Wedding Dress Conundrum

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KelieHerrera
KelieHerrera Posts: 93
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm getting married in May and everything I read says to start shopping for dresses 9 months prior to the wedding. Well, that's now and I am nowhere near the weight I plan to be in May. I've lost 8 lbs in my first month using MFP and if I keep trucking along (which I plan to!), I should be significantly smaller by the time we get married.

Anyone have a similar experience? Should I order a dress a size or two smaller and hope I squeeze into it? Should I get a big fatty dress and have it massively altered last minute? Help!
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Replies

  • prettytoxic
    prettytoxic Posts: 122 Member
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    My cousin has recently had this problem.
    She got a dress one size smaller and then just paid to have it altered =]
  • 481471
    481471 Posts: 95
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    arent you meant to have like several more fittings before the big day?
    my friend did and got it adjusted as she went along!
  • tmacs
    tmacs Posts: 60
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    I would personally start shopping around so you know THE dress you want but I wouldn't order anything until January or February when you have a better idea of what size you will be :).
  • BGabbart
    BGabbart Posts: 173 Member
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    I say shop around for the style you like but put off buying for as long as you can. That way you can enjoy the shopping and ask them about sizing and alterations.
  • laurenpence
    laurenpence Posts: 147
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    Order a dress one or two sizes smaller and work hard to get there. Wedding dresses are not cheap....so there is your motivation!
  • tialeanne
    tialeanne Posts: 186 Member
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    Unless you're getting a special customized dress then shopping a month or two ahead of time shouldn't be an issue. I'd buy off the rack and wait till the date were closer.
  • PaulaAnn143
    PaulaAnn143 Posts: 23
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    start looking to see what u like dont order anything until closer to the date. Just ask when is the latest u can order it and still have alterations done in time. It would be a shame if u ordered it to small and it didnt fit and you can only size down to sizes they can be let out.
  • hypotrochoid
    hypotrochoid Posts: 842 Member
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    Ooo... don't do the smaller dress thing. It'll just cause you huge amounts of stress. If you know what type of dress you want, contact the store and find out what the order times for it would be and base everything off of that. I think for most it's usually around 8 weeks or so. (Keep in mind, I was married 5 years ago and things may have changed). I got around all this by falling in love with a discontinued dress from last season that the bridal salon just happened to have sitting around. I bought it 2 months before my wedding and the world didn't end.

    Good luck!
  • nifnerf
    nifnerf Posts: 26 Member
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    Yup same problem! My wedding is next April and I just ordered my dress in my current size. I am willing to pay to have it altered and I just let them know about my lifestyle change and that I'll hopefully be dropping close to 100lbs. They said no problem!
  • RocheleLynn
    RocheleLynn Posts: 265 Member
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    I had the similar feelings when I went to order my dress. It was a very expensive dress and there was no way I could ever order another one if it ended up not working. I ordered 1 dress size smaller.. and had it altered a whole bunch. My thoughts were-- what if something crazy happens - like getting in a car accident and breaking your leg and now you can't workout. For me, it was much cheaper to pay to have it taken in a whole lot than it was to order a new dress.


    My dress took 8 months to come in! (They said it would only take 4) For me, I was glad that I did not wait to order the dress.
    BUT I think it depends more on the dress you chose. Mine was made at the time of order and every crystal and pearl was hand-sown. So look around. see what you like. and go from there.
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
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    I don't have advise other than what's offered, I just wanted to offer that the general rule on how much a wedding dress can be altered is "Up 2, Down 4".
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Get a good idea of what kind of dress you want (maybe which designer). Ask how long it takes to order one, then decide who long you can wait.
  • mandylea5705
    mandylea5705 Posts: 5 Member
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    If it were me, I'd order it at the size I am when I place the order. Its always easier to take it in than to let it out. It may cost a little more in alterations, but I'll take that over having a dress that I don't fit in. Have fun dress shopping! And don't be discouraged if nothing fits. My experience was the stores only ever seemed to stock sizes 8 & 10 - maybe a 12 or 14 if I was lucky and if your bigger than that (mine ended up being a size 18) it can be frustrating. =)
  • naesue
    naesue Posts: 401 Member
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    I got married Memorial Day weekend Last year and only had 4 months total to plan it I had no problems getting my dress in in time! Wait til Jan or Feb to purchase it and if you can get a dress that has lacing in the back cause you can get the size that fits you snugly and by your wedding day you can cinch it in with the lacing and not need it altered!
  • jkincaid0202
    jkincaid0202 Posts: 49
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    Congrats!

    I am havng a simmilar problem. I am getting married in 30 days and my dress is at the bridal shop now getting steamed and pressed. I didn't have any alterations done, so I was conflicted with pushing forward on my diet. I don't want to risk not being able to have alterations done because it's so close. I've finally decided to just keep trucking and pay the extra money for rush alterations.

    My advice to you is just get sized for the dress the size you are now and then get the alterations done. Most bridal shops have a "rush" option for situations like this. And besides, with all of the stress that can come with planning a wedding and all of the food (bridal shower, rehersal dnner, bachelorette party, etc) your weight may fluctuate a little.

    Feel free to add me BTW :)
  • mimmish
    mimmish Posts: 8 Member
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    Do you know WHY people say shop 9 months ahead? Does the reasoning (whatever it is) make sense to you given your situation? And I don't just mean weight loss, I mean lifestyle and approach to shopping and plans for the wedding. If teh reason you need to start shopping is b/c you expect it will take you 5 months to even FIND the dress you love, then go ahead and shop and see where you are in five months. If bridal boutiques tell you that you need to ORDER the dress 9 months ahead cause that's how long it takes them to MAKE the dress, you have a different sort of problem. I'd recommend asking how long it takes between ordering (committing to a size) and receiving the dress.
    Even if you do need to commit to a size while you're still losing weight and hoping to lose (planning on losing) more, if you've got a seamstress you trust, she can alter your dress as much as you need her to.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
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    Why do you have to pick out your dress nine mo before the wedding?
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Youre in Salt Lake City. Find a Wedding dress outlet (I have one right down the street from me in phoenix AZ :) ) you get designer dresses, typically last 2-3 seasons but really how much do the basic designs change? its the accents that change! Then you can get a dress 3 months ahead of time and get plenty of alterations done if need be. Now if you want that $5000+ designer boutique pay thousands more to get it altered dress remember wedding dresses can typically only go UP 1 size but can be altered DOWN 1-6 sizes without looking like a totally different dress design
  • jmruef
    jmruef Posts: 824 Member
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    Yup same problem! My wedding is next April and I just ordered my dress in my current size. I am willing to pay to have it altered and I just let them know about my lifestyle change and that I'll hopefully be dropping close to 100lbs. They said no problem!

    This. Get it in your current size and have it altered. Don't buy something that doesn't fit now. That's no fun.
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Youre in Salt Lake City. Find a Wedding dress outlet (I have one right down the street from me in phoenix AZ :) ) you get designer dresses, typically last 2-3 seasons but really how much do the basic designs change? its the accents that change! Then you can get a dress 3 months ahead of time and get plenty of alterations done if need be. Now if you want that $5000+ designer boutique pay thousands more to get it altered dress remember wedding dresses can typically only go UP 1 size but can be altered DOWN 1-6 sizes without looking like a totally different dress design

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