when to order a dress

[JR320]

I was browsing at the websites of a couple bridal salons and they said that the dresses would take 4-6 months to come in and should be ordered 9-12 months before the wedding!

I had no idea it took that long. Is this common everywhere? I just got engaged and am planning a wedding for October, so I''ve already missed the 9-12 month mark

 

[SarahLovesJS]

It''s pretty accurate, I wouldn''t worry right now..but I would try to get that checked off the list first or second next to venue and officiant.

So in other words, you''re not in a rush yet..but definitely do it soon because it can take a while. I ordered in January and mine came in like May or June I believe.

 

[Blair138]

You should be OK, go as soon as you can just to avoid fees for a rush order and to give yourself some breathing room. I ordered my BM dresses in September and they won''t be in till April

Even doing things ahead of time won''t always get you ahead. BUT my dress is already in, it took 4.5 months.

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

It is nice to give yourself some breathing room, especially if you want to take bridal portraits. However, I think some of that is sales tactic... they want to create a sense of urgency to make you buy the dress "yesterday." It''s like the car salesman - "What can I say to make you drive this car home today?" They know if you leave without buying, you are likely to not come back.


P.S.- My fiance proposed at the nine month mark, and I didn''t try on dresses until the six month mark. I''m almost at five months, and I actually have my dress hanging on my bedroom door now. So it is totally possible to get a dress quick! I bought mine used though

 

[goldenstar]

It depends on the designer. I ordered 12 months in advance and it took 9 months to come in. I was really happy that I had a lot of time in case of delay.

 

[Structenggirl]

I''m getting married in March and ordered my dress at the end of August. The dress came in in the middle of December...so a little less than 4 months. I''m not starting alterations until this Sunday which gives us a little over a month to finish them. Plenty of time.

If they are saying your dress will take 4-6 months to come in (which is what they told me), I''d add a month or so to that for alterations and call it good. I think you still have plenty of time and shouldn''t be stressed.

 

[bee*]

I ordered mine in mid november for my mid june wedding. You still have another while to go. They said that my dress will come in at the beginning of May so I have lots of time for alterations.

 

[ysj99]

Right, I hear the average is anywhere from 4-6 months. Me and FI have a long engagement, 19 months!! I actually jumped right into dress shopping because I couldn''t wait. And I bought a dress this past weekend!! The salon said it would arrive in 6 months, which puts me at August... which is still a full 6 months before my wedding!

That said, there are a lot of ways to get a hold of a dress in a shorter time frame. It really depends on your schedule!

 

[pocahontas]

My wedding''s at the end of April. I ordered my dress in August and it just came in two weeks ago so it took about five months.

 

[JSM]

My dress took 9 months - but I ordered it EXTRA early so I don''t think they started on it quickly.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Well, I went dress shopping last summer for my May 2009 wedding and they had my dress, in my size, and in stock!

So I ended up walking out the door with the dress soon after.

It seems, after reading everyone's experiences that timelines are all over the place and you can't base anything on this 9-12 month rule.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

I agree that it''s a pressure sales tactic... But also, it is better to be safe than sorry.

I ordered my dress December 27th. It arrived January 25th. One month. LESS than one month.

That being said-- the salon told me it may take an average of 6 months, and possibly longer because of Chinese New Year. Some shops close for WEEEEEKS during this time. (Oh gosh. If I think of little, overworked children in China sewing up my dress I may be ill). That''s something to consider, too, because many-a-gown is made in such a place.

No panicking, though!! Just put it at the top of your to-do list.

 

[JR320]

Thanks to all - I wondered the same thing re: the sales tactics.

But I decided to make appointments at 2 bridal salons for next weekend, so I can see what''s out there and still have plenty of time to think about it and shop around.

This is all happening really fast - It''s exciting!

 

[honey22]

Every salon tells you a long time frame, but it''s not totally necessary, especially if you go straight to the designer/couture house.

I bought mine straight from the designer with 7 months to spare. Wedding in Sept. I told her I was still losing weight, and she said she would take my measurements for my calico in June then. That''s only 3 months for a made to measure gown, with a calico and fittings/alterations. It can be done.

If you already know who you are buying your gown from, call them directly and ask how long they take realistically.

Good luck

 

[musey]

That''s just the safe guideline. Generally speaking, if you order at least 4-5 months out, you should be okay. They should ask you what your wedding date is when you order to make sure that you can get it in time!

 

[elrohwen]

I was told that my dress would take 3-4 months to come in (Vineyard Collection). I ordered early just to be safe, but it would not have been a problem to order a few months later.

Now the bridesmaid dresses are supposed to take 6 months or something, so we actually do have to order those early.

 

[Elmorton]

I was told mine would take 6 mos and it took 3.

I just stopped in a different salon today b/c I'm going to be a BM in a wedding in July (we're all choosing our own dresses). I have yet to order the dress, but they said if I ordered it today, it would be in by May (so..3, 3 1/2 mos?) - so I have about a month to figure out the dress before it's crunch time.

I will say though that my alterations dragged on forever - I got married in mid-June, and so when I first started doing alterations (January), it was prom season and then it was the height of wedding season - I quickly found out to avoid Saturday appointments.

 

[JerseyGrl81]

My dress took a month to come in. I was so nervous that I would wait to long to order my dress for my August wedding, so I ordered my dress in November. It came in December. Its an Anjolique and I was told it would take 6-8 months!