Sooo, your S.O. has finally put a ring on it and now all you can think about is what you’re going to wear down the aisle. We totally get you – it’s one of the best parts of wedding planning! It can be so tempting to dive right into gown shopping as soon as your engaged–for some, even before it’s official! Let us break down the timeline for you so that you know exactly when you should start and stop shopping for your dream gown.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Larissa Cleveland Photography
These days window shopping is more metaphorical than literal. It can be anything from perusing magazines to fervently pinning to your secret gown inspiration board. However you window shop, just know that it is innocent enough and a totally normal and healthy thing to do. Browsing is a great way to understand what is out there and familiarize yourself with gown designers. It will also help you establish what you like and don’t like in a wedding gown. Be sure to make note of price points as well so you don’t fall in love with something that is completely out of your budget. Feel free to start window-shopping as soon as you’re engaged. This will allow you enough time to build up a great inspiration board for when you’re ready to tackle the real shopping.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Jenny Quicksall Photography
We recommend that brides start scheduling their appointments one month before you plan on shopping, which should be no later than one year before your wedding. You’ll want the one month buffer to allow time for family and friends to arrange travel (if you plan on bringing them to your bridal appointments). This buffer will also give you more flexibility in the dates/times of the appointments as most bridal boutiques book up weeks in advance. If you find that you are past the one year mark, don’t panic. Most boutiques offer weekday appointments that are not as hard to secure and some have waiting lists for those coveted weekend spots.
You will likely want to visit more than one retailer to try on gowns, so don’t plan on finding “the one” or commit to placing an order right away. Allow yourself one to two months to really think about your decision and make sure you are 100% certain before you make it official.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Jessica Grazia Mangia
Wedding gowns are often made-to-order and take an average of six months to arrive at the boutique for you to pick up. You will need to allow one to two months for alterations. This means you should purchase your gown up to one year before but no later than eight months before your wedding. Be sure to ask the bridal consultant that you’re working with to confirm the lead time for your specific gown to make sure that it will arrive in plenty of time for your wedding date.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Sotiris Tsakanikas
Once you’ve placed the order for your gown, it is officially time to STOP SHOPPING. We know, it’s hard, but you don’t have to quit cold turkey. There’s still plenty of shopping to be done! Just stop shopping for your gown and start shopping for your bridal accessories like veils, shoes, jewelry, etc.
If you continue to look at gowns after you’ve made your decision, you risk giving yourself FOMO when the designers release their new collections. Just be confident in your decision and know that you are going to look incredible in the gown you chose on your wedding day!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Sally Pinera
Just like regular fashion, bridal fashion has it’s seasons too. There are bridal fashion weeks in April and October where designers release new collections. The boutique owners attend the shows and place their orders for the coming season. Those gowns will be in stores in July/August and January/February. So, if you’re looking for the latest in bridal fashion, those are the best months to shop.
If you’re looking for a good deal, consider shopping in June and December. In these months, boutiques are having sample sales to make room for the new gown orders. These are also popular months for trunk shows. A trunk show is when a bridal line sends their new collection to a boutique for a short time and there is usually some sort of discount or other incentive for brides to order during that time frame.
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stephanie Brazzle Photography
The timeline above is a recommendation to ensure the least amount of stress and most options for brides shopping for their wedding gown. If you’re already less than one year out from your wedding and haven’t started shopping yet, don’t panic–we’ve got you! Traditionally brides place an order for a gown at a boutique and there is a long turnaround time before your gown arrives at the boutique, but there are a few ways to circumvent that lead-time.
The first option is to buy from an online retailer like BHLDN who has wedding gowns in-stock in various sizes, making it possible for brides to order their gown online and have it delivered in days or weeks instead of months.
Let’s say you’re less than a year out, but you still have a few months before your wedding. Some designers offer a rush option so that you can still order from their regular collection but they will bump your order to the top of the line. When you are calling to schedule your bridal appointments, be upfront with your timeline. Ask if any of the lines they carry can accommodate your order before you schedule the appointment.
Another option is to purchase a gown at a sample sale. Sample sale gowns are usually sold as-is and are ready to take home within days if not the same day.
You will still need alterations with any of the speedier options. If you are on a really condensed timeline, most alterations specialists will have an option to place a rush on an order. It’s more expensive but it’s worth your peace of mind to know that your gown will be ready in time for your wedding.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Julie Livingston Photography