Colorado Wedding Planner Advice: When to Start Shopping for Your Wedding Gown
One of the most exciting items on your wedding preparation list is picking out your wedding gown! Whether you’re going for a full ballgown, keeping it classic with an A-line, or showing off your personality with an unexpected cut, you’ll need time to find the dress of your dreams. Here’s when you should begin searching for your ‘yes dress’ for any wedding timeline.
Closeup wedding dress bodice by Susan Pacek Photography
Typical Wedding Gown Shopping Timeline
For most brides, wedding dress shopping will take place nine months to one year before the date since the average engagement lasts about 14 months. This gives you ample time to shop, explore different styles, and consider your budget without losing excitement over the dress. You’ll also get some time to slow down and enjoy the actual engagement without feeling rushed to find THE dress. Another benefit is that you’ll have time to iron out the logistics of scheduling appointments at bridal salons, fittings, alterations, and a cushion in case something unexpected happens and you need to start from scratch.
Captured by Susan Pacek Photography
Custom Wedding Dresses
If you’ve always dreamed of walking the aisle in an elegant gown, decorated with lace and intricate beadwork, that dream is going to take some time to bring to reality. Dresses that are tailor-made from scratch can add an incredibly personal touch to your special day, but they can also be expensive and time-consuming to create. You’ll want to give yourself and your dressmaker several months to discuss designs and make alterations.
O&J at Garden of the God’s Resort, captured by Catherine Lea Photography
Six Months Engagement or Shorter
However, for brides who are looking at a wedding taking place in six months or less, you should start shopping around as soon as possible. Time is certainly a luxury when it comes to wedding planning and some people’s circumstances simply don’t allow for extended dress shopping, but that doesn’t mean the process can’t still be fun! Even if your wedding is right around the corner, you can still find a gorgeous ready-made gown and sneak in a few alterations while sipping on some champagne with your closest friends and family.
Captured by Susan Pacek Photography
Take Your Time
For the brides who are looking at a longer engagement like two years, you might want to keep the Pinterest board going strong. Wedding planning can lead to a lot of fatigue and you don’t want to feel pressured to pick a dress immediately, only to realize that you aren’t in love with it anymore two years down the line. There’s also the nightmare of storing a wedding gown for an extended period of time and trying to keep it pristine while also keeping it out of your partner’s sight if you want to surprise them with a first look. Another added benefit to delaying your dress shopping is the fact that you’ll be able to save money during the beginning of your engagement and budget for a pricier dress later on.
Blue Linden's Pinterest Board: Looks We Love
Tips for Successful Shopping
If you’ve ever watched wedding dress reality shows, you know that tensions can be high! There are a lot of emotions swirling around while you’re trying to find the perfect dress that you will say ‘I do’ in, so the last thing you want is an unsupportive friend turning down every gown or a mother-in-law pushing you toward a style you don’t like. To make the experience as relaxing and fun as possible, consider limiting your shopping party to just two or three of your most trusted friends and family members. Additionally, wedding dress sizing tends to run differently than standard streetwear, so take your measurements and call ahead of time to be sure the bridal salon will have samples in your size to try out.
Finding the dress of your dreams is all about having a solid plan and having fun! If you want your wedding day to be as flawless and enjoyable as your wedding gown shopping experience, let’s chat! I have years’ worth of experience helping couples create their happily ever after.