How long before the wedding should I buy my dress?

[selflove]

We got engaged last month and are getting married in exactly 1 year. I started looking for a dress this past weekend and now I''m obsessed with dress shopping (it is SO MUCH FUN!). I''ve found ''the one'' but last night someone gave me a realization: she said she bought her dress 6 months before the wedding and when the time of the wedding drew near, she didn''t want the dress anymore!

Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[Nicrez]

Know thyself.

Learn your body shape, what looks best and what you like... (bows, ribbons, white vs. ivory, Lace, satin, etc)

We all have tatses that change, but speaking as someone who is very varied in tatses that change and evolve...I loved my dress all three times I tried it on, and when I saw the "right" dress, I KNEW that''s what I wanted to be wearing for pictures to be seen for years and years to come... Sort of like knowing you found the right guy to marry...

If you can, make a list of dresses you try on and what features you liked the best. Maybe you just need to customize a dress to your exact taste so it doesn''t change. But if you are someone who goes from poufy tulle princess gown to slinky silk mermaid gown in a matter of weeks, then get two less expensive dresses for a wardrobe change with your mood during the day. My Chinese friends do it, why not us?

Good luck!!!

 

[ame]

I bought mine about 2 months after I got engaged because it''s ornate and would take a while to get it in. I must have just BARELY beat the rush because it came in by Christmas, which was not supposed to happen. They had only 4 other dresses being made for about 3 weeks and mine was one so they could actually concentrate on them. That made me feel very special.

 

[Nicrez]

Ame brings up a point!

Some gowns (pricer and ornate ones) usually take months to order, and if you get a rush gown, you may have to pay extra costs and cut it a bit too close. Not an issue if you find a gown at a sample sale. Find out all about the dresses you like now, and make a list with all the order deadlines and see how long you can take to decide.

Personally, I shopped since I got engaged in March, and only found my gown in August (2004). I am only NOW getting close to the dress being ready, as they told me it will arrive at the end of May (2005), and my fittings in June, July for my August wedding... I also am losing weight, so I scheduled my fittings as close to the wedding as I could.

Lots to consider on timing, so good luck!

 

[ame]

Im failing in my losing weight plan

 

[MelissaSue]

Hey.. when''s your date? We are May 27th 2006.. I picked out my dress this past december, but didn''t officially order it until the beginning of April. I just couldn''t wait anymore! It should be in the beginning of July! I did it very early, and I''ve heard lots of stories of brides not liking thier dresses.. and if you go on the knot, it seems like every girl on there has bought more than one dress.

The problem is.. we get too emotional about the dress. You get so excited when you find the perfect dress, and after awhile.. the excitement wears off and you look at the same dress over and over again.. and it doesn''t seem so special anymore! I think that you have to realize that you will see other pretty dresses between when you buy your dress and now.. but you have to be willing to commit to the one you buy! I LOVE my dress.. the only other dresses I like are ones that are REALLY similar to it. but at the same time, I realize that its a DRESS, and I''m going to look beautiful on my wedding day no matter what I wear.. and even if somedays I feel like its not so special anymore.. I''ll still look spectacular on my wedding day! There are so many different choices.. you might always find one that you think you like better.. but its not the end of the world.. do you know what I mean?

My friend just got married, and she bought her dress about 10 months before the wedding, and she was going through the same "I hate my dress" blah blah.. mostly because it didn''t fit her right, because the morons at Davids bridal didn''t order her the right size.. but once it was made to fit her.. she looked beautiful in it.. and I went with her to her final fitting and got all teary eyed because she looked so beautiful.. even if she didn''t think she liked the dress anymore!

Honestly.. I think right now is about the perfect time to order your dress. Mine is only taking 3 months to come in, but I have heard of dresses taking up to 9 months.. so I wouldn''t wait too long! I think no matter how long you wait, you risk finding a dress you like better.. but you can''t wait forever!

 

[MINE!!]

I am a May 27th 2006 and I ordered my dress this week.

 

[JessesGrl]

I ordered my dress right when i got engaged in early december. The dress has an ornate bodice and was supposed to take 6 months, however it came early this month. I still love it but again, I understand the whole "not as magical" feeling when you try it on for the 1,000th time!!!! Also, as I posted in another thread, my dress is too tight- which i am sure didn''t help w/ruining my "magical feeling". As Melissa said, on your wedding day, not matter what dress you have on, you feel feel beautiful and special and happy...it is after all, just a DRESS! I would not wait tooooo long, there is nothing like stressing over it not coming in on time!!!! Oh and my wedding date is 10-1-05...so I have my dress in ( tight or not) and the wedding is 4 1/2 months away which is a huge relief b/c I ordered the bridesmaid dress on December 23rd, they were supposed to be in at the end of March and are still not here...so I guess time frames change a bit!

 

[dietvanillacoke]

i ordered my dress in january and my wedding is in october.

here''s the thing... i definitely agree with nicrez in that you should really learn your body type and what looks best on it. for instance, i am big-chested and tall, and my problem area is my waist and hips. so i chose a gown with a modified sweetheart neckline (makes the boobage look smaller) and it has a gather at the waist and a corset bodice (makes the waist look tiny) and it has a huge, poufy skirt (no hip worries).

now. i feel teh EXACT same way as the others (my tastes change SO MUCH!! my favorite color recently changed from baby blue to deep red!!!) but at least i can look back and say, i definitely chose the right wedding dress for me, because it has all the things that look best on my body. i think i may look back and say, oh the waist-gather thing is a bit trendy, and i don''t want to look back and look dated, but hey, it made my waist look tiny.

when you do purchase your dress you will inevitably go through the period of buyer''s remorse. i went through a 2 week period of hating my dress and lusting after another one, even finding a good price for it online. and of course i went through a period of regretting not going for a designer dress (even though my maggie is just as pretty!). but when it comes down to it, i chose the dress because it''s right in all the right places, and when i put it on in the store i knew it was the one. you can''t deny that, no matter how many other dresses you look at!!!

