How Soon Should I Shop for My Wedding Dress?

Alright, ladies. You read the magazines and have heard it from friends. The standard answer is ONE YEAR before your wedding. Yikes! Wait, don’t panic (yet). I have lots of summer brides coming in now, and many of them want small tweaks to their wedding dresses. Here are some examples and the timing it takes to implement them:

• A bride wanted her zip up wedding dress changed to a corset back. The factory could make that change for just $25 (a steal! I paid a tailor $125 to do the very same thing!), but custom changes are shipping in mid-July right now, too late for her wedding date. So we can bring in the dress as is and have the changes made for her.
• Another bride would like extra length on her Allure wedding dress because she’s 5’8″ (lucky girl!) and wants to wear cowboy boots. The factory can add up to 10″ of extra fabric for just $50, but it’s an extra $125 in rush fees to get it here in time. So we’re getting a little creative–adding material from the wraps or adding extra lace are options. Or we can let down the bubble hem.
• A third bride wanted more pronounced beading on the bodice and change the strapless bodice to a halter. We can do all of that during production for just $45, but we can’t make her wedding date. So we’ll have to make those changes when the dress arrives.

Brides, let this be a lesson. Or a couple, actually.

1. We can change a LOT of things about a dress that is 90% perfect for you. Don’t be afraid to ask. And when we ask if there’s anything you DON’T like about it, don’t hold back. We can probably have those things changed for you on your wedding gown for a very little cost.

2. BUT you have to shop early to get the savings. Because altering it anywhere else will cost a lot more. And while we have great tailors that can help you, we’re all about saving you money, too (have ya seen our super low veil prices?!).

Ok, so a year might seem a little long, but think about this:

–you should save at least 1 month for alterations

–you need to save at least 16 weeks/4 months to order a gown

So let’s compromise and say 6 months, deal?

Of course having said all that, we’ll never turn away a bride that’s getting married and doesn’t have time to order a dress. We do sell off the rack and can help you find a gown that needs very little work.