I’m getting married January 2010 and know what I want (not exactly but I know what flatters me and what kind of style I am looking for – 1950s by the way!). A friend of mine is getting married two years from now and is shopping frantically for wedding and bridesmaid dresses with her girlfriends – is it just me or is she crazy? Should I be freaking out and grabbing what I want too?
How long before your wedding did you start to look at wedding dresses?
26
Feb
Ms. X
February 27, 2010 at 12:36 am
Hon, you need to be looking already! I went to a bridal shop about 8 months before my wedding, and was told that all the dresses would take a year to order/alter. (I didn’t enquire about rush orders.) Fortunately for me, it was my second wedding, and I found a nice cocktail type dress that took only weeks to order/alter.
Joseph
February 27, 2010 at 1:32 am
Here’s what I know. I was raised in a large family. 2 family house. My mom and dad and 5 sisters lived on the 2nd floor. My aunt and uncle and their 3 daughters lived on the 1st floor. I was the only boy in the whole house. It was great. I was treated like a prince. but that’s another story. Bridal gowns. Right. All my sisters and cousins started looking at bridal magazines when they were about 7 years old. And continued to do so until they were old enough to go shopping on their own. Then they would shop at bridal shops. Of course, at that point in time, they ranged in age from 14 to 17. And they continued this behavior until my oldest sister got engaged. She was 19 at the time. That’s when all hell broke loose. Engaged sister would NOT go gown shopping with them. Would not even share her bridal magazines with them. I observed this new and unusual behavior with wonderment. And then came the gowns for the bridesmaids. (the 4 sisters and 3 cousins). The engaged sister picked out the gowns herself. The others had no say-so in the whole affair. Mind boggling, to say the least. Anyway the wedding took place without a hitch. All subsequent weddings of the other sisters and cousins pretty much went the same way. My guess is that it was a genetic instinctive thing. They’re all married now and up to their old pre-marriage tricks. Sooooooooooooooooo, when should you start looking for a wedding dress? I wouldn’t touch that answer for all the tea in china. but best of luck and have a wonderful wedding.
Rai
February 27, 2010 at 2:01 am
You do want to start looking. I have yet to find the dress I want. I’ve been looking since February. I’m getting married in march 2010. You think the dress you want is simple and easy and they should have it anywhere…WRONG!!! So…I would start looking ASAP.
Kali G
February 27, 2010 at 2:54 am
I don’t know, I started looking for mine about three months before hand. Although I might have been a little late. I ended up finding one that fit perfectly and only needed a slight hem alteration, so maybe if you have to have one sent away for you need to do it earlier. Mostly I think it depends on where you go. If you go to a place with a lot of sizes, you don’t have to worry to much about waiting to get it back from china (which many places told me). But it won’t hurt to look early.
learning_to_live_616
February 27, 2010 at 3:38 am
Bridal gowns typically take 4 months to order, so just make sure you pick one in time.
Autumngirl
February 27, 2010 at 3:56 am
Get thee to a dress shop.
Here’s a timeline of when to start/order/initiate different things for your wedding. The article is about “summer” weddings but the timeline is obviously the same regardless (12 months, 8 months, etc., etc.).
http://www.weddingclipart.com/guide/summer-weddings/summer-wedding-checklist.html
You can still find a dress in plenty of time, though…you just may be limited on certain dresses and certain designers who require more lead time. But you will certainly find something beautiful. Good luck and have a wonderful wedding!
belsilva64
February 27, 2010 at 4:26 am
We decided in April of 2009 to get married next year in Sept (2010) and I started looking THAT day. I bought my dress in May! You should try and buy all the things that you CAN buy now, so when the date is closer you can worry and tend to the things that need attention at that time. It just makes things easier and less stressful. I’ve already gotten all the things I can possibly buy for now. The only things really left are caterer, food, drinks…stuff like that.
bbhoosier04
February 27, 2010 at 4:45 am
I got engaged in February and started seriously looking for dresses about May. I’m getting marred April 2010. I just bought my dress this Monday and I’m really glad I did because I can’t have my dress for another 8 months! So I’m cutting it pretty close with even this early, and that’s not including alterations!
Lauren B
February 27, 2010 at 5:23 am
I’m getting married in february 2010, normally I would be shopping now, but i recently had lapband surgery, and have no idea what size i will be. (15kgs lost in 6 weeks by the way) It depends on the bridal shops around you. are you willing to buy off the rack? if so, then later is fine. if you want it altered to fit well, then i would start looking now. some places take 8-10 weeks to order in dresses in your size, and then a few more weeks to alter it.
♥maggie♥
February 27, 2010 at 6:04 am
i started looking rly early but that cuz i got the excited bridal feeling i dont think i needed to GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATS!
Sar
February 27, 2010 at 6:33 am
My wedding is May 30th 2010. My fiance proposed May 1st of this year. I literally went out the next day and found my dress. I didn’t mean to, I just fell in love with the dress and couldn’t walk away from it.
It’s not a matter of just grabbing what you can. Looking around and trying stuff on doesn’t hurt. Just because you think you want something doesn’t mean you really do. Gowns look good in pictures but it’s not the same until you try them on. Go out and try on dresses so that you can get a good idea of what you really like. If you find something you fall in love with, buy it. Time before your wedding shouldn’t matter. Especially because who knows if that dress will even be around still when you finally feel it’s an appropriate time to buy it.
vpnk92201
February 27, 2010 at 6:34 am
I started looking a year before my wedding, but I gt really serious and ready to purchase about six months before the wedding. A year before helps you find your style and see different versions of your style. The six months helped me order, pay for and make alterations to it. Moe than a year, in my opinion, becomes obsessive and it really stresses you out and takes the fun out of bridal gown shopping! Good luck!
Future Mrs Zigler
February 27, 2010 at 6:36 am
Your friend is crazy! Her tastes and styles may change between now and two years from now!
You are also crazy, girl. You need to get out there and look for a dress!!
I got engaged in December, set the date for February of 2010 and started looking for dresses immediately! I decided on one and bought in in April.
Start looking!
Good luck!
netz
February 27, 2010 at 7:09 am
you are running out of time!!!! you have to look for one now!!! asap!!! minimum one year before.