JUST MAKE SURE YOU GO SHOPPING MULTIPLE TIMES!! i am the type to want to buy what i needa t the first store i go to. so my bridesmaid had to force me to wait and go to the next place. boy was i glad... i went to 4 places in all and ended up buying a dress at the 2nd place i went to, the 2nd time i went... and i hadn''t even seen in the 1st time i went.

 

[selflove]

Awesome advice--I appreciate it. I''ve gone shopping 4 times now and tried on about 25 dresses. Half of them were just terrific and I could have plopped a deposit down. The "one" I found is perfect for our first ceremony that will be in a tiny chapel overlooking the pacific ocean. The "second one" is perfect for the second ceremony we''re having in big Catholic church in Slovenia a week later. (Two dresses for two very different style ceremonies but I''m bargain-shopping and making it work within the budget. Plus, all my married girlfriends tell me I''m so lucky to have two weddings and that I should get a second dress if I can budget it.)

I feel better knowing that if I do get struck with the "I don''t like this dress anymore" syndrome, that at least it''s kind of a normal bride thing to go through. I really hadn''t anticipated it at all until that woman put the thought in my head. I can''t wait to post pictures!!

 

[Strawdermangrl]

I ordered my dress about a month ago and I am getting hitched in August. I guess you could say that I like to wait until the last minute! I walked in to the bridal store and the woman who greeted us informed us that it is a sample store and that all the dresses are just sample sizes so that we can try it on but the dresses can take anywhere from 4-6 MONTHS. I almost lost my footing, I didn't have that long I whined to the lady- but I found a great alteration lady and I also put a rush on the dress......I didn't want to shop AT ALL. I lost about 30lbs before I even started looking and kept beating myself up, I finally felt ready to go and it was the second dress I put on! I think you have to be comfortable with the time frame. I know what I like and that doesn't usually change (good old Taurus for you... I know that I would still LOVE my dress if I was getting married 5 years from now. You will know my dear, you will just know.
Good Luck Darlin'

 

[elepri]

I think it also depends on the store and the designer. My dress took 7 months to come in and it''s not ornate at all but it''s a couture fit, which also takes longer.

 

[codex57]

My fiancee''s dress is going to take at least 6 months to come in. That''s about the average if it has to be ordered. You can always rush it if you can afford it, but if you don''t have to...

 

[kittykatmax]

Will you all think I''m crazed if I tell you that I haven''t started shopping for a dress for my August wedding, and I don''t plan to until July? Of course, I''m having a tiny, simple wedding en suite at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, and I don''t plan on wearing a "real" wedding dress. I''m thinking something dressy - but not too dressy - in pale pink. Pink''s still going strong, so I figure it shouldn''t be too tough to find. I''m just dieting like mad, and am not having as much luck as I''d like, but I don''t want to buy anything until I know what size I''ll be.

Is anyone here wishing they were eloping instead? My fiance and I would in a heartbeat, but my Mom would be devastated.

 

[codex57]

Date: 5/19/2005 1:06:42 AM
Author: kittykatmax
Will you all think I''m crazed if I tell you that I haven''t started shopping for a dress for my August wedding, and I don''t plan to until July? Of course, I''m having a tiny, simple wedding en suite at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, and I don''t plan on wearing a ''real'' wedding dress. I''m thinking something dressy - but not too dressy - in pale pink. Pink''s still going strong, so I figure it shouldn''t be too tough to find. I''m just dieting like mad, and am not having as much luck as I''d like, but I don''t want to buy anything until I know what size I''ll be.


Is anyone here wishing they were eloping instead? My fiance and I would in a heartbeat, but my Mom would be devastated.

In your situation, you''re fine. You''re not getting a "real" wedding dress. Even if you were, if you''re not picky and can go "off the rack," you''d be fine too. Most brides (or their families/friends) are pickier and expect the whole traditional fancy wedding.

Me and my fiancee wish we could just elope too. Shoot, if that were possible, I''d have bought her a giant diamond instead if she wanted (ok, prolly a down payment for a house). But, my parents and her mom would kill us if we didn''t have a regular wedding. I know my extended family (like my grandparents) would be next in line.

 

[kittykatmax]

Date: 5/19/2005 1:20:48 PM
Author: codex57


In your situation, you''re fine. You''re not getting a ''real'' wedding dress. Even if you were, if you''re not picky and can go ''off the rack,'' you''d be fine too. Most brides (or their families/friends) are pickier and expect the whole traditional fancy wedding.

Me and my fiancee wish we could just elope too. Shoot, if that were possible, I''d have bought her a giant diamond instead if she wanted (ok, prolly a down payment for a house). But, my parents and her mom would kill us if we didn''t have a regular wedding. I know my extended family (like my grandparents) would be next in line.

My Mom''s paying for the dress so cost isn''t a factor for me, but while I consider myself a girlie-girl, I haven''t yearned for a formal wedding since I was a young girl. Too much money, too much planning and too much stress for my liking. Hearing about dressmakers accusing brides-to-be of gaining weight and such, I''m glad I''m sparing myself that. How awfu!!!

I live near Palo Alto, CA, and there''s Bloomingdale''s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom there, plus a bunch of boutiques, so I should be able to find a lovely dress. Depending on what I finally choose, I may even be able to wear it again on the rare, formal occasion.

My Mom would probably be unhappy about the tiny wedding, but she knows we were originally going to elope, so she''s happy she''s getting SOMETHING.