I have lost 33 lbs since I purchased my dress and will now have to pay for more alterations than I initially thought. Wait as long as you can but don't buy a smaller size hoping you will lose it. Buy the size you need when you order and get it altered if you need to.

Put off for a few months! I'm in the same position as you. Losing weight before my wedding! Mines 10/2017 and I planned to start shopping in the summer when o have lost the weight! If you loose too much sometimes dresses can't be taken in more than 2 sizes

Definitely wait as long as you can. I had lost a over stone (14lbs) when I went shopping, and I bought a sample dress, I thought it fit me perfectly at the time. I then lost about another 7-9lbs, I was with the alternations lady yesterday, overall the dress is coming in by up to four inches in places. I wouldn't like if it had to be taken in anyore than that.

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I would recommend you start trying on dresses, though not necessarily making the purchase just yet. It can be a pretty long process, and you'll actually have an advantage for giving it time: It'll also give YOU time to keep looking at the picture of you and seeing how much you actually like the dress. Also, there are many, many different styles of dress, and you may find that the dresses you like on models you don't like on yourself, and visa versa! Basically, finding a dress beautiful is different from finding a dress beautiful on you.

Also worth noting, it'll help you figure out what sort of dress and textures you like, and what's comfortable to you. You may LOVE the look of beading, but when you actually try the dresses on, find that you can't stand how scratchy it is against your arms. (You're going to be wearing the dress all day, so you definitely want something comfortable!) You may find through experimentation that your favorite part of the dress isn't what you thought. (I discovered that the train was actually the part of the dress I like best.)

Starting it early isn't going to hurt you, and it might take you a while to find the dress you like. (Mine was at the third store I visited. I had actually already found a dress I was fond of with my bridesmaids, but I wanted to shop with my mother as well. The dress itself was nothing like the dress I had been leaning towards, but I knew it was the one because I lost interest in trying out others. Funny enough, it was one I might have completely overlooked, that the assistant picked out for me!)

You might even find you really like corset backs, which conveniently are usually able to go up and down a couple sizes without a lot of alterations.

Remember, you're going to want the dress altered shortly before the wedding either way. You want it to fit you perfectly! It's just a matter of how much.

And lastly, while I do think you should wait, I think I should add another sobering reason: it's really hard to maintain a diet for that long, and weight loss has a tendency to be dramatic at first and then plateau. I have no idea how much weight you're trying to lose, but 15 pounds is definitely a big amount! However, I was in a similar position, and ordered my dress at the peak of a diet/exercise program I was certain I'd be keeping up with to reach my goal weight. Instead, I rebounded and gained enough weight back that the dress I ordered no longer fit. (Luckily, I ordered it enough ahead of time to lose it again, and I've begun a very, VERY strict diet program again to make sure I fit.)

Taking a dress in is relatively easy. Taking a dress out is next to impossible.

I would definitely wait.

My wedding is this April and I lost 50 lbs in the last year. I purchased my dress when I was 38 lbs down and didn't think 10-12 lbs would even make a difference. Boy was I wrong! I got a quote on my dress and it was going to cost 700 dollars to alter. Ummmm...I don't think so! So I went and bought a new dress 2 days ago for this very reason. I feel way better about it. I LOVED my dress when I was bigger but it didn't look the same or have the same effect anymore...it changed the look. While this new dress will still need a little bit of altering. I still have an idea of what I'll look like

Congrats on the 15 lbs! My suggestion is to keep going nice and steady on the weight loss. It IS possible to lose 20 by April (2 lbs a week with 10 weeks until April = 20 lbs). Up your water intake (Studies are now showing a correlation with boosting your metabolism and drinking water), Purge the Pantry (get rid of the food that doesn't make you feel good AFTER eating it), make sure you're eating and NOT skipping meals, and my biggest thing.....I scrapped the carbs after dinner....

What have you currently done to lose the 15?

+1 on a little casual shopping now and then really drilling down closer 9-12 months out. I did a quick shopping trip with my mom and sis when I was home for Christmas, even though it was super premature, but we live on opposite sides of the country and I won't be home again for a while. I surprised myself with what I loved (fluffy > streamlined lace) and it's helping me narrow down where I'll take them when they come visit me in DC for the *real* shopping trip later this year!

You could wait a couple of months and then start looking. My dress took exactly 6 months to come in. Different designers and different stores have longer or shorter lead times, so just keep that in mind when you are deciding when to shop for your dress. My bridal shop told me that I should get my alterations done 2 months out, which would put you at around February for alterations. Work backwards from there to figure out when is the latest you can order your dress.

I agree with going out casually. You'll get an idea of what's out there and such. Also, you may find a corset that you love and won't matter as much. I went in with an idea in mind and left with a completely different dress that that I absolutely adore. It's a corset and I had to go up a size for my boobs anyway. Also, once I found my dress (strapless when I was anticipating straps) made me realize I need to work out my upper body. For me, it's awesome because I found my dress a year in advance and have plenty of time to slowly tone. It's one less "wedding stress" on my plate.