Wedding Dress Shopping with a 4 month Engagement

You’re either going to need to purchase right from the rack or go online and try at home with Azazie.

I’d worry more about the venue honestly. Most places will already be booked for your date.

BHLDN! They are the bridal side of Anthropology and most of their dresses are in stock. They have brick and mortar stores in a number of major cities and then their website. They give you 30 day returns as well. My daughter bought her dress from them on a Monday and had it in hand on Thursday.

I'd focus on venue & major vendors, to be done first. Then I'd focus on your dress. I'd call salons in advance though when you make the appointment, to tell them your budget & timeline. It may not be realistic at some salons so no point in going if they can't accommodate it.

Look for an off the rack store, you can take them that day. I second the concerns about finding your other vendors though.

It can be done. I walked out with my dress the day I tried it on. If you try on a sample and it fits or is just a little big you should be able to purchase that exact dress and get minor alterations. The selection may not be as large but it's possible.

Call salons and ask if they have sample dresses you can try on and purchase. My gown is a sample and I was able to walk out of the store with it the same day I bought it.

I would put a lot more effort into finding a venue so you can set a date though.

Thanks everyone for the tips! Easing my mind a bit. Are sample sizes normally size 0-2 or do they come in multiple sizes? I'm closer to size 6 I think. Thanks again!

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Bridal sizes typically run smaller than street sizes (stupid, I know) but I bet you can find something that is at least close to fitting off of the rack! I'd say the average sample sizes I tried on were between 8-12

What kind of dress are you looking for?

I would say check out Facebook Marketplace and other places for used wedding dresses. You may need to go through more with alterations, but at least you'll already physically have the dress.

Also, I don't know how fancy you want to go, but Lulu's has beautiful long, white formal dresses. My wedding dress is from Lulu's! You could try ordering from Lulu's, Azazie, and a few other places and then maybe having a little try-on party at your house for those who you want to include in this experience with you!

Sample size dresses are generally a 12ish which is a street size 6/8 maybe. It really depends on the designer. You may be able to rush a bridal store dress in right now but you would have to make an appointment today. Also like others said if you don't have a venue yet you need to do that first. You may be able to buy off the rack or when you check with a store see if they have sample sales going on or what is their rush time. My dress came in 6 months without being rushed and i ordered August 2017. Just start asap dont linger

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Great idea!! Thank you! And I'm looking for modern, modest, and simple with little pops of detail. I actually have a specific dress in mind, but am realizing I may need to be more open to my options with the timeline. But this is a great tip so thank you!!

I am echoing the BHLDN recommendation!! I got my dress there...had the whole experience with my mom and sister and got my dress in a week! They have tons of different styles and the price ranges from 300-2000ish (don’t know exact price).

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Ok that's actually a relief bc if I'm normally a size 6, I'll probably be a size 8-10 in wedding dresses. Thank you!