When to get a wedding dress?

I’m getting married next Oct and already have my dress. The bridal shop of my dreams had an insane sale and I fell in love with a dress there, so it was kind of by happenstance. I would probably not do as I did, because I am a liiiittle scared I’ll change my mind about my dress before then. If you’re planning on getting a dress off the rack, I’d give at least 8 months to ensure all alterations can be done in time. My sister got one 6 sizes too big and had to get it altered literally a dozen times. But if you can find one in your size or very close to it, 8 months should be good.

Ordering a dress in January for an August wedding may not be enough. Dresses can take 6 to 8 months to come in, even more if you're unlucky. Then after you get it, you'll need a couple more months for alterations. Absolutely start now.

I get married next month. I purchased my dress in July 2021, It came in late April 2022. My first alterations appointment was late June 2022. I pick it up in a couple weeks. I would check with the stores you plan on going to, see what their normal shipping times are right now. You may want to start now to be on the safe side. One of my friends gets married a month after me and they wrote her measurements correctly on her contract, but when sending to the designer, something got messed up and the dress they sent was 4 inches too small in the hips, so they luckily had enough time to get that corrected for her but only because she went shopping so early.

No earlier than 12 months. Many past posts mention brides who shopped too early and ten ended up with multiple dresses they couldn’t resell. Don’t purchase unless it is the one you absolutely do not want to take off, and then stop looking.

It is not panic time and no need to select a dress right now. The exception is if you are looking at couture designs from a designer, which then would possibly be longer than a typical 6 to 8 months time frame. If a David's gown, you also might get a quicker delivery with an online purchase than buying during an appointment.

If you have some idea where you want a dress from, you can find out some of the time lines they operate by. It could help to identify boutiques you are interested in. For my wedding, December would be a good time to narrow down a dress.

It’s often recommended to start 10-12 months out, as you need time to find your dress, have it made and shipped, and then schedule several alterations appointments. I started dress shopping about May 2021, found and ordered my dress in July 2021, and it arrived in January 2022. My alterations appointments were in February and March for my April wedding, and, at times, I felt like I was cutting it close. But, if you plan to buy off the rack, go to a chain store, or order online, you can wait until next year. I would keep in mind the potential for supply chain issues and shipping delays though.

I bought my dress this past January for this coming October. I had my first alterations appointment in June, my second in July and my last in September! So a 3 month process. You also have to make appointments for bridal shops to try on dresses so that’s also time you’ll need. My dress came in two months after I ordered it but others can take much longer. I don’t know if it’s the fact that mine is super simple or what but it came faster than it seems others are waiting. You’re not behind but I think January is a little late. It wouldn’t hurt to start looking

Agree you’re not at the panic time right now, however I’d suggest to start looking in October. Dresses are taking 6-8 months to come in, and then you need time for alterations.

If you are going to a bridal salon I'd start looking in the fall. It seems like lately everything takes a little more time to ship so you do want to make sure you have more time then you think you ll need. If you are ordering it online you probably don't need as much time. Happy shopping!

I agree with the others. If you're looking to purchase a bridal dress, it may be best to plan well in advance (9-12 months) so that you have enough time for fittings and alterations. However, remember that any dress can be a wedding dress! I purchased my dress 2 months prior to the Wedding from Lulus for $75.00. First time that I tried it on was after it was delivered to my doorstep, lol. Everyone loved it and thought it was a chic expensive dress and I felt beautiful

My bridal shop said it would take 6-8 months for my gown to arrive after being ordered, and then you need time for alterations. So if you are ordering a new designer gown, you need to give yourself a lot of time.

However, you could also decide exactly what gown you want (after going to a shop to try some on) and then find the same one "used" on Poshmark, stillwhite.com, preownedweddingdresses.com, nearlynewlywed.com, etc and not have to worry about the time it takes for them to make and ship a new one! I saw TONS of "used" gowns on these sites that had NEVER been worn (still have tags attached and never altered) because of all the weddings cancelled during covid...and then you're saving $$$ because they knock a percentage off the price. So it's a perfect time to take advantage of this situation.

I agree with others that it's definitely not panic time, but it wouldn't hurt to start looking. It's never a bad thing to get something checked off your list early, and this way you have time to think about what you like, try different styles, look at different shops, etc.

I scheduled an appointment in March of 2020 just to look at dresses with my mom. Our original date had been October 2021, so I figured I'd just be looking to get some ideas, but I ended up finding The One™ at that appointment. We postponed to October of this year, so I'll have had my dress for over 2 and a half years by the time it finally makes it down the aisle lol.

Something to keep in mind is that it takes anywhere from 9-12 months for your dress to come in when you 1st ordered it. This is also without considering alterations. You want to make sure to allocate a few months to make sure that is all done correctly as well. Things are also taking longer due to recovering from Covid but there is also a war going on in Ukraine and Russia. It has caused my own dress to get slowed down in the production process ad the lace for my dress is made in Lithuania.