Typically, we suggest making your bridal dress appointments 9-12 months prior to your wedding date. This date is suggested with the goal of picking out and ordering a dress 8-9 months before the wedding. This gives you plenty of time to shop around and find the dress of your dreams. It also ensures that you avoid rush fees and give designers the lead time necessary to create your gown from scratch. Don’t forget that each gown is made to order, so longer wait times are inevitable. Finally, this timeline allows for alterations after the dress has come in. Even though the dress will be made specifically for you, there will most likely be slight alterations done to make it fit like a dream, and that’s something brides must plan for. Although it may be tempting during longer engagements, we suggest avoiding dress shopping before 12 months out. Starting your wedding dress hunt too early can result in dress regret later on. Brides who start before the 12-month mark often find themselves comparing their dress to newer designs as more recent collections are rolled out. Additionally, the farther out your wedding is, the less you know! Ensuring that you have the wedding theme and location established before you pick a dress can help make sure that it is appropriate for the occasion.
