Wedding Dress Help

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Replies

  • mapenguinkeeper
    mapenguinkeeper Posts: 191
    also keep in mind that many designers create unreasonably small sizes. I've had size 4 friends have to buy a size 10 dress and have it altered very little.

    agree with others that the level of effort and time to alter will be based on the details of the dress.
  • Laur005
    Laur005 Posts: 15 Member
    I've heard that dresses can be taken in up to 2 sizes - beyond that, it gets tricky.

    Standard to order wedding dresses is in the 6-8 month timeframe and that should still give you time for alterations. My wedding is mid-July and I just started looking at dresses two weeks ago - the dress shop told me I should order by mid-December to make sure I have enough time (and that's 7 months), so you have plenty of time before October! If you're worried, talk to some of the bridal stores in your area and they will be able to help you.

    Good luck!
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    You could start looking to see what kind of dress you like, if you find something you do like ask the store how long of a lead time they need to order it and how long they would need for alterations. You definitely don't want to wait TOO long, but as you are right now you have plenty of time.
  • bf43005
    bf43005 Posts: 287
    First of all, Congratulations.
    Second, I think a lot of that would depend on you and what you want to get. If you are getting something that will lace up the back you have more room to play around with the size. If you are getting something that must be sized to your body then I think two sizes is the max. And if you are planning to lose weight don't get a size smaller thinking you will lose it only to find out on the day or a week before you didn't drop the weight and now the dress won't fit.
    Third, if you are getting something that is over the top then you should really start now because some of the dresses can take a year. But if you are getting something from like David's Bridal you have about another two months.
    I got a dress from a designer's store and it laced up the back. Everything fit perfect so I bought shoes to match the length and didn't need any alterations.
  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    They say that around six months before the wedding is a good time to look. Plenty of time for alterations but not so much time that you'll see a picture of another dress and fall in love.
    I was recently married (10/13/2013) and bought my dress at the end of January (it came in at the end of May).
    Standard to order wedding dresses is in the 6-8 month timeframe and that should still give you time for alterations. My wedding is mid-July and I just started looking at dresses two weeks ago - the dress shop told me I should order by mid-December to make sure I have enough time (and that's 7 months), so you have plenty of time before October! If you're worried, talk to some of the bridal stores in your area and they will be able to help you.

    Both my daughters are getting married next summer and the above is what I have heard, order at least 6 months before wedding day and expect 3-4 alteration sessions. One daughter doesn't have weight loss goals and has already ordered her dress. My other daughter wants to wait a few months so she can lose some weight before selecting a dress and her wedding is in May. If not ordered in time it just means your choices will be off the rack at the boutique then altered.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    also keep in mind that many designers create unreasonably small sizes. I've had size 4 friends have to buy a size 10 dress and have it altered very little.

    agree with others that the level of effort and time to alter will be based on the details of the dress.

    So true! There is no vanity sizing in wedding dresses. They run small.
  • lillivewire87
    lillivewire87 Posts: 103 Member
    They can take in a dress up to 2 sizes sometimes 3 without it altering the way the dress "looks" or running into issues. And it is always less expensive for them to size down than it is to size up. Bridal sizes are also notorious for being small...say if you are a size 10 normally expect to buy a dress in a size 12 or 14.

    I am getting married in July and I already have my dress, but my fittings won't start until April. The only reason I bought my dress so soon was I found THE ONE...and it was being discontinued. I had been trying on for quite some time for fun...and it was the only dress that made me and my mom cry. If I had waited it would no longer have been available.
  • Sarahr73
    Sarahr73 Posts: 454 Member
    Congratulations! Wedding planning is such an exciting time. I would wait to get your dress. I got mine just over a year before my wedding. I bought a size just barely too small to get me to work out more and then it was too big because I lost too much weight, then it was too small because I was trying to gain some weight back, and then it was a tad too big come the wedding day. Generally, they say it takes about 2-3 months after you pick out your dress for it to arrive (mine arrived at the store almost exactly two months after I bought it). Then plan on another 2-3 weeks for each alteration. I would plan on two alterations just to be safe. So about 4-5 months before the wedding, 6 months before if you want to account for any possible issues, and you should be good to go. And do make sure to wear any undergarments when you try on dresses that you will be wearing on the big day as that will make a difference. Good luck when you finally do go dress shopping!
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
    David's Bridal is one of few shops that is pretty good about letting you exchange your dress for a different size.

    If you want designer (from smaller boutique shops), they require a fair amount of lead time so you need to start searching.

    I gambled and ordered down a size (probably closer to 1.5 sizes down). I lost 30 lbs after ordering and the dress fit pretty well except for around the ribcage. My alterations lady convinced me that I didn't need to get it let out. With the stress and celebrations right before the wedding, I put on a few pounds and couldn't get my dress to zip all the way up a couple days before the wedding and had to get in for emergency alterations. That lady (different from the first) got a huge tip!
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
    If you go to a place like David's Bridal, which I did because I'm cheap, then you don't need to go that far in advance.

    I want to say that I MIGHT have went three months before the wedding---maybe two.
  • burlingtongrl
    burlingtongrl Posts: 327 Member
    Maybe you should go to a bridal shop or two and explain your situation and ask how long it takes to order a dress and get alterations done. Best of luck and congrats.

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