Tip: Dress Timeline – Step 3

The ring is on, the champagne is popped to celebrate, the venue and date are set…..and now it’s time to go wedding dressing shopping! But when should you start shopping for your wedding gown? A good time to start is 8-11 months before your wedding day. In the era we live in today of “fast fashion”, you may not realize that bridal fashion follows a whole new set of rules when it comes to timing.

Wedding Gown Made Just for You

One of the things I love about bridal gown shopping is the fact that you get to pick out a gown that is then hand-made just for you. That means it’s not hanging on a rack in some stock room…when we place the order for your gown, the designer and her team hand cut the fabrics, hand sews them together to the size and specifications we tell them, and then put on the finishing touches to make it perfect just for you. This is a garment, unlike anything you have worn before and will likely ever wear again!

However, all of that magic takes time to happen. Once you pick out your bridal gown, the designer requests 6-8 months for production to make sure they have enough time to source the fabric, which often comes from special mills overseas, cut and create the gown, and send it through a rigorous quality control process.

Ok, but now you have been shopping and you finally found the dress! Or you fell in love with the first dress you tried and can’t believe it. You then turn to your stylist (usually it’s me) and ask, “When do I have to say yes by?” “Am I too early?”

I get asked this a lot. And I always say, just like you never know when you will find your soulmate you never, know when you will find the dress. And when you do, that is the right time to say yes! Whether it’s 2 years, 12 months, or 6 months before your wedding date. Are there more dresses out there? Yes! But there are also more possible soulmates as well.

What if you need the dress fast?

What if you have less than 6 months? Don’t worry! You always have options. My designers are often able to get gowns more quickly than that time frame, sometimes for a fee. I once got a gown made in 2 weeks!

Once the gown has arrived, you will likely need alterations in order to get the perfect fit. I provide my bride’s seamstress recommendations.

So as you can see, 8-11 months before your wedding is the ideal time frame in which to order your gown. But remember, for Dream brides, nothing is impossible and I am here to help you find the perfect gown!